Ride with the Waves

Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

The entrance exam for one of the universities I applied to was finally open. I chose Education—it felt right for me. Friday came quickly, and since the exam was on Saturday, I traveled to Manila with Hailey. Her family has a house there, so I would be staying with them.

When we arrived in Manila, I couldn’t help but stare in awe. So this is what it’s like here—tall buildings everywhere, smoky air, and endless traffic. It felt so different from the province. We stopped by a restaurant to eat before continuing the trip. Not long after, we arrived at Hailey’s house. It was beautiful—not too big, not too small. We went straight to her room and rested.

“Good luck tomorrow, bff,” Hailey said.

“Good luck. Let’s do our best,” I replied with a smile. Soon, we fell asleep.

Morning came faster than expected. We had to get ready early so we wouldn’t risk being late for the exam.

After fixing ourselves, we went downstairs and saw Hailey’s mom.

“Good morning. Eat first. You need energy before leaving,” Auntie Hanna said warmly.

“Good morning, Mom. Are you coming with us? Where’s Dad?” Hailey asked.

“He already left for work. Good morning, Arisa. Go eat,” she said.

“Good morning, Auntie. Thank you for the food,” I replied, smiling back.

Hailey’s father is staying here in Manila for work. So, once Hailey finishes her senior year, they will stay here for good.

After breakfast, Auntie Hanna drove us to the university. Hailey and I were applying to the same school, but different programs. I chose Secondary Education, Major in Filipino, while Hailey chose Accountancy—her lifelong dream.

As we got closer, my heart started pounding. My hands felt cold, and all I could do was pray that everything would go well.

“Aspire University,” I read. We were finally here.

“Okay, here you go. Do your best, alright?” Auntie Hanna said with a warm smile.

We thanked her and said goodbye.

The moment we stepped inside the campus, we were both amazed. It was huge—and even more beautiful in person.

“Arisa, I’ll go ahead first. Our building’s over there, and I might be late,” Hailey said.

“Okay. Good luck. See you later,” I replied.

“Bye! Love you!” she said before running off.

I headed toward my building, following the map that was sent to my email after my application was approved.

While walking, someone called out suddenly.

“Miss!”

I turned around to make sure it was me he was calling out.

“Is this yours?” he asked, holding my handkerchief.

“Oh! Thank you so much. I didn’t notice it fell,” I said.

“Okay,” he replied before walking away.

So grumpy.

But… he smells really good.

I finally reached my building. People were staring at me, and it made me feel nervous—like something straight out of the books I read. Everyone lined up and entered their assigned rooms.

Once all the instructions were given, the exam began. We had three hours.

I focused, blocking out everything around me, until it was finally over. After leaving the room, I decided to walk around the campus. I found a small food place and stayed there. I texted Hailey to tell her I was done and where I was. She said she’d come find me.

A few minutes later, she arrived.

“Arisa babyyy! Did you wait long? I’m sorry—there are so many daddies here,” she said, clearly excited.

She really is something else.

“Was your exam okay?” I asked.

“Of course! If I don’t pass, then okay,” she said casually.

“What do you mean by ‘okay’? Are you crazy? We need to pass!” I said.

“Relax. I will pass the exam, okay? The questions were easy,” she replied confidently.

We decided to go home since we were exhausted and just wanted to sleep. But when we arrived at their house, we were told that we had to return to the province because Auntie had something to take care of. So we packed our things.

During the ride, we fell asleep. Auntie dropped me off right in front of my house.

“Thank you, Auntie. Take care,” I said, waving.

Hailey waved back with a smile, and Auntie smiled as well.

Once inside my house, I fixed my things and went straight to bed. I was completely exhausted. I stop thinking about the exam, and I trust myself. I did my best, and I know I will pass it.