A NIGHT TO BE REMEMBER

CHAPTER 2

I licked my lower lip before continuing to sip my milk tea. Beside my drink sat a round plate piled with different cookies from our shop.

"What?" I asked her innocently.

"What?" she mocked, raising an eyebrow. "Seriously?? You didn’t even text or call me for a whole week! Are you even my best friend? Do you have a new one? Oh my god, how dare yo—"

I scratched my head, listening to her dramatic lecture about me not contacting her. I’d been busy packing up our customers' orders from different islands. My mom was also swamped, baking a huge batch of cookies and pastries. We barely had enough time to rest.

She snapped her fingers in my face. "Are you even listening to me, Ksenia Tatiana Guseva?"

"You're so dramatic, my beautiful best friend Rachelle Santos," I said with a smirk.

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, my brother and I are planning to enroll for the next semester. Want to join us?"

I tilted my head. "When?"

"This Wednesday, since your shop is closed that day," she answered, taking a sip of her drink.

Just then, the bell above the door chimed, and we both turned to see a familiar figure walk in. Khamil, with his effortlessly cool stance and his usual, casual confidence, had entered the bakery. Rachelle’s eyes narrowed, and she raised an eyebrow at him, clearly recognizing him, though he barely glanced her way. Instead, his eyes went straight to me.

“Ksenia,” he said, walking over to our table, ignoring Rachelle’s raised brow and faintly irritated expression.

I blinked, caught off guard, and glanced at Rachelle, whose expression was now more annoyed than amused. She tilted her head slightly, as if to say, So, who’s this guy who thinks he owns the place?

“Oh, hi! Do you want to order another batch of cookies?” I asked, smiling up at him.

He chuckled. “Of course. Where’s Tita, by the way?”

I glanced at Rachelle, who was still giving him a look of pure judgment. She even looked him over from head to toe, as if she's assessing his very soul.

“She’s in the house right now,” I answered.

“She’ll be back soon, right?” he asked again.

I nodded. “Of course! My mom just needed to grab something from home. Why?”

He was about to respond when Rachelle cleared her throat loudly. Khamil slowly turned to her, his brows raising slightly.

“Excuse me,” she said in a cold tone. “Can’t you see she’s not alone? If you have business with her, can you wait until later?”

Khamil blinked, a bit taken aback. “What?”

“What?” she echoed with a mock innocence. “Ksenia is on her break right now. If you’re here to order cookies, you can wait in the seating area.”

"Rachelle, it's fine!" I said calmly.

"No, it's not. He can wait for about 20 minutes, you're still in your break" she replied, stating that I don't need to argue with her.

Khamil glanced between the two of us, clearly realizing Rachelle wasn’t planning to give him an easy time. “Right,” he said slowly, his usual confidence slipping just a little. He looked at me. “I’ll wait until your break’s over then.”

Rachelle watched him turn and head toward the seating area, her gaze sharp and unforgiving. When he was out of earshot, she turned back to me, folding her arms.

“Who does he think he is, showing up like he owns the place?” she muttered.

I stifled a laugh. “Oh, come on, Rachelle. He’s just here to order cookies.”

Rachelle arched an eyebrow. “Order cookies? Right. Then why does he look at you like he’s trying to figure out how to ask you on a date?”

I felt my face heat up. “He’s not… he just likes our cookies. He comes here a lot.”

“Uh-huh,” she said, unconvinced. “Well, if he’s trying anything, you let me know. I’ll be here to make sure he keeps his eyes—and intentions—to himself.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re so dramatic.”

“Maybe. But I’m not going anywhere,” she replied, popping a cookie into her mouth. “Someone has to keep an eye on these guys circling you like you’re some prize.”

I laughed, feeling a strange mix of embarrassment and amusement.

"I'm so sorry, Khamil," I said, packing up three boxes of cookies.

Rachelle was already gone by the time my break ended—her brother had picked her up. She’d come all the way here just to see me without bothering to let him know where she was, so he had to come find her. Rachelle is the only daughter of the Santos family, one of the wealthiest families here in Badian.

"Let me know if he’s trying to hit on you. You know I can knock some sense into any guy who tries that, right?” she’d said before kissing my cheek goodbye.

“No problem, Ksenia,” Khamil replied as I handed him the packed cookies. Then he paused, looking thoughtful. “She’s right, though. And… who is she, exactly? She looked kind of familiar.”

“Really? Well, she’s pretty well-known around here, so maybe that’s why she seemed familiar,” I replied with a small laugh. “She’s Rachelle Santos, the only daughter of the Santos family. And also, my best friend.”

“She’s a what?” he asked, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

I looked at him, puzzled. “Uh… a Santos?”

“Damn! No wonder she looked so familiar…” he muttered, almost to himself. Then, barely audible, he added, “She’s the spoiled brat.”

Just then, the bell above the door chimed again, and I looked up to see Aling Nena entering with my mom beside her, both of them carrying eco bags. I waved to them, smiling.

“Ksenia, sweetheart!” Aling Nena called out, beaming as she approached the counter. But when she spotted Khamil, her face shifted, her warm expression hardening.

“Khamil! What are you doing here?” she asked sternly.

“Lola Nena!” Khamil greeted her, clearly surprised but attempting a casual smile. “Just… picking up some cookies.”

Aling Nena shook her head, then walked up and swatted him on the arm with surprising force for her age. “Picking up cookies? You didn’t think to tell your lola where you’ve been all this time? You're friends are waiting for you in the house”

Khamil rubbed his arm, chuckling sheepishly. “Sorry, Lola. I didn’t know you’d be here and also forget about them they will just be going to ask for me to buy them snacks”

My eyes widened. “Wait—he’s your grandson, Aling Nena?”

“Yes!” she huffed, giving Khamil another light slap on the shoulder. “This one’s been giving me gray hairs since he was a little boy.”

My mom laughed, clearly amused by the interaction. “So, Khamil is family, huh? Small world!”

“Too small sometimes,” Aling Nena muttered, though there was a spark of affection in her eyes.

Khamil looked between us, still smiling but clearly a little embarrassed. “Well, I guess the secret’s out now.”

Aling Nena raised an eyebrow at him. “Just don’t go causing trouble for Ksenia here. And remember, she’s like family to me, too.”

“Don’t worry, Lola,” he said, glancing at me with a smile. “I’ll behave.”

Mom and Aling Nena exchanged amused looks before my mom headed to the back to put away the groceries. I turned to Khamil, still processing this unexpected connection.

“Well, that was… surprising,” I said, trying not to laugh.

Khamil shrugged, looking a bit sheepish. “Yeah, she tends to make quite an entrance, doesn’t she?”

I laughed, feeling a little more at ease. “So, I guess I’ll see you around?”

He nodded, holding up the boxes of cookies. “Definitely. Thanks again, Ksenia. And… maybe next time, without the interrogation from Lola.”

As he left, Aling Nena watched him go, shaking her head but smiling. “That boy,” she murmured, almost to herself, “always manages to find trouble, even when he’s just buying cookies.”

From: Ms. Rich

Message: We will pick you up at 8 A.M.

It’s been four days since Khamil revealed that he’s Aling Nena’s grandson. No wonder he seems so well-off, he belongs to a wealthy family. Today is Wednesday, the day Rachelle, her brother, and I are heading to enroll for the next semester at Apex Crest Academy.

To: Ms. Rich

Message: Okay! Let me know when you’re here.

After sending the message, I headed to the bathroom to get ready. It was only 6 A.M., so I had two hours to prepare.

“Rachelle will pick you up?” my mom asked as I walked into the kitchen.

“Yes, along with her brother,” I answered, grabbing a freshly baked pandesal from the table.

“Okay, my love. Make sure you eat,” she said, smiling.

I nodded, sitting down at the table. “I won’t be able to go with you to the city today, Mom. Will you be alright going alone?”

Every Wednesday, we go into the city to buy baking ingredients and other supplies for the bakery. We do have a supplier, but my mom likes to make the trip herself so she can pick up anything else she needs.

She gave me a reassuring smile. “Of course, I’ll be fine. You go take care of your enrollment, and I’ll manage the shopping.”

I finished my breakfast, feeling the usual anticipation of starting a new semester—and a bit of nervous excitement about seeing new faces.

From: Ms. Rich

Message: We’re here, come out, girl!

I took one last look in the mirror, adjusting my high-waisted mom jeans and smoothing down my brown top. Paired with white sneakers, a touch of powder, blush, lip tint, and curled eyelashes, I felt ready. I grabbed my small bag and headed out.

As I stepped outside, I saw my mom chatting happily with Rachelle.

“Oh! Here comes Miss Universe!” Rachelle squealed, clapping her hands dramatically.

I rolled my eyes, laughing. “Good morning to you too.”

My mom gave me a warm smile. “You look beautiful, my love. Have a good day, and don’t forget to text me once you’re done with your enrollment.”

I hugged her tightly. “I will, Mom. Take care of your trip to the city.”

Rachelle’s brother, Timothy, stepped out of the car and greeted me with a friendly wave. “Hey there, Ksenia! Ready for a day?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “As ready as I’ll ever be. Thanks for the lift, Tim.”

“Anytime,” he replied with a grin. “Someone has to keep Rachelle out of trouble, right?”

“Hey!” Rachelle protested, but we all just laughed.

We all waved goodbye to my mom before climbing into the car. As Timothy drove us to school, he and I exchanged stories about our last semester, bringing up the hilarious moments we’d both experienced. By the time we arrived at Apex Crest Academy, we were all in good spirits.