Last night was wild, crazy, even.
I still can't believe it actually happened.
Even now, thinking about it makes me smile and blush a little.
I'm definitely looking forward to more.
Now, here I am, sitting at the dining table, eating breakfast my mom made.
Yeah... I can't even cook.
How dumb could I be.
About ten steps away from my house, I hear the loud rumble of a motorbike getting closer.
I turn my head just in time to see Eduardo pulling up, flashing me his usual grin.
Good morning, Anna. He calls out.
He looked... hot.
Wait—hot?
What the heck am I even thinking now?
Maybe I really am going crazy.
Get in."
His voice was a little more serious — deeper, even — as he said those words.
Without thinking much, I hopped onto the back of his motorbike, and just like that, we drove off toward school.
When we arrived, I got off quickly.
Thanks, I said, while getting off.
That's for all the biscuits you gave me every recess, Eduardo said with a small smile.
I barely had time to reply before heading inside the school building — and the very first person I saw was Sia with her friends, walking straight toward me.
I tried to act as normal as possible while walking toward her.
When we were finally close, I managed to say, Good morning, Sia, trying my absolute best to sound casual, and not suspicious... or weird... or whatever.
But I'm afraid she didn't even hear it.
She just kept walking, I'm definitely losing it.
I stopped for a second, thinking about what I had just done — and what it had gotten me — and then I laughed quietly to myself, shaking my head.
Of course I lost all control the second I saw her.
Hey, you okay?
I turned to see Eduardo standing there, looking at me with a half-confused, half-amused expression.
Huh? Oh, yeah...I said, flashing him an awkward smile.
It was only then — after hearing Eduardo's voice that I felt like I finally snapped back to reality.
After all that, I found myself in the dance room, practicing.
I'm a member of the dance troupe — though, I hate to break it to you, I'm not exactly a good dancer.
I just find it fun... dancing in front of an audience.
Plus, it's the only club I'm part of, so here we are.
Tom's with me too.
Unlike me, he actually has a real passion for dance and, honestly, he dances way better than I do.
Okay, guys, I have good news!"
The president of our club shouted loud enough for everyone in the dance room to hear.
"We gained eight new members! Let's give a round of applause for that!"
The room instantly filled with loud clapping and excited cheers.
One by one, they introduced the new members standing at the front.
I wasn't really paying much attention — until my heart suddenly started racing out of nowhere.
There she was.
Sia.
She was one of the new members.
That meant... I'd get to see her more often now.
Yes! I screamed happily in my mind, trying my best not to jump up and down like a little kid.
After a hard practice session, we all took a break, grabbing our water bottles and catching our breaths.
Sia was sitting right next to me — and I was trying so hard to keep myself composed, pretending like it wasn't a big deal.
(But it was. It really was.)
Anna,
I froze the moment I heard my name come out of her mouth.
Huh? Y-Yeah? I blurted out way too quickly, nearly choking on my water.
God, I'm so embarrassed. What do I even do now? I screamed silently inside my head, wishing I could somehow disappear.
Did you, by any chance, say something to me earlier this morning? Sia asked, her voice soft and a little apologetic.
I'm really sorry if you did and I didn't notice it. I didn't hear a thing. I only found out because my friend told me you did say something.
Hearing her say that made my heart swell with relief.
So she didn't ignore me on purpose. Thank God.
I almost laughed out loud from how happy and light I suddenly felt, like a heavy stone had been lifted off my chest.
No, it's okay, I said quickly, I was just saying good morning. Nothing big, really. No need to be sorry.
I tried my best to look into her eyes as I said those words, even though making eye contact had always been something I struggled with.
Still, for some reason, with her, I wanted to try.
And just like that, my misunderstanding — and all those low, silly feelings — got fixed.
I didn't know Sia was that kind of person, so soft and thoughtful, the kind who doesn't want people around her to feel bad.
Her beauty already made her seem perfect, but that kindness?
It made her a hundred times more beautiful. I couldn't help but laugh a little to myself.
I was actually looking forward to tomorrow, ever since our adviser mentioned that a new transferee student would be joining us.
And when tomorrow finally came, we were all seated, waiting for the teacher to arrive — along with the new student.
A few minutes passed, and just when things started feeling too quiet, the teacher arrived.
Right behind her, a guy zipped past us riding a bike not the motor kind, just a bicycle, and parked it swiftly, standing by the doorway as he waited for the teacher's signal.
Okay, class! We have a new classmate joining us today, Ma'am announced cheerfully.
Come here! she motioned to him.
And that's when he made his entrance.
He was tall, dressed head to toe in black, carrying this heavy, mysterious vibe around him.
His face stayed cold and unreadable as he stood at the front of the room, all eyes on him.
I noticed a small wound on his lip, with a bit of dried blood—like it happened just yesterday.
There was also a band-aid on his cheek, standing out against his already serious expression.
What's up with this guy? I thought to myself, feeling both curious and a little thrown off by how rough he looked. But I'm not denying his visual.
With that unreadable aura surrounding him, he finally spoke.
"Hi, everyone. I'm Matthew Salvatore," he said, his voice smooth, calm, and undeniably manly.
Even Jean was overreacting beside me.
"My God, how can we have this guy as our new classmate?" she whispered, her smile stretching from ear to ear.
But honestly? He was my type — the manly, cool, type of guy.
And right then, he had me completely. Kidding.. Sia is still the one!
He was really leaning into the whole mysterious vibe.
For over fifteen minutes during recess, he just sat there, glued to his phone.
A few guys approached him, and even some girls, but he seemed to get along fine with them, though I could tell he preferred being alone.
It was like he enjoyed the attention, but he didn't really need it.
After class, my childhood friend Kelly and I walked home together since our houses were just around the corner from each other.
"Wanna hang later for a movie?" she asked, her voice light.
"Yeah, I'd love that. It's so boring being at home," I replied, feeling relieved at the idea of getting out.
"You know there's a lot of pretty girls at our school, right?" Kelly said, raising an eyebrow and smirking at me.
"Yeah, true," I said, rolling my eyes. "But don't say things like that. I know you don't date girls." I laughed slightly, shaking my head at her.
She chuckled along with me, the easy camaraderie between us making the walk feel even shorter.
Later that night, we started watching a movie in Kelly's room, her laptop resting on the bed between us. We watched for hours, but as time passed, the atmosphere grew heavier, the tension building between us. We sat so close, the air thick with it. The fact that we were watching a romance movie only added fuel to the fire.
I glanced at Kelly, half-expecting her to be fully absorbed in the film. But then, she turned and faced me, her eyes locking with mine. The moment felt electric. Without warning, she leaned in closer, and in a flash, her lips brushed against mine.
I froze, shocked, before instinctively pulling back, my heart racing.
Just as things started to heat up, a sudden knock at the door shattered the moment, stopping us in our tracks.