6 SWEET REALITY

Yesterday was indeed a disappointing day for Thea. Mind-boggling teemed with some ironic guy's way of acting and worsened with her ill-fitted way of responding, and it's making everything perfectly messed up. That dream-like moment of encounter with her dream guy flutters her belly nerves, as she's deeply engrossed, fantasizing, in the corner of this little bakery shop as she's stuffing herself with her breakfast. A fresh from the oven malungay pandesal drenched into hot coffee mocha in a paper cup that she got from an automated coffee kiosk just beside the bakery for only five pesos. Although she would always prefer to mix her own drink, milk, native coffee, cocoa, and ginger powder, this breakfast is such a money-saving, time-saving yet nutritious Pinoy style. The need for money saving thing is always in for her and as of now, that time saving too, for she's about to be late for her first class on the first day of school.

She's focused on her steps, with her head down, wanting to stay unseen while remaining cautious. The last thing she dearth for is being bumped by some heavy-footed, over-excited, or maybe some skittish college student. Of course, they are scattered all over the corridors, with each variegated way of spending their first hour, in the first day, back in school from long summer vacation.

Looking over her study load slip, as she's standing in the front door, which she assumes her first's subjects classroom. Number '209' on the door.

"Room two, O, nine, this is it," Thea mumbled before getting in. The room is half full. She is fixated on finding a seat without giving a gander to anyone inside the room.

A group of fashionably blond and colored haired, socialite ladies sitting in front of her draws her attention. Thea even paused, admiring their ombre hair and beautifully painted faces. Thea overheard them talking about some exquisitely gorgeous individual that's definitely a guy.

They squeal as they shiver, with their eyes ogling over, to someone that's for sure is behind her. She follows their gaze to complete astonishment.

'What the heck is he doing here? I thought he's attending St. Thaddeus College.' Thea thought, her jaw agape as she watched him questioningly.

Thea locked eyes with this smirking guy, who had always been her musing subject day and night. York seems to forget to notice these ravishing girls with battling eyes in front of her and waits for Thea's attention.

"Is that seat vacant?" He's pointing to the chair beside Thea.

The girl with wavy, subtle ombre hair, elegantly arched eyebrows, and auburn colored lipstick approach York, biting her lower lips exposing her beautiful white teeth. Deliberately brushing her brimming bosom to York's biceps, while squeezing it with her tiny hands, showing her freshly manicured with red fingernails.

That seductive gesture succeeds in catching York's attention. It makes him swallowed his saliva.

Thea took away her gaze from them down to her cellphone, hiding her sneer. Besides, she won't want to witness their disgusting lecherous gestures in this wholesome classroom. Though, she heeds more on their confab, rather than to her cellphone.

"Hey, handsome, I got some vacant sit here for you." Miss Ombre's flirtatious voice.

Thea gleam upon hearing York say.

"That's great, but if this seat is free, I think I'll just stay here beside my friend." Thea's eyes still on her cellphone as she felt him sitting in the same chair he's pointing, next to her.

This time she's peeping on Miss Ombre, curious of her reaction, well, that's a cute nickname she made for her.

Raising her one eyebrow with a bratty smirk. Miss Ombre says, "Aw, you hang around with? Well, anyway, I think I'll take this sit here too." Yeah, she surely got her thin butt plop down to the next armchair besides York's.

Thea got a bit riled over her unfinished 'hang around with?' sentence. A deep breath genially extends her patience.

"You haven't mentioned we're in the same class," Thea asked York, beginning to get used to his presence.

"Yeah, I'm a transferee." And? In her mind, she wants him to expand his answer. She wants to know more, why did he transfer to this school, and when did he decide?

"So, that is why I haven't seen you before. Because if we had, probably you already one of my courtiers in line, or dating me if lucky enough. By the way, I'm Nerie, short for Neraluna." Miss Ombre, or Nerie as she says, leans close to York, making sure her boastful bosom touches any part of York's skin. There she goes again, interfering with her ego trip.

York only smirks, unseduced and unshaken this time. Instead, his nose wrinkled, as so as his eyebrows, forming v in the center and lips crumpled, while hiding his disgusted face from Nerie's visuality. His shenanigans easily tickled Thea to death in her thought. York can probably be her friend.

Not long enough, the professor arrived, and classes began simultaneously.

*****

Striding down the hallway, Thea's last classes ends nearly noon, and now she needs to travel fast to her work. Unnoticed, York suddenly pops out from somewhere, now walking beside her.

She paused, taken aback, startled, she stared at him speechless.

"What? Am I that scary?" York suppressed his habitual sarcastic smile.

"No, I'm sorry, I'm just not used to be around people." Thea smiled coyly.

"You don't need to; you just need to get used around me." York without looking at her, hiding his wide and daffily charming smile.

"By the way, I'm sorry again for your wrist. How was it?" Worried yet wondered, as Thea noticed his wrist not bonded nor discolored.

" It's unbelievably fine, and your scarf seems to got magic in it."

Thea nodded with her coy smile, shrugging off his absurd reason.

"Are you off to work? Can I offer you a ride?" York asked.

"How did you know? I'm working?" Thea's brows wrinkles in the puzzle.

"You're wearing a company uniform, the first time we meet? Isn't it obvious?"

She nodded to concede the situation.

*****

15 minutes passed, stuck in a bumper to bumper traffic, yet relaxed inside this expensive car. He's driving a yellow Chevrolet Camaro. Thea's silent with questions behind her thoughts, 'He's rich, if not how can he afford such an expensive car, but why he is waiting and riding on a public utility jeepney?' Referring to the first few moments, she has seen him outside the dream world.

"This ride is getting boring. Don't you have anything to break the ice? Anything to say?" Yeah, York's right. Their silence is making the situation more awkward and soporific. Thea tried to consider that she's maybe relaxed as a passenger, but traffic is a real headache for a driver.

"Yes, I do! Thank you for the ride." Thea closes her eyes, in disappointment over herself and trying to compress more ideas from her brain. 'Oh, come on, brain, can you work a bit? Help me think of something more to say to him.'

"Why did you do this?" Sounds dumb, but yes, it's the only factual thing she wants to ask him.

"Do what?" York feigned confusion that impels more on Thea's embarrassing state that there's nothing more she can think of but hide. On the contrary, it seems another part of her has risen; she moves her head up and answers.

"Why are you so good to me?"

York restrained his laughter. Pouring another load of embarrassment over Thea. But a sudden change of his expression from being gaudy to being serious.

"I have a favor to ask." His words after a deep breath. Thea's focused on York's breathing; it is clear and persistent that she can detect his nervousness behind his casual yet serious expression. She discerns not until this moment that she can perceive and exaggerate somebody's emotion, some kind of special sense.

Yet not a word, she raises her eyebrow manifesting dubiety.

"Oh, come on, this isn't something to be in a dither. Relax, I just want to get rid of that pesky Nerie and her group." Now, Thea is the one who can hardly restrain her laughter.

"Why?"

"What why?"

"Why you want to get rid of her? I thought you are enjoying her melons." With her rarest sarcastic laughter.

"I'm not fond of melons, and I love gold apples." York, with that cute smirk.

"Gold apple?" Well, I surely need further explanations. "What's with the golden apple? I haven't seen any yet?"

"I mean it in a metaphoric sense. Which signifies a good-hearted one." Thea smiled, hardly believing those words from York himself. She's losing out of words, unable to recognize her thoughts. He is not really what she thought he really is, the sarcastic, self-conscious, listless, and authoritative. Someone who would rather prefer beauty and physical attractions as most men do.

That simple time passer palaver with York in the midst of this bumper to bumper, hi-way traffic. Taking Thea's mind out of worries for being late. Peeking on her cellphone for the time. And the fact of existence that she's on. She's unmistakably late.

Worries washed over her, sending her to a juncture of silence for a while. But then, she remembered York saying that he needs her help. A wind of doubts and curiosity blew over her.

"Why, what do you want me to do?" Thea's reply cracks York a smile. Hopeful for Thea's affirmation.

"I want you to come with me."

"Where?"

"Nerie invited me camping."

"What? I've never been in that kind of activity, and in fact, I didn't know any outdoor stuff. I can be a heavy extra baggage for the group."

"In that case, then that's never a problem. I can help you if you're just willing to help me."

There is still doubt about her hectic time and the need to earn enough tuition fees and boarding behind her willingness to help York, and she can't skip work.

"Sorry, but I can't" York frowns in disappointment. Thea tries to shrug off her sensitivity to fell for York's begging expression. 'The hell I care? I don't even understand why he wants me there. Maybe he just wants somebody to bully, make fun with, or do stuff like a nanny'—her thoughts behind her silence.

"I thought my being good to you will be enough for you to trust me, and can you really just dump a friend in need?"

Those words really touch her personality and prick straight to her sensitive heart.

"I have my job to attain to. I can't leave anytime that easily. Nobody will fill my shift. And that few days pay during my absence is a big pain on my budget."

"And if I can settle that problem, would you go with us?"

"What? How?"

"Just promise and leave it to me."

"Okay, okay, I promise?" Rolling her eyes, hardly believing his words. She still doubted if there something he can do about it.

"Sorry, your late." He really looks so handsome with his rueful grin. Taking Thea's worries, she can't help but smile back at him and makes her hope not to get out of this car and stay a little bit more time with him. But a strong sound of the guard's whistle caught their attention, decerns them that she needs to get up and out asap from this comfortable car seat and away again from York's company as they're already in front of the building's drop off lane.

"I got to go; thanks again for the ride."

"No problem, text you later!" She turned back to him with a mouth ajar and confused as she saw him drove away.

"Text you later? I haven't remembered giving him my number." Thea told herself.

She shrugs her thoughts. Maybe that's just an unmindful broach.