JUDGING THE BOOK BY ITS COVER

"Did you miss me already" she uttered

Timothy was just stunned and creeped out at the same time because she talked as if she was she was talking to him face to face. He thought about lying but he knows, she knows.

"Somehow yes "he honestly replied.

He missed her, yes but to him that was just it. He missed her because their routinely activity suddenly felt became empty after her AWOL. Because honestly, he had not been treating her nicely, he kept on ignoring her during her frequent visits to their station. Timothy acted, how he truly felt. He is uncomfortable how she flaunts her wealth. Just upon her entrance, their humble station becomes like her runway stage, showing off everything that can be showed off. She would always be in different pair of shoes, different bag, and very look-at-me clothes, and clothes that is really out of place because she is always on dress each visit. He was even more disgusted when he found outs that she takes with her extra clothes just so that she can change her clothes before entering the station. And just like any other adult, most of them just ignored thinking that she is just a child flaunting her parents', wealth.

Though she has a redeeming quality that he doesn't even thought that is a redeeming. She hides how friendless she is; she likes to hide that no one really likes her in their university to the point that she had to do things alone.

Without saying anything again they continued to walked, he watched as she carefully choose to dip her extravagant shoes on the pool of water. For the first time he was watching her back and then she suddenly halted. She used the umbrella to cover her face and quickly walked towards a narrow street. He called her name, and asked her to leave but she just pointed towards the people that was coming towards him. The street lights were quite strong so he immediately recognized that the people that she was hiding from, were students. Timothy just acted naturally hoping that they won't recognize him, but alas; they did recognize him even without his uniform.

"sir? yes it's the officer that we need to interview." The first student said

"ah yes, it's totally him, good evening sir" said the female student that spook with confidence showing that she was the leader of the group.

"hello, and why do you need to interview me anyway?"

"you're perfect for our documentary, and besides you're the one that our professor recommended"

"who is your professor?"

"Sir Ramos in Sociology class" said the other female student.

"Ah, Prof Ramos, but what are you doing here its already late", Timothy asked

"I'm sure you know Mary Grace, right? She asked also

"Mary Grace?", he asked with his eyebrows lifted

"Ah, Grace, so she introduced her name as Grace"

"Grace, yes. I met her several times but she never came back again because she told me that she was already finished "he said in a careful manner hoping that he did it right

"ugggh, tseee, so she told you that she is already done?" the other male guy said sarcastically"

He doesn't know how to react but he knows that they were not in a good mood.

"Anyways so what about her?" he asked in a cool way for them not to think like he was interested or whatsoever but in a way like he was just randomly asking.

"Mary Grace, or Grace as you know is our groupmate but she probably doesn't want to be in our group. I mean she was the one who volunteered to work alone. At first we did not show up in our first meeting because she set up the meeting on her own, we have other classes on the time she set. Then when we asked to set another meeting, she said she has other classes also and just volunteered to leave the group", the leader-like said explained

"We were okay with that at first but then prof said that we should be in group still because there will be a minus point since this is our last project for the last semester. So we asked her to join again but she just simply said no. We called her again because we rarely see her in class then, but she said she can't because she was finished already", the other student explained

"So we were late officer, because we had been wracking our brain and hoping that you will still be there in your station and here you are" the leader said.

That was it, he can't recall what they about that evening but he just knew that they should set another time; because while talking to them, he saw her walked away once again. Her back is the last thing he saw before she was totally engulfed by the darkness of the dark alley.

Does she really have a redeeming quality? he asked

Nope, she doesn't have because

"Is this Mr. Timothy Galap", asked the person on the other line

"Yes, I'm Timothy, why", he nervously asked

As nervous as he was when he received the call, he was even more nervous to see her sleeping inside a precinct jail. She was there sleeping as comfortable she is, even when her beautiful party dress was wrinkled and messed up. They waited for her to wake up but she seemed to be really asleep, maybe tired from the fight she was involved in. The officer who went to the place explained that they were cat fighting and the party goer doesn't exactly know who started it, but she ended up as the one who created the chaos. Grace was the only who has a clean face after their so-called fight. The other ladies were attacked painfully, they received black-eye and mostly punches in the face. It seemed like it was not a cat-fight after all.

Timothy called her name once again but she didn't wake up. The lady officer then went inside and had to shake her up to awaken her. After like a minute of her stretching and yawning, she sat down. Slowly and calmly she looked around then suddenly energetically waved her hand at Timothy the moment she saw him. While they were signing documents before she could get out, she went back to her ever annoying rich attitude. Her messy hair and ripped clothes did not give her any sense of embarrassment to act like a princess. He asked the officer why he was the one who was called thus he learned that he was the guardian she named. He was told also that she settles the money issue immediately, she paid the ones that were hurt during the chaos. Without a filter, the lady asked if she was her girlfriend, because obviously they can't be seen as siblings. He just simply said no.

This time, he just doesn't want to watch her back because she has a lot of explaining to do. Whenever she wants to stay behind, he stops. He never wants to force her to talk so he didn't ask her until she was the one who opened up.

"just so you know, I was not the one who created the chaos, and I fought back because they hurt someone"

"okay, and"

"and, that was it", she stated

"then why was I your guardian, then?" he calmly asked

"why? You don't want to", she asked after smiling innocently

"why am I written as your guardian?"

"because you are like a guardian angel to me" she said in a serious manner that actually made him nervous and made his heart skip a beat. "Because you are the only one, I can trust here", she continued

Should he be happy or sad for her? He doesn't know. He doesn't know the etiquette of a social situation like this.

They were now in a bus station waiting but they both knew there are no bus, in an hour like this. 4 'o'clock in the morning.

And in true fashion of being a show-off she called someone to pick them up in the bus station. Timothy was a little bit embarrass but why should he, he just wasn't to be comfortable and easy going. He sometimes laughs at his co-worker who were always nervous every time they drive their shiny and expensive car because it might be scratched or something.

A black but low-key car parked in front of them and the window rolled down. A man who seemed to be in his teens popped out and actioned them to get inside now. In all honesty this car doesn't fit the image of his two companion, one who looks like a prince and the other dressed like a princess is not a matched to this humble car. He felt like he was the owner of the car, it perfectly captured his aura. Upon entering the car, it moves fast immediately leaving him unprepared. When he has settled down, he unknowingly keeps on looking at the driver, he seems too young to be driving.

"don't worry sir, I'm of legal age and I have

a professional drivers' license so no worries" he uttered in the brightest voice he had ever heard. Timothy likes his vibe.

"Her we are", Grace declared which woke Timothy up

"Oh, thank you wait, how did…."

He never bothered to ask it, they just simply knew where he lived and there he is sure they knew more than enough. Grace went with him, saying that she needs to give him something. Timothy looked over the driver and he seemed like nothing. He just seemed to care. They were already in the middle of the long steps that leads to his lonely, top apartment when Grace stopped. So he stopped because he was following her. He thought maybe she was just tired after all the stairs they took. Grace turned around and looked down at him gracefully, he was only a step lower. So he looked up at her wondering.

"you don't really like me right?", she asked while smiling

"yeah, the first time we met, I hated you already", he replied with a tinge of smirk at the end

"well, that's nice to hear, I hope you will hate me even more if I do this to you", she said then,

Timothy saw how her lips landed into his lips but he just froze. He was not schooled on how to react in a situation like this. As she was a step higher than him, she carefully crafted held his head in her hands to probably lighten the heaviness. He never realized that the moment he closed his eyes, he reciprocated her kissed. His body ordered him to take action, he took a step higher and the next thing he felt is the cold wall. His back was pushed back against the wall while his chest is warmly embracing her warmth. He felt he was already passionate as his kiss started to get rough and hot. But they both don't know whose more passionate. And it seemed like they won't be able to guess who as Grace pushed him a bit, allowing him to come back in his senses.

And like a Grace manner, she brought out her handkerchief and wiped the edge of his lips then did the same to him. Timothy felt the hotness of his face while she was wiping her mouth. Due to embarrassment, he just looked down and told himself to just shut up. He had been busy looking down so the last thing he witnessed were her supple lips making an innocent smile then followed by a pure smirk.