It's my first day for being a college student here in our town. A state University that is not quite popular than the University that Zandro goes to. He's taking the course of Civil Engineering and before we left our town, he told me that he will visit me here once a week during his weekends. This is new world for me, I just need more adjustment to adapt in this new environment. I have no one to talk to. There's no familiar faces and especially there's no Zandro.

I'm taking the course of BS in Accountancy. Some people say that this course is hard and I'm starting to overthink that if my decision was right. My heart pounding fast as I entered inside our room for the Management. Most of the students are sitting in their own choice of chairs. Since I got a keen eyes, I saw one remaining chair that haven't been possessed by anyone. It was positioned right after the big window. Because of the size, I can see the whole scenery outside of our building. I saw a wide open space of football field. A random students carrying their handbooks at the side of the road. A falling leaves from the birch trees. Finally, a familiar guy wandering around at the side of the road. The distance between him and our building causing me to not see him in a crystal clear. I can sense that I know that guy but his face was like covered by pixels of colors.

Most of our batch mates decided to leave our town just to grab the opportunity of getting the prestigious University outside from our town. Those Universities are well-known and they have the assurances that they will get a great opportunity after they graduated because of the name of the school. I envy them for that.

"You're Courtney, right?" a deep baritone voice I heard at the side of me. I think that it's déjà vu.

Nilingon ko naman siya para harapin ang taong gusto akong kausapin. Balak ko pa sanang sagutin ang kanyang tanong nang makita ko ang kanyang mukha. Lumaki bigla ang aking mga mata nang makita ko ang mukha ng lalaking ito.

"Y-You are-" hindi na niya tinuloy ang aking sinabi nang pinangungunahan na niya ako.

"Lancelot Jasper."

Lumukot ng matindi ang aking pagmumukha sa pagkilatis sa kanyang buong magandang mukha. Mukang tama ang aking inisip na nakita ko na siya pero hindi ko alam kung anong panahon o saang lugar. Akmang magsasalita ako upang tanungin siya kung nagkita na ba kami nang bigla nitong nagsalita ng mabilis.

"I am your classmate during our senior high, I can see that you are have some crisis or some argument within your mind whether you saw me before or not," Lancelot intoned and he suddenly laugh awkwardly and it reminded me of Zandro.

I admit, he have a lot of similarities with Zandro. He talk like him and even his smiles was a straight duplicate of Zandro's . Although Zandro is more handsome, he has also looks that can compete with other guy in our campus.
Matapos ang ilang mga sandali ay biglang pumasok sa silid ang aming instructor sa aming unang asignatura. Doon lamang natigil ang aming pag-uusap at itinuon namin ang aming buong atensyon sa klase. Matapos ang tatlong oras na pagtuturo ng aming instructor ay agad nagsinlabasan ang lahat sa silid at hindi ko na hinintay pa si Lancelot. Nakakahiya namang hintayin ko pa siya.

"Lunch?" he asked me while I'm walking quietly in the hallway. I'm not trying to be rude or something but there's lingering inside my mind that he was kind of mysterious. I wanted to ask him with something but I chose no to do it because it might sound weird.

He just randomly pop out like a mushroom. I can find any reason why suddenly he wanted to have some conversation with me. Maybe because he doesn't know anyone beside me and even against his will, he just decided to talk to me to avoid being alone? What am I thinking?

"Titignan ko muna ang mga presyo ng mga pagkain sa cafeteria-"

"My treat." And he smiled.

My blood circulated throughout my face. I can sense that I'm blushing after he said those words. I know that to some people it wasn't a big deal but for me, a person treating me for lunch, is not small for me. He's the second person to do that kind of behavior. I appreciate it much.

"Are you sure about it? Because-"

He just grabbed my hand and he was the one who's leading the way. All eyes darted to me, particularly the eyes from the ladies. They can't process that a girl like me will be with someone that is hot and handsome as Lancelot.

Matapos niya akong kaladkarin mula sa hallway ay nakatayo kami ngayon sa parking lot ng campus. Dito nakahelera ang mga nagmamahalang mga sasakyan. Nasa tapat namin ang isang itim na Honda Accord. Napaatras ako ng kaunti nang malaman ko na sa kanya pala ang sasakyan na iyon. Hindi yata kaya ng buong laman kong sumakay sa mamahaling sasakyan niya.

"What's wrong?" his expression just gave me a signal that I need to stop of thinking of anything. My odd behavior is striking again. I should resist it. " Don't be afraid. I'm not going to abduct you. I'm a good boy."

"That's not the issue."

"Then what it is?"

"I automatically get uneasy when I discover that you're rich?"

"What do you mean?"

I looked at his car and I looked back at him. Trying to do a subtle respond to his question. When he realized what I'm pointing out, he just laughed and drag me inside his car.

"Don't be shy. Ako lang 'to. Don't get uncomfortable. I'm still human though." He scoffed and he immediately start his engine.

Tumigil ang gulong ng kanyang sasakyan sa tapat ng isang café na tinatawag nilang eighteen street café. Naririnig ko ang café na ito sa mga bibig ng mga estudyante nang nasa senior high pa lamang ako. Ito ang kanilang destinasyon tuwing matatapos ang eksaminasyon.

"Are they offering lunch? And it's expensive here, right?"

"Stop that, please," he said and he cracked a laugh but it was in a low volume.

Umupo kami malapit sa malapad na glass window ng café. Tanaw ko sa labas ang mga sasakyan na mabilis na tumatakbo sa malinis at malapad na kalsada. Bawat pagpasok ng mga tao sa loob ay tumutunog naman ang bell na nakasabit sa itaas ng pinto. Biglang lumapit ang isang maputi at magandang babae sa amin at ang kanyang mga mata ay nakatutok lang sa pagmumukha ni Lancelot.

"Are you ready to order, sir?"

"Can I have the menu?"

Agad namang binigay ng babae ang menu at mukhang nakalimutan niya yata akong bigyan kaya mas pinili kong ibaling ang aking atensyon sa labas. Ginising naman ako ni Lancelot sa aking pag-iisip ng malalim gamit ang pagtapik sa aking kamay.

"What do you want?"

"Same as yours," I said an then I saw the girl's face became sour after she witnessed hoe Lancelot treated me. I don't know what did to her.

After that waitress left us. We can now have our own private conversation. Lancelot just shut his phone off and he stare at me like he was convincing me to do the thing he did to his phone, so I did it. It his treat so I must obey. Just kidding.

"It's nice to have someone to talk to when it's my first day as a college."
I'm right. He has no choice but to stay close with me just to cure his loneliness and fear for being alone.

"Don't get me wrong, I wanted to talk to you before when we were in senior high school, I just don't have a courage because you are very intelligent back then."

I don't know why I felt like he was sugarcoating his sentences.

"So bakit hindi mo ako tinangkang kausapin?"

"Do have a boyfriend?"

Muntik na akong mahulog sa aking inuupan nang tinanong niya iyon. Biglang gumulo ang aking isip sa kanyang tanong. Nagtaka naman ako dahil ano ang dahilan kung bakit bigla nalang nagkagulo ang aking isipan? Madali lang iyong sabihin dahil ang totoo naman ay mayroon nga akong kasintahan at iyon ay si Zandro.

"You can't answer a question with a question." I smiled involuntarily.

"Nah, I'm sorry if I asked you a personal query."

Thank you for reading :)