Back at Gerald and Matt’s apartment…

Matt: Hey Bro!  What’s going on? 

Gerald: Nothing much…

Matt: You and Kim doing anything today?

Gerald:  I don’t know…

Matt: (thought – this is weird. Granted it has only been these past 2 days but those guys were inseparable.)  Gerald, is something wrong?

Gerald:  (quiet for awhile) I told her Matt.

Matt: oh… (quiet for awhile)  How did she take it?  I’m surprised you told her.

Gerald:  I don’t know how she took it. I don’t think she knows how to feel with everything I told her.  I’m surprised I told her too.  There’s something about her Matt that makes me want everything clean with her. 

Matt:  Kim’s pretty cool.  We just met her last year at the first Filipino Club meeting of the year.  She was a freshman, new to the school.   A lot of guys were jocking her but she never gave anyone of them any attention.  Well… until she met you this year.  It was at that meeting last year that Mel and Kim found out that they were cousins.  It was cool.  Since then, we always hung out with her.  She’s smart, not just school smart but she has common sense too.  She’s nice.  Even though a lot of the guys tried being her boyfriend, I would say most if not all of them are all her friends, despite being turned down.  It is actually kind of funny to watch.  You know here in the States, the whole ligawan thing just does not happen.  If you like a girl and the guy likes you back, you’re boyfriend and girlfriend.  But it was funny to watch all these guys go Filipino style.  Kim had a lot of guys singing outside her window.  Chocolates, flowers, bringing her lunch… sometimes, she would be carrying all these things throughout campus.  She would smile but you knew she was annoyed underneath it all because she had to carry all these things on top of her book bag from class to class.  She would get curious looks all the time because she would be carrying all these flowers, chocolates, whatever.  Let’s just say Kim is loved by her teachers.  Many of them benefited from her ‘suitors’.  Like I said, it was funny to watch.  When word gets out about the two of you, don’t be surprised if you get some dirty looks.

Gerald: (laughing) That would have been fun to watch…. I take that back.  I think I would be pissed with all these guys trying to get her attention.  And to make things clear, there is no two of us.  We are just good friends.  At least I think we are.  I don’t know now with everything I’ve told her. 

Matt:  Just be patient Gerald.  Give her time and space to think.  Don’t smother her unless she wants to be smothered.   And about there’s no two of us… we beg to differ.  Mel, Tanya, Jon and I definitely saw something there last night at dinner.  It was like watching a romance movie, like the ones Mel makes me watch, LIVE. 

Gerald, I have known you for a long time.  Just remember you are a good person.  We wouldn’t be friends if you weren’t.  Don’t let that get to your head because, man, over the years, you did some pretty F#@$ed up .  Thank God not to me cuz I would have kicked your .

Gerald:  Thanks Matt… and speaking of Mel.  How are you guys doing?

Matt:  We’ve been going out for a year now and bro… without a doubt she’s the one.  So once we finish this whole college thing and start the careers we want, be prepared to be the best man at my wedding. Can you believe I’m saying that?! 

Gerald:  You proposed to her already?!

Matt: No. . I didn’t propose yet and I won’t.  Not for awhile.  School first.  And of course, Mel first.  But if you tell anyone, even Kim, I’m going to kill you. 

Gerald:  Dude, you got it bad.  (laughing)

Matt:  I wouldn’t be talking.    What are you up to today?

Gerald:  I don’t know.  I was hoping to spend time with Kim but I don’t know if I should call her or just give her space.  Wait until she calls me.  But will she call?  We have a date for tomorrow but that I don’t know about either.   Man, this ’s hard.  It was easier being a jerk.  The only thing I had to work at was making the choice of who I wanted to be with that time of day.

Matt: The things that matter to you most will be the things you work the hardest for.  Think about it Gerald. 

Do you want to come with me to the library?  I’m meeting Mel over there.  You never know if Kim will be there too…

Gerald:  I do have some things I need to work on for my classes.  Let me grab my things.  And Matt thanks.

Matt: No problem.  I’ll send you the bill.  Actually, you can buy me lunch because I’m starving.

Gerald: Sounds good.  Call Mel.  Let’s go eat first.