AT THE CAFETERIA….

“Pie, who’s that?” Pei breaks the silence, overpowered by his curiosity.

“Huh? Who do you mean?”

“There on the other table, the one who can’t take her eyes off of you!” Pie tracked Pei’s gaze which happens to land on Kim and her friend’s direction. When she caught the tom’s stare, Kim quickly looked away while fiddling with her fingers on her thigh.

“Uh..ehm…she’s Kim. We’re seatmates in the Art Class and she saved me from…..” Fear began rising to Pie’s veins because once she blurted out the truth to Pei, the squid won’t think twice to confront the blonde-haired girl.

“From what, Pie?” he asked Pie to continue what she’s saying, disregarding Kim for a while.

“F..From tripping awhile ago. Yeah, if she’s not there to catch me, I could have bumped my head on the floor.” The brunette fabricated a story, not wanting to engage her friend to any disputes in the campus.

“Oh my God! You are so clumsy, aren’t you?” He checked out Pie from head to toe, making sure she doesn’t have any bruises or scratches.

“I know..I know..”  she sighed in defeat.

“But I admit, if that tom could just be manlier, I swear even if we’re best friends, I’d take her from you, princess.” He insisted, going back with the main topic of conversation.

“WHAT? You’re crazy, I thought you like guys.”

“But this one is so..HOT! I can’t believe you’re not crushing on her.” Pie swallowed the lump in remembering Kim’s mistaken identity the first time she saw her – the handsome and charming one.

“Pei, you know our family’s moral beli------“ Pie didn’t get the chance to explain her side because obviously, Pei couldn’t take to hear those old-fashioned traditions which tend to blame immorality through this so-called “forbidden type of love”. “Alright, I get it but we’re on the modern era now, Pie. It doesn’t matter whom you love because gender won’t define us. You just have to listen to your heart.”

“But I’ve never been in love.” Pie reasoned.

“Exactly! So there’s no way you wouldn’t consider falling in love with her.”

“Shut up, Pei! Since you like her that much, then go ahead and pull your best moves on her.” She said gruffly, dismissing the thought of her and Kim being a possible couple.

“Oh, you won’t mind huh! Pie rolled her eyes, seemingly regretting what she said earlier.

====

Zee leaned in closer to Kim’s face while the latter is staring sharply to someone unfamiliar to her. “You know if that girl is a candle, for sure it would have melted awhile ago.”

“I don’t know what you’re saying, I’m just checking on out something right there.” Kim pointed out the small glass cabin of desserts which is behind Pie’s table.

“Yeah, you’re right buddy because she’s right there. Nice try! Haha.” She gave her best friend a shooting glare making her confirmed the other tom’s suspicion. “Fine, I..I just want to be friends with her.” She muttered, almost inaudible but Jane who is seated on her side clearly heard it.

“You’re stuttering, Kim. Are you sure you want to be a FRIEND only?” Jane butted in, trying to point out her former crush’s real intention with Pie. But then Zee was prompt to oppose her girlfriend’s view on Kim’s love life. “C’mon buddy, I’m sure you will not be serious on this one, right?”

“A..Ahh..er..right, I just find her interesting.” Kim lied, tripping over her tongue.

Satisfied with the answer she got, Zee turned her head to Kim and uttered, “Hmm. I smell another hookup here.”

“This is up to Kim, Zee if she’s ready to settle down.” All of them except to Kim, looked up to Nan with unreadable expression, and can’t believe she even considered saying that one.

“I doubt it, Nan. I bet she’s gonna be the flavor of the month for Kim.” Zee confidently said, seeing nothing special to Pie for Kim to be serious about.

Turning on the positive side of Kim’s growing fondness to the petite girl, Mario divulged it into the conversation. “Well, we’ll never know. What if Kim will fall for her?”

Zee, being Zee, is always playful and treats things like a competition. “Then let’s bet on it bro, if I win, you’re gonna buy me a signed-shoe of my all time favorite NBA player but if I don’t, which is very unlikely if I do say so myself, I’ll go buy you one.”

“Deal.” Mario agreed at the drop of a hat, doing the signature fist bump with Zee.

The next day….

It was Tuesday. Both Pie and Kim only have a few subjects to attend to and then the rest of the day will be free. Pie was forced by Pei to go in the nearest dessert shop to waste their vacant time since the squid and his very talkative friend, Nerd have another class at 5 in the afternoon. As usual, the topic of their conversation is always about hot boys, ideal partners, flirting techniques and such. But for Pie, she wants as much as possible to stay single while in her student phase. It doesn’t actually bother