From: Your Secret Admirer

Chapter Twelve

For Kyla -- never give up on writing stories coz writing stories is fun :)

***

"You're my angel, with wings so wide...

With stars surrounding your beautiful sight..."

That was what the note said. I saw it on my desk when I was manning the medical booth on the fifth day of our intramurals.

I read it over and over again. Then a picture of Franco's mural flashed across my mind. Could it be him?

Two guys just told me they like me. They like me! This could mean that the curse was not real, and that I could finally experience love!

"What happened to you? Why did your face go red? Are you running with a fever, Ky?" Ryan materialized out of somewhere I knew not exactly where and pulled a chair for him to sit.

"Uhm, Ry," I started. "Two guys just said they like me..."

I waited for his reply. None came. "What? No response? No, 'I'm happy for you, Ky'?"

"Is that what you want me to say? Is that what you want to hear?" he asked, sounding a bit angry.

I eyed him levelly. He just had to ruin a perfect moment. "Why are you suddenly angry? Where is this coming from, Ry?"

"All week, all you've been talking about is this Mystery Man and those three guys you're chasing after. It's already getting on my nerves."

"What?" I cried. "I am not chasing after them--they are chasing after me! I was not the one who decided to bump into their life. And besides, you've been talking about Olivia since forever. Did you hear me complain? No. Did you see me ruining your perfect daydream? No! Why are you ruining my chances of finding a boyfriend for once? I thought you wanted me to find love and disassociate myself with that love curse?"

"Well, if you're really that desperate to have a boyfriend then by all means choose one of those three and be done with it! Spare me with your whines of infantile hang-ups over that blasted curse."

"Infantile? You're the one who's being childish for berating me over this. At least Franco and Mark are man enough to tell me they like me. I mean, look at you? You can't even ask Olivia to be your girlfriend until now! All you say is 'will Olivia like this? Will Olivia like that? When will Olivia say yes to me?' Boo-hoo. Grow up and be a man, Ry!"

It was the very first time I saw Ryan glaring at me. And for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of hurt flashed in his eyes. But he was eyeing me now with intense anger that made me ask myself "who is this guy?" Suddenly, it was like I didn't know him at all.

He abruptly stood, the chair almost toppling behind him. "I'm outta here. Good luck with your boyfriends."

He stormed out of the booth leaving me with a very heavy heart. I just had a fight with my best friend. And I couldn't even get a full grasp of why.

The afternoon rolled without me minding it when Luke suddenly sat beside me on the bleachers. I wanted to be alone, and so I went to watch the girls volleyball game between our college and the College of Liberal Arts. They were now on the third set --both teams had one win per set.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Luke said.

I gave him a small smile. "I just have a lot of things on my mind. How's it going with your band?"

"Great. We just finished our rehearsals for the concert after the awarding ceremonies this coming Sunday."

The intrams week would be concluding two days from now with the awarding of winners on its seventh day. The college of Engineering might bag  first place, but I was not sure because they were in a close fight with the college of Architecture.

"Are you going to the concert?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure. I wouldn't miss it for the world," I answered. I really wasn't in the mood to go. But I figured I needed something to distract myself with my problem with Ryan.

Luke shuffled his shoe on the floor. "Hey Kyla... I wanted to tell you something."

If he would tell me that he also liked me, I might just explode right now. My disposition as of this moment was nowhere near cheerful and pleasant. But I just didn't have the heart to snap at Luke. "What is it, Luke?"

"I noticed you're really close with Ryan. And I understand that he's your best friend. And I knew your relationship with him is more platonic than romantic... What I'm trying to say is..."

"Yes, Luke? What you're trying to say is...?"

He inhaled deeply and exhaled as the words came out of his mouth. "I was hoping you could help me with him."

"What?!"

"You might have noticed it already, but I kind of like him. But I just don't know how to approach him and all. And I was glad you brought him with you in one of our gigs--I knew you would. So I was thinking if you could help me, you know, with him?"

This is not happening. Totally not happening to me! "Sure, Luke. I'll, uhm, see what I can do."

"Great!" he exclaimed. "I knew I could count on you. So, you'll let me know the progress okay?"

I gave him a nod. "You betcha."

He left after he made the happy dance.

Great. Just effin'-tastic. I did not see that coming.

It's the curse, I tell you. It's got to be the curse. And it's finally crawled its way into my life and started to make its move.

I am so destined to be a spinster.