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Different

"So what are you majoring in?" She asked politely.

"Engineering" I replied, "Ikaw? What's your major?"

"Business"

I nodded.

"How long have you lived here?" She asked.

"Ever since bata ko" I responded.

She nodded as they continued walking.
"That's cool...so what's it like here?" She asks.

"Hmm...busy, I guess. The traffic, pretty bad... Pero better than sa Pilipinas"

"Yeah, I've noticed"

We kept walking in a sort of awkward silence, until I decided to break the silence.

"So why did you decide to move over here?"

She tilted her head up before responding.
"Um... Ewan ko actually... I guess I just saw new opportunities here. I guess it's every Filipino's dream. Alam mo? The whole American dream"

"Is it what you expected?"

"Yes and no... It's way different here is all I can say. I've only been here for about a month and I already miss home"

"Me too" I replied with a shy smile as we continued walking in silence.

                                          •

Since Andre had a different schedule this semester, I would usually walk with Nadine. We got to know each other a little more and she would often go to the coffee shop and we would walk to our classes together. It's been about 3 months since we've become friends, close friends actually. She would tell me about her family back home and about what she misses all while having a sparkle in her eye. Whenever she would get homesick, I would try to comfort her and she would make that cute, tight, awkward smile that I've gotten a little used to. I'd tell her about my life here and sa Pilipinas and she'd listen attentively. She's just different, she actually cares about what I have to say, not that others don't, but I just don't know how to describe it... She's different.

•

"So I see you've replaced me?" Andre said with a smirk.

I looked up from my book. "What?"

"I see you on campus walking with that girl?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Dude, shut up. I'm trying to study. That's why we came to the library, diba?" I tried to avoid the subject because I know I'd get teased the hell out of.

"Yeah yeah, but you're not getting out of this one, man"

"She's just a friend, chill"

"Who is she? How'd you meet her? Do you like her???" His elbows shot up onto the table and he cupped his chin with both hands.

"You sound like a middle school girl, dude. Shut up" I laughed. "I met her at work, we happen to have class around the same time, so we walk together from the coffee shop. That's it"

"What's her name?"

"Nadine"

Andre chuckled.

"What?" I asked.

"Nadine. That's a funny name"

"No, it's not. It's a nice name" I shot back, a little irritated.

His hands flew up in a surrendering way. "Yo, I didn't say it's ugly. It's a nice name. You're right, chill"

I returned to my textbook, "It's just a different name... She's just different, that's all"

Andrew smirked, "Yooooooouuu liiiiiiike herrrrrrr" he dragged his words as he brought his shoulders up.

I shook my head, "Shut up".