Chapter 1
Gara is sitting on one of the school benches when she heard Andrew, her boyfriend, shouting from the corridor, he runs towards her while screaming her name. ”GRACIANA MOLINAO ... GARA ... GRACIANA MOLINAO ... you are so amazing and I am so proud of you“. When he finally gets near her, he quickly carried her, still shouting on top of his voice ”GARA ... I am so proud of you Love" he excitedly said
Andrew is extremely happy to the point of carrying her and this puzzles Gara so she asked “Wait Andrew, will you please calm down, what is happening to you? And please put me down!"
“Have you seen the bulletin board?” Andrew excitedly asked ”Oh my goodness, I’m so proud of you Gara" he exclaimed and he showers her face with a kiss.
"Not yet. Will you please calm down. Tell me what is happening? Why are you this excited?" Gara innocently asked
"Well, my girlfriend and the love of my life is just the Suma Cum Laude of this university for this batch. You got the highest honor of our batch, Graciana Molinao!” Andrew excitedly exclaimed.
Gara could not believe what Andres just told her therefore she asked him to confirm “Wehhh … seriously Andrew?”
”I am serious!" Andrew replied smiling widely
“I don’t believe you. Let’s go to see the bulletin board and take a picture of me” Gara said.
“Not yet Gara, there are still a lot of students flocking at the bulletin board. Let’s just check it again before we go home. In the meantime, let’s go to the canteen to celebrate. It’s on me, my treat to the most beautiful girl in world because she never fails to make me proud" Andrew said
“Wait. Is your name in the list of the students who will graduate this year?” Gara asked
“I am so offended my love you speak as if you are certain that I cannot make it to the finish line. I have a Suma Cum Laude tutor ko therefore it is impossible for me to fail this time. We are going graduating this year” Andrew said
“Excuse me mister. That is not what I meant. Isn’t it that you have a problem with one of your subject, have you arranged that?" Gara asked.
“Of course my love, according to the registrar, I am not the Andrew R. Garcia that they are referring to have, Reyes is my middle name, and that Andrew R. Garcia who still has incomplete grade is someone with a middle name of Rios. That is the dilemma of having a very common name, both the first name and the last name” Andrew explained chuckling.
“I’m glad that it is already cleared” Gara replied
"Therefore we will be graduating this year together" Andrew exclaimed while giving Gara another hug
“Thank God, this is a ‘dream come true’ for Tito Edward. He has waited for you to graduate for years already. And I can see that he is beginning to lose hope" Gara teases.
“My Dad knows that I am not in hurry to finish college” Andrew blurted out “Think about this my love, if I did not take it slow, we could have not been classmates in one of my subjects. Therefore I made the right decision, because if not, you will not have a boyfriend as good-looking as I am” he brags.
"Here we go again" Gara replied while rolling her eyes
“Why do you have such reaction? Are you saying that I don’t look good for you?” Andrew asked pouting.
“Who said that? Didn’t you know that for me, you are the most handsome in the universe, next to my Papa Benjo of course” Gara said cupping Andrew’s face.
"Hey Love birds, I heard that you are going to the canteen, can I go with you? I read about your being the batch Suma Cum Laude Gara, Congratulations" They heard their friend Winona shouted. Gara quickly runs to her and hugs her ”Winona we made it, we finally made it" she said.
"Sorry to disappoint you my friend but it will be only you and Andrew" Winona replied
"Are you saying that you are not graduating this year Winona?" Andrew asked
“Well mymodern physics professor seems smitten at me. I failed twice in that subject and it happens that he was my professor for that subject. He is really a jerk" Winona replied.
"I know the professor that you are talking about, would you like me to talk to him about your concern?" Gara asked.
"Don’t do that Love" Andrew said ”What if he got smitten at you instead?" he added.
“You are such a jealous jerk Andrew. But thank you for the offer my dear bff, I am smitten at him too so we are even" Winona replied and laughs out loud.
“Crazy, come with us in the canteen, let’s celebrate this good news" Gara said
“Wait, why is Winona coming with us? This is supposed to be our date, why are you having a chaperon even here at school? Also, I don’t have budget for her" Andrew asked
“No problem, I will pay for whatever Winona will have” Gara insisted
“You really have a good heart Gara, I am grateful to your compassionate heart. Unlike your boyfriend, as if he did not asked for my help when he was still pursuing you. You owe me your relationship with Gara, you should keep that in mind Andrew” Winona exclaimed.
“Alright, you won Winona, this snack is on me” Andrew said
“And since I will pay for today’s snack, I don’t want to hear any complains about my graduation gift for you Love” Andrew said
"If that’s the case, pay for your own food Winona" Gara said ang pushes Winona
“How dare you Graciana? May I just remind you love birds that without me you will not end up with each other and you owe that to me” Winona protested. “I have an idea, what if I just tell Papa Benjo that we really don’t have group study every Saturday? Instead we only use that alibi so that the two of you can go out on a date. In addition, the two of you always leave me alone despite Papa Benjo’s strict instruction that I am your chaperon. Dare?" Winona complains.
Gara laughs and said ”I am only joking Winona, let’s go to the canteen and as promise this will be my treat"
"I agree, we were just joking Winona" Andrew seconded
The three went to the canteen to have their favorite snack which is a typical day for Andrew and Gara at school.
Andrew is three years senior than Gara but they will be graduating at the same time because Andrew always settles for two to three subjects only per semester while Gara makes sure that she takes up all the required subjects per semester. They became classmates in one of their major subjects. Andrew already had a crush on Gara the first time he saw her. He even got more smitten when he learned how smart this petite girl seated in front of him. He is so much into her and he promise himself that he will be good friends with her before the semester ends. He made friends with Winona first to have a smooth first step to Gara. “Andrew, it is impossible to befriend with Gara. She does not like a happy-go-lucky guy” Winona once told him.
That information alone from Winona made him realized how difficult it would be for him to come close to Gara. Andrew has been struggling so hard to pass the subject as he has been in his third time to take it. After several bribes to Winona, he finally gets a hint from her on how to get close to Gara.
“Just a piece of advice Andrew, remember when I told you that Gara does not like happy-go-lucky guys? Therefore you have to show her that you are a serious type and priorities your studies before anything else” Says Winona.
Since then he began to start with his scheme by asking some questions to Gara about their lecture which Gara were too willing to answer. He started with one question then added another one, then another until he joins Winona and Gara in the library daily. Andrew knew that winning Gara’s heart is not easy so he chooses to do it slowly but surely. He prefers to start it by being a good friend to her.
And the beautiful friendship that started has eventually become a happy togetherness.
