I am now 18 years old and about to start my second year of college after the semestral break, which will be over in just two weeks.

  Honestly, I was shocked at how quickly I adjusted st year. I got to know the campus well, settled into a routine, and most surprisingly, I made more than one friend. It was really, really unexpected.

  Csses, club activities, and the occasional te-night study sessions had all become part of my routine. Even friendships, something I never used to put much thought into had become a constant in my life. It was strange, almost unsettling at times, to realize how much had changed.

  Somehow, I had even become more outgoing. And honestly? I think it was because of Angel. She had this way of pulling me into things, conversations, group hangouts, even spontaneous pns I would've never considered before. She made it look easy, and before I knew it, I was ughing more, talking more, and actually enjoying being around people.

  Like right now, I never thought I'd be preparing for a date. Yes, a date!

  "Oh my god, I'm so talented," Angel praised herself after finishing my makeup.

  I looked in the mirror and absolutely loved what I saw.

  "Sis, I know I'm gorgeous, but I didn't realize I could look even better," I said, genuinely amazed at my own reflection.

  "Of course! I worked hard on that. You have to look stunning for your date with Ricky," Angel said proudly.

  "It doesn't even look that different. Why do you need makeup anyway? If Ricky really likes you, you shouldn't have to put on all that stuff. If he only likes you for your looks, then that's pretty shallow," Josh commented. And honestly, I agreed with him.

  "Of course, Nika still has to look her best! It's a date, duh! Plus, this is the first time Ricky asked her out. And besides, this is also Nika's first-ever date," Angel argued. And well... I had to agree with that too.

  We started picking out what I should wear. My aunt's clothes were too sexy and revealing for me, so Angel brought her own clothes instead, even her heels.

  "Huy, what should I wear?" I asked, watching as Angel grabbed a white dress with floral designs and held it up against me to see if it suited me.

  "Not that one. It's too short, and besides, you don't even wear dresses. Just wear this instead," Josh said as he took out one of my long dresses and handed it to me.

  "Dude, you're so slow. Ricky needs to see her sexy and feminine side too, not just her auntie look all the time," Angel countered.

  "Auntie look? Do I really look like an auntie?" I asked, a tiny bit offended.

  "Not all the time. Just sometimes, when you have no idea how to mix and match," Angel teased.

  "Her auntie look is better," Josh deadpanned.

  "Josh, can you get me some water?" I asked before they started arguing again. Plus, I was actually getting a little thirsty.

  "Get it yourself. You have legs," he shot back.

  Ugh. Sometimes, I really just want to kick him.

  "Come on, I'm still choosing my outfit. I've been thirsty for a while now," I said. He finally stood up, but not before shooting me a gre before leaving the room. I just smiled and thanked him.

  "Oh my god, sis! Wear this instead. It'll look great on you, plus your legs are nice," Angel said excitedly. She handed me a high-waisted denim skirt and a blouse.

  I put them on right there, I mean, it's just Angel, so whatever.

  "How do I look?" I asked while checking myself out in the mirror. The outfit actually looked good on me, and the skirt wasn't too short, just the right length.

  "Wait a sec," Angel said before tugging my top down slightly, revealing a bit of cleavage.

  "There! Girl, you look hot. Let's see if Ricky isn't completely mesmerized by you," she praised, then quickly snapped some pictures of me with her phone.

  "You should ditch the gsses. You'd look even better. Your eyes are so pretty, just like a cat's, and your lips are naturally plump. Ugh, I'm so jealous," Angel added with a dramatic sigh.

  "If I take them off, I won't be able to see anything. I'd probably trip and fall ft on my face," I retorted. My vision is bad, and I'm not comfortable wearing contact lenses.

  "Fine. Leave it."

  "Isn't my cleavage showing too much?" I asked hesitantly.

  "Oh, come on. That's the style! And it looks amazing on you," Angel reassured me.

  Just then, Josh returned with a gss of water, handing it to me. I took a sip before he gave me a once-over.

  "Is that what you're wearing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "Yeah. Does it look good?"

  "Good? More like revealing. You might as well just show your whole soul while you're at it," he deadpanned. "Go change. The dress I picked is way better. If you step out wearing that, I'm telling your aunt." He held out the dress again, but Angel snatched it away.

  "Don't listen to him! You look stunning. Wear that," Angel insisted.

  Josh didn't hesitate, he grabbed a pillow and smacked her with it.

  "Fine. I'll tell your aunt. Titaaaa! Look at what Nika is wearing!" he suddenly shouted. (Tita means aunt in Filipino.)

  Angel gasped and immediately grabbed a pillow, smacking him right back.

  And just then, my Tita walked into the room, her eyes immediately widening as she took in my appearance.

  "Woow. Someone looks different," she said, crossing her arms with an amused smile. Her gaze flickered to Angel. "Angel, is this your doing?"

  "Of course!" Angel grinned proudly, flipping her hair dramatically. "How is it?"

  Tita Ana took a step closer, scanning me from head to toe. "My niece looks absolutely gorgeous. You're really growing up, Nika. You're starting to look more like your Tita," she said with a teasing glint in her eyes.

  I groaned. "Tita, please. Don't start."

  "But it's true!" she ughed, reaching out to fix a strand of my hair. "I never thought I'd see the day you'd willingly wear something this feminine. Angel must have some serious magic."

  "I know, right?" Angel smirked. "She resisted at first, but look at her now. Stunning!"

  Josh scoffed from the side. "More like she was forced into it."

  I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help the small smile tugging at my lips.

  By around 5 PM, I arrived at the mall and headed straight to the cinema. As I approached the ticket booth, I spotted Ricky standing nearby, casually checking his phone.Before walking up to him, I quickly took out my compact mirror and checked my reflection. What if I had lipstick on my teeth? That would be embarrassing.

  I smoothed down my hair, adjusted my outfit slightly, and took a deep breath. Once I was satisfied with how I looked, I finally walked toward him.

  As I walked closer, he turned in my direction, fshed a smile, and waved.

  Oh my god. His smile. His smile! That's really where he gets me every time. That effortless, boyish grin that makes my heart do weird little flips.

  That's how it all started, actually. Ricky is one of the reporters in our journalism club, that's how we met. He's going to be a third-year student next semester, and honestly, I never thought he'd ask me out. But here we are.

  "You look beautiful today," Ricky said with an easy smile.

  "Ah... um, not really. But thank you," I replied, grinning like an idiot.

  He thinks I'm beautiful. Hah! Ricky, come on, I've always been.

  "Did you get a haircut? Your hair looks a bit shorter," he asked.

  "You noticed?" My heart did a little flip.

  "Hmm. It suits you," he said, fshing that same effortless charm.

  I giggled and pyfully smacked his chest. Wow. He actually noticed my hair? I mean, Angel just trimmed it a bit to get rid of the split ends, but still! Ricky was paying attention.

  I felt like I was floating, completely missing the way he greeted another girl passing by with the same warm smile.

  "Four medium cheese popcorns and four rge Cokes, please," Ricky told the cashier.

  Four?

  "Isn't that too much?" I asked, confused.

  "It's just right. There are four of us," he replied casually, not even looking up from his wallet as he pulled out some cash.

  Wait, what? Four?

  I frowned, feeling a little thrown off. "We have company? I thought it was just the two of us. You never mentioned anyone else coming."

  "Didn't I tell you?" he asked, looking genuinely puzzled.

  "No." I don't remember telling me we have company.

  "Oh. Must've slipped my mind." He chuckled like it was no big deal. "They'll be here soon."

  A few minutes ter, our order was ready. Ricky grabbed the food, carrying the tray effortlessly as I followed him. He led us to the side of Cinema 3, where we stood waiting.

  "They should be here any minute now... Oh, there they are," he said, his eyes lighting up as he looked toward the entrance.

  Curious, I turned my head in the same direction.

  A tall, good-looking guy was approaching us. He had a confident stride, like someone who was used to being the center of attention. Waisn't isn't he that friend of of Josh?

  Beside him was a girl, also attractive, with long, silky hair and a stylish outfit that made her look effortlessly put together. Her face was somewhat familiar, but I couldn't quite pce where I had seen her before.

  "Ricks!" the girl called out, waving with a bright smile.

  Wait... the girl knew Ricky well enough to call him that? My eyes flickered to Ricky, expecting maybe a little surprise on his face, but no, his expression lit up like he had been waiting for her all this time.

  "Oh, you guys are finally here," Ricky said, stepping forward. He greeted the guy with a quick fist bump before turning to the girl and hugging her.

  Okay. I might not be the sharpest person when it comes to reading signals, but even I could tell something was off.

  Was this even a date? Or did I just assume things?

  "Niks, meet my friends, Ken and his sister, Ky," Ricky said casually.

  Sister? So it's not a double date.

  "And guys, this is Nika. She's in the same club as me," Ricky added.

  I smiled at them politely, and they returned the gesture. It was a simple exchange, but for some reason, I felt a little out of pce.

  We entered the cinema, and I quietly took my seat, munching on my popcorn while watching the movie. I wasn't really paying attention to the film, though. My mind kept circling back to how I had dressed up for nothing, how Angel and Josh even fought over what I should wear, and yet, this wasn’t even a real date. It was just a casual hangout with friends.

  Except Ricky was the only one I was actually close with.

  And honestly, he wasn’t even talking to me. The whole time, he and Ky were caught up in their own conversation. I mean, what was I supposed to do? Talk to her brother? I barely even knew him.

  By the time we left the cinema, Ricky and Ky were still talking. Now, we were heading toward the food court because apparently, everyone was hungry again.

  I, on the other hand, just wanted to go home.

  On top of that, my feet are killing me. Angel's heels were too small for me, and the back of my foot was probably blistered by now.

  I slowed my pace, gging behind the group so no one would notice. It was embarrassing. I didn’t want them to think I was being dramatic.

  After we ate, they started talking about going to the arcade, but all I wanted was to go home. My feet were killing me, and the initial excitement I had for this so-called date had completely worn off.

  Just as I was about to tell Ricky I was heading home, Ky suddenly said she needed to go to the restroom. Ricky, ever the gentleman, offered to go with her since he needed to go as well.

  And just like that, I was left sitting in a corner with Ky’s brother, awkwardly waiting for them to return.

  I slipped off my heels slightly, feeling a bit relieved as the pressure on my feet eased. These shoes were killing me, and I regretted ever agreeing to wear them.

  Not long after, Ken suddenly stood up and walked away without a word. I blinked, watching him leave, debating whether to call out and ask where he was going. But he was too fast.

  So, I just sighed and leaned back, staring at my aching feet. However, before I could dwell on my discomfort for too long, Ken returned.

  "Here," he said, holding something out to me.

  I looked down and saw a band-aid in his hand. Surprised, I gnced up at him.

  "You’re wearing heels, so I figured your feet might be hurting," he said casually, as if it was nothing.

  Oh. He noticed.

  "Thank you," I said, taking the band-aid from him. I leaned down and carefully pced it over the back of my ankle, where I could already feel the sting of a forming blister.

  "You should soak your feet in warm water when you get home. It’ll help relieve the pain," he added.

  "Does that really work?" I asked, gncing up at him.

  "Yup. Trust me," he replied confidently.

  I nodded, tucking his advice in the back of my mind. "Thanks again," I said, offering him a small smile.

  "I'll head home first. Tita already texted me," I said as soon as Ricky and Ky returned.

  "Did she tell you to go home now?" he asked, and I nodded, lying. I just really wanted to go home.

  "Are you taking a jeep home?"

  "I’ll just take a taxi. It’ll be faster," I replied. There was no way my feet could handle walking all the way to the jeepney stop. I’d rather pay over a hundred pesos for a ride than worsen the blisters on my feet.

  "Alright, we’ll wait in line with you," he offered.

  "No need. You don’t have to make your friends wait for me. That would be embarrassing," I said, but he still seemed unsure.

  "Just go ahead. I’ll just wait in line for a taxi. You don’t have to stay with me," I reassured him.

  "You sure?"

  "Yeah," I said, giving him a small smile. Finally, he turned to his friends and let them know.

  "Nice meeting you again. And don’t forget to soak your feet in warm water," Ken said in a quieter tone.

  "Thanks again," I replied, smiling.

  "Niks, we’ll get going. Text me when you get home," Ricky said.

  I nodded and waved them off.

  Luckily, I didn’t have to wait too long. Within five minutes, I was able to hail a taxi. As soon as I got in and gave my address, I sighed in relief, slipping off my heels. Finally, my feet could breathe.

  When the next semester started, I found out Ricky was now in a retionship with Ky. So much for dressing up and getting blisters on my feet. I let out a dry ugh, shaking my head. I should’ve known.

  And just like that, my first love ended before it even began.