Love Unfolding

KAILEEN ANDY LEWIS

Donna arrived the latest of us four at the café near Mohr"s. I have invited her to eat so as to relieve a little of our stress due to the examination.

As she sat, she immediately eyed me. There she was. I knew her. There"s really nothing that pa.s.ses her eyes unnoticed.

Well, Erika and I had our food in one plate and a cup of our drink with double straw. We also seated closely with each other and held hands under the table.

And with Rina, she seemed not to notice it or even my unusual closeness with Erika the entire day since she was preoccupied with the examination.

She"s even stressing out until now for not doing good in the tests.

She was so down and just rested her forehead on the table while we awaits Donna.

"So… what we have here?" Donna asked.

Her smile; mischievous. Her eyes; naughtily sparkling. Her brows; moved up and down playfully.

I forced a smile in annoyance. I want to spank her, really. What a friend.

By then, Rina lifted up her head to look at us. I laid down my hand on the table; the hand that"s intertwining with Erika"s.

"Wow…" Rina exclaimed.

Donna cupped her hands then opened them wide as she mockingly said, "congratulations".

I don"t know but I really want to beat her there to crumple that playful face of her.

And to my surprise, she grabbed Rina"s piece of paper, she rolled it, stood up and hit my head with it a few times.

"You finally did it huh." She uttered with gritted teeth between blows. I used my free arm to block them.

"You"re as slow as a turtle, you dummy."

"I gave you a plenty of hints."

"I"m almost even like a matchmaker."

"In my frustration, I almost want to yell at both of your faces that you like each other, so stop making things difficult and go out!"

"Ugh… " she grunted and slump herself on the seat. Her arms falling by her side as though her strength left her.

Donna just laughed at us while Erika covered her eyes with her other hand; she"s blushing.

I shot a glare at Donna.

I grabbed that rolled piece of paper she left on the table and threw it to her face landing on her chest.

"Do you really have to embarra.s.s me like this?" I eyed her with gritted teeth.

The idiot just laugh, darnit.

[***********]

For our entire stay at the café, I was forced to tell some highlights of how and who confessed. Of course, I omitted all those embarra.s.sing parts. Hehehe

Erika would occasionally poke my side if there are some things she doesn"t agree with until our talk shifted to the final examination.

Rina was the most drained one on that topic. We could even tell it from her looks.

"Why does it have to be so difficult?" She complained.

Erika just laughed.

"Don"t take it to heart. You"re not alone."

She eyed me while sticking out her tongue.

"Right, you didn"t study Andy." Rina addressed me.

"Guess we"ll be repeaters next semester." She added.

I wryly smiled. "I did study though."

"I studied on my way to our cla.s.sroom earlier this morning." I defended.

That earned a smirk from Erika.

"What could that possibly do?" She sarcastically asked as she hit me with that rolled paper.

"d.a.m.ned paper."

"Ahem..."

Then everyone turned to Donna as she cleared her throat for attention.

She eyed me. Her eyes communicating with mine and I did get what she means. I automatically shook my head in disagreement.

"Just spill it out." Erika firmly commanded.

"Don"t leave us hanging."

Donna shrugged like she doesn"t have a choice anymore but to tell them.

I pulled my hand from Erika"s hold and buried my face behind my palms.

"Just don"t overdo it please." I pleaded to Donna.

The idiot just laugh at me again.

"You see guys, " Donna begun.

"Andy has photographic memory."

I immediately threw again that rolled paper to Donna"s face.

"Don"t exaggerate, you dummy."

Then I turned to look at our companions. Both just stared at me and did not utter a word.

I sighed and explained myself.

"I"m no genius."

"I could just easily remember things at one glance and that"s it; not photographic."

"I"m no Nikola Tesla."

Still, I got no response from them. They seemed to be processing things or somehow patching up events that may solidify Donna"s preposition.

And to my disbelief, both seemed to take Donna"s side.

"What?"

"If so, why didn"t you top every exam?" Rina curiously asked. I could tell excitement from her voice.

"You always scored enough only to pa.s.s." She added.

I rubbed the back of my head unknowingly.

"Like I said, I"m no genius."

Then I noticed Donna pointing her chin to Erika. I turned, only to see my girlfriend looking serious and was staring at me sharply.

"Tomorrow"s major exam, make it perfect." She commanded with authority.

"Or else… you can"t kiss me."

"What?" My jaw dropped.

Both Rina and Donna laughed. I shot them a glare.

"Are you serious?" I asked Erika again.

She just smiled; that obvious fake smile.

"Love…" I called.

My voice as sweet as I could possibly sounded.

Then Donna and Rina really are my friends, both were teasing me.

"Wow… LOVE…" Rina interrupted stressing out the word.

"Yeah, LOVE..." Donna seconded while mockingly nodding her head.

I brood my shoulders in defeat and focus my gaze back to Erika.

"Love, how about one mistake?" I bargained.

She smiled. "Fine."

Then she kissed me in the forehead. I froze.

"Advance payment." She playfully winked that made my face fl.u.s.tered.

"Oh gosh, ants were crawling." Rina jokingly said as Donna laughed.

I rolled them my eyes. I really wanted to b.u.mped both of their heads then and there.

"Such good friends I have"