Angela and Elsa stood at the sports field, watching Chris and his team play basketball. Angela's eyes never left him, captivated by his focus and effortless charm.
"So… what are you staring at?" Elsa asked, tapping her shoulder.
"Chris, of course," Angela replied, a dreamy smile on her lips. "He brought me clothes, shoes, jewelry… so many things. I just… I feel guilty for accepting them. Was it the right thing to do?"
Elsa arched an eyebrow. "Angela… think straight. You need to tell Jerry your final answer so he knows to stay away."
"I'll do that," Angela said, though her gaze remained fixed on Chris, her heart fluttering.
As the game ended, the crowd dispersed, leaving only a few behind. Angela and Elsa began to walk away.
"I wonder why Jerry wasn't here to play with them," Elsa remarked casually.
"Who cares? Let's just go. It's getting late," Angela replied.
"Angela," Chris called, walking toward them.
"You did so well, Chris," she said with a bright smile. "You're amazing at basketball."
Before she could finish, Jerry appeared, striding toward them with urgency.
"Have I not given you enough time to think?" he demanded, grabbing her shoulders. "Please… just tell me you love me!"
"Jerry… there's nothing to think about," Angela said. "I'm already in love… with someone else. Someone I can't stop loving."
"What?! Who is it?" Jerry yelled, his grip tightening.
"No need for you to know," she said, flinging his hands off her and walking away, her steps confident despite the tension behind her.
Chris stood frozen, surprised by her words. His chest tightened with a mix of relief and heartbreak.
"She's already in love with someone else…" he whispered to himself, the realization settling over him like both a wound and a hope. He hadn't been himself since that moment.
His thoughts were restless, tangled in questions he couldn't answer.
She's in love with someone else…
The words echoed endlessly in his mind, refusing to fade.
Who could it be?
Every possibility unsettled him. Every image of Angela standing beside another man tightened something deep inside his chest. He realized, almost too late, that the irritation he felt whenever he saw her with Jerry, or anyone else, wasn't just annoyance.
It was jealousy.
And that could only mean one thing.
He was in love with her.
The next morning at school, Angela sat quietly in class, unusually withdrawn. The lecture droned on, dull and lifeless, barely holding anyone's attention.
Her gaze drifted toward Fiona's empty seat, and a faint smile curved her lips.
"I almost miss her chaos," she murmured under her breath. "At least the class felt alive."
She let out a soft sigh, then suddenly noticed someone standing in front of her desk. For a brief second, her heart skipped, Chris?
But when she looked up, her expression fell.
It was Jerry.
A flicker of surprise crossed her face as she became aware of the attention around them. Several students were already whispering, their eyes filled with curiosity. To them, it probably looked like something more.
"Jerry… after I turned you down, I thought you wouldn't talk to me again," she said calmly.
He smiled, unfazed. "Of course I would. I love you, Angela. That's all that matters."
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"Can we have lunch together? At the cafeteria?" he added, his tone soft but persistent.
"Is that really necessary? I'm not even hungry," she replied, trying to avoid the situation.
"Angela… are you trying to avoid me?"
"No," she said quickly, but before she could say anything else, Jerry had already taken her hand, gently pulling her up.
"Please… don't push me away," he said quietly.
Angela hesitated for a moment, then gave in with a small, reluctant smile. "Alright… it's fine."
At the cafeteria, they sat across from each other, sharing a quiet lunch. From a distance, it almost looked peaceful, like something simple, something real.
That was exactly what Chris saw when he walked in with Leam.
He froze.
Angela… laughing softly. Sitting comfortably with Jerry. They looked close. Too close.
Something inside him snapped.
Without a word, Chris turned and walked away, his jaw clenched tightly.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Leam called after him, confused. "We should be happy for Jerry. At least he's finally getting along with her. I thought we were going to join them."
Chris didn't stop.
"I just remembered something," he muttered coldly before disappearing out of sight.
Leam stood there, watching him leave, his confusion deepening.
Something wasn't right.
And for the first time, he began to wonder…
What exactly was going on in Chris's heart?
After school, Angela sat in her friend's small but lively living room, the air filled with chatter and curiosity.
She placed the shopping bags on the table, a soft smile playing on her lips.
"This is honestly too much for me to wear alone," she said, glancing at them. "I wanted to share some with you girls."
The moment the bags opened, excitement exploded in the room.
"What?!" Susan gasped, pulling out a dress. "These are so expensive!"
Karen quickly grabbed another bag, her eyes lighting up as she examined a pair of heels. "Angela… where did you even get all this from? None of my boyfriends have ever bought me something this luxurious!"
Angela hesitated for a brief second, then smiled lightly. "A friend got them for me."
"A friend?" Susan repeated, raising a brow. "Your boyfriend, you mean? Or… was it in exchange for something?"
Angela's smile faded instantly.
"Susan, please don't say that" she said firmly. "Nothing like that happened. It was just a gift. Just pick whatever you like."
"Just a gift?" Jane scoffed, folding her arms. "Come on, Angela. Nobody gives gifts like this for nothing. That guy will definitely expect something from you later."
Karen nodded in agreement. "Exactly. These things are too expensive to be 'just gifts.'"
Angela felt her chest tighten. Their words began to settle in her mind, stirring confusion she hadn't felt before.
"Please… don't say that" she said softly. "I know him. He's not like that. I mean…"
"Then who is he?" Susan pressed, stepping closer. "Just tell us. Who bought all this?"
Angela exhaled slowly, as if surrendering.
"It's Chris," she admitted. "But he's just a friend."
"Chris?" Susan scoffed, a knowing smile spreading across her face. "That explains everything. I knew it. Only someone like him could afford all this."
"You're so lucky," Jane added quickly. "So… is he your boyfriend now?"
"No," Angela replied, shaking her head. "We're just friends. And… Chris is a good person."
She tried to sound certain, but deep down, doubt lingered.
Her friends' words echoed in her mind, mixing with her own feelings for him.
For the first time, what had felt like a simple act of kindness now felt… complicated.
The next day at school, the grand hall was unusually quiet, filled only with the soft, echoing notes of a piano.
Chris sat at the centre, his fingers moving effortlessly across the keys, completely lost in the music he was creating. The melody flowed beautifully, rich with emotion, as if each note carried a piece of his heart. He was preparing for the upcoming music competition, and every second mattered.
His voice soon joined the melody, smooth, deep, and captivating. It wrapped around the empty hall, filling the silence with something almost magical.
Angela, who had been passing by, suddenly slowed her steps.
She heard it.
The music. The voice.
Drawn by curiosity, and something deeper she couldn't quite explain, she moved closer to the hall. Gently, she peeped through the window… and there he was.
Chris.
Her heart skipped.
For a moment, she simply stood there, watching him, completely mesmerized. The way he closed his eyes while playing, the way his voice carried so much feeling, it was different from anything she had ever seen.
Without thinking, she pushed the door open quietly and stepped inside.
She didn't interrupt him.
Instead, she walked in slowly and sat down, waiting patiently until he finished.
The final note lingered in the air before fading into silence.
"Good one, Chris," Angela said with a bright smile as she moved closer and sat beside him.
Chris turned slightly, surprised but pleased to see her.
"So… when are you going to teach me how to play the piano?" she teased lightly. "I can sing really well too, you know."
"Really?" he chuckled softly. "Well… we still have rehearsals today."
"Then I'll wait," she replied with a playful smile. "But honestly, as the president of this club, you haven't even organized things properly for the competition yet."
Chris let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "Don't worry, I'll handle that soon. Thanks for reminding me."
He paused for a moment, then looked at her with interest.
"So… what kind of dance can you do?" he asked.
Angela's eyes lit up instantly.
"Many," she said proudly. "I can dance ballet, salsa… and most of all, disco." She laughed softly, her energy filling the space around them.
Chris didn't laugh.
Instead, he just… stared at her.
There was something about the way she spoke, the way she smiled, so natural, so alive, that made it hard for him to look away.
He wanted to say something. Something important.
Something he had been holding back for a while now.
But the words refused to come out.
"You want to say something?" Angela asked, noticing his gaze.