Above Cloud Nine — Chapter 23: MY ALL-TIME BUDDY

Kamilla's POV

"Hello?"

"Where are you?"

"I am still in the library, Rose." I covered my hands on my phone as I lowered my voice as much as possible. I looked around and luckily, the librarian is not looking at my direction. Cellphones and excessive talking and loud noises were prohibited inside so I have to be really careful.

"I am coming back. I'm sorry. We talked with Mrs. Chavez that's why I am coming back a little late. See you!" She ended the call that made me glance at my wristwatch.

It was exactly 9:00 A.M. Two hours has passed and I wonder if Andrei's game is already done. I closed the book that I am studying right now. I scrolled on my newsfeed to see updates on facebook when I received a text message just now.

Dreidrei: Hi, Meghan!

It made me smile like an idiot again. I glanced around me to see if other students are looking at me smiling like crazy here right now. Good thing they are not.

"Hello Dreidrei!" I waited for two minutes to reply to him. My goodness, I kinda like him but I don't want to look desperate as well.

Dreidrei: Our basketball game is over. Wanna join me for lunch?

I am about to reply to him when Rose's message popped up. "Kaaaamiiillaaa! Join me for lunch later please! I am near the library now!"

Oh no. What am I going to do? I am holding my phone, thinking of who to reply when somwbody covered my eyes.

"Who's this?" I knew it was Rose and she was being silly but I clicked the side button of my phone to hide my messages. I don't want her to see that Andrei and I are texting each other. She may asked a lot about him. I don't want to make a choice, either.

"Rose?"

"Hmmp, you should pretend not to know me sometimes. You're bad." She chuckled as she pouted her lips.

"Silly girl. How could I not know you if you're noisy?"

"Oops." She giggled in a soft voice. We looked around to see if we are already drawing attention. Good thing we're not. She sat in front of me with a smile.

"Kamilla..." She called my name as she looked at me with that glistening eyes.

"What?"

"Have you ever been in love before?"

Whoah, I never see that coming. Why did Rose ask this question all of a sudden?

"Hmm...yeah." I smiled as I looked at her, too. "Here." I added, getting the books as I showed it to her. She jokingly frowned as she shook her head from side to side as she clicks her tongue.

"Of course, we love books. What I mean, have you ever fell in love with a guy before?"

I could see that she's getting serious already.

"I don't know. I guess not. I am focused in studying I don't have time for that and you know it."

"What? My gosh! Are you even human?"

"For Pete's sake Rose, we're only sixteen. We're still young."

"I never expected your reaction. I guess the way people thinks in America is different from here."

I nodded as I agree to what she said just now.

"Yeah. Asians are conservative. When you're sixteen here, you're still considered as a kid, just take a look at my mom."

She covered her mouth as she laughed.

"Well, I will not argue with that anymore."

"Why did you ask? Have you?" I asked the question back to her. She said nothing but her sweet smile says it all.

"Who is the lucky guy?" I whispered as I leaned my face near her.

"Who's lucky? No one." She smiled as she covered her face.

"Please tell me. I am good at keeping secrets, I promise."

"Hmm...before I tell you, may I know your type of guy, dear Kamilla?" She said with glistening eyes.

I automatically smiled as I remembered Andrei.

"I like guys who have a great sense of humor. I also like it when he loves to eat different kinds of food. I want a food buddy, that's why." I grinned. I can see Rose nodded.

"Interesting." She commented as she heard my kind of guy. I wonder what she's thinking right now. I've known Rose for a couple of months now but I never asked her if she had a boyfriend when she's still in America.

"Did you have a boyfriend in America?"

She shook her head as she smiled.

"It may be hard to believe but I never had a boyfriend, Kamilla."

"Oh my! I should've never judged beautiful girls like you."

"Why are you saying that? You're beautiful, too. It's just that my dad is too strict that I am never allowed to date anyone."

"Of course. Any dad will be protective of their princess, you know."

"Yeah. I am happy that even if we lived in America, the Filipino values is still present within me. Dad never failed to teach me how to be conservative and on how to respect myself and other people as well."

"Yeah, my mom does it for me, too."

A few moment of silence happened before us. I looked at Rose as she looked outside the window. She seem to be thinking about something while smiling sweetly.

"Kamilla..."

"Hmm?" She smiled as she looked at me straight into my eyes again.

"Do you believe in love at first sight?"

"I don't know. It never happened to me that's why I guess I can never tell. What about you?"

She scratched her head and smiled.

"I guess I am right now."

"What? Really?" I suddenly got excited for Rose.

"Yeah. It's weird but it indeed happened."

"Why? Where did you see the lucky guy?"

"He's wearing a gray basketball uniform. He's so good at playing it, I fell in love with his dimples right away."

I nodded.

"Wow. I guess he's a great guy."

"Yeah. I hope to meet him someday."

"Did you know his name?"

"I was too shy to come near him. I don't know his name yet."

"I wish you will know him soon. I wish the best for you, Rose."

"I also wish the best for you too, Kamilla."

"We'll have great lovelife and we'll attend to each other's wedding."

"Wow! I love how advanced you think, Kamilla!" I giggled as I heard her reaction. She's also enjoying what I said. I hope I will also meet the guy she's telling me about. By that time, I will also be prepared to introduce Andrei to Rose.

We still spent two more hours and I have decided to decline Andrei's lunch offer because of Rose. I am also thinking of making it up to her because of what happened yesterday.

"Where do you want to eat?"

"I want to eat at Josher's diner."

"Wow, that's just near our school. Is it open today?"

"Yeah, I know they're open even on a rainy day."

She chuckled as she got my joke. She hugged my arm as we went outside the gate. When I turned my gaze on my left, I suddenly spotted Andrei with Kalix and some of the flaming red dragons.

"We better hurry, Rose." I grabbed her hand as we rushed into Josher's diner. This time, I am praying hard hoping that Andrei will not eat at Josher's because we're here already. I selected a seat near the window to see people coming in and out of the restaurant.

"What's wrong? Are we hiding from someone?" Rose asked as she also looked to the direction of where I am looking at right now.

"No. I decided to hurry up because their fried chicken will be out of stock after ten minutes if we'll be a little late."

She nodded as she understood what I am talking about.

"Let's order their famous fried chicken now." Rose said as we both stood up. I sighed with relief when I saw Andrei came inside Herbet's steaks and burgers across Josher's diner. Now I am confident that our paths will never cross this time around.

We both went to the counter and paid for our lunch. Since it is a buffet style kind of lunch, I enjoyed getting foods that I miss eating the most.

"You know what? I am starting to love Filipino cuisines. The combination is perfect." Rose commented that made the servers smile.

"Thank you!" She said as she got her plate from the chicken's section. The server gave her a large helpings of chicken adobo.

"I should try complimenting the food aloud so that I can get that kind of serving, too." I whispered on her ear that made her giggle so much.

We sat on our table and I glanced at the window one more time. I shifted my gaze on my food when I can't see Andrei from the window.

"Gosh, their chicken adobo is delicious!" Her eyes almost glistened as she said between munches.

"Yeah, and their fried chicken, too. You should try it."

"Wow, Kamilla. I never knew you're good at selecting the best restaurants in town."

"Not really. It so happened that this restaurant serves the best food that's why I also want you to try it to believe it."

"And you're right, dear. I also proved it myself that they serve great food."

Well, thanks to Andrei. He was the first to invite me to try this place and their chicken dishes. He's really the best.