• One sunny morning, at the Adrelino High School, two 1st year high school girls were walking. One of them is Angela, a talented, beautiful and bubbly girl. She was talking with her friend, Victoria, as they pass through the side of the court. She was facing Victoria that she didn’t see the pole of the volleyball net falling and directed at her.
    “Angela, look out!” Victoria warned. But it was too late. Well, maybe not too late after all. Angela turned around and saw the pole directed at her. It was late for her to run and so she waited for the impact. It never came. She opened her eyes and saw those pair of emerald eyes looking blankly at her.
    “Look at your sides when passing through crowded places like this next time,” and then she went away. It was the transferee student from a foreign country, Odessa.
    Angela admired her ever since that incident. Angela, being the persistent girl she is, followed Odessa everyday.
    “Hey, can we be friends?” she would ask with her ever sunny smile.
    “No,” Odessa would answer blankly.
    “Why?” she would ask again.
    “Why? Because for me, you are my worst enemy in this school. Be it academics, beauty, talent, and everything!” and then she’d turn around leaving Angela’s mouth hang open.
    There was like a contest between them. In class, whenever Odessa wins something over her, Odessa would smile at her with a taunting smile. But Angela only returned it with a sincere sunny smile, which of course she hated. Whenever Odessa walks through a hall, people would say, “Oh, isn’t she pretty? But I heard she’s so cold!” Then Angela would come following her and people would say, “Oh, that’s Angela, the prettiest girl in school! I heard even the seniors envied her and her sunny smile!” And Odessa will get more irritated with Angela.
    One day, Odessa was being bullied by the seniors. The jealous ladies were jealous of her and her asset, her cold emerald eyes.
    “It is really hard to get rid of that Angela isn’t it? So we’re taking the number two first!” and then the girl slapped her as one pulled her by her hair.
    “Hey, you ugly hags, stop that!” in came Angela and gave each one a slap. “Where’s your dignity there? Bullying a helpless girl just because of jealousy?”
    Embarrassed, the girls ran away. Angela turned at her and offered a hand. She did not accept it; instead, she stood up on her own.
    “Why did you save me?” she coldly asked.
    “We’re friends, right?” Angela said as she smiled. Odessa looked at her disbelievingly then went away. Days moved on and Angela still followed Odessa around. She would still look at her coldly but did not say anything.
    One day, Angela and Victoria were once again chatting as they walked. They are crossing the pedestrian lane from the school when a speeding truck came by.
    “Angela, look out!” Angela turned around and saw the truck coming. Once again, she just waited for the impact. It almost hit her when she felt someone push her aside and she hit Victoria. She opened her eyes and saw the truck hit Odessa. She ran over to her.
    “Why did you save me? Aren’t I your worst enemy?” she was crying. For the first time, Odessa smiled a genuine smile. She lifted her hand which was bleeding and tried to remove her tears.
    “We’re friends, right?” was all she said and she lost her breath.