"Good morning, Julie!" Nicole greeted cheerfully as she arrived at school. Julie smiled in return.
"Good morning, Nicole," she replied.
Nicole quickly set down her bag and leaned closer.
"Hey, come with me later, after lunch," Nicole said eagerly.
"Where are we going?" Julie asked, curious.
Nicole glanced around, lowering her voice. "You know how there are clubs here, right?"
Julie nodded slowly. "Ah, yes, there are."
"Are you planning to join one?" Julie asked suddenly.
Nicole hesitated, then admitted quietly, "I'll just look first. I'm still thinking about auditioning."
Julie considered this, her eyes lingering on her friend. "Why are we whispering? Is this a secret?"
"Looks like it," Nicole grinned.
"I noticed some classmates are in a group here. I've seen them with my brother," Nicole explained.
"Really? Which one are you auditioning for?" Julie asked, frowning slightly.
Nicole whispered, "The Dance Troupe. My brother's in it too."
"The Dance Troupe? I think they're still accepting auditions. I pass by there sometimes," Julie replied.
Nicole nodded, smiling.
"But why keep it a secret? Doesn't your brother know?" Julie asked, eyebrows knitting together.
Nicole's smile turned sheepish. "Because… one of the judges is my brother," she admitted.
Julie nodded in understanding. "Good luck. I'll come with you after lunch."
"I'm not auditioning yet," Nicole chuckled nervously.
Julie just nodded. Nicole glanced around and caught the eyes of a boy she vaguely remembered—one of the troupe members. She had always loved dancing and was inspired by her brother Jonathan. She wanted to join, not only to grow, but to learn more. That's why she kept it hidden from him.
"If I'm right, you're Jonathan Villa's sister, aren't you?" someone asked, and Nicole looked up.
Ah, Joel. She remembered his name.
She nodded.
"Oh, I remember her. Is she related to that girl? Where is she now?" another boy asked.
Melissa, Nicole realized. She didn't answer. All she knew was that Melissa was still processing her transfer.
"Are you auditioning?" Joel's companion asked, smiling.
"I—I don't know," Nicole replied softly.
They didn't press further and soon walked away. Nicole sighed in relief.
"Good luck if you audition," Raymond said with a smile before leaving.
Julie nudged her. "What was that? Do you know them?"
Nicole shook her head. "My brother brought me here once. I was just watching, so they remembered me," she explained.
Julie nodded. "There's someone really grumpy there—Cielo. He's always like that."
Nicole laughed quietly. "You're so silly."
*****
"Hasn't she joined a club yet?" Raymond asked Cielo, referring to Julie.
"I don't know. Probably not," Cielo replied, eyes fixed on his phone.
"Doesn't she know joining a club could help her become an achiever here?" Raymond pressed.
"That's not my problem. It's in the guidebook," Cielo said flatly.
"You're so cold. She's your childhood friend, isn't she?" Raymond teased.
"I don't know. Our families are close, but I don't really remember much about her," Cielo said indifferently.
"Really? You don't remember, or are you just pretending?" Raymond teased further.
Cielo sighed, shaking his head.
"Your cousin's arriving next week, right?" Joel asked.
"Yeah," Cielo replied.
"They know already, right?" Joel pressed.
"Yeah. My concern is with Jason," Cielo muttered, sighing.
"Because he really likes that girl. Do you believe in reincarnation?" Raymond asked.
"No," Cielo answered curtly. "Yes, they look alike, but… she's still not the same person we once knew." His gaze drifted toward Julie, who was quietly listening, laughing occasionally at her friends' stories.
Julie glanced at him briefly. Their eyes met, and she frowned. Cielo quickly looked away.
She had been in his class for a month, always quiet and reserved, but now with Nicole's arrival, Julie was smiling more. Cielo noticed Nicole's connection to Jonathan Villa, suspecting her love for dance.
The teacher's voice snapped him back to reality. He tucked his phone away. Later, during recess, he noticed Julie and Nicole going to see Kelly. He ignored them.
At lunch, Cielo went straight to the faculty room with the officers for their duties.
"Pres, I'll go ahead," he told Chris.
"So formal, Cielo," Chris teased.
Cielo didn't reply. He stepped out and noticed Nicole and Julie peeking happily at the different clubs.
She's interested in the Dance Troupe, he thought. He let them be and returned to his classroom.
A few minutes later, the two girls came back just before afternoon classes began.