Moonville Series 1: Secret Lovers

Richard was not able to do anything but follow Alex through his gaze. He slowly understood what had just happened. Alex saw a neighbor who might tell her parents that they met today. How close is this neighbor to their family for him to say that to her parents?

He turned to look at the said neighbor, whom he didn't recognize. But the girl who is approaching him right now is someone he knows so well.

'Richard!" the girl said after giving him a tap on his shoulder.

'Hey, Margareth!" he teased. The overly feminine name did not suite the boyish outfit of the girl. She's wearing a loose T-shirt and baggy pants with a backpack clinging on her shoulder.

'By the way, this is Joshua, my friend," Garee said, indicating the guy she's with.

'Friend? As in boyfriend?" Richard shook hands with Joshua.

'I'm not gay," Joshua said.

Richard laughed. 'Cuz," he said to Garee. 'I think you should start wearing those clothes given to you by Tita Badette. Even your friends think you're a guy."

'Her muscles are bigger than mine," Joshua added.

'Stop teasing me, will you?" Garee told the guys. She then elbowed Richard. 'Are you alone?"

'Ahm..." Richard looked at where Alex was seated a while ago. "I'm with someone, but there's an emergency so she has to leave immediately."

"You're with a girl," Garee teased. 'Let's see... You've only been here for a month and you already have a date?"

Before Richard can answer, his iPhone beeped because of a Facebook Messenger notification. It was from Alex.

'Sorry if I have to leave immediately. Joshua Ignacio is our neighbor. He's also the son of a partner in MPCF. He might mention that he saw me with you. I'm really sorry.' Richard looked at the two friends. 'Ahm, I have to go. I have a class."

'Okay," Garee said.

'See you around," Richard said while collecting his and Alex's things. After getting out of the cafeteria, he replied to Alex's message.

'Where are you?'

Alex suddenly appeared in front of him.

'Sorry," she said.

'It's okay. Good thing you immediately saw him."

"Yeah."

They walked to the nearest student lounge.

'The girl who's with Joshua Ignacio, she's my cousin. Margareth Gonzalez."

'Garee is your cousin?"

Richard nodded. 'You know her?"

'Almost everyone in Moonville know each other."

'My dad is her mother's brother."

They fell silent for a while.

'So, where do you wanna go?" Alex asked.

"Wherever you like. What's your favorite spot here in CPRU?"

'Aside from the cafeteria?"

Richard smiled. 'Aside from the cafeteria."

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Alex smiled. 'The library."

They went to the library. While walking, Alex told him stories about the infamous CPRU library.

'The new library just finished last year. It took two months before all the books were transported from the old one."

"What happened to the old library?" Richard asked.

'It's old," Alex joked. "But seriously, it was really old. It was 40 years old already. The students do not want to go there because of the ambience. You know those creepy libraries in horror movies? That's how it was."

'I guess, students nowadays prefer Google than reading books."

'That's another reason. Because of that, the CPRU Management decided to create a cool and modern library where the students would be interested to come and hang out. So they purchased the lot adjacent to the university and constructed a library there. The construction took a year, but it's worth it."

'And the old library?"

'It will be demolished and turned into a soccer field for the elementary students. They don't have their own, so they have to borrow from the high school department."

They then arrived at their destination.

'Welcome to the CPRU library!" Alex said with pride.

The building in front of them is a four-story structure with floor to ceiling glass windows. It really looks like a modern library.

'Let's go in."

The two entered the library.

'The first floor is for the preschoolers and elementary students. The second floor is for high school students."

Alex showed Richard the first two floors. The first floor has a fantasy forest theme while the second floor is a hybrid of modern library and computer shop.

'As you've mentioned, kids like computers more than books. So, they put some computers here, and they only kept the books that are really essential and are hard to find."

And then, they proceeded to the third floor. The place looks like a restaurant, with booths and highchairs on countertops. There are also tables and chairs and there is an area with computers, but the units are not as much as those in the second floor. The walls are lined up with books, though there are also bookshelves scattered around the area.

"And here is our destination," Alex said.

'Nice! It feels nice to read here."

"Well, that's right," Alex said. 'The fourth floor is a loft, but most of the books there are for graduate students, like books on medicines, law, those stuff."

Alex went to the reading area and sat on a chair. Richard followed and sat beside her.

"So, this is where we are staying?" Richard asked.

'Is it okay? I really like books, you know."

'Of course, it's okay, but I'm just worried you'll leave me here again just like what you did at the cafeteria."

"Well, I guarantee you that Joshua Ignacio doesn't go in this place."

Richard smiled. "You're sure of that, huh?"

"Of course. He courted me before, and he kind of told me he's not fond of reading."

Richard's smile slowly faded. 'Did he... become your boyfriend?"

'Nope. I was young and I can't have a boyfriend yet. But even if I'm old enough, I still will reject him. I don't like him like that."

'So, now, are you old enough to have a boyfriend?"

Alex looked at Richard. Their eyes met and it seems like they can understand what they were thinking by just looking at each other's eyes. Alex smiled. 'It depends who the guy is."

And from that moment, Richard knew that he has a chance.