Moonville Series 1: Secret Lovers

Alex and Richard's tea party lasted until before six PM. They were about to leave The Coffee Club when Alex excused herself.

'I need to go to the restroom."

'Let's go back to the kitchen."

'No, I'll just go inside the shop."

"Are you sure?"

'Yes. I'll be quick. Wait for me here."

Alex went inside the coffee shop. Richard was about to get inside his car when he saw someone he knows. 'Richard!"

He looked at the person who called him. He smiled when he saw Gina.

'Hi!" Richard greeted back.

Gina looked at his car. "Testing your new car, I guess."

"Yeah..."

'You alone?"

"No! I'm with someone. She just went to the restroom but we're about to leave."

'I see."

"How about you?" Richard asked.

"I'm meeting some friends."

"Ah." Richard nodded.

'Well then, I'll go ahead. Nice meeting you here."

'Same here."

Gina went inside the coffee shop. After a while, Alex came out and she and Richard went back to CPRU.

******

Gina immediately saw Joshua Ignacio as she entered The Coffee Club. When he saw her, Joshua immediately stood up. But aside from him, Margareth 'Garee" Gonzalez was also there. That made Gina scowl. Joshua was very happy when he saw Gina. 'Hi Gina! Come! Sit down." He readied a chair for her to sit in.

'I'm sorry, but I just came here to tell you to stop pursuing me."

Joshua was obviously shocked at what Gina said. Even Garee stopped drinking her coffee and looked at Gina instead.

Joshua wanted to contest. 'But... Gina-"

'Just stop, Joshua." Gina also feels bad for him, but she can't let him continue as she already likes someone else. 'I already have a boyfriend."

"What?" Joshua was shocked once again.

'Bryan de Vera and I have a mutual understanding already."

'Brayn de Vera..." Joshua fell into a deep thought.

'Mutual understanding... that doesn't mean anything," Garee said.

'What do you mean by that?" Gina asked. She's starting to feel infuriated.

'Did he confess his love to you?" Garee asked. 'Did he ask you, 'Can you be my girlfriend?' Did you say yes to him?"

Now, Gina is really angered by Garee's interference. 'You have nothing to do with my business and it doesn't mean that your family owns The Coffee Club, then you can be arrogant and tell me anything you want to say." She looked at Joshua. "I'm sorry, but it's over, Joshua. Good riddance."

Gina turned her back on them and left. She ignored the looks of some customers as she passed by. Some of them are CPRU students, and they probably know her. She's kind of popular in their school and considered every male student's dream girl.

She was walking to her car when she stopped on her tracks. She saw Richard again, but this time, he's with someone. It's a girl, and she happens to be someone whom Gina knows. 'Alexandra Martinez."

She's the sister of Angel Martinez, the girl that Gina hates the most. Just like Garee, Angel doesn't like her, so she doesn't like her as well.

Angel is the problem. She's grumpy and not very nice. That's the reason why she doesn't have friends. No guy would dare pursue her that's why she would never have a boyfriend.

But Alex is different. As far as Gina knows, she's just a first-year college student. But looking at how she's acting right now, it seems like she and Richard are not just friends. Gina will not be surprised if Richard is already Alex's boyfriend. Gina's lips turned to a smirk. Now she has something to provoke Angel. She suddenly became excited for her next class tomorrow, where she will see the Ice Queen of Business School, Angelica Martinez.

*******

Angel has quizzes almost every day because of their upcoming semestral break. Just like what they just did on that class she is in at the moment. They just finished another exam, and the professor gave them the result of their quiz last meeting.

"For our quiz last meeting, the highest scorer is Mr. de Vera, Bryan."

Bryan's friends were gleeful at his achievement. Even Gina Aguilar, who happened to be their classmate on that subject, celebrated with them. The class was filled with cheer and even the teacher commended Bryan for his success. Angel is getting irritated. Not that she's jealous of Bryan, because usually she is the one who tops in their class. Last meeting, she was not herself and she knows why.

'Miss Martinez, what happened to you?" their professor asked as she handed her the result of her last exam.

She got twenty-five out of thirty items. Not bad, and she is the third highest scorer. But that's not her usual performance and she's feeling more annoyed because of that.

'Looks like you're just good at the beginning, Ms. Martinez," the professor said.

Angel looked at the professor. She is that teacher of her that seems to not like her because her mother is a friend of their dean. Right now, she looks very satisfied as Angel got a low score as compared to what she usually gets. Angel was a bit appalled because as the professor, she should not be saying those kinds of thing.

"Yes? Is there something wrong?" the professor asked as she noticed the way Angel was looking at her.

"None, Ma'am." Angel avoided the teacher's gaze.

'Do you want to contest something? Are you doubting the result of the exam?"

'No, Ma'am." She tried her best to calm herself.

'Then why are you looking at me like that? As if you're mocking me."

Again, Angel was appalled.

'Ma'am, she's just insecure because of your legs," Gina quipped in.

The class laughed at what Gina said. The professor liked it as if Gina complemented her.

'Maybe," the professor said as she flaunted her legs. In fairness to her, she has nice legs.

Angel sighed. For the first time, she was grateful that Gina intercepted. Because of her comment, the conversation was diverted from her. But she knows Gina meant what she said. Unlike her teachers and classmates, Angel wears stockings because to her that is the proper way to wear a corporate attire. But Gina thinks she's doing it to hide her imperfect legs.

'Ms. Aguilar, very good on your exam. You got a high score," the professor said as she handed the test result to Gina.

'Thank you, Ma'am. That is because you're very good and inspiring," Gina said.

Angel almost rolled her eyes had she not able to stop herself. It's obvious that Gina is fawning over her teacher. That's one of the things she hates about her. Gina only survives in class because of her obvious ingratiating over their professors. 'Maybe Bryan helped her," whispered one of their classmates.

'Everyone is talking about how she announced in The Coffee Club that she's Bryan's girl," whispered the other one.

'Gina is such a lucky girl. Bryan de Vera is her boyfriend, then Joshua Ignacio of Engineering is also in love with her." 'You're right."

Angel could hear the hushed conversation of her two classmates, but it didn't affect her because she doesn't care who Gina's boyfriend is. Since high school, she's aware that Gina is popular with boys, and she's not affected by it. It's none of her business.

After their class, Angel decided to go to the restroom. After using the water closet, she freshened up herself. She doesn't wear makeup just like her schoolmates. Face powder and lip gloss will do. She knows how to use makeup, but she doesn't bother using it every day in school.

She is combing her naturally straight hair when Gina and her two friends entered the restroom.

"Well, well, well! Look who's here! The Ice Queen herself," Gina said to her.

In the many years that she's known Gina, Angel has learned how to ignore her allusions.

'You know, I understand why you're out of focus lately."

Angel is still ignoring Gina as she continued combing her hair. On the other hand, Gina took out her makeup kit to retouch her face.

'I understand how hard it is when you became envious with your sister. You know? She's your BFF and you're used to getting the same amount of attention from your parents. But, who can tell what destiny is planning, right? You can't do anything if she suddenly became more fortunate than you."

Finally, Gina caught Angel's attention. Her ways of attacking today is different. She never used her sister to infuriate her before. But Angel still pretended to not care.

'Especially if your sister is very lucky in love, while no man even wants to date you."

Gina's friends laughed at what she said.

'Can't blame the guys, Angel. You're super cold and grumpy. Look what happened. In fairness to Alex, she managed to catch the attention of Richard Quinto who is not only nice and good looking, but most importantly, very rich." "What did you just say?" At last, Angel talked to Gina.

'Relax! I know I'm so much better than Alex, but Richard is not my type. I have Bryan already."

Angel suddenly felt alarmed. Does that mean that Richard and Alex has a romantic relationship?

'He just bought a car from our shop a few days ago. Of course, he needs his own car if he wants to take Alex to The Coffee Club, or anywhere they want to hang out, right?"

Angel is confused. She doesn't want to believe Gina. She doesn't even know why she's listening to her. But, how can she not believe her if Alex's actions seem to match Gina's speculations?

'You know, Angel, you should really step up your game, Sister! Stop your mood swings and try to be nicer to guys."

Angel could not stand it anymore, so she went out of the restroom. She has to know the truth. She has to know if Gina is telling the truth. She doesn't want to believe her. Gina is the last person she wants to believe in. But based on what she has observed with Alex, she can't help but believe in what Gina said.

She needs to know the truth, so she hurried to the other side of the first floor of Business school, where the male restroom is. That's where the man whom she wanted to talk to came in, and he's someone who can confirm the information that she just learned.