All about Kate (part 3)

The rest of the weeks were mundane compared to the first day experience I had. Kate was only my classmate during core subjects that is why I rarely see her because I only have two core subjects as of now, being a freshman and all. Through time I got close to multiple people in the university. Marisol have been a staple with me while my friends Mark and CJ has been great also. We often hang out in this carinderia named Hana Rose and talk about school related stuff. I have been seeing Kate in the classroom but much to my surprise she is a really shy girl who is often quiet. She has that vibes but I never thought it’d be like that.

We have orientations that were called G.I. but I forgot what it stands for and I saw Kate there as she was my blocmate. Those G.I. are conducted to create a support group in adapting to the university. It was usual where we played party games and some were more competitive than others. I figure if they were even relieving themselves from the stress of the academics or simply chasing a win to boost their ego. During a relay calamansi race they were bumping one another and the charades was so loud that I forgot if anyone scored. We also played dragon’s tail but the sport was deemed too dangerous to be played indoors so Mark and Marisol were left with bleeding knees and could barely walk from that point on.


The event ended with half of us exhausted, some hurt and there is a notable population who was part of the two. I was part of the third population. My back hurts from the piggy back race with Marisol and I was too exhausted to think during the pass the message and I could not wink properly so we lost. Making Marisol mad with me, adding to my exhaustion. It was 6pm by the time we finished. Mark went home immediately to prepare to go on a date with a girl from the college of engineering. CJ rushed to the church for his daily worship and Marisol simply disappeared into thin air. My other batchmates left hastily and angrily with their mental health maybe even worse than they entered.


Looking up, the sky was darkening and the wind was cold by the time I got out of the building. The rain was pouring hard and the streets were foggy in the least. It was drizzling before we entered so my umbrella was in the rack and I immediately picked mine up as the university was notorious for umbrella thefts. Wary and cautious as I may be some people did not share those traits as there was a girl coming out from the bathroom frantically searching for something. In time I was about to exit the building the girl came out and the streaks of red hair made her recognizable. It was Kate, she was panicking hard because her umbrella got stolen. Her friends left immediately as they all have their own agenda to deal with. Which kind of reminds me of my friends.



I suggested that she steal one of the defenseless umbrellas and run through the rain and call it a day. Pointing at the polka dots, yellow with a cartoonish sun, and a fibrella which have seen multiple terrors. But I was met with a dead gaze and frowned look as Kate said: “I would never stoop that low.”


“Did you steal that?” she followed pointing at my brown fibrella with Hello Kitty strap


“No!” but at that moment I knew my hostile and defensive answer did not help my cause and I knew from that moment on Kate would not believe anything I say.


“Uh huh, Then who is Jasmine?”


“My sister!”

“Uh huh”


Her teasing went on for another two minutes with questions ranging from why would I own an umbrella that has a pink hello kitty strap to asking if I think stealing is a crime only if I was caught. My face was feeling hot and I know I am strawberry red as of now. I put my head down while mumbling “this is really my sister’s umbrella, I lost mine long ago” and went on like that. Kate was laughing and I broke my train of thought when I saw Kate stopped laughing and grabbed her bag over her and was breathing deeply preparing to run. I looked away while stretching my arm and umbrella over her. On my peripheral vision, at the side of my eye. I saw her smiling while tucking strands of her hair behind her ear.


“Let me walk you home”, I said while holding the umbrella and feeling her leaning closer to me.


Against my shoulder I felt her head nodding so we walked towards her dormitory.