Chapter 32
Bryan found Angel in Business School. It took a while and great effort for him to get away from Gina earlier at the backstage. She is just too clingy, and he cannot think of a way to dismiss her. He doesn't want to humiliate her, though, that's why he just can't tell her to let him be because there's someone else he wants to be with.
Angel is sitting in front of the booth of JPIA. They thought of doing a photo booth as the mini-business venture of their organization. Angel is the one taking care of it that time, together with a fellow JPIA officer. "Hi!" Bryan said to Angel.
Angel looked at him and smiled, though she didn't greeted back.
'How's our business?"
Angel shrugged. 'It's okay. You know teens nowadays, they love taking pictures."
'That is why this is the business I chose."
Bryan was quite shocked when Hannah suddenly spoke behind him. Just like him, she's also wearing a red T-shirt.
"I know this will be popular with our fellow students and we will definitely make a lot of money from it. We will definitely be the winner in the Best Business Venture category!"
'You seem to be so sure about it," Bryan told Hannah.
'Of course! And you, you need to perform well in the pageant. Especially your talent presentation... By the way, you haven't told me yet what will be your talent."
'It's a surprise," Bryan said. He winked at Angel, who just gaped at him in surprise.
'Just make sure I will be surprised in a good way," Hannah said to Bryan.
'I am very sure of it," Bryan told Hannah. Then he beamed her his killer smile.
'Okay, then. I have to leave because I need to take care of some things," Hannah told them.
Bryan felt relieved when their JPIA president disappeared from their sight.
'What is your talent presentation?" Angel asked him.
'It's a secret." He sat down beside her.
'You won't reveal it even to me?"
Bryan nodded. 'Don't think about that yet. What if we just try this photo booth here?"
"What?" Angel asked.
'Come on, let's have our picture taken." Bryan grabbed her hand and pulled her to the photo booth. "Wait!"
Angel wasn't able to refuse when Bryan took her inside the photo booth and made her sit on a stool. 'Give me your most beautiful smile, okay?" Bryan said. "Wait-"
'Get ready."
Angel had no choice but to go with the flow. There is a four-second gap after each photo, and there are four photos per session. On their first try, Angel is not smiling properly. Until she was able to smile on their fourth photo. 'Let's try it again. This time, let's do wacky poses," Bryan said.
And Angel just gave in again. She had their photo taken, and this time, she has loosened up a bit and she was able to pose wackily in front of the camera. All in all they had eight photos. Bryan gave everything to Angel. "How about you?" Angel asked him.
'I'm good. I have a picture of you already."
"Huh?"
'Remember that time when I applied for The Echo?" Bryan asked her.
Angel tried to recall what he meant. 'I asked you to delete that photo, right?"
Bryan smiled. 'I took a copy before I deleted it. You're cute on that photo. Your mouth is slightly open like you're waiting for a fly to come in."
"You're so mean!" Angel laughed so hard she even hit Bryan with their photos gently.
'That's why I am giving those photos to you, so that when you think me, you just have to look at them."
'As if I'll think of you."
'I'm sure when you're alone, you think of me. When you're lying down on your bed, you're thinking of me, too... I wonder what you're thinking during those times." Bryan smiled mischievously.
"Mr. Bryan de Vera!" Angel said, laughing. 'Your thoughts are so dirty."
'Hey, I didn't say anything wrong, did I? You're the one who's thinking suggestively," Bryan said before looking at her suspiciously. 'So that's how Angel Martinez thinks, huh?"
Angel laughed harder at what he said. 'That's not true!" She pinched his cheeks.
'Ouch!" Bryan pretended to get hurt at what she did.
Angel looked at the photos with a smiled. 'Thanks, Bryan."
"You're welcome."
They looked at each other, and again, Bryan was mesmerized. Yes, he was mesmerized by Angel again. Just like earlier in the backstage while she held his hands. Just like that time they were in the library standing too close to each other, making him kiss her. And also, that time when he applied to The Echo and he saw her smile, that's why he took her photo that time. And finally, that time when they bumped into each other and she almost fell had he not held her tightly. And only now had he realized that. Now he knows why he always comes undone whenever Angel Martinez is with him. And then he thought, maybe all those things that he said to his father that night really has a basis. They really are true. "Aherm!"
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The two of them looked at Richard.
'You like looking at each other that much, don't you?" Richard gave Bryan a meaningful look.
Bryan looked away. 'So... You're here."
'I have a dress rehearsal with Kim. You want to join me?" Richard is smirking.
"Uh, sure. Ahm..." Bryan looked at Angel, but he immediately looked away again as he felt awkward all of a sudden.
'I-I have to go," Angel said.
'You're not coming with us?" Richard asked Angel. 'That would make Bryan really sad."
Bryan gave him a stern look. Richard's grin widened.
'I need to talk to Jasmin. We have to prepare for her contest piece for BS Idol."
'Yeah! Go to her now," Bryan told Angel.
'Okay. Bye, Richard!" Angel said.
'Bye!" Richard replied.
Angel looked at Bryan awkwardly. 'Bye."
'Bye..." Bryan replied with the same awkwardness she's feeling.
Angel left as Bryan followed her with his gaze.
"Aherm!"
Bryan looked at Richard. 'Let's go."
The two cousins proceeded to Richard's dance practice.