Prologue

"Hey, Keziah! Just wait…" I shouted loudly to stop her from coming out of the classroom door. "I said, wait for me!"

We had just finished class on a major subject and almost all of my classmates were leaving. Keziah, my friend, was leading the way. When we're talking about going home, she is the top one. She will quickly get her bag and leave the room. It seems like there was no friend to wait for.

I grabbed my charger and my cell phone plugged into the extension on the side where I was seated. It's really good and I'm sitting here next to the outlet so I can charge secretly. I didn't waste any more time putting the charger in my bag. I ran out while holding my charger and cell phone.

I caught Keziah outside the door while leaning against the wall. It's good and he's still kind enough to wait for me. I thought she went home already.

"What the—! Can you hide the charger you're holding? Our professor might notice you, and then you'll find out you're charging in the classroom," she said, looking around to make sure no one had heard us or was around. "Do you want to go to guidance, huh?" "You know it's unlawful to charge, don't you?"

Students are not allowed to charge at our university. They irritate me! This is covered by the miscellaneous fee that we pay. That is so unfair!

"Why you?" I asked, glaring at her. "You even brought an extension, but I didn't protest."

She lightly slapped me on my shoulder. "What the heck, Bri! Just shut the hell up! Maybe the other block will hear about it and they're gonna report me!"

She carries an extension rather than a charger. To reach her, an extension would be required because she was seated in the back and far from the outlet. She was fortunate in that she was a skilled hider and was not caught even by our instructor in the classroom.

She'll even recruit more students in case they're caught; she won't be the only one going to the guidance office. Isn't my friend smart? Of course, she wants a companion at the counseling office to make the experience more thrilling!

I paid attention to what he had said. In my bag, I hid the charger I was holding. I was also worried about going to the guidance office because I didn't have a record there. I don't want to be led around the guidance office just because I'm charging my phone. It's a really cheap reason!

Keziah even waited for me to hide my charger inside the bag.

said, loud enough for me to hear, "You were born rich until now, but you don't even have a power bank."

I choose to ignore it. Because I was hungry, I invited her to walk with me to the cafeteria. There are still two hours of free time before our final subject, which will begin at 2:00 p.m.

My gaze was drawn to the incoming male IT student as I walked. I also took a few seconds to look at it because it looked familiar. I dashed behind Keziah as soon as I remembered and recognized who it was.

My misfortune! Regardless of how many students I met along the way, he was still the chosen one!

"Kez, please hide me," I begged.

Keziah already knew what I was trying to say in this situation. She arranged her bag to cover me.

"Don't tell me there's a guy here you've ghosted?" We just keep walking, but I know her gaze is already wandering over the quadrangle, looking for the person I've been ignoring this week. "Let me guess, is that an IT student, Bri? Am I right?"

I have no other escape. Her eyes immediately recognized the person I was referring to.

"How did you figure that out?"

"He's handsome. All the men you don't pay attention to have good looks. How's your prayer routine? Share it with me! Don't be stingy."

I was anxious as the student I was referring to came closer and closer. I prayed desperately that he would not see me. When he asked why I hadn't responded to his last chat, I had no idea what to say. Even though we were still talking, I didn't feel comfortable with him. Almost no one I talked with had leveled up. I was always on the talking stage.

I don't know how to say that I don't want to continue our conversation. I don’t know how to end a conversation, so that’s where ghosting leads.

When will I be able to move on from this sluggish talking stage?

"That's what I'm saying; keep ghosting people!" Keziah said when the IT student who was my schoolmate passed by.

I let out a deep sigh. I also left Keziah behind. As though I had nothing to hide, I started to walk beside her.

,,I didn't even bother looking at him because there was still a chance he would, so I just stared down the hallway.

I'm still lucky since I hide from the people I've ghosted whenever I see them.

Oh, my goodness! When we finally meet in person, I'm not sure what I'll do or say.

It’s hard when you’re at the same University as the person you’re talking to and you’ve ghosted, right? Can I just flirt with the students from other Universities?

"You know, I'm nervous about you."

As we walked towards the forest, where the students were hanging out, I focused on what she said. We just finished eating in the cafeteria and in the forest we will hang out today with another friend of ours, Reign, a nursing student.

"What makes you nervous?" I said as I placed my bag on the table.

We've already arrived, and Reign is busy doing her school activities. I guess she was absent again yesterday, so here she comes again, chasing the deadline of submission.

"You've ghosted a lot of men, you're more likely to get karma!"

This is us again with his conviction of me.

I just rolled my eyes. "Whatever!"

"What? Did you ghost again, Bri?" Reign replied. She looked up at me while still holding her ballpen.

I did not answer it.

They don't seem to know me. There is nothing new there.

I just focused my eyes on the building across from us. It is a building of Engineering and Architecture students. That's one of the reasons I really want to hang out here.

"Just give me an Engineering student, I will not ghost anyone anymore."

They glared at me once more. They don't believe me anymore because I've talked to many Engineering students and at least one, I didn't like them.

Can I get that Engineering student that tightens his jaw?

"Do you think we'll still believe? You said, ``You really like an Engineering student but you don't entertain those who admit to you that they like you”," Reign said.

I told myself that I would be really serious when I talked to another Engineering student.

"Because it's legit this time. I'm getting tired of not being able to get on the talking stage. I'm not going to ghost  someone anymore, promise!"

"How will you prove it, though?" Keziah asked.

I checked my wristwatch. The Engineering students departed room U-87 at exactly 1:30 p.m. I moved in my seat and shifted my gaze to the classroom door.

I am absolutely dedicated.

"All right, like this..." I said as I showed them room U-87, which they both looked at. "I'm going to marry whoever comes out there first."

With a loud chuckle, they turned to face me. On the opposite benches, we got the attention of other students b ecause Keziah's laughing is so strong that it gets a lot of attention.

"It's hard for you to have a boyfriend and then you want a husband? Are you insane?"

These two are just making fun of me. When they laughed at me, they never seemed to be my friends! Gosh! Fake friends!

"Why are you like that? Are you really my friends?" my complaint. After they laughed at me, they focused on what they were doing. But I was still focusing my attention on the door of room U-87 and waiting for who would come out there first.

Later, I noticed the students standing inside the room via the window. I'm not sure what's making me nervous right now.

Lord, I hope the first person to come out of that door is kind and decent. 

My future depends on him.

Just a few moments later, a male Engineering student came out of there.

He was thin and tall. My Gosh, ideal man!

But why is he not familiar?

I am here every day opposite the Engineering building so I already know almost all the Engineering students.

Why did I only see him now?

He stopped for a moment at the side of the door and rolled his eyes here outside until his eyes wandered in my direction. I immediately averted my eyes. He might have caught me looking at him, embarrassing!

At two o'clock, Keziah and I entered our last subject.

Throughout the class, I never lost sight of that Engineering student.

I want to know him.

I want to get his name, especially his surname and add it to my name.

I have many contacts who are Engineering students so I know I can easily find out his name. I'm going home right now so I can chat with my acquaintances and start the 'oplan to find my future hubby'.

When I got a message from my Daddy, I was ready to call Manong Dante to come pick me up. So reading the message was the first thing I did. 

"Manong Dante can't drive you home. Just wait for me in the car park of your school. I'm with your new driver."

New driver?

I first sat on a bench that was there near the car park to wait. When I saw Dad's car, I immediately stood up. I have already walked there to get home.

I opened the passenger's seat.

"Hi, Dad!"

I didn’t look at my Daddy who was just next to me. I'm busy sorting through the messy contents of my bag.

"Baby, I want you to meet your new driver."

I looked at the driver's seat. I was shocked because the guy was wearing the same uniform of my University, the school uniform of an Engineering student at our University.

My eyes widened even more as he finally turned to me.

"Brittany, he's Johann Caleb Vergara."

I don't need to know his name and get to know him anymore because I'm facing him now.

He was the Engineering student earlier who first came out the door of room U-87.

He's the future Engineer I told I could marry!