Andrea's heart skipped a beat as she heard Sarah's words. She couldn't believe that her best friend was shipping her with Javier. But the truth was, she couldn't deny the growing attraction she felt towards him.
That evening, Andrea couldn't wait for Javier to arrive. She had spent the entire afternoon cleaning and tidying up her house, and she had even helped her mom cook dinner. She wanted everything to be perfect for him.
When the doorbell rang, Andrea's stomach fluttered with excitement. She rushed to the door and opened it to reveal Javier, standing there in all his glory. He was wearing a casual button-down shirt and jeans, but he still looked incredibly handsome.
"Hi, Andrea," he said with a warm smile. "Thanks for having me over."
"You're welcome," Andrea replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Javier stepped inside and Andrea closed the door behind him. They stood there for a moment, just looking at each other. Andrea felt her heart racing in her chest.
"So," Javier said, breaking the silence. "Where should we start?"
"We can go to my room," Andrea said. "It's the quietest place in the house."
Javier nodded and followed her upstairs. Andrea's bedroom was small but cozy. She had painted the walls a light blue and decorated with fairy lights and dreamcatchers.
"It's nice," Javier said, looking around. "I like it."
Andrea blushed. "Thanks."
They sat down on Andrea's bed and started reviewing for the science competition. Andrea was surprised at how easy it was to focus with Javier there. He was intelligent, funny, and kind. She quickly found herself forgetting all about the competition and simply enjoying his company.
After a few hours of studying, they took a break to eat dinner. Andrea's mom had made their favorite dish, chicken adobo. They ate at the kitchen table and talked about everything from their favorite books to their hopes and dreams for the future.
By the end of the evening, Andrea felt like she had known Javier forever. She laughed with him, talked to him, and even shared some of her deepest secrets with him. She couldn't believe how close they had become in such a short time.
When it was time for Javier to go, Andrea felt a pang of sadness. She didn't want the night to end.
"I had a really great time," Javier said, standing up. "Thanks for everything, Andrea."
"I had a great time too," Andrea replied.
They walked to the door together and Javier turned to face her.
"Andrea," he said. "Can I kiss you?"
Andrea's heart skipped a beat. She had been waiting for this moment all night.
"Yes," she whispered.
Javier leaned in and kissed her softly. Andrea closed her eyes and savored the moment. His lips were warm and gentle, and she felt a spark of electricity run through her body.
When they finally pulled away, Andrea's heart was pounding in her chest. She looked into Javier's eyes and saw the same desire that she felt burning within her.
"I like you, Andrea," he said. "A lot."
Andrea smiled. "I like you too, Javier."
They leaned in and kissed again, this time more passionately. Andrea felt like she was melting in his arms. She had never felt so happy and loved in her life.
When they finally pulled away, Javier looked at her with his deep brown eyes.
"I'm so glad I met you, Andrea," he said.
Andrea smiled. "Me too, Javier."
They stood there for a moment, just looking at each other. Andrea felt her heart overflowing with love. She knew that she had found someone special. Someone she could spend the rest of her life with.
Andrea's lips tingled from the memory of Javier's kiss. Her heart raced like a hummingbird's wings, and her cheeks flushed like a summer sunset.
"Oh, my gosh," she whispered. "I can't believe I just let him kiss me. And he didn't even ask me to be his girlfriend."
Andrea's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. She felt like she was on a roller coaster, her emotions soaring to new heights and then plummeting to the depths of despair.
On the one hand, she was thrilled that Javier had kissed her. It was the kiss of her dreams. On the other hand, she was worried that he had only kissed her because he was attracted to her physically. What if he didn't like her for who she was?
Andrea sighed. She knew that she was overthinking things, but she couldn't help it. She had never felt so strongly about anyone before.
She decided to sleep on it and see how she felt in the morning. Maybe then she would be able to think more clearly.
*****
Andrea's heart skipped a beat when she saw Javier across the schoolyard, standing with his mom. He waved and smiled, but Andrea pretended not to see him. She turned to her best friend, Sarah, who was giving her a curious look.
"Hey," Sarah said. "Javier said hi earlier. Why did you just walk away?"
Andrea's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I don't know," she stammered. "I guess I was just feeling shy."
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Shy? You're never shy. What's going on with you?"
Andrea hesitated. She didn't know if she was ready to tell Sarah about the kiss. She wasn't even sure what she was feeling herself.
"It's nothing," she said finally. "Really."
Sarah didn't look convinced, but she didn't press Andrea any further. "Okay," she said. "But if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you."
Andrea smiled. "Thanks, Sarah. I know."
She turned and walked away, her heart still pounding in her chest. She didn't know what the future held for her and Javier, but she knew one thing for sure: her life would never be the same again.
Andrea's fingers hovered over the text message app, but she hesitated. She wanted to tell Reiv about the kiss, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to share her secret. She felt like her heart was sitting in her throat, and her stomach was doing a backflip.
"Maybe I should keep this to myself for now," she whispered to herself. "I need to figure out my own feelings first."
Andrea's heart skipped a beat when she saw Javier standing in the doorway of the classroom. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the world around them seemed to fade away. But then Yuan called her name, and Andrea snapped back to reality.
"Hey, Andrea," Yuan said, flashing her a charming smile. "Wanna go get some milk tea?"
Andrea hesitated. She didn't want to go with Yuan, but she also didn't want to deal with Javier's jealous glare. She sighed and nodded.
"Sure," she said. "Why not?"
Andrea and Yuan walked out of the classroom together, leaving Javier behind. Andrea could feel Javier's eyes on her back, but she refused to look back. She focused on Yuan instead, chatting with him easily and trying to ignore the churning in her stomach.
Yuan talked a lot, which was actually a good thing in Andrea's case. It helped her to take her mind off of Javier for a while. She even managed to enjoy herself, a little bit.
But even as she laughed and talked with Yuan, Andrea couldn't help but wonder what Javier was thinking. Was he jealous? Angry? Hurt? She didn't know, and that's what scared her the most.