Caught By Love

"Veronica! You're really annoying! Give it to me!" Kimmy chased after me, almost in tears, but I just laughed.

"Catch me first!" I yelled back, still laughing. I heard her wail, probably tired from all the running. "How will you lose weight if all you do is sit and eat! You need cardio exercise, you idiot!"

I quickly dodged a guy I almost bumped into, then hopped onto the stair railing and jumped off. I paused for a moment to look back at my friend, then smirked when I saw her panting heavily.

"You're such a cheat! What chance do I have against your agility?" she wailed again.

I just rolled my eyes at her before running off again.

My run away from that girl led me to the school's quiet garden. I even grinned when I noticed the pechay I'd planted a few weeks ago was growing nicely.

I exhaled before looking up at the sky. When I looked back the way I came, I still couldn't see Kimmy. She's probably super slow. Tsk.

I smiled before walking towards the big tree, carrying that girl's bag. When I got close, I immediately threw it, and it was perfect because the strap caught on a small branch.

Ha! She'll surely cry blood again and crawl on her knees to me just to beg.

"Why are you doing that?"

I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at the voice of that guy. An unfamiliar student appeared before me, probably in college judging by his uniform style.

Definitely a rich kid. His complexion and appearance also showed he was well-off, unlike my male classmates who look grungy, especially after playing basketball on the school court. Behind him were seemingly his friends who also looked wealthy. They looked mestizo.

But I didn't care about them. I raised an eyebrow at the guy, then crossed my arms. "Doing what?"

"Why did you throw your friend's bag? You always do that," he said, making my forehead crease.

"Always do that? Why, do you always see me here?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, which made his companions laugh.

The guy immediately blushed for some reason I didn't know. He must be crazy. Tss.

When he didn't answer, my gaze wandered over him. I also didn't miss his name carved on his perfectly ironed uniform.

G. Marquez . . .

So tacky, just like him.

"His name is Gabriel, Miss Pretty," one of his companions informed me, but I ignored him.

I don't care about his name. What would I do with it? Have it hexed? And what "Miss Pretty"? They're trying to fool me!

"Veronica! Stay right there!"

We all stopped when we heard Kimmy's voice, frantic, probably thinking I'd run off again. I just laughed at her and turned away from the guys.

"Yes, I'm just here," I replied casually, putting my hands in my pockets.

When she approached me, she almost wanted to pull my hair out of frustration.

"Where's my bag, huh? You're really crazy! Give it back!" she yelled, fuming and stomping her foot.

"Find it first," I teased her. I wasn't satisfied until she cried and knelt before me.

"Just give it back!" She was so annoyed. She was about to cry.

I grinned again before pointing my lips at the branch where her bag was hanging. "Get it if you can." Then I burst out laughing.

I was about to leave, if I hadn't noticed the guy who spoke to me earlier stand up, then show off. He looked for a long stick to play the hero, which made my blood boil.

"Here, Miss," he said, handing Kimmy her bag.

I was left standing there, speechless, my forehead deeply furrowed as I glared at the guy. Who did he think he was?

"T-Thank you, mister," Kimberly said shyly, grabbing my wrist.

"Sorry, my friend is just naughty. She always messes with me."

The shameless guy smiled at me and ignored my glares. "You can join us for lunch. My treat."

His calm voice further intensified the annoyance in my system. His face, actions, and tone were too kind. And I couldn't understand why I was annoyed by that guy's whole being. Maybe it was because of what he did earlier.

My gaze only shifted from him when my friend, still smiling, elbowed me. "Hey, it's his treat, Maria. Grab the opportunity, we're both hungry!"

A grimace formed on my face. Was she really going to join those rich kids? What if they were just perverts disguised as angels!

"No, you go alone."

"What's wrong with you! It's your first time refusing a free lunch!"

"We don't even know them!" I said firmly, trying to drag her away.

Fortunately, I managed to pull her, even though she was double my size. She always looks like she's hungry.

"That's a waste, Maria! We could have eaten lunch! I'm already hungry," she whined as we walked home. "I don't have money either. Hu-hu!"

I faced her and glared. "Are you crazy? You're going with people you don't know? If you're suicidal, don't drag me into it!"

She pouted because of that. "It's just in the canteen, though. But in fairness, they're handsome, aren't they? Their last name is Marquez. Probably rich."

"Who cares. Tss." I scoffed at her and adjusted my grip on the strap of my light bag. It only contained a notebook, a ballpen, and some trash.

"We're graduating students, but your bag still contains that," she commented, noticing my bag.

I scoffed at her again and said nothing more.

When I got home, I immediately washed my pencil skirt and long-sleeve blouse, which was my uniform. My father wasn't home, so he was probably with his friends again.

"Hey, your clothes are getting moldy! You're so lazy to do laundry!" I irritatedly told Damien and Damian, who didn't even glance at me. They continued playing cards on the floor.

I scoffed at them before going outside to hang the uniform. That's what I always do because I only have one uniform, and it's even free from the school.

I'm not just stressed at school, but also here at home because of the lazy people I live with. It's even worse here because I do all the work. My father is always nowhere to be found, only coming home drunk at night. My two twin older brothers just laze around. Those pests. Argh.

I frowned as I arranged the uniform on the drying rack, muttering to myself. I'm annoyed at the state of our lives. It feels hopeless to get better. I don't even have allowance for school or food most of the time.

We are the only Alonzo-Montehermoso siblings who are poor. Meanwhile, everything comes easy for my cousins.

I shook my head before finishing what I was doing. I went back inside when I noticed my pregnant visitor, who just comes to eat here, demanding attention.

"Swswswsw!"

I placed down her food bowl, which she immediately approached.

She's lucky I saved some fish for her earlier. It looked like she swallowed a small watermelon because of her round belly. She's probably close to giving birth, which is why she often hangs out and rests here. She sleeps on the roof because it's quieter and breezy there, and there's also a tree for shade. When she sees I'm here, she'll make noise for food.

"Oh, Rosalinda. Where will you house your kittens when they come out? I barely have food for myself, and you're adding more. You're a burden on my conscience," I said to the cat, who just continued eating.

I don't know why, but she just started hanging out here last month. And then she never left.

The next day, I went to school even though my stomach was empty. No money, incomplete supplies, and not yet fully awake.

Kimberly's better off, at least she's always full, despite being poor. Me? I'm getting ulcers. Just kidding.

I rested my chin on my hand, watching the hallway. I was seated at the very back, beside the glass window, so I could see outside the classroom. I clearly saw Thylane in the other section, quietly listening to their class. She's my cousin.

Our teacher wasn't here yet, so I felt like I was in a zoo again. Almost all my classmates behaved like animals, sounded like animals, and looked like animals. I literally heard turkey gobbling, chicken clucking, and all sorts of animal noises in here. My classmates are really crazy.

Meanwhile, in Thylane's section, the students were quiet. She's my age and started school at the same time as me here. We're both in twelfth grade. We're not very close because she doesn't acknowledge other people, except her friends. I also don't try to approach her right now because I just feel even smaller about myself, even though we're cousins.

"Hey, your Mom, Maria!"

I suddenly sat up straight because of what I heard from Kimmy. My heart immediately pounded with anxiety and shock. I looked around, only to be slapped again by the reality that it would never happen.

Why do I even hope she'll come back into our lives? She abandoned us a long time ago because she didn't want us. I don't even know what she looks like in person. In pictures, yes. But once I became aware, she was no longer in our lives.

My body felt weak, and I rolled my eyes at Kimmy, who was laughing hard at my reaction. She got her revenge for what I did to her yesterday.

"Uy, she misses her Mom!" she teased, making me roll my eyes even harder.

"Do you want your lips to explode?"

At my words, she fell silent. I was in a bad mood until class ended. I only drank water for recess. With no money, my temper was flaring up again.

"Uy, let's buy fishballs outside. My treat," Kimmy called out to me as we were in the hallway.

I ignored her and just kept walking. As we exited the building, I automatically stopped.

Right at the entrance of the building were the college students we saw yesterday in the garden. Our dismissal time was the college students' lunch break, so they had time to ogle the senior high students coming out. That's what some of the male, flirty college students did. Our buildings were just close to each other.

I raised an eyebrow at the guy named Gabriel Marquez because he was literally blocking the way. When I realized they had no intention of moving, I adjusted myself.

But just as I was about to pass them, they started clearing their throats.

"Ahm, Veronica Montehermoso, right?"

I looked at Gabriel again, who was smiling at me. "Yes, why? What do you need?" I frowned at him because he was staring at me like an idiot. What was his problem?

He seemed to suddenly get shy with me and touched the back of his neck. He really looked like a nice guy who looked awkward, which irritated me.

"Ahm, can I invite you two for lunch? My treat, don't worry," he said, looking hesitant because of the annoyance plastered on my face.

I could feel Kimmy elbowing me from the side, which I ignored. I just intently watched the person I was talking to, then sighed impatiently.

"Come on, shorty. We're both hungry!" the devil beside me whispered emphatically.

"I don't wan-"

"She said yes! Maria hasn't had breakfast yet, so she's hungry. She's just shy-ack!"

I choked her with my arm and gripped her tightly. "You're crazy, huh!"

"Sorry, master!"

I immediately let her go and glared. She just laughed and laughed at my reaction.

"Come on. The canteen's just there anyway," Gabriel interjected, which made me turn to him again.

They high-fived before his companions went ahead to the canteen. I couldn't do anything when Kimmy, cackling with delight, pulled me along.

"Order anything you want," Gabriel said, smiling subtly at me.

I didn't know how to react when he even pulled out a chair for me. I just cleared my throat, especially seeing how his companions were looking at us mischievously.

I dropped my bag at my feet and sat up properly. There was a menu displayed at the front, so I picked from there.

I almost salivated seeing the different dishes. Shit.

"Just pork adobo for me," I said, which made Gabriel look at me.

"Alright," he said before noting everyone else's orders. He went to the counter and paid, so I found myself staring at his back.

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

That's what I saw on his ID lace.

When the guy returned, he was carrying a tray. His companions helped him. And when everything was complete, he faced me again.

He smiled at me before they started eating. So, even though I was a bit shy around them, I started eating too. My stomach had been rumbling for a while, so I finished my food quickly. They did too, and Kimmy was the last one. She eats like a stevedore. Even the extra rice probably wasn't enough for her. No wonder she'd accumulated so much on her body.

"Thanks for the treat, huh," I thanked the guy, who looked at me and touched the back of his neck.

He smiled shyly and cleared his throat. "You're welcome, ahm, Veronica." He cleared his throat again and pointed to his other companions who had the same last name as him. "My cousins. And these are my friends here." He pointed to the two beside him.

I offered a faint smile. "Veronica. And this is Kimberly, my neighbor," I introduced, and she immediately nodded.

He fell silent, and then managed to throw out a question that made both my friend and I stop.

"Uhm, if you don't mind, may I know why you weren't able to have breakfast earlier?"

Suddenly, shame washed over me. If I admitted it, would he not mock or judge me? My life status is far from theirs. Maybe like other well-off students here, they might also ridicule me.

So, to cover up, I looked at him with my head held high and forced a smile.

"Because my allowance ran out yesterday. My Mommy didn't give me any because I was too stubborn."

Kimmy suddenly kicked my foot, which made me look at her meaningfully. But her mouth really wouldn't stop.

"Veronica doesn't have a mother anymore! And she's the only one working in their family because her siblings and father are all lazy."

"Damn it, Kimberly!" I retorted, frowning at her. Why did she have to say that? Damn it!

"You're already working?" Gabriel asked, surprised, which made me look at him.

What's so surprising about that? So many young people are working these days.

"Yes, she's already working. A vendor at the market-"

I covered that shorty's mouth and angrily pulled her hair. It seems she wants to expose everything about my life to other people.

"It's fine. We don't have bad intentions," interjected one of Gabriel's cousins. "Gabriel just wants to get to know you..."

Why would that guy want to get to know someone like me?

I had already gone home, but that thought still bothered me. My stomach was full, so I just lay down all afternoon. There was nothing else to do anyway.

I swung my legs while lying on my back on the bed. I let my things be scattered on the floor, too lazy to tidy up. My father and brothers weren't home either, so the house was quiet.

"That Gabriel is weird, Rosalinda. He's handsome, but I don't know, he's not my type. But he's rich, huh," I said to the cat lying at my feet, licking her paws.

This one's amazing too, having the nerve to lie beside me.

"Oh! You should get adopted there so you'll have delicious food every day. He could give you a good life."

We only stopped when something thumped from outside the room, making me abruptly sit up.

"Boss gave a lot! Until next time!" It was my brother Damien's voice, followed by a burst of laughter.

I opened the door, leaned against its side, and watched the two lazy guys walking.

"Hey! Where did that money come from again?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, which made them turn to me.

Damien grinned at me and even flexed the thousands he was holding. "Given by our Japanese boss, Maria. If you want money too, we'll get you in there. You'll be a soldier on the island."

I immediately doubted that. Whenever my brothers offered a job, it was likely connected to illegal activities.

"No way! Just go to sleep, you're too noisy. I'm tired from studying!" I snapped before closing the door again.

Good thing I didn't hear any more noise from them.

The next day, I prepared for school. It was still the same routine. Cook, shower, and get dressed. When I finished, I left my brothers at home and went to Kimmy's house, which was also nearby.

I called her, and she quickly came out of her lair.

"Oh! I forgot to do our assignment!" she frantically said while flipping through her torn notebook.

Her handwriting looked like a chicken scratched it. It really looked like a non-human wrote it.

"Look at Papa, it's so early and he's already at Uncle Eman's place again," I annoyed commented as we passed by the house of Papa's friend, Uncle Eman. I don't know, it seems they have another get-together.

When we arrived at school, I ignored Kimmy because she was busy copying the assignment. I just sat with my arms crossed, watching the front.

Class hadn't even started when a group of college students passed by in the hallway. My classmates, hungry for handsome guys, eagerly followed them with their eyes. I wouldn't have paid attention if I hadn't heard a familiar name.

"That's Gabriel! First time he's been here!" one of my female classmates exclaimed, surprised and excited, which made me stop.

I turned to look at the wannabe actors outside, their eyes scanning our classroom. What were they even doing here?

My gaze met Gabriel's; he looked like he'd been staring at me for a while. He quickly looked away, walking off coolly.

"Hi, Veronica!" Gabriel's cousin greeted me, which surprised me.

I still greeted him back. I couldn't shake off my confusion as to why they were here. My classmates started whispering even more because of one of them greeting me.

"Do you know him, Maria?" my classmate asked.

Kimmy turned to her and chuckled, as if bragging. "Of course! Gabriel is her suitor!"

Even I gaped at what she said. What suitor?!

I pulled Kimmy's hair, which made her laugh even while wincing.

"What are you talking about, witch?!" I asked, annoyed, but she just laughed at me. This one's crazy!

"Huh! How could he court you, you're so poor?" another mean classmate chimed in.

"Honestly, girl. The Marquez family is respected here, and everyone their clan marries must also be someone in society. So, it's unlikely he'd go for Maria Poorita," another ugly girl, all lip-tinted, interjected.

I smirked and raised an eyebrow at them. "At least I'm beautiful. A beautiful poor person can get rich. But an ugly person stays ugly no matter what!" I retorted, making their noses flare.

They'd always teased me about being poor. It's because they're well-off. They can afford rebonds and facials. Just wait until I get rich.

When it was time to go home, I was whistling as I walked through the hallway. Beside me, Kimmy was on her phone.

"Gabriel has an uncle who's a police officer, girl. Oh my!"

"Oh? What am I supposed to do?" I asked bored. I tossed the pen I was holding in the air, then caught it.

"Idiot! It means don't mess with him, or you might get in trouble!"

I raised an eyebrow at her when we got out of the building and put my hands on my hips. "So what? My godfathers are all criminals! He's the one who shouldn't mess around here!" I snapped but immediately stopped when I noticed a group of college students right next to us.

I stood up straight, embarrassed. They probably heard what I said.

"Come join us for lunch," Gab invited, making me suddenly feel awkward.

He looked so clean with his new haircut. Still very fresh. What's his secret?

"Veronica says yes!"

I almost strangled Kimberly. She only escaped by running away.

Gabriel smiled and I was surprised when he put a hand on my back to guide me. I felt like an idiot following them. His companions behind us were whispering and chuckling.

Who are they laughing at?! Me?!

When we arrived at the canteen, the same thing happened. Gabriel was amazing because he treated Kimmy and me again. He didn't even complain even though Kimmy ordered two servings of rice and viands. I just settled for one order of Chicken Curry with rice and bottled water.

I'm sure that in the long run, Gabriel will also complain about always treating us. Isn't he worried about running out of allowance? His parents might scold him.

But if his allowance is ten thousand or more a month, wow, that's something!

"After you graduate, will you start working?" Kimmy chattered while eating.

Gabriel and his companions didn't seem to mind. They were smiling at us.

"Yep. Gab wants to work here as a veterinarian. But his grandparents want him to live and work abroad." That was Kian, one of Gab's cousins.

I glanced at Gabriel and caught him staring blankly at me. He cleared his throat and put the spoon that was hanging in the air into his mouth.

"How about you, Veronica? What kind of job do you want?"

"A dealer," I answered without hesitation. I smirked at them and acted like I was cocking an imaginary gun. "A dealer for my godfathers."

They seemed unsure whether to take me seriously or not. Gabriel's cousins gave a forced laugh, while he was staring blankly at me again. He looked dazed.

"A dealer? Of what?" Josiah, another one of Gabriel's cousins, chimed in.

"Secret!" I smirked even more.

I got hit on the head by Kimmy, which made my eyebrows meet.

"You lunatic! Don't you dare do that!" she said, earning a sneer from me. This idiot. Ugh!

"There's a movie showing tomorrow, uhm," Gabriel said, seemingly hesitant to continue. I looked at him, my forehead furrowed, waiting for him to speak. "I have three tickets. Join me if you and Kimberly are free, if you don't mind."

Kimmy and I looked at each other. She immediately agreed, so I just leaned back in my chair.

When I looked at Gabriel, he paused at my reaction.

"But I have work at the market tomorrow morning. I get home at four-thirty in the afternoon," I hesitated. I also wanted to go because I've never experienced going to the cinema.

But the guy seemed relieved by what I said. He smiled. "It's fine. It starts at six-thirty in the evening," he said. Really? Oh, then that's good! "Where exactly do you work at the market?" he added.

I gulped some water before answering him. "Near the vegetable section. The owner has pet cats that always sleep on the goods. That's my spot. If you see a lone enchantress there, that's me," I boasted, which made them laugh.

He slowly nodded. He and his cousins looked at each other before starting to cough.

"A-Ah, I see. I'll just pick you up..."

The next morning, I was already at the market. This was my sideline every weekend, selling vegetables and fruits. Sales were high. How could sales not be high when I'm the vendor? That's why Sir Chan, who is half-Chinese, favors me.

"Pretty face, good luck for business..."

That's what he told me then, which made me really feel my beauty here. But I felt that Mister Chan's words were true because when I was on duty, many men would buy. Even old men would stare at me.

"Hey, you look like someone!" a woman suddenly approached me, making me turn to her.

There were no customers around two-thirty in the afternoon, so I was really bored. Not many people shop during the hot afternoon. The market is only busy in the morning and around four o'clock until evening.

"You really look like someone I knew!" she insisted, making Kimmy, who had been hanging out here, stick close to me.

She always accompanies me because she also has nothing to do at home. I'm her only friend, anyway.

"Who is it, Ma'am?" my friend chimed in, hands on her hips.

The woman's eyes widened, as if she couldn't believe it. "Saniarah! Saniarah Alonzo!"

I froze at what she said. Then I got annoyed. "Look like who? She's ugly!" I snapped, making her face look disbelieving.

"You do look like her! Exactly like her! She must be your mother!"

"I don't look like anyone because I'm prettier than her!" I argued back, making another crazy person beside me clap.

"Yes! Slay, queen!"

The woman left after a few moments. But she still insisted that I looked like someone she knew. Psh.

"They always say you look like someone, right? Do you have the same personality? Maybe you inherited your personality from your mother!"

I almost punched Kimmy. I just glared at her before doing a hair flip.

"I resemble my father, so don't say I inherited my beauty from someone else."

I really hate it when my mother, who did nothing right except give birth to one of the most beautiful woman in the world-and that's me-gets dragged into the conversation.

She came closer to me and became serious. "Seriously, Veronica girl. You don't look like Uncle Dante. Maybe only twenty-five percent. You look more like your mother-"

"Ninja is really annoying!" I changed the topic and turned to the black cat running around to play.

But we both fell silent when a mestizo man appeared in front of us. He looked around as if searching for something, before his gaze landed on me.

I immediately froze.

"G-Gabriel..."

He smiled, his eyes seemingly sparkling. He approached us, his gaze fixed on me. He was simply dressed in a white t-shirt and sweatpants. He was only wearing slippers, but his charisma was strong. All the gossiping vendors here were looking at him.

"Good afternoon," he greeted.

What was he doing here? Why was there gold wandering around? Why? Sheesh!

I swallowed hard. "O-Oh! Ha-ha! It's you, handsome. Buy some fruit, it boosts your immune system!" I offered, but it seemed I was the one who needed fruit because I felt weak around him.

"And who's feeling handsome here? I'm the only king of handsome here," Bogart suddenly interrupted, just appearing out of nowhere.

I got annoyed because this attention-seeker, who smelled like a dog, was here again.

I sneered before continuing to apply my nail polish, which had been interrupted earlier.

I didn't want to pay him any mind, but he leaned in front of me and tried to be cute. Ugh!

"I will buy, Miss Beautiful!"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Buy later when my nail polish is dry!" I said, annoyed. I knew he wouldn't really buy anything. He just passes by to be cute.

He laughed before fixing his yellow-dyed hair. He let it down to supposedly look like a Korean actor. I don't know which Korean actor he admires, but he always talks about how he supposedly resembles a Korean artist.

"You don't need to put that on because you're already beautiful, Maria. But it would be even more beautiful if you were in my arms. Boom!"

Kimmy was laughing hard beside me. Even though I was annoyed by Bogart's presence, all I could do was sneer. Corny.

"Handsome, have a seat!" Kimberly offered to Gab, who had been staring blankly at us and seemed uncomfortable with Bogart's presence.

He accepted the chair Kimmy offered and thanked her.

"Wait! I'm handsome too, but why don't I get a chair?!" the other one whined, which finally snapped my patience.

"Just leave, Bogart! You're causing trouble again!"

"Why?! Who's this annoying person, and why does he seem to like you? Didn't I tell you I'd wait for you?!"

"Will you leave, or will I throw Ninja at you?" I threatened, which made him immediately back off.

He's afraid of Ninja because the cat scratches people it doesn't like. And it absolutely dislikes Bogart.

"I'll be back here, Maria. But I'll make sure I'm even more handsome when I return!" he said, and I just shook my head.

He's really crazy.

Good thing he left quickly. That idiot's face was stressing me out.