It was Grade 10, and St. Catherine's High School was like a battlefield always buzzing with new gossip—from the new teacher, to the latest social media trends, and of course, the campus crush who had almost every student smitten.
I'm Megan Alzie M. De la Sombra—at school, they still call me "Megs" or "Chatterbox Queen," even though I tell myself I'm only loud when talking about things I love, like biology and chemistry.
That afternoon, I was sitting on the floor of the covered court, holding a sketchbook filled with doodles of hearts, molecules, and names I mixed and matched when no one was looking. With me were my best friends Liza and Bea, who were staring at the court entrance like they'd just spotted a movie star.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! There he is—Roverth Corringan again!" Liza whispered, covering her mouth so the volleyball players nearby wouldn't hear.
I followed her gaze and saw him—dressed in a neat uniform, hair always tidy even after playing basketball earlier, and carrying a folder I knew was full of papers for the Student Council.
He was the valedictorian of our batch—always top of exams, president of the Science Club, and he never failed to represent the school in inter-school competitions. Every girl on campus had a crush on him—varsity players, honor students, even transfer students fell for him right away.
"He's so handsome, isn't he? Especially when he gave that speech on Foundation Day!" Bea said, smiling as she watched Roverth walk over to his group of friends.
"And he's so kind—he helped me with calculus when I couldn't understand the lesson!"
"I don't get you two! You're so cheesy!" I said, munching on a chocolate bar I'd bought from the canteen.
But deep down, I knew I noticed him too—especially when he'd lent me his umbrella when it suddenly rained while I was studying human anatomy outside the library. I just didn't want to admit it to my friends, afraid they'd tease me mercilessly.
"Come on, Megs! Admit it—you like him too! I saw you writing his name in your sketchbook!" Liza teased, snatching the sketchbook from me without warning.
"Hey! What's this? 'Megan + Roverth = Perfect Match'? Oh my gosh, Megs! You're such a flirt!" She yelled a little too loud, and suddenly the students sitting nearby went quiet.
Everyone looked at me—including Roverth, who was now staring at me with a faint smile on his lips.
"It's not true!" I yelled, snatching the sketchbook back and hiding it under my uniform. My face was turning as red as a strawberry.
"I mean it! I don't like him! He's so serious—all he thinks about is books and the Student Council, and he never goes to school parties or movie nights!" But as I said it, I was looking at him—and he suddenly turned to me and waved slightly.
It felt like I'd been doused with both cold and hot water at once—I was shocked, but a strange flutter of excitement filled my chest.
"Look at your face right now, Megs—you look like you want to run straight to him!" Bea teased again, and my friends laughed as I cursed silently at my own embarrassment.
After class, as I walked to the parking lot to wait for our driver, I suddenly felt someone tap my shoulder.
I turned around and saw Roverth, smiling at me. "Hey, Megan," he said, holding a piece of paper that looked like it had fallen from my sketchbook earlier. "You left this at the covered court. I saw your drawing of heart valves—they're amazing, like you're a professional artist."
I looked at it—it had my doodles and our names written together. "I-it's fine! Just don't tell anyone, okay? They'll think I'm obsessed with you!" I said, feeling nervous.
But he smiled wider. "It's okay. Maybe we could team up for the Science Fair? I hear you're good at biomedical projects—we could be partners for next month's competition." I was shocked by his words.
I'd never thought he'd notice me—even though I was always loud, sometimes tripped when I was nervous, and always forgot my things in class.
"S-sure!" I said, smiling even though I was still flustered. "But I might be loud when we work, okay? And sometimes I make mistakes when I'm too excited!"
He laughed softly, and I suddenly felt so happy. "That's okay," he said. "I can help you when you mess up. Besides, I want to learn new things—you might know stuff I've never heard of."
When I saw our car waiting outside the gate, I said goodbye to him. Before I got in, I heard Liza's voice from behind:
"Whoa, Megs! That was fast! From doodles to Science Fair partners!" she yelled, and I blushed again. But this time, I didn't feel embarrassed—maybe it was okay to have a friend like Roverth, even if it would be harder to hide how I felt.
When I got in the car, I saw my mom smiling at me from the passenger seat. "Why's your face so red, sweetheart?" she asked, as our driver pulled away from the school. "I saw you with that Corringan boy earlier."
I just smiled and rested my head against the window. "It's nothing, Mom—we're just partners for the Science Fair." It was true, but I knew I was leaving something out.
The whole ride home, I couldn't stop thinking about our project and Roverth's smile. I felt a burst of energy, like I wanted to start working right away just to see him again.
A few days passed, and it was our first meeting for the Science Fair. We'd agreed to meet at the school library after class—he said there were lots of books and references we could use.
When I arrived, I saw Roverth already sitting at a corner table, his desk covered with books about cardiovascular science and medical technology.
"Hey, sorry I'm late!" I said, breathless from running from my classroom to the library. "I left my notebook on my chair."
"It's fine," he said, smiling and pointing to a chair next to him. "Sit down. I found some books we can use—maybe we could make a project about portable heart monitors for people who can't afford to go to the hospital." I looked at the books he was holding, and my heart skipped a beat.
Heart monitors—that was exactly what I studied at home, especially since I wanted to be a cardiothoracic surgeon when I grew up.
"Wow! That's exactly what I wanted to do!" I said excitedly, grabbing one of the books and starting to read. "I even have a sketch of the design at home—I can show you tomorrow!"
As we studied, I realized he wasn't as serious as I'd thought. He told me stories about his mistakes when he first started learning science—experiments that went wrong, projects ruined by rushing.
"I'm not perfect, you know," he said, laughing. "Back in Grade 7, I tried a chemical reaction at home and almost set my grandma's kitchen on fire!"
I laughed as I looked at him. "You don't tell people that, do you? You'll ruin your 'perfect student' image!" I said, and we laughed together.
As the library was about to close, Liza and Bea walked in carrying milk tea. "Hey! You two are studying and talking loud in here?" Liza said, putting the drinks on the table.
"We bought you pearl milk tea so you don't get thirsty." Roverth smiled and thanked them.
"Thank you. We really need this—we've been studying for a while." As we drank, Bea suddenly said:
"Hey, Roverth! Did you know Megs always says she wants to be a doctor when she grows up? She says she really wants to help people with heart problems!" I blushed and gently hit Bea's arm.
"You don't have to tell him that!" I whispered, but I saw Roverth smiling at me.
"Really?" he said, looking into my eyes. "Oh, by the way—I have a book about the latest advancements in cardiac care. You can borrow it if you want." He handed me a thick book full of pictures and text.
"Thank you," I said, holding the book like it was a prize. "Maybe I can pay you back with adobo tomorrow for your help." He laughed loudly.
"Sure! As long as your adobo is good!"
When I got home, I put the book on my desk and opened it. As I flipped through the pages, I noticed a small note tucked inside:
"For Megan—hope you achieve your dream of helping people.
– Roverth"
My face felt warm again, and I smiled wide. As I looked at the note, I told myself—maybe I wasn't just falling for my campus crush, Roverth.
Maybe fate had already brought us together—not just for the Science Fair, but maybe for the future too.
A week had passed since we'd started meeting for the Science Fair, and everything was going well—until one day, I noticed something different about Roverth's behavior.
I walked in earlier than we'd agreed, carrying the sketch of the portable heart monitor I'd slaved over, using ideas we'd come up with. I saw him sitting at the table with a girl I didn't know—she looked like a transfer student, pretty, and she seemed more at ease with him than I was.
"Hey, Roverth! I'm here!" I said excitedly, but he didn't seem to hear me. He and the girl kept talking, and I saw him put our project folder down to show her the details.
"Hey! It's me, Megan! Your Science Fair partner!" I yelled, a little angry now. He turned to me, as if suddenly realizing I was there.
"Oh, Megan. You're late again," he said, turning his gaze back to the folder. "This is Clara—she's my classmate in Advanced Math. She's helping me with the project's calculations because I'm struggling with the formulas you mentioned the other day."
I felt my blood boil. "I'm not late! Maybe you came early and didn't tell me you'd get someone else to help!" I snapped, slamming my sketch down on the table a little too hard. "I worked so hard on this, Roverth! I stayed up nights to make this sketch, and now you're telling someone else about our project?"
"I didn't say you didn't work hard!" he shot back, standing up too, the conversation getting heated. "But we need to win the Science Fair, Megan! Our project has to be perfect, and I can't do those calculations alone! You always brush off the technical parts—you only think about sketches and ideas!"
"Brush off?!" I yelled, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "Do you know all those ideas came from books I read and stories from my grandpa, who was a doctor? You say I brush them off, but I'm the one who figured out how to make our project work!"
"If that's the case, why can't you explain how your design will work properly?!" he yelled back, and other students in the library started staring at us. "It's always 'I feel like' and 'maybe we can'—but the Science Fair needs evidence and correct data!"
"You don't like my idea? Then fine—let's not be partners anymore!" I yelled, snatching my sketch and folding it quickly. "You don't need me anyway! You're better off with someone else!"
I ran out of the library, and I heard him calling my name, but I didn't look back. As I ran to the covered court, tears streamed down my face. My heart felt broken—not just from the fight, but because it felt like he was saying I wasn't good enough for the project, or for him.
Liza and Bea found me sitting in a corner of the court, crying and holding my sketch. "Megs! What happened?" Bea asked, rushing over to comfort me.
"Roverth and I fought," I said, my voice shaky. "He said I brushed off the project—he even said he's better off with someone else!"
"I don't think that's what he meant," Liza said, patting my back. "Maybe he was just tired, or had problems at home."
But I couldn't believe it. To me, all the effort and care I'd put into the project felt worthless to him.
Hours passed, and the sky grew dark. I decided to go home, but before I could leave the school gate, I felt someone grab my arm.
I turned around and saw Roverth, sweaty like he'd been looking for me. "Megan, please—just listen," he said, his voice softening. "I didn't mean to say you brushed off the project. I was just panicking about the Science Fair—tomorrow's the deadline to submit the project outline."
"Why didn't you tell me that?" I said, wiping my tears. "Why did you have to ask someone else for help without telling me?"
"I was embarrassed," he said, hanging his head. "You're so good at ideas and designs—and I struggle with calculations. I didn't want you to think I wasn't good enough to be your partner." I stopped short. I'd never thought he felt that way.
"You don't have to be embarrassed around me, Roverth," I said calmly. "We're partners—we're supposed to help each other. If you're struggling with calculations, just tell me. We can study together, or ask our Math teacher for help."
He smiled slightly and took my hand. "I'm really sorry, Megan. I shouldn't have yelled at you. And for the record—your sketch is amazing. I even told Clara earlier that all the best ideas for the project are from you."
"Really?" I said, smiling now even though my voice was still hoarse. "Okay, let's make up tomorrow. Come to my house— I have a calculator we can use, and I'll make you that adobo."
"Deal, deal!" he said, laughing. "Just don't forget the adobo, okay? And tomorrow, maybe you can teach me the basics of heart anatomy—so I can understand our project even better."
When I got home, I opened my sketch again and started fixing it. As I worked, I thought—fights are what make relationships stronger, right? Maybe after all this, Roverth and I would be even closer than before.