Episode 13

The day seemed to pass in a blur. Classes felt like mere background noise as my thoughts remained fixated on last night’s exchange with Professor Sungit. Every time I tried to focus, her words played on a loop in my head: Take care, Cruz.

By the time my last class ended, my brain felt fried from overthinking. Jenna caught up with me as I was leaving the building, her usual playful grin already plastered on her face.

“You’ve been acting weird all day,” she said, walking alongside me. “What’s going on? Did something happen with her?”

I rolled my eyes, trying to play it cool. “Nothing happened, Jenna. You’re imagining things.”

“Right,” she drawled, giving me a knowing look. “Your face turns red every time someone says ‘Professor Sungit,’ but sure, let’s pretend nothing’s going on.”

“Can we not do this right now?” I groaned, shoving my hands into my pockets.

Jenna just smirked. “Fine, but you’re totally telling me everything later. I know something’s up.”

I didn’t bother responding. Instead, I changed the topic, asking her about her plans for the weekend. Luckily, she let it go—for now.

---

When I got home that evening, I threw my bag onto my bed and flopped down beside it. The quiet of my room felt both comforting and unnerving. My phone buzzed, breaking the silence. I grabbed it, my heart skipping a beat when I saw the notification.

A message. From her.

Professor Sungit: Ms. Cruz, could you come to my office tomorrow at 3 PM? I need to discuss something with you.

I stared at the message, my pulse quickening. What could she possibly want to discuss? Did I mess something up in class? Was this about last night’s messages? My mind raced with possibilities.

I quickly typed a response: Yes, ma’am. I’ll be there.

After hitting send, I set my phone down and took a deep breath. This was probably nothing serious, I told myself. She was just my professor, and this was probably about academics. But the way my heart was pounding said otherwise.

---

The next day, I arrived at her office five minutes early, trying not to look too eager—or too nervous. I knocked softly on the door, and her voice called out from inside.

“Come in.”

I pushed the door open and stepped inside. She was sitting at her desk, her expression as composed as ever. She looked up from her laptop, her piercing gaze meeting mine.

“Ms. Cruz,” she said, motioning for me to take a seat.

“Good afternoon, ma’am,” I greeted, sitting down across from her. My palms felt clammy, but I did my best to keep a straight face.

She leaned back in her chair, her fingers interlaced as she studied me. “I wanted to talk to you about your recent performance in class.”

My stomach dropped. Was this about my grades? Had I slipped up somewhere?

“Your participation has been commendable,” she continued, her tone even. “But I’ve noticed you seem... distracted lately. Is everything all right?”

Her question caught me off guard. I blinked, unsure of how to respond. “Uh, yes, ma’am. Everything’s fine.”

She raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. “Are you sure? If there’s anything affecting your studies, you should address it sooner rather than later.”

“I appreciate your concern, ma’am, but I promise I’m okay,” I said, trying to sound confident.

She nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving mine. “Good. Because I wouldn’t want to see one of my more promising students lose focus.”

There it was again—that subtle way she had of saying things that felt both professional and personal at the same time. It left me wondering if there was more meaning behind her words.

“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll make sure to stay on track,” I replied, hoping to end the conversation before my nerves got the better of me.

She seemed satisfied with my response and shifted her attention back to her laptop. “That’s all for now. You may go.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” I said, standing up. But as I reached the door, her voice stopped me.

“Cruz.”

I turned back to face her. “Yes, ma’am?”

Her expression softened just slightly. “Take care.”

Those two words hit me like a ton of bricks. I nodded, managing a small smile. “You too, ma’am.”

---

As I walked out of her office, my mind was racing once again. There was something about the way she said it—so simple, yet so deliberate. What was I supposed to do with that?

Back in my car, I sat for a moment, staring at the steering wheel. Jenna’s words from yesterday echoed in my mind: You’re so gone.

Maybe she was right. Maybe I was in way over my head. But a part of me didn’t care. Whatever this was, I couldn’t deny that it was starting to feel like something more.

---

The next day, it was Saturday, and I was heading to a gathering with my high school classmates. I honestly didn’t understand why they suddenly decided to have a reunion—wasn’t it way too early for this? I only found out because of the message in our group chat. That group was still pretty solid, and surprisingly, even our teacher was still active there. There was even a chance they’d show up at the reunion.

I left Jenna back at the dorm, telling her I’d be gone for the day. She didn’t seem to mind, probably happy to have the place to herself.

As I made my way to the venue, I couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic. It had been a while since I’d seen everyone. This should be interesting, I thought.

After driving for some time, I finally arrived at the venue. It was a fairly large restaurant in the city, spacious enough to accommodate our group. Walking in, I saw several familiar faces, including some of my high school classmates who were already seated at a large table.

“Hey, Cruz!” A voice called out, and I turned to see one of my classmates, Mark, waving me over.

“Mark!” I greeted, making my way toward the table. “Long time no see, man.”

He grinned, pulling me into a quick hug before gesturing to the rest of the group. “You haven’t changed a bit. Well, except maybe for that confident aura you’ve got going on now.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Not sure where you’re getting that from, but thanks, I guess?”

As I took my seat, I scanned the room. It was a mix of familiar faces and a few surprises. Some people had changed a lot, others barely at all. The vibe was warm, lively, and filled with nostalgic chatter about high school memories.

The food was already being served, and as we ate, the conversations flowed naturally. Stories about embarrassing moments in class, unforgettable teachers, and random group projects kept us all laughing.

At one point, Mark nudged me. “So, Cruz, any updates in your life? Love life? Career? Spill.”

I chuckled nervously, trying to think of what to say without sounding too boring. “Uh, well, I’m still in college. Second year. Just trying to survive, you know?”

“And love life?” someone else chimed in, smirking.

I hesitated, my mind flashing back to Professor Sungit. But there was no way I was bringing that up here. “Nope, nothing exciting on that front,” I said, shrugging it off.

Mark raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Really? No one? You sure you’re not hiding anything?”

“Positive,” I said quickly, hoping they’d drop it.

The conversation shifted to someone else, and I let out a small sigh of relief. As the night went on, the reunion became less about catching up and more about reliving the good old days. It was nice, being surrounded by people who’d known me before life got complicated.

---

By the time I got back to my dorm, it was already late. Jenna was lounging on the couch, a bowl of chips in her lap.

“How was it?” she asked without looking away from the TV.

“Pretty good,” I said, dropping my bag by the door. “Lots of catching up and reminiscing.”

She glanced at me, her expression curious. “You seem... distracted. What’s going on?”

I froze for a moment before shaking my head. “Nothing. Just tired.”

Jenna didn’t press, but the look on her face said she didn’t believe me. “Okay. But if it’s about her, you better tell me eventually.”

I ignored the comment and headed to my room, shutting the door behind me. As I lay on my bed, I pulled out my phone, scrolling aimlessly to distract myself. But it was no use. My thoughts kept drifting back to Professor Sungit.

:))

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