You... Cashmere almost blurted out but then she was able to stop herself this time. “Ah, nothing, Grey… Just Irani and her crush.” She smiled at him instead. “Come on, eat more," she encouraged. "I thought one is not enough for you?"
His smile returned. "Yeah. I'll have some more, Cashmere. I'm sorry but I just couldn't resist these cupcakes." He picked another cupcake before his eyes went to her.
Cashmere chuckled. "I told you, they're yours."
She smiled while looking at him. For a whole year, her feelings for him remained a secret. She suddenly wondered what if she'd follow Irani? What if she'd tell Grey that she likes him? She wondered what would happen.
Cashmere knew it was hard to assume and to hope, but there was also nothing wrong with that, right? Irani's words couldn't stop playing in her ears. There's nothing wrong if she tried to confess her feelings to Grey…
With that, Cashmere decided on something.
“Grey...”
"Yeah?"
She took a deep breath and collected all the courage she had in her.
“I actually have something to tell you…"
Are you sure about this, Cashmere?
Darn. I'm already here. It's now or never.
“What is it?”
Grey stopped eating and looked at her. Their eyes met. Cashmere's heart started to pound hard against her chest.
She tried to smile at her despite what she'd been feeling.
"Uhm…"
"Come on, what is it, Cash?"
Cash could feel her hands getting clammy. She felt like she was transported into a marathon. Her heart was breathing wildly. Her hands were clammy. Sweat was starting to form on her temple. She felt like any minute now, she would hyperventilate and fall down on the ground, unconscious.
“Cash… Are you okay?” Now Grey was looking at her with concern.
“Grey… uhm…”
I like you! No. I really like you. I've been feeling this way for you for a year now.
"Uh… I… I noticed you have icing on your cheek."
Ugh, Cashmere. What a loser.
“GO, MENDOZA! I heart you, Drei. You can do it!”
Cashmere was forced to shut her eyes as her best friend Irani continued to damage her eardrums.
Irani was shouting as if it was the end of the world already.
The two of them were at the packed gymnasium that afternoon. They were watching a basketball game of their college basketball team where Irani's crush is a member.
Her best friend was crushing on Andrei Martínez, and that was the reason she was shouting like a maniac beside Cashmere right now.
"Shoot the call, Drei!" Irani shouted when Andrei went on the free throw line. When he made the shot, Irani even squealed beside her.
"I don't think I want to sit beside you next time, Irani," Cashmere muttered beside her best friend when Irani made another loud squeal.
Her best friend just laughed as her focus went back on the game.
"Yes!" Irani jumped in delight when the buzzer rang, signaling the end of the game. Their basketball team won. Cashmere's cousin Red was hailed as the best player.
"You're still the best player for me, Drei," Irani shouted.
Cashmere noticed that Red turned in their direction. His eyebrows were raised as he looked at Irani beside her.
"I think Red heard you, Irani," she said to her best friend. "Now, I think he looks offended."
Irani rolled her eyes. “I don't care about that cousin of yours, Cashmere."
Cashmere just pursed her lips as her eyes went back to Red who was already heading to the dugout.
"Come on, Cash. Let's go." Irani said, pulling her out of the gym. "Let's have drinks outside. God, I feel so thirsty after the game."
Cashmere chuckled. "Well, that's what you get for cheering that loud."
Since they no longer have classes for the rest of the afternoon, they decided to go to Hearts Cafe, one of the famous coffee shops just outside the university.
Most of the cafe's customers were students from their campus. It was a favorite hangout place for young people like them. Aside from the affordable drinks, the interior of the place was IG worthy.
"The usual?" Irani asked her as they settled on the table. It was Irani's turn to order since Cashmere was the one who fell in line the other day.
"Yeah." Cashmere's usual order was a strawberry frappuccino.
"So, any update with you and Grey?" Irani asked as he came back with their drinks.
Irani ordered iced matcha for herself.
"Did you finally confess to him?" she asked, raising her brows in curiosity as she put a straw on her drink.
Cashmere bit the straw of her drink before shaking her head. "I couldn't do it, Irani." She sighed. "I tried it yesterday… but I ended up chickening out."
Cashmere told her best friend the events of the other day.
"I felt like my heart would burst out, Irani. I seriously thought I would pass out in front of him."
Irani pursed her lips. “Cash… aren't you wondering why you're feeling that way in front of Grey? I think… you're already in love with him!"
Cashmere's eyes widened as she shook her head. "In love? I couldn't possibly be in love with him. I'm just infatuated, Irani."
"Okay. But what if one day, you just realized that you're in love with him already? Remember, Cash. Every love started as an infatuation. Every simple crush can turn into a complicated love.”
Cashmere stilled with Irani's words. What if her infatuation for Grey would blossom into love? What would she do by then?
Her heart pounded inside her chest.
“What about you, Irani...” she said. “What if you realized you're already in love with Andrei Mendoza? What would you do?”
Irani shrugged as she sipped on her drink. “I'll confess to him. He made me fall in love with him. So I'll make him fall in love with me, too. That's only fair, right? I won't let myself end up with a broken heart!”
Irani was a transparent and expressive person. She didn't know how to hide her feelings from other people. If she's angry at someone, she would show it to that person. The same thing if she was sad or happy, it would easily reflect on her best friend's face. Aside from that, Irani is brave. She was a risk-taker and opportunity-grabber.
If she wanted something, she would do anything to be able to get that thing.
And Cashmere was the opposite of her best friend.