4- "Different."

"Camila?"

I glanced at the person who called my name while I was walking alone in the corridor one morning.

It's been a week since I went back to schooling, and so far I could say I gradually adjusted somehow…

The middle-aged woman with graded eyeglasses was smiling at me and seemed to be following behind me all the while.

She appeared somewhat familiar.

In order for me to recall her clearly, I stared at her longer.

She was smiling as she cut our distance.

"Camila? It's really you! I thought it was only a rumor when I heard you're back in the university."

As she was near me, with her smiling, genuine face and almost motherly eyes, I ultimately recognized her.

"Mrs. Alcantara?"

She nodded. "Yes. I'm glad you still remember me, my dear!"

I was so happy to see her again. "Mrs. Alcantara!"

She hugged me, and I hugged her, too.

Mrs. Helena Alcantara was once a professor of mine and Noah's in one of our subjects years back. And we were both close to her. She was almost like a mother to both Noah and me.

"Couldn't believe I'd still see you here up to this date, Mrs. Alcantara. Thought you resigned already and applied to another university," I said after our hug.

It was true. I never thought that I would see the same faces today as the faces I used to see five years ago before I stopped going to school. My batchmates and other students in our time had already graduated, and the teachers resigned to explore other working fields and schools.

"Well, three years ago, hija, I resigned and worked at a senior high academy, but it only took me a year to teach there because I really felt my heart and my calling belonged to this institution, so I decided to go back."

We continued walking.

"I'm happy to see you again here, Mrs. Alcantara. I didn't expect it because I thought all the familiar faces had already left and resigned, but here you are, and we met again."

"Same to me, hija. After five years, it makes me happy to see one of my former students, and it's wonderful to hear that you're back to learning and carrying on with what you've been doing here after Noah left the world. She was careful and sensitive as she mentioned my late fiancé.

She was one of the witnesses to see how I loved Noah and how we cherished each other.

"Speaking of Noah, you've finally moved on from him? I knew it was never easy for you, and you've been mourning all these years, Camila."

I smiled bitterly. "I could never move on, Mrs. Alcantara, you know that. It's so hard to move on from the only man I got to love this deeply."

She sighed sadly, sympathizing with me.

"But I choose to rebuild my life now and fix myself from being broken pieces all through these years, Mrs. Alcantara. I realize I have to go on and continue fighting to live because Noah wouldn't like it if I continued to be miserable and mourn his death. If he's here, he would surely like to see me continue and be happy."

"Yeah, he probably would," she agreed.

I stopped walking and looked at her for a while.

She realized I had stopped, so she stopped, too, and she was puzzled by the way I was staring at her.

"Is there something, Camila?"

"Mrs. Alcantara, speaking of my late fiancé, I guess you have already seen and met, or he even became one of your students in a subject, the man that looks like Noah…"

The middle-aged lady smiled as she figured out my whole point. "You are definitely talking about Trey Gregori, aren't you?"

"Yes, Mrs. Alcantara. He was who I meant because he really looks a lot like Noah."

"You know what? The first time I saw Trey, I also had the same shocked reaction as you surely had when you saw him. You're right. Noah and Trey are truly looking alike. But as time passed by and I got to know more about Trey Gregori, I could say he's not Noah, Camila. They are different guys. They may look alike, but they have different personalities. Noah was always the gentle type while Trey Gregori is a bit rough and brutal though he's actually nice, too, just when you got to know him more…"

I sighed and later nodded. She was absolutely right. Trey's not Noah, and my late fiancé would never be him.

"By the way, you met him already? How did the two of you meet?" she asked.

"Uhm, we're classmates in Biology, Mrs. Alcantara."

"Oh, what a small playful world!" She softly held my hand and gave me meaningful advice, "Noah's been long gone, Camila. I hope you see Trey as Trey and not as your late fiancé."

I nodded, seriously getting her point. "I know, Mrs. Alcantara. Don't worry. I know that Noah will never come back to life, and this particular classmate of mine that looks like him isn't him at all. Trey is different. Noah will always be unique for who he used to be."

She smiled and tapped my shoulder. "Now, that's better."

After we separated as she proceeded to the Faculty office, I directed to my class.

The moment I entered the classroom, I felt that a cold liquid was spilled on my t-shirt.

"Oops! Sorry, not sorry!"

My eyes, from my white shirt with now a stain of orange juice in it, turned to the girl who owned the unapologetic voice.

It was that same woman who blocked my way on the first day of school and threatened me because I mistook Trey for Noah.

Beside her was her friend, that was also with her at that time.

The cruel lady who seemed to be fond of wearing crop tops and with shoulder-length hair and bangs laughed insultingly to mock me more.

I could tell from her tone that she actually intentionally spilled the juice on me.

"Next time, I suggest you observe your way so you won't have to be in trouble," she added.

The other mean lady was also laughing to add insult to injury.

They only gave me a challenging and provoking look as they walked past me, and then they already sat on their chairs as if they hadn't done anything. Maybe, they were even rejoicing deep inside and thinking that they had won against me and that they had successfully bullied me.

I, without any word, went out and walked to the restroom to wash my cloth and remove the stain. When it was no longer there, I crumpled the part that was wet to dry it fast.

I was still holding my wet t-shirt as I walked outside to get back into the classroom, but I didn't expect who I would bump into this time!

"T-Trey!" My voice trembled a bit, but I chose to manage it.

From my face, his eyes went down to my t-shirt.

His forehead furrowed, and his aura was mad and serious.

"What happened to your t-shirt?"

Instead of responding, I couldn't help but stare at him. Why did he ask?

Does he even care? Is he concerned about me? But why? Or maybe, I'm just assuming things…

I shook my head without emotion. "Nothing. None of your business." And I walked past him.