The Playboy has Fallen

“Nico, are you done with my assignment?” Ara asked as soon as she got near the group.

Nico and her friends were at a place they called “Shade.” It was the tallest mango tree on campus, with stone benches under its shade.

It is their group’s favorite spot. Nicolette Ravales’ favorite spot, to be exact, and it was because the Waiata band hung out there too.

“Now, here’s the greatest bimbo!” Jamela Ilustre or Jam, Nico’s closest girl and childhood friend, sneered.

Ara raised a brow at her, “Do you have a problem with me, Jam?”

“Yes,” Jam snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re the huge problem! Can’t you do your schoolwork?”

Nico looked at Fritz. She wanted to ask him to stop them, but he won’t even look at her. He was just there, smiling while watching like he was in the comfort of his own home.

“Get off the case, Jam! It’s not like you’re the one doing the work. Besides, Nico isn’t even complaining!” Ara refuted.

Jam sighed, “As if you didn’t know. Nico’s too nice to complain, so don’t get your hopes up. Now here, I’m the one complaining in her place!”

Nico finally stood up to stop them from arguing. But she was startled when Ara yelled at her. “You, Nico! If you don’t want to do it, just say so! Your friend’s reacting like this because she thinks we’re treating you like a slave when you know that wasn’t the case! Well, even if you look like one…” she trailed, then Ara snatched the notebook from Nico.

“Yeah, right. Coming from you, Ara!” Mark Ruel Delgado or Maru, Nico’s pink friend, called out as the woman and her minions walked away.

When everything calmed down, Nico turned to her friends. “Do I look like a slave?” she asked innocently.

“Just a bit,” Maru responded. “Let’s go!” he added when Jam glared at him.

“Nico, don’t tell me your brain’s started to get fried too?” Jam snapped. “There’s no reason for you to believe them. You know Ara and her friends, they can only insult people. They’re only good at that.”

Fritz then placed his arms over Jam and Nico’s shoulders. “Let’s go eat!”

As they walked to the cafeteria, Jam couldn’t help but get annoyed at the students waving at Nico. She referred to them as her fans.

These students are the ones who often ask Nico to do things for them, homework, and projects. And if they could, they would have invited her to attend their classes in their place.

The group sat at the table near the food counter when they reached the cafeteria. As usual, Fritz took charge of getting their food.

While waiting, Jam looked at Nico and smiled, “Here comes your crush!” she whispered and pointed right behind Nico with her lips.

Nico slowly turned her head and saw Kippler. Her ultimate crush and the leader of the band, Waiata. They are the most popular band at Saint Mary’s University.

As a teenager, Nico has tons of crushes, but she never makes a move for them to notice her. She never showed any motives, and she would never give any hints.

Jam often said she was abnormal for being content by looking at them. True enough, her list of crushes just got longer and longer, but that was it, that was all.

She has no intentions of having a boyfriend, at least not now. She was a little wary of boys because she didn’t want to meet someone like her father.

Nico came from a broken family. Her parents were still young when they met each other. According to her mother – Priscilla, her father – Nicolas, was the school heartthrob back then.

They became closer after an organization's team-building event. Priscilla felt it was fate. Unfortunately, it was just a feeling.

After Nicolas showed sweetness to her, she immediately assumed they were already a couple. And so, when the temperature rose, she gave in.

It was too late when Priscilla found out the man she gave herself to had a girlfriend from another school. Too late. She was already pregnant.

Nico’s father knew he had gotten her mom pregnant but didn’t take responsibility. Instead, he chose to leave for the States.

Even now, Nico hasn’t heard anything about him. They don’t even know if he's still alive. And because of all that, Nico doesn’t want the same thing to happen to her.

That was why she didn’t want to be close to any guy. Let alone get into a relationship with them.

She was already content with the one-and-a-half men she had in her life, Fritz and Maru. She feels like if she meets someone sweet and caring, Nico will fall for him, and she can’t let that happen.

And so she could only look at Kippler for a couple more seconds before facing her friends again. She was smiling like an idiot until Maru flicked her forehead.

“You’re happy to just drool over him, no? Retarded!” Maru commented, and both Nico and Jam laughed.

When Fritz came back, they started eating right away. While doing so, and even after, they talked about academic stuff until the school bell rang.

The group hurried out of the cafeteria. Because of that, Nico bumped into someone, and her things scattered on the floor. Before she could pick them up, someone else already did.

"Here," said the guy who helped her as he gave her stuff back.

Nico looked at him and saw a pair of hypnotizing hazel eyes. She was in a trance until Maru nudged her.

"T-Thanks!" She replied as she took her stuff.

There was nothing unusual. No fast heartbeats. No butterflies in the stomach. It was the man’s beautiful hazel eyes that mesmerized her.

"You're welcome," he smiled, and her heart melted.

But, of course, it was just a joke!

Nico finds him handsome, but that is all. She may or may not add him to her list. But she had to find out what his name was first.

After that encounter, Nico and her friends headed to their class. Since it was Math, only the four of them were listening attentively.

Her focus, however, was interrupted when her phone vibrated. ‘Hi, Nico! Can I get the assignment I asked for from you? I forgot to get it during the break.”

When she took her eyes off her phone, she saw Jam glaring at her before rolling her eyes. She probably read the message, so she just smiled at her friend.

Nico excused herself from their teacher and headed out. Looking around, she found the guy who had texted him, hanging out with his friends by the stairs.

Juan Carlos Castro, JC for short.

He is one of the school's varsities and a handsome lad too. But even a turtle won’t win over him when it comes to his slowness. No one even knows how he managed to pass every year.

Nico walked up to him and returned his notebook. He accepted it with a broad, idiotic smile on his face. “Thanks, Nico!”

She nodded at him and turned to leave, but someone else spoke. “Is he your girlfriend?” the guy with the same hazel eyes asked.

“No,” JC quickly answered. Nico was about to continue walking when he called her back. “Nico, this is Tres, by the way.”

The guy beside him extended his hand, “Vincent David Hizon III, but you can call me Tres.”

She reached out to return his handshake, “Nico,” she briefly replied before excusing herself and heading back to their classroom.

Tres felt dejected after that brief introduction. It may be a bit over the top, but he was really shocked.

He tried to be charming and made it obvious, from when he picked up Nico’s school stuff when she dropped them. It was up until JC introduced him to her.

He was literally trying to make an impression. But Nico didn't even pay her any special attention.

Tres was a transferee at SMU. Fortunately, he didn’t have difficulty fitting in, especially when he tried out for the basketball varsity team. He even became close with the junior team captain.

‘It’s because we’re both good-looking. That’s undeniable based on the number of girls that flirted with me, with us.’

‘I’m not just being too honest, I’m stating facts, and I know I have this effect on girls.’

‘I can easily sweep them off their feet just by passing them. I can make them blush just by staring at them. And they can’t stop squealing when I smile at them.’