Chapter Text
Daniela avoids Sophia like a plague, which is hard considering they’re now in the same circle of friends. She still tries her best though because the alternative is losing her mind every time Sophia is within arm’s length.
“What’s up?” Lara approaches Daniela who is pointedly in the farthest, corner side seat in the table they are sharing. They’re in the library, doing homework again, so Lara tries to keep her voice the quietest.
Daniela keeps writing, focused. “What?”
“Why are you avoiding Sophia? Did something happen between you two?”
Daniela doesn’t realize she’s that obvious. She looks at Lara now and denies the allegation. “Who says I’m avoiding her?”
Lara looks at her in amusement. “Daniela, it’s obvious.”
“I’m not avoiding her.”
“It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me,” Lara tells her. “But whatever it is, you better talk it out. Avoiding her won’t solve anything.”
Daniela should have listened to Lara’s advice but because she’s stubborn, she continues avoiding Sophia which only makes whatever she is feeling worse.
For once, she’s thankful they became closer with Megan and Yoonchae. She can just tune out to their conversations and leave all the talking to Megan, nod every once and then and repeat the following day.
She supposes it’s her fault when Sophia talks and smiles and laughs more with Megan than she does with her now. However, during one class, they’re supposed to have partners for one homework and Sophia chooses Megan. Then, she tells Yoonchae to be partners with Daniela instead, saying they can all still work on it together. Daniela feels like it’s the worst day of her life.
She quickly runs out of the room after class finishes, just ignoring everybody’s messages. She just wants to be alone. She doesn’t know how long she stays there at the clinic, feeling nauseous like she’s about to faint any second, but when rain begins pouring, she knows she has to go home already if she doesn’t want to spend the night at the clinic or gets sent to the hospital.
Daniela has no umbrella, no jacket and no one. It’s like she’s the main character of movie, except she has no leading man, or woman. Or that’s what she thinks.
“Hey,” Sophia greets her with a small smile. She’s sitting on the bench outside the clinic. “Are you feeling better?”
There are so many questions in Daniela’s mind but like always, she just stares blankly at the person she wants to see the least and the most at the same time.
“I didn’t want to bother your rest, so I told the nurse not to say I’m here and that I’ll just stay outside until you feel better,” Sophia explains, knowing the questions in Daniela’s mind. “I already assured the others you’re just resting in the clinic, too.”
That explains why her phone stopped blowing up two hours ago. Has Sophia been here since then?
Daniela suddenly feels like her chest is about to burst and she feels tears falling from her eyes because what do you mean she’s been avoiding Sophia and yet, here she is, worried that she’s actually sick and waited for her for two hours?
“Oh, no, no, don’t cry, Dani,” Sophia quickly comes to her and wraps her arms around Daniela.
Daniela misses that nickname, misses Sophia’s close proximity, misses Sophia’s smell, misses how much Sophia cares about her. She cries harder and willingly collapses on Sophia.
“It’s okay, Dani, I’m here,” Sophia hushes at her.
“I-I’m sorry,” Daniela cries, holding on to Sophia for dear life. “I’m so sorry.”
Later, after Daniela calms herself, she and Sophia sits down to talk.
“Why were you avoiding me?” Sophia asks, and although she tries to mask the hurt in her voice, Daniela still sees it in her eyes which she regrets because those are the most beautiful eyes she has ever seen and she has made them sad.
“I’m straight,” Daniela begins. “I’ve always been straight.”
“I know that and I respect that. I told you, I don’t have any —“
“Until I realized I’m not anymore.”
Sophia stares at Daniela, not sure if she’s following.
“And it scared me because I don’t know… how to do it.”
“How to like another girl?”
Daniela feels her face burning but swallows her embarrassment because she does not want to make Sophia sad again. She does not want anymore misunderstanding between them again. She nods.
Sophia’s face brightens up and Daniela is so happy she’s the reason of it again.
“Listen, there’s no one way to like another girl,” Sophia tells her. “You just like who you like, I guess. Everything else will follow.”
“How do you like a girl?” Daniela tentatively asks, looking at her hands instead of Sophia.
“You mean, how do I like you?”
Daniela shouldn’t have looked at Sophia that fast because when her eyes catches Sophia’s, there’s that unfamiliar but uncomfortable thumping on her chest again, like she’s about to palpitate, but now, she welcomes it because Sophia is smiling at her and looking like the prettiest human being. There’s no teasing in Sophia’s tone, just sincerity.
“Soph,” Daniela begins nervously.
“Hey, there’s no pressure. I didn’t say that because I need an answer,” Sophia quickly says. “But when you ask me how do I like a girl, I can’t answer that, because I haven’t liked any girl before you, Dani. Also,” she giggles, “I like it. Soph. Call me that more, okay?”
Daniela gives Sophia a small smile before nodding.
“Let’s get you back to your dorm,” Sophia says. She stands up and reaches her hand to Daniela, smiling.
Daniela’s pretty sure that her entire face is burning when she accepts Sophia’s hand and Sophia holds it the entire time until they’re in front of Manon, Lara and Daniela’s room.