Chapter 3 - She’s missing in action.

“Can I have at least a week to settle my dues?” Andie told the registrar.

“I’m sorry Andie, if only I’m the owner of this center, I won’t hesitate to give you more time to pay for your dues, but it’s the center’s policy: no pay, no classes, no exam and we don’t encourage promissory note also, but as soon as you pay for it, you surely can attend classes immediately.

“Okay, thanks.” Andie went out with an obvious saddened gesture. It was a very depressing Friday afternoon for her.

Same time as Josh seen her outside the building, Andie recovered her composure as if nothing happens.

She changed her mood immediately as she sees Josh approaching.

“Hi, how’s your review?” he asked. “Not so fine, I need to finish reading heaps of chapters from the book that I couldn’t understand much,” she said while grinning.

“Okay, I bet you like to have some ice cream?” he asked while starting to laugh. “Bet I do, I want to ease my hot head,” she said.

They then sat by the cafeteria while Josh ordered two huge cups of choco banana split flavor ice cream. Her eyes widened when she saw the lady coming with two huge cups of ice cream. Josh smiled.

“Consume it all, okay? I don’t want you to spill even some drops of it,” he commanded her.

“Nah, I couldn’t eat it all, I could’ve brain freeze after this,” she said while laughing.

That’s the first time he saw Andie laughed carelessly so he studied her face further and could see how her evenly outlined white set of teeth add up to her pretty smile.

Seems like things are getting right as planned by Josh. He knows by his perseverance, he could win Andie’s heart in the long run.

“Know the routine? I’m going home now, thanks for the ice cream, next time I’ll treat you with two cups of it,” she said while grinning.

Andie already signaled an FX just before Josh could come near her, but she already hopped in the front passenger seat. She just waved goodbye to him. Josh just shook his head and couldn’t believe how silly she gets sometimes, but he surely likes it whenever she does her funny tricks.


“Where is that Andie?” he whispered while getting worried.

It’s already 1 p.m. when she hasn’t gone out of the building yet, that Monday afternoon.

“What’s taking her so long, she’s so late?” he said.

He stared at the people coming out of the building but he couldn’t see her. He waited until 5 p.m. thinking that maybe they had extended activities for that day. When his patience run out, he drove off.

The following day, he parked in front of the center 30 minutes before noon, a little early for her time out. He waited longer and saw some of her classmates out but he didn’t see her.

“What’s wrong with this lady? Where could she be?” he’s irritated.

He still waited for 3 more hours but then drove off after he felt tired of looking at people around, hoping to find her.

The following day, she didn’t show up again. He doesn’t know what to think. He’s even paranoid that maybe there’s something bad happened to her, or maybe she doesn’t want to see him anymore that she changed her routines, changed schedules or does not walk through that exit anymore to hide from him. He felt so confused why she’s doing that to him, but he’s not aware of what really happened to her.

For the last time, he still parked the following afternoon. He waited for her all afternoon but he didn’t see her.

“Now, you’re really getting me mad, Andie!” he’s furious.

He then got out of his truck and walked inside the center. When the guard wouldn’t let him in, he told him that he’s going to inquire for the next review. He went straight to the registrar’s office. He asked about Andie but they just told him she didn’t attend her classes. He’s confused why she’s not attending her classes when she’s so eager to pass her board exam. He just walked off and went home. He opened Andie’s notebook to read some lines from there. He believes in every line that is written on the notebook to be true about Andie’s personality. She came so deep in his senses whenever he reads part of the stories from that notebook. He’s just disappointed why he can’t be with Andie whenever he wants to. He now thinks that he didn’t really impress Andie much, more so, because of his attitude when they first see each other.

“Tsk tsk, this is not good,” he just said.


“Somebody’s knocking on the gate,” Andie’s dad said to his wife.

“Just knock so hard, maybe they didn’t hear you.” Andie’s neighbor told the guy who’s knocking.

“Yes, can I help you?” Andie’s mom said to the guy. “Is this where Andrea Dancel lives?” he said. “Yes, I’m her mom.” The lady said.

“I’m Josh, Andie’s friend. I was wondering why I didn’t see her at the center?” he asked while brushing his fingers on his hair.

“Oh, come in, come in, have a sit first,” she told Josh.

“Andie is sick and she hasn’t gone to her class since Monday, because we weren’t able to pay for her dues at the center yet.” Her mom said straightforwardly.

“Oh, that’s why I haven’t seen her, why didn’t she tell me about it?” he asked.

“I don’t know, she’s shy when it comes to that matter, she doesn’t want her friends to worry about her because of that,” she added.

Andie’s mom went down the kitchen first to check any refreshment she can get for the visitor. Josh looked around the whole house and sees that it’s five times smaller than their house. He wonders how they are able to breathe in that small house, but then he’s amazed that it is neat and cute.

Andie’s mom invited Josh to go down the kitchen. He sat on the chair and looked around. The kitchen is cute also. Her mom introduced Josh to her dad. He’s able to speak to Andie’s dad about stuffs big guys do like “sabong.”

“Andie, your friend came to visit you, can you go down a second?” Her mom told her while walking inside her bedroom.

“My friend?” she asked in confusion.

“Let’s go down so you can meet him,” her mom said.

“Him?” “Oh God, please, don’t tell me, it’s….arrrghh, he’s really getting into my nerves,” she said, but suddenly she felt so touched and yet to find out.

She immediately fixed herself, put on some powder to cover her oily face, brushed her hair, and rub some alcohol so he won’t smell the scent of the liniment oil rubbed on her. She brought with her a roll of tissue to cover her nose when she sneezes.

“Mom, mom.” Her eyes widened when she sees Josh at the kitchen talking to her niece, Katie.

“Tita, you have a visitor, Tito Josh,” her niece told her when she sees her. “My tita is sick, I look after her so she’ll get well soon,” she told the two.

Josh just brushed Katie’s head giving her the gesture of a job well done.

“Hi tita, how’d you feel?” he teased.

“What are you doing here and how’d you know about my place?” she asked.

“I’ve been waiting for you at the center for almost a week but you didn’t show up, I was worried about you, I didn’t know that you’re sick then your mom told me that you’ve been out of your class since you weren’t able to pay for your dues, why didn’t you tell me so?” he said with a concerned look on his face.

“And why should I tell you so?” she told him.

“And why not, I thought we’re friends?” “And friends tell each other’s problems, he said teasingly to change her mood when he’s sure that she’s going to burst out in anger again.

“So you’ve seen everything around here, maybe you should go home now, you don’t fit this place,” she’s in a low tone but still embarrassed.

“Why are you being so hard on me and on yourself?” he whispered on her, afraid that Andie’s parents might think that they are arguing.

“Oh please don’t pretend that you like to come here often. You’ve seen me all right, so you can go now.” She added.

“It’s not fair, I came all the way here to see you then you’re telling me to go now? It’s not easy to locate your place, don’t you know that? And all those rough roads that I’ve passed through. That’s not really fair, plus mom invited me for lunch so I won’t trade a free meal here for anything,” he said.

It gave Andie a good laugh after hearing what he said. “I really can’t believe you sometimes, but you’re funny. Well okay, you can stay for lunch but after that, you have to go. I don’t want my parents to ask a lot of questions, understood?” she commanded.

“Yes ma’am!” he said while doing a hand salute.

“Let’s eat!” her mom said when the table is all set.

Josh and Andie sit beside each other, mom in front, and dad in the center. Her mom led the prayer before they start to eat. It surprised Josh that they say grace before meals and he is not used to it actually. Andie stares at him secretly while he acts to bow his head as if saying his prayers too. Andie just covered her mouth before she’d burst into laughter after seeing his gestures.

Her elder sister, Angela, came when they’re about to start to eat. Her mom introduced her sister to Josh. They all eat a good lunch, which Andie didn’t realize that Josh misses the most. He commented that that is like the first time he felt so full again. He said that he wasn’t able to eat home-cooked meals because of his schedules, as he dines out with his clients a lot of times, that’s why he appreciates them for inviting him to spend lunchtime with them.

“Mom, I’ll wash the dishes,” he told Andie’s mom.

“No, no, visitors don’t wash dishes on their first-day visit,” her mom said.

“Let him do as he please, mom,” Andie said teasingly while she could see his insistence in doing the dishes.

“No, I won’t allow that,” her mom said.

“Come on mom, if he breaks some plates or glasses, you can ask him to mop the floor,” she said teasingly while Josh is looking at her curiously.

“You’re so cruel,” he said. As he couldn’t insist on Andie’s mom, he then followed Andie to the living room.

“I thought you’re going home already?” she told him.

“Wait a minute, let me rest first, I’m so full like a pig, is it obvious that I eat much?” “I felt so embarrassed when mom sees me eat like that,” he added.

“Hahaha, I bet you do. Wait! Why are you calling my mom, mom?” she glared.

“Nothing, I just like to call your mom, mom, any problem with that?” he said while giving him wide-opened eyes.

She’s about to say a nasty reply when she sneezed so hard.

“Look at you, what’ve you done to yourself?” he said in concern. “Mom said you’re not sleeping so you can read all those books, you can’t get what you want if you lack strength, you better think about that!” he told her.

“I know but I need to finish all those books before my schedule ends,” she said.

“Hey where’s your TV set?” “I wanna watch Bloomberg,” he told her.

“Our TV set is broken, it’s in the repair shop, you want to get it there?” she said in an annoyed tone.

“I’m just kidding you know, you really can’t ride on my style,” he said.

“Yes, because your style is nothing but lame,” she said while grinning then she released a hard sneeze again.

“See, you’re being cursed for mocking me,” he said. “But seriously, let’s go, I’ll send you to the hospital or clinic, I want you get checked,” he told her.

“Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“No way! My illness is not that serious to take me to the hospital. I can get well later or tomorrow possibly,” she told him.

“You really are stubborn!” he exclaimed. “Come on, get dressed, we’ll go to the clinic instead,” he insisted.

“No!”

“You want me to get you dressed or you’ll get dressed yourself?” he said in an inpatient tone.

“Whoa, you’re scaring me, you want me to kick you right behind?” she said while wrapping her arms around her chest seems like covering herself.

“Come on, don’t be so stubborn, it’s for your own good and I think you don’t want to spread more of your viruses here, don’t you care about your little niece?” he said.

She knows he had a point there but for them, it’s not always their defense as they can handle their illness so well.

Andie seemed lost over Josh so she gets dressed and let Josh take her to the nearby clinic, but Josh is not confident on that clinic the first time he sees it so he drove her to the FEU Hospital in Fairview.

“I told you!” “You’re really making it so hard on yourself,” she said.

“It’s better this way than to see you so sick and discharging your virus all over your place,” he said in a concerned tone.

“Well, thanks for your concern, really appreciate it,” seems like she has mellowed down from arguing with him. He just smiles.

They then arrived at the hospital. The ER nurse immediately attended to Andie when they see Josh with her.

“He’s cute,” the other nurse giggles.

Josh stayed at the waiting area while Andie was taken personal informations. The other nurse bravely asked if she’s already married to that guy. She strongly disagreed and told them she never had any relationship with that guy. She said that they’re just close friends. She told them that they can have him if they like him. The nurses giggle upon learning that and as they got out of the ER room, they start flirting with him. Josh was smiling when he saw the two nurses telling him what the doctor’s findings were and he could tell that they’re making a move on him, but he’s lazy to ride on their teasing acts, as he only likes to flirt with Andie at the moment.

“So, can I take my girlfriend home now?” he asked the two nurses.

The nurses get so disappointed when they heard what he said.

“Oh yes, you may go home now, the doctor is just issuing her a prescription.

The two nurses then frowned and mumbled as they went to the room. Andie realizes that the two nurses got upset and she’s sure that he said something about her.

“What did you tell the nurse?” she asked while picking the side of his arm.

“Nothing, I just asked them if I can take my girlfriend home already,” he said teasingly.

“Girlfriend?” her eyes widened on him. Josh, you’re really annoying,” she said.

When Andie is about to pay the bill at the cashier, Josh took the receipts quickly from her grasp, and then paid them. Things that made Andie so furious.

“Why did you pay for that?” “Here take this money,” she added.

“No, save that for our date next time,” he said while pushing her hand away.

“Date?” she exclaimed. “Don’t push your luck, buddy, I didn’t remember saying yes to that date,” she said.

He just shrugs his shoulders.

“Okay, I’ll take you home now before you get worse.”

“Thanks for the ride and for everything, Josh. I’ll pay you some other time okay, I promise that,” she said while she steps out of the truck. Josh just pinched her both cheeks and patted her shoulder.

“Get well soon for me, okay?” he said.

She smiles while walking toward the gate and watch Josh drives until he’s out of her sight.

She felt a little sick in her stomach at the moment and thinks that it’s what they call “butterflies in the stomach,” when you’re giggly.

She then entered her house where her parents are gathered. They thought that Josh is so nice so they asked a lot of questions about him. This made her nervous that they assumed Josh had special feelings for her then they endlessly teased her.