"Meli, in the classroom… are Julie and Nicole still not talking to each other?" Kelly finally asked Melissa.
Her younger sister let out a heavy sigh, gave her a sad look, and shook her head. It was clear to both of them—the two girls became awkward whenever they were grouped together.
"What should we do?" Melissa asked.
I don't even know how to get those two to make up, Kelly thought silently.
"Let's just give Nicky some space for now," she finally said to her sister.
"Sis, wasn't Julie your first real friend?" Melissa asked suddenly.
Kelly was taken aback, but then she smiled. She truly was happy when she met Julie. Julie had come into her life when she transferred to the school, and since then, she had made her days brighter. They had built so many happy memories together.
"Well, I'm glad Julie became my friend. I have so many memories with her—things I'd never felt before. Honestly, my reaction was actually the same as Nicole's when she wondered why Julie wanted to return to public school," Kelly explained.
"But I realized back then that I shouldn't be selfish about how Julie feels. Maybe she misses her old friends there. I mean, wouldn't you and Nicole have wanted the same thing—going back to a place where you were truly happy—if you hadn't met each other yet?"
Melissa nodded. "For me, I understood right away. And even if she leaves and I won't always be with her, as long as I can still call her a friend, that's enough."
"Sis, Nicole and I both came from public school too. We also wanted to go back before, but when we met Julie, we stopped thinking about it. We grew comfortable with each other." Melissa's tears started to fall.
Kelly understood. Melissa was affected too, even if she tried not to show it.
"That's really unfair," Melissa muttered, staring at her intently.
Kelly understood the frustration of her younger sister and Nicole—but she also understood Julie.
"You know, the only thing we can really do is talk it out," she said, pulling her sister into a hug. "We shouldn't judge Julie right away just because of what she said. We need to hear everyone's side."
"We were all just shocked by what Julie said, and it hurt us. But if you and Nicole calm down, you'll be able to talk it through, won't you?" Kelly asked, looking at Melissa.
Her sister only nodded.
The next morning, on her way to the classroom, Kelly noticed Chris.
"G–Good morning, Pres," she greeted him.
"Yeah, good morning, Kelly," he replied, giving her a small smile.
"Pres, is Julie okay?" she asked carefully.
He looked surprised. "She's fine, but… sometimes she spaces out, sighing while working on her performance tasks. I'm getting worried too," he admitted, shaking his head.
Kelly nodded.
"I guess you were also shocked, huh?" he asked.
She nodded again. "I just hope the two of them reconcile," she said softly.
Kelly suddenly heard Jonathan blurt out, "My sister won't tell me what happened. And now, she's avoiding me."
"You know what, she got that pride from you," Kelly teased.
Jonathan just shook his head and slumped into his seat. "That girl's being stubborn again," he muttered.
Kelly sighed deeply and quietly settled into her seat.
****
Later that day, Jonathan called to his sister. "Nicky."
She didn't answer, focused on her performance tasks for the upcoming exams.
"Let's eat first," he urged. "By the way, Kuya Kenjie, Kelly, and Melissa are here too."
She gave a small nod, and Jonathan left her alone.
That girl… he thought irritably.
"Will Nicole come down soon?" Kenjie asked.
"She will," Jonathan replied.
Their houses were close, and often their cousins hung out at their place when bored. Their mother was also around, making the atmosphere cozier.
"Tita, thank you for the free dinner," Kenjie said warmly.
Their mom smiled, happy to see their cousins around.
Soon, Nicole came down quietly and sat beside Jonathan.
"Let's eat now," their mom said.
The meal was lively, with Kenjie chatting happily with their mother. Nicole, however, stayed silent.
"Brother, Mom, Ken, Ate Kelly, Meli—I'll go back to my room. I still need to finish my requirements," Nicole said with a small smile.
"Ah, Nicole, let me help you with the tasks. I brought mine too—we can work together," Melissa offered.
Nicole nodded and smiled at her cousin.
"Meli, thank you for always being understanding with my sister," Jonathan said with a sigh.
Melissa only smiled back.
She quickly stood up, grabbed her things, and followed Nicole into her room.
"Your sister's been like that for days," their mother noted with concern.
Jonathan sighed again. "You know how she is, Mom. When she sulks, she barely talks."
"Do you want me to talk to her? I heard she had a fight with Chris's sister, right?" Kenjie asked.
Jonathan nodded.
"Alright, I'll knock some sense into her," Kelly declared.
"Hey, you're cousins—you both inherited that sulky attitude," Jonathan teased.
"I'm not sulky!" Kelly retorted.
Jonathan only shook his head. "If I push her, she'll just avoid me even more."
"Ah, she really is like Kelly then," Kenjie laughed. "Sometimes I even get confused—are Kelly and Nicole really cousins, or actual sisters?"
"You two always gang up on Kelly whenever you're together," their mom chuckled.
Kenjie laughed harder. "Hey, Kelly, your old room's still there," he added playfully.
Kelly only nodded.
"I'll go check on the two," Jonathan said, standing up.
He overheard voices from Nicole's room.
"I'm still mad at her," Nicole muttered.
"Nicky, we still need to hear Julie out. Can you really endure ignoring her?" Melissa asked.
Nicole said nothing.
"She's the one who started it," Nicole finally muttered.
"Nick, it's not even certain she's transferring, right?" Melissa pressed.
"She's so irritating," Nicole said flatly.
Jonathan sighed deeply. "Nicole, lower your pride a little—it's not good. Julie wants to talk to you, doesn't she?"
"Brother…" she only muttered.
"I know where your frustration comes from, but think about Julie's feelings too. She's your friend, right? Friends should try to understand each other, even in misunderstandings."
"I don't know where you got this sulky attitude, but listen: she's your true friend. That's rare, Nicky. Don't waste it because of pride."
"And Melissa has been trying to help you reconnect with Julie. Julie herself has been trying too. But you keep ignoring it because of your hurt feelings. Don't let it drag on. The longer you let pride take over, the harder it will be to fix—and the more painful it gets for both of you. Pride is never worth losing a friend."
Nicole stayed quiet, just listening.
"Please think about it. I'll always be here to support you. But weigh it—what matters more? Your pride and anger, or your friendship with her?" Jonathan asked seriously.
"Anyway, just focus on finishing your tasks for now," he added before leaving the room.
"You're really something when you lecture your sister," Kelly remarked, shaking her head.
"I know Nicky will be okay. She'll wake up to his words," Kenjie said, patting Jonathan on the back.
Jonathan sat back down with his own work. I just hope she realizes it soon, he thought.