"I don't feel good," she told me this last Monday.

I know that she was coming down with something that morning and so I advised her to rest the whole day. But, darn it. Reverse psych works on her. So she took off that day. An hour after the 2-5 PM lecture started, she texted. She wasn't feeling good.

Now why wasn't I surprised? Nevertheless, I began to seriously worry. So, she promised to go home early.

And so she napped like a cat for half an hour during the lecture. When she woke up, she turned to her Ipod, played it and began studying on her own. Good thing she was seated at the back.

She did go home right after the 5-7 PM lecture. Usually, she would still stay out and study some more with her classmates either in the library or some joint in Powerplant. That night, she decided that she had enough bearing the muscle pains.

Yesterday she finally heeded my call to simply stay at home and rest. She didn't even give me a hard time convincing her other than raising an objection twice.

"Sayang ang lecture today," she'd aim. This week, it's Civil Law and Taxation, the latter ranking second (and the last?) in her waterloo list.

"It's either you attend all your lectures this week and be sick on Sunday, or you stay home today, sacrifice the day's lecture and not miss the exam this weekend," I warned.

"You're mean. Don't say that," she knocked as if I imparted some voodoo spell.

And so she was reacquainted with being sick. The last time she was ill was June. Anyway, every fours hours or so, we would check on her temperature.

Turns out she had a clogged nose.

The only leisure she had yesterday had been an hour's flee from her home. She picked up the laundry, went to the mall, spent on drinks, paid her bills and bagged herself a big headache. Kulit eh.

Today she's back in school, this time, with a running nose. Hopefully she'd get better before bloody Sunday makes a comeback. She might wet her booklet with mucus droplets, causing the ink from her gel pen to blot. And smeared answers are not good.

* * *
While finishing breakfast at Pancake House today...

ME: Reverse psychology works on you.
ROSA: Of course, not.
ME: Of course, yes.
ROSA: Do you think I need more food?
ME: Ha?
ROSA: They took na kasi my plate.
ME: Ahm...yes.

She becomes silent.

ME: Hey.
ROSA: Yes?
ME: So what are you going to do about it? I said yes.
ROSA: No na. Am busog na eh.
ME: There you go! That's exactly my point!
ROSA: Wha-? Ha? Oh... Hahaha!