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"What is the most unique kind of love for you? Anyone from the class? Oh wait."

We were in Personal Development class. Ma'am was asking for a recitation, but no one wanted to answer. So she let her eyes wander around the room until she stopped at the classmate sitting beside me.

"Excuse me, Miss, you! Why are you sleeping in my class? That's so disrespectful! Stand up!"
Febi woke up to that and wiped her face before standing up.

"Alright, since you were sleeping, you’ll answer the question. What is the most unique and genuine kind of love for you, Miss Febi Torres?" Ma'am said.

"Uhm, I think it’s the love I have for my buddies. I don’t love them romantically. We’re not relatives either. It’s like fate just decided that our paths should cross. I enjoy being friends with girls, but when it comes to them—it just feels different. No dramas, no backstabbing, no hate. They’re like my siblings from different mothers. Platonic love hits different because you don’t really have a specific reason to love them or stay with them. It’s just... that’s how it is. You find yourself happy with them and always willing to defend and protect them. It’s genuine, and there’s no other kind of love that compares to it."
She fluently recited her answer in front of the class, which made Ma’am smile.

I quietly clapped for her. Of course she could answer easily. Febi might be mischievous and a little lazy, but being smart—especially in English—came naturally to her.

"Very good, Miss Torres. You may take your seat."

Everyone applauded, but Shan’s cheer and clapping stood out the most.
"And because of that, Febi, you’re treating us to ice cream later," Shan said proudly.

"In your dreams." Febi replied as she sat down and gave Shan a playful nudge.
"You still owe me. Let’s just ask Uno to treat us instead—he’s got money."
They both smiled at me.

"Sure," I softly responded.