(Ravine POV)

We were enjoying our dinner and having a great laugh when all of a sudden, dad mentioned someone familiar.

"Ravine, do you still remember Aisha?" He asked.

"Aisha! Hmm...I might have heard of her before but I don't think I can remember her that well anymore." I said.

"You guys used to be playmates, remember? She would always lend you her Barbie dolls and you guys would play it in the basement for you not to get caught." Dad laughed.

"Oh, now that you mentioned it. I think I remember her now. Aisha and I would always play dollhouse and I would help her carry all her dolls down the basement without having my mom notice it because I knew for sure that if she caught me red handed with a Barbie doll, I would have never seen the light of day again." I said.

"That's right. She's coming over right now. She'll be joining us for dinner tonight." Dad said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Speaking of!" Dad said as all our eyes fell on a drop-dead gorgeous girl who's making her way towards our dining table.

She has a tanned complexion and her curls are so big but it suits her perfectly. She has gorgeous dimples that are so prominent every time she smiles. She has a slim waist and she also has a great sense of style if I may add. She's wearing a crop top that says "Dear Homophobes, Face it! The world is progressing and your brain is regressing!"

Haha, I like that.

She paired her cute top with a denim Cargo jeans and a kick-ass pair of Sneakers. I barely remember her but I like her already.

"Hi Uncle Roy! Hi Auntie Sylvia!" She said as she gave both of them a hug. She then took notice of me.

"Oh my Gosh! Vinny, is that you? Look how pretty you are." She said before capturing me in a warm embrace.

"It's been so long, Aisha!" I said. We pulled away and then her eyes fell on Milo.

"Is this your little brother, Milo?" She asked.

"Yes, he's cute, isn't he?"

"Hi there!" She said before patting his little head. "Give me five!" Aisha lowered her hand to Milo so he could easily hive five her without having to jump in order for him to reach her hand.

"Don't worry! You'll be taller in the future too just like Uncle Roy." Aisha giggled.

"It's very nice for you to join us. Have a seat!" Dad said and we all sat down.

"Don't hesitate to scoop some of every dish for yourself." Sylvia said.

"Oh haha, it's okay! I'll just have the veggies and seafood Paella." Aisha said so I passed her the plate of veggies, followed by the plate of Paella.

"How's your mom? Why didn't she come?" Dad said.

"Oh! Mom has to do some business stuff in New York, that's why she couldn't come right now. By the way, Congratulations, Vinny! You are officially a high school graduate." She smiled.

"Thanks! How about you? Are you still studying?" I asked.

"No! I just finished college and I was actually just employed recently by a Fashion Magazine as the assistant editor." She said.

"Wow! Good for you!" I exclaimed.

"Thanks!"

"Where did you study in college?" Milo asked.

"I studied in Growling Tigers University."

"Which state is that?"

"It's not in America. It's in the Philippines actually."

"Oh...interesting! Why did you decide to study in the Philippines?" I asked.

"It was actually a suggestion from a dear friend of mine. Philippines offers some of the best universities in the world, and its affordable living, extraordinary places, diverse culture and hospitable Filipinos are only a few of the many reasons why I gave it a shot but boy, I was so glad I got to experience firsthand the advantages of studying in one of the most underrated countries in the world. It was truly a life changing experience. Plus, learning Tagalog is really fun." Aisha said.

"Oh my gosh! You make it sound so exciting." I said I got hooked with everything she said.

"Do you have any plans for college?" Aisha asked me.

"I don't but now that you told me all about your college experience, I feel like I would be willing to give this a try!" I said.

"Of course, there are a few challenges but it's nothing that I can't handle. You should try it, you know."

"I don't even know what my passion is yet so how could I apply for a course without knowing what I want to do in life or what direction am I supposed to head?" I said.

"You don't necessarily have to know your passion that quickly. You just have to ask yourself what you're good at and what field in particular you are going to excel at." Aisha explained.

"Vinny, aren't you good at presenting in front of the class?" Sylvia commented.

"Oh yeah! Gwen always tells me how articulate and spontaneous you are. You always have the ability of selling something to an audience and they are going to buy it without a doubt." Dad complimented.

"Really? Think so?" I asked.

"We know so! Sometimes, I would always peek inside your room every time you're pretending to do your news casting skit when you were little. Maybe that's your passion. Maybe public speaking is for you. I can imagine you doing Ted talks." Dad said.

"Dad, stop it."

"It's true!"

"But before you fly to the Philippines to study, I suggest you learn Tagalog for one year first just to avoid any kind of communication barriers." Aisha said.

"Who will teach me though?" I asked.

"Me of course!" Aisha replied to me.

"But don't you have work back in the Philippines or something?"

"Have you never heard of Skype call?" She asked.

"You'd do that for me!" I said.

"Why the hell not? But before you dream of studying abroad, you're going to have to send some requirements first. They are going to need a copy of your grades from your high school freshmen year to your senior year, a copy of your certificate of completion, and you're going to have to pass the entrance test. Also, you don't need to worry about flying over there to take the test. There are schools and centers here that facilitates entrance test examinations for students who want to study abroad."

"I definitely need one more year to study and prepare myself." I said and we all laughed.