Chapter Text
Jhoanna scratched her eyes awake as she sat down by her dining room. But she stopped when she realized that she wasn’t alone.
Her eyes widened when she realized Colet was there, making pancakes for pete’s sake!
“Col? Ginagawa mo dito?”
“Uhm…dito ako natulog?” Colet answered with a small smirk as she plated the pancakes.
And instantly Jhoanna remembered everything last night. Her already wide eyes widened more. Bigla siya nahiya!
Hindi naman siguro maaalala ni Colet? Or kung maalala man nito sana hindi na i-bring up please please please…
“Day one of my panliligaw.” Colet smiled as she sat beside Jhoanna with a mug of coffee.
Napatakip sa muhka si Jhoanna. “Col, please lang, kapag hanggang office patuloy yang joke m—”
“At sino may sabi na joke?” Colet said as she sipped from her own mug.
Jhoanna’s face remained passive as she stared at her friend whose expression was the opposite of hers. Ewan ba niya kung bakit hindi siya naniniwala. Kaya dinaan niya sa tawa. "'Kaw talaga. Kain na nga lang tayo ng niluto mo." Kaya naman niya makisakay sa pagbibiro ni Colet wala naman kasi mawawala sa kanya. And she can just pretend that her drunk episode last night didn't really happen. Maang-maangan school of acting ika nga.
Colet furrowed her eyebrows as she sat down beside Jhoanna. "Jho."
"Hmm?" Malambing na sabi ni Jhoanna habang nagsisimula na kumain pero hindi nakatingin kay Colet.
"Jho seryoso kasi ako."
Jhoanna raised both eyebrows. "Sige manligaw ka lang." She laughed softly. "Uwi kita doon sa amin sa Laguna sibak ka ng kahoy ah?"
Colet opened her mouth to say something when Jhoanna's phone started ringing. They both stared at the caller ID showing on the phone. Jhoanna's lips turned in curiosity as Aiah's name popped up.
"Hello?" She answered.
Aiah's chirpy and mellow sounding voice echoed through the other line. "Jho! Kamusta ka? Head okay?"
Jhoanna smiled softly. Aiah was the sweetest. "Huy oo thank you, medyo masarap lang tulog dahil sa alak."
"Aiah bakit?" Biglang tanong ni Colet habang nilalapit ang bibig sa bandang receiver ng telepono ni Jhoanna.
"Colet? Ay oo nga pala dyan ka din natulog. Aayain ko sana mag brunch si Jhoanna. Sama ka?" Aiah asked.
"Ngayon ba talaga pwede ba bukas or next week na." Tila nayayamot na sabi ni Colet.
"Col!" Saway agad ni Jhoanna sa kaibigan, bahagya siya napalabi habang nakatingin dito.
Imbis na ma-offend ay narinig nilang natawa si Aiah sa kabilang linya. "Sige na nga! Col..."
"O?"
"Sorry na ulit hahaha!" Aiah laughed before ending the call.
Jhoanna quickly turned to Colet, looking at the girl as if asking for an explanation. Pero sa totoo lang hindi din naman alam ni Colet kung ano ba pinagsasabi ni Aiah.
Yawning, Jhoanna stretched her arms above her head, cracking her neck in the process. "Thanks sa pagluto ng pancakes Col, bawi ako pramis." She stood up and started taking the plates when Colet looked back at her from her position by the dining table.
"May lakad ka ba dapat ngayon?" Colet asked.
Jhoanna quickly turned to face her, still holding on to the plates. "Hmm? Wala naman. Bakit?"
"Date tayo." Colet said in a tone so simple you'd think she was just asking about the weather. She had her chin placed on top of her open palm as she looked to Jhoanna and waited for an answer.
Jhoanna merely looked back at her as if thinking of something before smirking and shaking her head. "Kulit mo sige bahala ka. Saan mo balak?"
Colet bit her tongue in excitement as she stood up and stood beside Jhoanna who had now reached the sink. "Arcade? G?"
So that's where they found themselves. At the nearest bowling alley. Jhoanna thought that Colet would've invited a few of their friends as well but it was only two of them.
"Col dali doon tayo sa basketball!"
"Matatalo lang din naman kita diyan."
"Tseh."
Colet laughed slowly. Paborito niya talaga asarin si Jhoanna kasi nakikita niya na umiirap ito and she looked so cute doing it. "Dali dali let's go!" Colet placed both of her hands on Jhoanna's shoulders from behind, not minding that the girl was taller, before pushing her softly to where they could hoop.
"Set? Game!" Jhoanna grinned as she pressed play and started shooting. Dahil conscious siya, napapatingin siya kay Colet na iniisip niyang magcoconcentrate sa pagshoshoot pero imbi ay nakita niyang kinukunan siya ng litrato.
"Hoy!"
Click.
Colet gave a small cackle as she clicked capture again.
Jhoanna rolled her eyes. "Wag mo popost yan! Ang panget ko dyan."
"Parang di naman." Colet murmured as she placed her phone back inside her pocket. Jhoanna turned to her friend, not missing what she said. Kaunti na lang maniniwala na talaga siya kay Colet.
"Huy, wala na ubos na time mo."
Napatinign si Jhoanna sa nilalaro. Hala oo nga! Tapos na nga yung time!
"Hala. Sayang yung token." Jhoanna pouted.
Colet cleared her throat and quickly grabbed another coin from her stash. "O dali dali, laban na talaga." And she smiled when she saw Jhoanna immediately lighting up again. What she'd do to keep that smile.
“Pinagpawisan yan?” Jhoanna teased Colet as their time ended.
“Pinagpawisan pero natalo ka.” Colet teased back as Jhoanna reached for her handkerchief and wiped the sweat on her forehead.
“O since nanalo ka naman libre mo lunch.” Jhoanna smugly said.
Colet smirked. Akala naman nito. Lilibre niya ito araw araw basta magsama sila.
They entered a small cafe where they could enjoy coffee and a good meal. A group of friends were exiting just as the two of them stepped in front of the door.
One guy smiled, opening the door wide for Jhoanna who have the guy a thank you smile in return.
Colet’s eyebrow raised at that. She cleared her throat and placed a hand on small of Jhoanna’s back and led her friend forward who went with her pace ‘till they got to a table.
“Yii kilig ka pre?”
“Hindi ka ba kikiligin ang ganda eh.”
Nakasimangot na sinundan ng tingin ni Colet ang grupo ng magkakaibigan na naglalakad na palayo.
Sitting down, Colet turned to Jhoanna. “Kilala mo ba yon?”
“Huh?” Jhoanna muttered, confused. “Sino?”
“Yung lalaki na nagbukas ng pinto?” Colet prodded further.
“Ah. Ano ahm hindi.”
Colet looked curiously at her friend. “Ah nginitian mo kasi kaya akala ko…”
“E nauna siya ngumiti eh. Nginitian ko pabalik.” Jhoanna said nonchalantly as she started gazing at the menu up behind the cashier.
“Kaya madami naf-fall eh.” Colet smirked as she stared at Jhoanna with a small smile on her face.
A confused Jhoanna looked at her, pulling her attention away from the menu and back to her friend. “Ha?”
Instead of answering, Colet stood up from the couch, smirking at Jhoanna. “Ako na mag order.”
She walked to the cashier and glanced over at Jhoanna who was scrolling through her phone. It was at that moment that Jhoanna lifted her head up and gave Colet a small smile.
Tangina.
Because that just made Colet feel her whole face heat up. She cleared her throat and looked back to the cashier.
"Ma'am okay lang po kayo?" The cashier asked. "Namumula po kayo."
"Oh ah. Oo okay lang ako." She wiped the sweat off of her forehead before ordering. And when she finished paying for the transaction, she returned to where Jhoanna was sitting, placing herself beside her best friend who was busy reading something on her phone.
"Serious mo naman." She teased as she lightly pinched the side of Jhoanna's chin to make the girl look at her.
Jhoanna glanced at her and chuckled. "E nagiimbita kasi sila ng karaoke."
Colet looked at her phone as well and saw that true enough, the girls were asking for a karaoke date later that night.
"Tara let's go!"
"Hindi ka pa ba nagsasawa na ako kasama mo buong araw?" Jhoanna teased, fixing her glasses on top of her nose.
"Hindi." Colet said simply with a small shrug of her shoulders. Kasi hindi naman talaga. Muhkang hindi pa din naniniwala si Jhoanna sa kanya. No matter. She was up for the challenge.
She turned back to Jhoanna and saw that the girl was still looking back at her. She took the opportunity and snapped a photo.
"Col! Puro ka stolen!" Jhoanna pouted.
Grinning, Colet reached for her, angling the phone and snapping the photo.
"Grabe di ka man lang nakangiti ano ka artista tapos ako fan na nagpapicture?" Colet pouted.
"E kasi hindi ako ready! Isa pa!" Jhoanna laughed.
Colet smirked to herself as she angled the phone and they both smiled up for the photo.
=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•
There was a soft smile on Jhoanna's face as she sat in the passenger seat of Mikha's car, the latter giving her a weirded out look but Jhoanna was used to it so no biggie.
"Hi Mikhs!" She greeted before buckling in her seat belt.
"Ligalig? Parang hindi nagd-drama kagabi?" Mikha teased as she started driving.
Jhoanna gave her a confused look. "Huh? Hindi ako nagd-drama kagabi ah."
"Yeah right. Selos na selos ka kaya kay Maloi."
"Luh hindi ah." Jhoanna quickly reacted as she fixed her specs. It was actually a habit of hers whenever she was nervous and she wanted to stop doing that since it was always obvious when she did so.
Mikha smirked in answer. In the mood, she kept teasing Jhoanna. "Wag ka na doon kay Colet torpe yon, reto na lang kita sa iba."
"Baliw, best friend ko lang si Col, bakit kanino mo ba ako irereto?" Balik ni Jhoanna. Alam niya kasi hindi siya titigilan ni Mikha so she rode along kahit hindi naman siya seryoso. Sa ngayon kasi, well si Colet lang talaga kahit hanggang best friend lang.
"Sus kunwari ka pa."
O diba kahit si Mikha alam naman talaga na hindi siya open sa reto.
"Tapang mo din no, sasama ka nanaman tapos makikita mo nanaman si Aiah na aasarin si Maloi kay Colet."
Jhoanna chuckled nervously. “Hoy wala lang naman yon sakin.”
“Wushu.”
“Oo nga!”
Natawa si Mikha. She was already planning something in her head just as they arrived at the karaoke place.
Muhkang silang dalawa pa lang ang naroon. Figures. Dinaanan pa kasi ni Aiah ang iba kaya nauna na sila.
“Pero diba trip mo talaga si Colet?” Mikha asked as she and Jhoanna settled inside the large room, big enough to fit the eight of them.
Jhoanna sighed. “Is it that obvious?”
Mikha threw her hands up in the air. “Like duh. Saka obvious naman na gusto ka din niya. Pinapahirapan niyo lang sarili niyo.”
Jhoanna leaned back on the couch as she looked at her friend. Sakto kasi habang wala pa yung iba pwede pa sila magchikahan.
“I mean, maalaga din naman kasi siya talaga. Hirap tantyahin.” Then she showed Mikha the snapshot she and Colet took just this afternoon. “Mikhs tingnan mo naman yang muhka na yan.” She said pertaining to her best friend who was smiling up at the screen. “Sobrang ganda halatang hindi mapapa sakin.”
Mikha rolled her eyes yet again.
And then Jhoanna spoke up. “Gago nga yon. Binibiro ako kanina na liligawan daw niya ako.”
Mikha snapped her head, turning to Jhoanna. “Ha?”
“Oo.” Dinaan sa tawa ni Jhoanna. “Bastos talaga yon hindi man lang nang consider ng feelings.”
"Tanga ka talaga no?"
"Aray?" Jhoanna chuckled. "Bakit naman ako yung tanga? Sakit mo naman magsalita."
"Bakit hindi ka naniniwala kasi na gusto ka din naman talaga ni Colet? Grabe kaalaga yun sayo."
Jhoanna was about to answer when the karaoke room doors opened, revealing all the other girls. "Hi! Sorry na-late, nag CR pa kasi si Shee."
"Wow Staks nahiya naman ako?" Sheena said as they entered one by one.
"Loi yung sapatos mo ano ba yan." Colet sighed as she knelt down and tied Maloi's shoelaces for her.
Jhoanna's lips pulled into a firm line, slowly turning into a small smile as she looked back to Mikha and whispered. "Ayan ganyan Mikhs. Kasi alam ko naman na natural lang talaga siya na maalaga."
“Jho!” Colet greeted when she saw her.
Jhoanna immediately scooted over to give her best friend the space where she could sit. Colet grinned as she bounced on the couch seat, inserting herself between Mikha and Jhoanna.
Mikha rolled her eyes at the scene. Gusto niya kasi pagumupugin yung dalawa.
“Ay kakanta ako Tadhana dali!” Ani Stacey at agad naman na ipinasok ni Gwen ang kanta sa machine.
“Dzai may pinagdadaanan ka?” Maloi teased prodding Stacey at the sides.
The girl quickly swatted their friend’s hand away. “Hoy di ako makakanta!” Tawa pa nito bago bumalik sa pagkakanta hanggang sa natapos na nga.
Jhoanna saw Mikha reaching for the remote and inputting a song. She smirked. “Naks Mikhs, go!”
“That’s for you.” Biglang sabi ni Mikha kaya nanlaki mata ni Jhoanna.
Colet grinned as she urged Jhoanna. “Go Jho kaya mo yan!”
“Ang cute ni ate Colet no tumataas yung boses kapag sinasabi yung pangalan ni Ate Jho.” Comment ni Sheena habang kumakain ng nachos.
“Ha? Wag kayo mag expect ah.” Jhoanna sighed.
Nanlaki mata niya nang mapagtanto kung ano yung nilagay ni Mikha.
“May hugot din ba yan?” Pang-aasar pa ni Aiah na mahinang pinalo ni Gwen ang braso. “Hehehehe I was just joking.”
The familiar intro of the song started and Jhoanna quickly followed singing.
Umiiyak
Gabi gabi
Walang tinig na naririnig
Nakikipaglaban
Sa digmaan
Na talunan
Hanggang Kailan
Talo na, pagod na
Akala ko ika'y sa akin pa
Pero hindi na pala
Wala na nga ba talaga?
Her long legs were up on the couch, bent by the knees.
Instinctively, Colet reached out and rested her arms around one knee while Jhoanna stilled but let it happen.
“Ganito ba kapag kakanta sa karaoke?” Windang na turo pa ni Gwen pero may ngisi sa muhka. Instead of moving away though, Colet simply smirked as she had her hand remain there.
Jhoanna kept singing until she noticed that Colet was staring at her with a soft smile on her face.
“Huy makatingin naman ‘to!” She sputtered, not being able to finish the song.
“Buti nga di ka pa natunaw?” Tawa ni Stacey. “Okay panalo ako di na matuloy ni Jho yung kanta!”
“Gagi contest ba ‘to. Ipasok niyo yung I Have Nothing!” Tawa pa ni Maloi.
Agad naman kinuha ni Jhoanna ang remote. Anything to get the attention away from her and Colet.
“Ayoko na pala sumunod kay Ate Maloi paki cancel nung Migraine ko dyan!” Tawa pa ni Sheena.
“Ayoko na din pala nitong If I Ain’t Got You.” Sabi ni Aiah sabay cancel sa mga sumunod na kanta.
“Aiah ito paki-enter.” Sabi ni Colet dahil nakay Aiah nga ang remote.
“Yun o! Lalaban!” Mikha grinned.
Jhoanna looked on, biting her lip as the intro for Make You Feel My Love started.
She gulped when Colet would glance at her while singing. Medyo nakakatarantado pero hinayaan lang niya. Namumula na nga muhka niya.
“Yii kilig si Jho! Whoo!” Aiah teased.
Pinanlakihan ni Jhoanna ng mata ang kaibigan. Kung pwede lang kurutin. Aba kagabi lang iba ang ship nito!
Thank goodness wala muna sila alak for that night.
But they did bond over tsismis and such.
Mikha, ever the playful one, had a sneer already crawling up her pretty face.
“Jho, may kilala ako sa office bet ka daw baka gusto mo date kayo?”
“Kingina naman Mikhs.” Biglang sabi ni Colet.
Jhoanna quickly turned to the girl beside her.
The mood inside the room shifted, Colet’s tone just got a little too serious. Everyone stiffened at that. Mikha was the only one unfazed though.
She continued teasing. “O bakit?” Then she turned to Jhoanna again. “Ano Jho G ka? Reto kita mabait yun promise.”
Before Jhoanna could answer, Colet quickly stood up, murmuring something sounding like ‘bathroom’ before exiting the booth.
“Mikhs gagoooo!” Kinakabahan na sabi ni Maloi. They watched the door slam where Colet disappeared to.
Jhoanna widened her eyes at Mikha. Parang naipit kasi siya bigla doon ah! Pero bakit…
”Ugh.” Dali daling sinundan ni Jhoanna ang kaibigan pero wala naman ito doon sa banyo.
She turned a corridor and saw that Colet was at the karaoke bar’s open smoking area where the balcony overlooked the city lights.
“Huy.” Jhoanna prodded as she stood beside Colet, a soft smile on her face.
Colet sighed as she turned to her, face all serious. Then she looked back at the city lights, placing her arms on the balcony ledge. “Babalik din ako sa loob Jho pahangin lang.”
“Wait bakit ka ba affected sa sinasabi ni Mikha?”
Colet turned to her, face still serious. “Jho malamang, nanliligaw ako sa’yo tapos sasabihin niyang may irereto siya.”
“Tigilan mo na nga yang kakasabi nang panliligaw di na ako natutuwa.”
There was a small smile on Colet’s face, amused but solemn in a way. “Jho hindi ka talaga naniniwala?”
“Unang una kasi, bakit ako? If may liligawan ka sa tropa mo I dunno si Maloi siguro ganon.” Jhoanna said, shrugging her shoulders. It kinda hurt to say it but it was true. She looked at the view in front of them.
“Ikaw, kasi buo na agad araw ko nung paggising natin kanina tapos muhka mo nakita ko first thing in the morning.”
Jhoanna turned to Colet who wasn’t done.
“Ikaw kasi ang cute cute mo kapag inaasar kita nakapout ka tapos kumukunot noo mo. Ikaw kasi pinupunasan mo pawis ko. Ikaw kasi hindi mo alam na madami nahuhulog dyan sa ngiti mo at ang hirap i-gate keep sa totoo lang because you always smile.”
Colet breathed in. Namumula na din siya. And it wasn’t helping that Jhoanna was also grinning at her, that Jhoanna smile that made her insides warm and her feet feel fluid and light.
She sat at one of the chairs on the area.
“Feel free to stop me.”
“Ayoko nga kinikilig pa ako sa mga sinasabi mo eh.” Jhoanna teased back. And Colet grinned back, loving how Jhoanna’s eyes were shining.
Colet smirked as she reached out to hold Jhoanna’s hand while she sat down.
“I really am serious Jho. Liligawan kita promise.”
“Kailangan pa ba talaga ng ganon kung gusto din naman kita?”
“Hindi ka ba muna magpapakipot?” Colet teased.
Jhoanna rolled her eyes. “Sino ‘tong nag walk out kasi irereto daw ako ni Mikha?” She was in a mood since she felt a different kind of satisfaction. “Sige teka balik ako doon tanungin ko sino ba yung ireret—ahh!”
Jhoanna felt herself tugged down, landing so that she was side sitting on Colet’s lap.
“Dito ka lang.” Colet whispered against her cheek and Jhoanna could feel the former grazing her nose against her skin.
The movement made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up but she liked it.
“Walang irereto si Mikha sa’yo.” Colet said. She’d made sure of it.
Jhoanna chuckled as she turned to face the girl. “Nakakainis ka.”
“Ikaw itong hindi naniniwala eh.” Colet replied, clearly getting what Jhoanna was hinting at. She cupped Jhoanna’s cheek with one hand. “Partly it’s my fault. Mikha told me things.”
Jhoanna stilled. Traydor talaga yon.
“Maalaga ako sa iba Jho pero hindi ikaw sila.” Colet said. “Iba kapag ikaw Jho. And I just have to keep showing you hanggang sa maniwala ka.”
“N-naniniwala naman na ako.” Jhoanna gasped out. “S-sandali nga nanginginig ako dito pwede naman ako umupo dyan sa tabi.”
“Hindi. Dito ka lang. Baka pumunta ka pa sa irereto ni Mikha.” Colet said, circling her arms around Jhoanna’s waist. She pulled the girl closer, brushing her nose with hers.
They both could feel their hearts beating fast.
“Jho.” Colet whispered, not being able to stop herself. Not wanting to stop herself. Their faces were so close…
“Guys nandito lang sila!”
Jhoanna almost fell as she tried pulling away but Colet kept a good grip around her waist.
Sheena had this shit eating grin on her face as she looked at them.
“Really Shee?” Colet grumbled.
Sunod sunod na dumating ang mga kaibigan nila. “ABA NAMAN.” Aiah grinned as she looked at them.
“Kayo na?” Gwen asked simply.
“Oo ata?” Jhoanna replied, before reaching to kiss Colet’s cheek.
“TAMIS!” Maloi heartily laughed as Stacey took a snapshot of the two.
Mikha stood there, a smirk on her face, knowing she triumphed.
=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
“Col…”
“Mm…”
“Antok pa ako.”
“Ako din.”
“Isa.”
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Colet grumbled as she rolled on the bed, scratching her eyes awake. Jhoanna still had her eyes closed beside her. Colet moaned slowly as she leaned down to kiss Jhoanna’s lips. “Baby gising na din.”
But instead, Jhoanna turned around and cuddled her pillow closer.
Grinning, Colet leaned down and kissed Jhoanna’s neck. “Psst dali na mal-late na tayo.”
She finally stood up from the bed and answered the goddamn knocking on Jhoanna’s door.
“Ito na!”
She opened the door with a grumble to be met by Mikha and Aiah.
“Jusko di pa kayo bihis?!”
“May isang oras pa naman bago call time.” Colet said as she allowed the two to enter.
Jhoanna padded inside the living room, still clearly sleepy.
“Ang aga nyo.” She said, pouting as she ran a hand through her hair.
“Kailangan lang baka di kayo pareho magising eh.” Mikha smirked as she and Aiah sat down at the dining table.
“O diba akalain niyo yon na you two would be together.” Aiah said. “I think mag thank you kayo dapat to me?”
“Actually sa akin.” Mikha replied as Jhoanna placed a coffee cup in front of Colet, leaning down to kiss her temple.
Colet gave Mikha the side eye. “Ikaw? E may irereto ka nga dapat?”
“Hindi lang gumana script sa utak ko.” Mikha explained which got the other three looking at her before she continued. “Kasi kung papatusin ni Jhoanna sabihin ko dapat nung gabing yon; ‘Ayan eto o tropa ko si Colet mahal ka nyan.’ Kaso nauna walk out.”
Jhoanna cackled in amusement. Nakakatawa naman kasi talaga.
Colet scowled at her friend but them smirked. “I think things turned out good one way or another.” She said before grinning at Jhoanna and then capturing her girlfriend’s lips in a soft kiss.
“Sa harap pa talaga namin?!” Aiah rolled her eyes.
Mikha leaned back in her chair. “Gusto mo Aiah tayo din?”
“Tseh.”
FIN.