Chapter Text
The shrill ring of an alarm cut through the silence of the morning.
Colet groaned softly as she stirred under her blankets, eyes blinking against the sunlight filtering through the curtains. Her hand fumbled for her phone on the bedside table, finally silencing the noise that marked the start of her day.
8:00 AM.
She sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
Today was the day.
Ms. MQ had spoken to them the day before, calm, but firm. Ayusin niyo ‘yan. Fix things with Jhoanna.
No lectures, no drawn-out explanations. Just a clear directive.
And so, here they were.
All seven of them.
Standing now, shoulder to shoulder, in front of Jhoanna’s condo unit.
The hallway was unusually quiet. Tense, even.
They had been calling their leader nonstop, but each attempt ended in the same frustrating result. The phone just rang, unanswered, adding to their growing anxiety.
“Okay, so…who’s gonna knock?” Mikha asked, arms crossed as she eyed the group.
“Sheena,” Stacey said, shoving Sheena forward with a mischievous grin.
The latter stumbled, shooting her a glare. “Luh, ba’t ako!?”
“Sa’yo lang naman ‘yan marupok si Jho,” Mikha said while arching her eyebrows, seemingly bored at this point.
Teasing their leader had always been a pastime for the group. Jhoanna, with her sharp wit and playful spirit, was an easy target when she was in the mood for jokes. But if there was one unspoken rule they all knew, it was this— everything changes when Jhoanna gets mad.
And to say they are scared of her whenever that happens? That would be an understatement.
They were terrified.
Jhoanna had two ways of dealing with anger. Either she would confront you head-on like a firestorm of sharp words and intensity, or she would go completely silent.
And between the two, Maloi knew which one was worse.
Exhibit A: If Jhoanna wanted something fixed immediately, if the situation required urgency, if she needed to push you into seeing things her way, she would be direct.
Brutally so so so direct.
She wouldn’t stop talking until you give her a reaction, until you break under her gaze and spill every thought you have just to make the weight of her presence bearable.
Hence how that whole Jholet away happened.
Exhibit B: But when her anger comes with something heavier, when it isn't just frustration but also hurt, sadness, and maybe even betrayal, Jhoanna would say nothing at all.
She would stay silent and distant.
Maloi had seen it before.
And after what happened yesterday, she was certain, this was the latter.
Jhoanna wasn’t just mad.
She was hurt.
Now, standing outside Jhoanna’s door, the group had fallen into nervous bickering.
No one wanted to be the one to ring the doorbell or knock the doorl.
The usual confidence they had when teasing their leader was gone, replaced by hesitation, as if the mere act of knocking might unleash something none of them were ready to face.
Maloi, growing impatient, let out an exasperated sigh. "Ako na, ako na. Ang gugulo ninyo."
At once, the six others fell silent, their anxious energy shifting towards her as she stepped forward. The weight of their collective hesitation settled on her shoulders.
Taking a deep breath, Maloi lifted her hand and rang the doorbell instead.
Ring
Ring
“Jho?”
Ring
Ring
“Ang tagal naman ni Ate Jho,” Sheena complained, her foot tapping restlessly on the floor.
Just as they were about to give up, Stacey stepped forward, knocking on the door instead with more force than necessary. “Jho? Jhoanna? Kami ‘to, pwede pabukas?”
Minutes stretched into what felt like hours, yet there was no sign of Jhoanna.
The silence was becoming unbearable.
"Umuwi ba siya ng Calamba?" Maloi asked, her eyes narrowing as she turned to face the group.
"No," Aiah responded firmly. "Miss MQ said na Jhoanna’s gonna stay here lang for the whole week eh."
The news left them puzzled.
All of their brows furrowed in thought, but it was Colet who broke the silence, pulling something small from her pocket. The others watched curiously as Colet retrieved a key from her palm, holding it up for them to see.
"Wow, bakit may susi ka ng condo ni Ate Jho?" Sheena asked, her voice dripping with amusement.
Colet shrugged nonchalantly. “Binigay niya sa’kin. In case daw mawala niya yung kanya, and for emergencies.”
The others, though surprised, nodded in understanding.
Without another word, Colet walked towards the door and slipped the key into the lock. The door creaked open, and the girls peeked inside, hoping to see their beloved leader, but the condo was eerily quiet.
“Ate Jho?” Sheena called tentatively.
"Jhoannaaaaa," Stacey’s voice joined in, this time louder and more desperate.
“Shhh!” Mikha scolded, her tone sharp. She shot them a warning glare. “Maybe she’s asleep lang.”
“Or ayaw tayong kausapin,” Gwen muttered under her breath, only half-joking.
“Jho?” Maloi called, her voice barely above a whisper. There was a tremble to it, barely noticeable, but there.
The air felt heavier now.
Sheena suddenly dropped to her knees. “Our favorite leader… Ate Jhoooo,” she sang in an overly theatrical tone. “Pretty please, I’m begging on my knees, talking to the moon, hoping you’ll come out of your shell…”
The girls turned to her, blank stares all around.
“Boang,” Colet muttered with a shake of her head as she continued walking deeper into the unit. She paused in front of Jhoanna’s bedroom door which was shut tight.
She raised her hand and knocked gently. “Jho?”
No answer.
Her stomach twisted. Something felt… off. Behind her, the others had gone quiet, the air tinged with unease. They weren’t usually the paranoid type, but there was something unnatural about the silence wrapping itself around the room.
Colet knocked again, firmer this time. “Jhoanna, bubuksan ko ‘to, ha?”
Still no response.
Impatience was starting to irritate Colet. They have to see their leader, she has to see her Jhoanna. She twisted the knob, but before she could even push the door open, it swung open on its own.
There, framed by the doorway, was Jhoanna.
Her hair was a mess, a chaotic halo of waves that looked like they hadn't been brushed in two days. Her oversized shirt hung awkwardly over one shoulder, and her eyes were puffy, half-lidded from sleep. She squinted at them, her brows furrowed as if they were the ones who didn’t make sense.
“Ano ba…” she groaned, voice scratchy and thick with sleep. “Ang iingay niyo naman.”
She rubbed her eye lazily, then scratched the back of her head, blinking in confusion as if her brain was still catching up to the reality of seven girls barging into her room first thing in the morning.
“Eh kasi kanina pa kami katok nang katok,” Stacey shot back with an eyebrow raised and her arms crossed, her tone dripping with sass. “Kung sana binuksan mo agad, edi sana hindi kami parang tambol na kumakatok sa pinto mo.”
Jhoanna gave her a deadpan stare, but before she could even think of a comeback, chaos descended.
Without hesitation, the girls swarmed her like bees to honey. Palms reached up to tap her head affectionately, fingers pinched at her sides, and arms looped lazily around her shoulders and waist.
It was a strange mix of aggression and affection that they consider as their love language spoken in giggles, pokes, and soft bullying.
“Nagtatampo pa ba ‘yan?” Maloi teased in a singsong voice, wrapping her arms tightly around Jhoanna from behind like a koala clinging to a tree. She buried her face into Jhoanna’s shoulder, planting exaggerated kisses that made Jhoanna cringe and struggle.
“Ate Maloi, ang kulit—” Jhoanna tried to twist free, her brows furrowing as she remembered exactly why she had distanced herself the night before.
That ache in her chest hadn’t completely faded.
The sting of hurt and misunderstanding still lingered just under her skin.
But Maloi didn’t budge.
Instead, the older girl clicked her tongue in protest and tightened her hold, locking her in place. “Nope. Di ka na makakatakas.” She punctuated her words with a sudden, playful bite on Jhoanna’s arm.
“Ate Maloi talaga!” Jhoanna yelped, jerking forward from the surprise. But before she could retaliate, a wickedly grinning Aiah snuck up from behind and gave her a push.
Jhoanna stumbled with a squeak and landed right onto the bed with a soft thump.
And just like that, it was over for her.
The girls took that as their cue.
With whoops and laughter, the others piled on one after another, collapsing onto the mattress like a human avalanche. Jhoanna tried to shield herself with a pillow, but it was no use.
“Aray! Ang bigat!” she groaned, limbs flailing underneath the dogpile. “Aray!” Her voice rose into helpless laughter as she tried to push them off, but no one was listening anymore.
"Ang bigat! Yung buhok ko!" Jhoanna cried out, her body squirming beneath the tangled mess of limbs and laughter that had collapsed on top of her.
She flailed helplessly, her legs kicking weakly against the weight of four other girls who had all decided that now was the perfect time to physically smother her with affection.
"Aray!" she repeated, more desperate this time, her voice rising an octave as her laughter bubbled up uncontrollably. She tried to wiggle free, but the more she struggled, the more they pinned her down—intent on making her pay for going MIA the night before.
No one listened.
No one ever did when it came to moments like this.
And then it happened.
She felt it.
That light, unmistakable flutter of fingers at her side.
Her eyes flew open. Her body froze in realization.
“‘Wag!” she gasped, “Oy! Oy! Oy!”
But her warning came a second too late.
In a flash, multiple hands dove straight for her sides, hips, ribs—anywhere they knew would send her squealing.
“Sheena! Sheena! Hawakan mo sa paa, dali!” Stacey barked in between giggles, her hands merciless as they danced over Jhoanna’s ticklish spots. The sound of her nails scratching gently at Jhoanna’s waist made the younger girl convulse in defense.
Giggling like a maniac, Sheena lunged forward and grabbed Jhoanna’s ankles, holding them in place with alarming enthusiasm. “Sa leeg, Staku!”
“Tama na!” Jhoanna shrieked, laughing so hard her voice cracked. She bucked under them, trying to roll to her side, but they had her locked in. Her laughter echoed through the condo—high-pitched, chaotic, and utterly unrestrained.
It was so intense, so loud, that if someone were standing in the hallway, they might’ve genuinely thought someone was being murdered.
“Ahh! Huy! Tama na, seryoso na!” Jhoanna cried between snorts and hiccuping giggles. Her hair was everywhere, sticking to her face, fanning wildly around the pillow beneath her head. Her pajama top had ridden up on one side, exposing just enough of her side to make the tickling even more effective.
Mikha cringed so hard she had to look away, covering her mouth to muffle her laugh. “Ang arte,” she muttered, but her shoulders were shaking, and it didn’t take long before she broke into full-blown laughter at the ridiculous sight. “Jho, yung itsura mo.”
There was Jhoanna who looked flustered, red-faced, her voice cracking into helpless squeals, while the girls took turns holding her down like she was a wild animal being studied by chaotic scientists. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and she had the expression of someone going through a full emotional breakdown, but in the most absurdly hilarious way.
Sitting a few pillows away from them, Gwen watched the entire thing unfold like it was a live sitcom. Her lips twitched, but she stayed where she was, unbothered and amused.
Colet, however, stood at the edge of the bed with her hands firmly planted on her hips. She looked like a mom ready to scold her kids after they flipped the house upside down.
“Hoy, ‘pag kayo talaga—” she began, voice stern.
The girls didn’t stop.
Colet continued, louder this time, “’Pag may nabalian diyan, walang iiyak ha.”
“Ate Colet! Tulong!” Jhoanna wailed dramatically, reaching out for her like she was the only adult in the room.
But her cries fell on deaf ears.
Or, rather, intentionally deaf ears.
Colet merely crossed her arms, standing by the bed like an unbothered referee, watching the chaos unfold without lifting a finger.
“Ayaw ko na! Ate Aiah! Hoy—wala akong bra!” Jhoanna shrieked in horror when she felt sneaky fingers crawl beneath her pajama top. She thrashed under the weight of her friends, voice breaking into a squeal.
“AY!” Aiah cried out, withdrawing her hands instantly with both surprise and guilt—but then burst into a wheezing laugh that doubled her over. “Sorry sorry sorry!”
The room erupted.
Mikha fell backward onto the bed, clutching her stomach, head tilted back as she howled in laughter. “Ang gulo niyo,” she managed between gasps.
Maloi, meanwhile, had claimed full control of everything. She straddled Jhoanna’s waist like a seasoned wrestler, pinning both wrists above her head with one hand, grinning down like a smug champion.
Sheena was at the foot of the bed, gripping Jhoanna’s ankles while mercilessly tickling her soles. “Gusto naman ‘yan ni Ate Jho,” she teased, nails scratching at sensitive spots.
And Stacey was laser-focused on attacking Jhoanna’s neck with her fingers, giggling every time the younger girl jolted like a puppet on strings.
“Hoy! Tama na,” Colet finally snapped, her voice sharp—Mom voice fully activated.
All heads turned towards her.
She was staring at Jhoanna with a mixture of amusement and pity. The girl looked like she had been mauled by a forest animal and left to be discovered days later—hair splayed out in every direction, pajama top rumpled halfway up her torso, skin flushed from exertion.
“Jho, bangon na,” Colet ordered, though her smirk betrayed her fondness.
With dramatic flair, the three girls who had tormented her finally backed off, crawling.
“Ang sakit tuloy ng likod ko,” Sheena snorted, wiping tears from her eyes.
“Si Ate Maloi ang lakas ng hawak kay Jho,” Stacey declared, slapping Maloi’s shoulder as if they had just won a tournament.
But Jhoanna didn’t move.
She lay motionless on the bed, her limbs spread out like she’d just completed a triathlon and lost her soul in the process. Her chest heaved with heavy breaths, her mouth slightly open, eyes fixed on the ceiling as if asking the heavens why?
Why had she ever let these girls into her condo?
Gwen crouched by the side of the bed, casually reaching out to smooth Jhoanna’s tangled hair, her eyes crinkling in amusement. “Huy, buhay ka pa ba?” she asked teasingly.
Jhoanna let out a guttural groan, rolled to one side like a corpse being dragged by gravity, and then rolled completely off the bed with a thud, landing on the floor in a heap.
Everyone paused.
Then laughter.
So. Much. Laughter.
“Mga potek kayo,” she muttered from the floor, voice hoarse as she pushed herself up with the strength of someone who’d just survived a natural disaster. She sat upright, legs splayed out in front of her, her shirt wrinkled and twisted, hair resembling a bird’s nest.
“Kakagising ko lang nga,” she complained, brows furrowed and lips pulled into a dramatic pout. “Pagod na pagod na naman ako?!”
Colet crouched beside her and opened a drawer from Jhoanna’s cabinet. She pulled out a fresh t-shirt and handed it over without a word. “Magpalit ka muna ng damit,” she said gently, before reaching over to fix Jhoanna’s tangled hair. Her fingers were quick but careful, pushing strands away from the girl’s forehead and wiping the sweat clinging there with her palm. “Dali na, Jho. Mukha ka nang napagtripan ng buong mundo.”
Jhoanna accepted the shirt with a sigh, still pouting, and looked up at Colet with a face so pitiful it made Colet laugh. She looked like a puppy that had been rained on and scolded.
From behind, Mikha’s foot nudged Jhoanna’s back playfully. “Ugh,” Jhoanna muttered, immediately twisting her body around to glare at her attacker.
Mikha was lounging on the bed like she owned it, clearly unbothered. Without warning, Jhoanna lunged to attack her, slapping a pillow in her direction.
“Jho, nandito talaga kami para mag sorry. Hoy, makinig ka,” Maloi cut in before a pillow war could erupt. She grabbed Jhoanna’s ankles with both hands and started pulling, causing Jhoanna to slide away from Mikha like a ragdoll.
Mikha let out a strangled sound as her target was stolen away.
“Binibiro ka lang naman namin kahapon,” Maloi said in a sing-song voice, looking up at her with those big, pleading eyes and an exaggerated pout, the way someone would talk to a grumpy toddler. Her tone dripped with playful guilt.
Jhoanna huffed but didn’t fight it too hard. She let Maloi tug at her, rolling her eyes with a faint smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.
“Yieee, smile na ‘yan,” Aiah teased, suddenly beside her, eyes gleaming with mischief as she leaned in with her signature cheeky grin. “Yak, ‘di bagay.”
“Arte mo naman!” Stacey winced, appearing out of nowhere to tug at Jhoanna’s hair gently before darting away in anticipation of retaliation.
And retaliation came fast.
“Aray! Ikaw…kanina ka pa ha,” Jhoanna jumped to her feet with renewed energy, chasing the kikay girl around the room with flailing arms. Stacey let out a high-pitched scream that made everyone burst into laughter.
Sheena took one look at the chaos and decided to betray her fellow perpetrator. She grabbed Stacey’s shoulders mid-run, locking her in place just long enough for Jhoanna to catch up.
“Hoy!” Stacey shrieked, eyes wide with betrayal. “Sheena, traydor ka!”
Jhoanna pounced, mercilessly tickling her sides. The room echoed with Stacey’s screeches and gasping laughter as she flailed in place, trying and failing to escape.
From her spot by the bed, Colet could only let out a long, exhausted sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “Parang mga bata,” she muttered to herself, but her fond smile betrayed her affection.
Then Aiah suddenly turned to the door, brushing invisible dust off her shirt. “Jho! I’ll use your kitchen ha? I want mag-breakfast.”
Without waiting for a response, she opened the door and made her way out like it was her own house.
“Ako rin, Jho! Pahingi ng food!” Maloi added quickly, bouncing up and down on her toes like she was preparing for a race, then following the eldest out of the room with light steps.
Before Jhoanna could even answer, Gwen stood up and turned to her with pleading eyes. “Jho, may Milo ka ba? May tinapay ka? Gutom na ako eh,” she asked sweetly.
Jhoanna nodded towards the kitchen. “May tinapay doon, binili ko kagabi. Kaso wala akong Milo, pero may Chuckie sa ref.”
That last sentence was a trigger.
Sheena and Stacey, who were still recovering from their earlier wrestling match, perked up like dogs hearing the word “treat.”
“Oh! Oh! Ako nauna!”
“Pahingi ako!”
“Hoy! Ako naghingi kay jho!”
The stampede of feet rushing towards the kitchen echoed down the hall as Sheena and Stacey vanished, arguing over who would get the first Chuckie like it was the last drink on earth.
Jhoanna stood in the middle of it all, hair still disheveled and shirt clinging to her back from the chaos moments ago. She was panting slightly, one hand on her waist as she tried to catch her breath while fixing the mess of her bangs with the other.
Mikha was already laid out on her bed, eyes closed and face turned towards the wall like nothing in the world could bother her.
And Colet stood nearby watching them both with a fond smile on her face. “Dito kami matutulog, ha?” she announced casually, already making herself at home as she stepped forward and gently tucked strands of hair behind Jhoanna’s ear. “Bihis ka na muna. Pahiram na rin ako ng pantulog? Tinatamad na ako umuwi.”
She raised a brow and gave Jhoanna’s shoulder a nudge, nudging her towards the cabinet. But Jhoanna only let out a dramatic groan and dropped backwards onto the mattress like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
Unfortunately, her dramatic collapse landed her right beside Mikha.
“Wow, sarap ng tulog Mikha Lim ah,” she said softly, and then grinned.
Without hesitation, she rolled closer and wrapped her arms around Mikha’s waist, snuggling into her like a koala on a tree branch. Mikha groaned in protest, barely opening her eyes as Jhoanna burrowed her face under her chin.
“Cuddle,” Jhoanna mumbled in her high-pitched baby voice, the kind that made people laugh or cringe.
Mikha chose the latter.
“Jhoanna, stop,” she groaned, lifting her arm to shove her away, but Jhoanna only clung tighter, her legs now tangled with Mikha’s, locking her in place. “Go away.”
“Stop daw,” Jhoanna mocked with a grin, “pero ang higpit ng kapit.” She giggled and gave Mikha a slap on the arm just as Mikha tried to retaliate with weak, half-hearted tickles.
Before another tickle fight could erupt, the bed dipped slightly again. A body flopped down on the other side, and Colet crawled in wearing one of Jhoanna’s oversized shirts. She scooted close until her head rested on Jhoanna’s other shoulder and wrapped her arm around her like a pillow.
“Jho,” Colet murmured, “ang weird ng panaginip ko.”
“Hm?” Jhoanna hummed, still locked in a cuddle on both sides.
Colet’s voice grew a little animated as she spoke into Jhoanna’s arm. “Napanaginipan ko na naging bata ka raw. Tapos naglalaro kayo ni Ep-ep dito sa condo. Pero nawawala yung ganito—yung older version mo.”
From the other side of the bed, Mikha sat up slightly, blinking. “Wait—me too!” she exclaimed, pointing at the ceiling like she just remembered a revelation. “Yung dream ko, ‘yung younger version ni Jho kasama ko bumili ng Jollibee. Tapos we bought BINI merch sa National Bookstore. Ang weird, but ang cute.”
“Luh, ako rin!” Sheena’s voice rang out from the doorway as she entered, sipping on her half-empty Chuckie like she owned the place. “Pero sa panaginip ko, kaming tatlo nila Stacey naglalaro sa playground. ‘Di ko nga maintindihan kasi puro sigaw.”
A voice then echoed from the living room, loud and commanding. “Shee! Hiwain mo raw ‘yung mga hotdog!” Stacey’s yell cut through the sound of the TV, adding to the orchestra of chaos that was slowly dying down into comfort.
Jhoanna groaned, rubbing her face before flopping onto her back again, her head now resting between Mikha and Colet.
“Ang weird n’yo naman,” she said, brows furrowed and lips twitching as she fought a smile. “Ibig sabihin ako talaga laman ng isip n’yo. Di niyo na ako matatakasan kahit sa panaginip niyo.”
“Ew,” Mikha gagged dramatically, grabbing a pillow and trying to smack her with it. “Feeling.”
Jhoanna just laughed, grabbing the pillow and using it to shield herself from the attack.
She barely had time to catch her breath when Colet’s voice rang out again, tone softer but playful. “Jho, dito nga kami matutulog ha?” she asked, though the way she was already half-settled into the space said she didn’t need the permission, just the confirmation.
Jhoanna raised her brow. “Bakit dito kayo matutulog? Pumayag ba ako?” she replied, arms crossed dramatically as she looked Colet up and down with offense.
Colet blinked in disbelief, eyes widening as if betrayed. “Ah gan’un? So ayaw mo?”
Before Jhoanna could answer, Colet lunged forward and launched a surprise tickle attack. Her fingers jabbed at Jhoanna’s sides mercilessly, making her yelp and twist away, struggling to hold back her laughter.
“Teka lang—ayoko na! Tama na, Ate Colet!” Jhoanna shrieked, trying to grab Colet’s wrists while laughing uncontrollably. Her body twisted left and right like a fish out of water, but Colet didn’t let up.
“Joke lang naman!” Jhoanna managed to say through a laugh, finally wresting free. Her cheeks were flushed, and her hair was a mess from squirming around. “Kiss muna bago ako pumayag.”
Colet rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. “Di ka pa nga nagmumumog. Ang baho ng hininga mo.”
Jhoanna leaned in, dramatically parting her lips and aiming her breath towards Colet. “Parang di ka naman sanay,” she teased.
“Jho! Bastos kang bata ka,” Colet squealed, scrambling backward across the mattress as she shielded herself with a pillow. Her giggles came in bursts as she pushed at Jhoanna’s face. “Mamaya na kasi!”
“Hoy, can you tone down the flirting?” Mikha’s voice broke through from the other side of the room. She didn’t even lift her head, just raised her arm to cover her eyes. “Mamaya niyo na gawin ‘yan. Respect guys, respect.”
Jhoanna snorted, releasing Colet who now lay panting beside her, catching her breath from laughing and dodging all at once. “Sus, gusto mo lang ikaw i-kiss ko eh.”
And without warning, she turned and pounced towards Mikha. Before Mikha could react, Jhoanna pressed a loud, exaggerated kiss to her cheek that was wet and proud.
“Yuck! Jhoanna!” Mikha gasped in horror, immediately grabbing the nearest corner of Jhoanna’s duvet and wiping her face furiously, as if she had just been attacked by a slobbery puppy.
Jhoanna collapsed back onto the bed, laughing as Mikha cursed her name under her breath.
From the kitchen, Maloi’s voice rang out, cutting through the teasing. “Hoy! Kakain na! Lapit na kayo dito!”
They all gathered around the small dining table, sitting close, knees touching, still in their pajamas and with sleep in their eyes.
Laughter returned, gentler this time, as they passed around the food, poked fun at each other’s bed hair, and tried to piece together what they wanted to do with the rest of the day.
“Movie marathon?” Sheena offered between bites. “Panoorin na rin natin yung K-Pop Demon Hunters na kagabi pa ni Staku kinakanta.”
“Why does it feel right eve—”
“Swimming kaya tayo?” Aiah added, already thinking about the games they could play at the rooftop pool.
“Pwede rin diba mag-picnic doon,” Maloi nodded, sipping her coffee.
But amid all the noise and plans and clatter of forks on plates, no one noticed the magic happening in the background.
On the refrigerator, held in place by mismatched magnets, was a crayon drawing—uneven, colorful, childlike.
It was Tintin’s.
A silly little doodle of the group, with wobbly heads and stick-figure limbs, all smiling under a bright yellow sun. But if one looked close enough—if one had eyes trained to see the barely visible—they would have caught the faint shimmer of golden pixie dust trailing from the corners of the page.
The paper, once crisp, had begun to soften, the colors slowly blending as the dust kissed its edges.
It wasn’t disintegrating, not exactly, but transforming.
Like something remembered fondly.
Like something that had done its part.
No one noticed it dissolve quietly.
No one heard the whisper of magic.
And perhaps, in the same unseen way, the hurt in Jhoanna’s heart was beginning to do the same.
No one would remember Tintin.
At least, not fully. Only that she had appeared in their dreams the night before—soft and fleeting like a forgotten song.
A shadow of innocence.
A laugh.
A tug on their hands in those half-remembered dreamscapes.
And you know the beauty of it all?
Tintin exists within Jhoanna.
Always has.
That soft, wide-eyed child—the one who smiles with no hesitation, who loves without question lives in Jhoanna’s laugh, in the way she crinkles her nose when teased, in how she clings to the people she loves even after being hurt.
They might not remember Tintin clearly. They might not realize why the sight of Jhoanna curled up on the couch makes them feel safe, or why her laughter feels like home. But in their eyes, she is still Tintin.
The same girl from the dreams they can't quite place.
The same heart they once promised to protect, even if they forgot.
And now, as pixie dust fades from a forgotten drawing on the fridge, and as the morning sun filters into the kitchen where the girls sit side by side while laughing, eating, and simply being them, something else lingers, too.
A piece of magic that never truly vanished.
Because love, once given, doesn't disappear.
And neither does Tintin, as she now lives on in the form of a grown woman with thick black-rimmed glasses, a wide, beaming smile, and a laugh that echoes through every room she enters.
Jhoanna.