Chapter Text
Colet sighed loudly as she wiped down tables at the coffee shop. She started working here two months ago when she realized that she would be going to college soon and needed money for that. Her family is not rich, and she doesn’t want to let her stepfather pay for her college tuition. Her relationship with him was not good because she didn’t let him in her life. He was a good man who treated them with love and kindness. Heck, he even gave her a sibling!
“Nicolette! Patulong muna dito.” Colet snapped out of her thoughts when Jasper, her co-worker, shouted across the room. Oh yeah, her full name is Ma. Nicolette Vergara, but she preferred to be called Colet. She doesn’t like it when other people call her with different nicknames. But she is okay with Nicolette, especially in a professional setting. She walked to the back of the room and helped him lift boxes of coffee and cream. They unpacked the boxes and stocked the contents in the supply room. Most of the time, they have been doing this since the coffee shop is not busy.
Suddenly, they heard the coffee shop’s bell jingling as the front door opened. Jasper signaled Colet to check in in front and she quickly obeyed. She stood behind the counter and took the customer’s order with a smile. She was so glad that the coffee shop didn’t have a long lineup, so she didn’t have to smile all day. The only thing that she liked about her work was that she learned Barista skills as well as baking.
When her shift was done, she changed her clothes into a simple shirt and jeans. Then, she put on her backpack and cap before heading out to wait for jeepney. She plugged her earphones and listened to OPM while still waiting for the jeepney. She observed the surroundings around her. People around her are busy running around while some stop to buy street food. Then, a girl caught her eye, well just because she caught her staring at her. The girl was standing on the other side of the street and she swore she had seen that Bayonetta glasses somewhere. The girl gave her a small smile, but Colet looked away suddenly feeling shy. She just realized that she had been staring at the girl too. As soon as her gaze left the girl, her jeepney arrived so she hurriedly hopped into it and didn’t look back at the girl.
When Colet got home, she removed her earphones and cap before greeting her mother and step-father who are currently watching something on TV. She did the bless and her mother told her to eat something in the kitchen. She just nodded before heading to her room to put down her stuff. She quickly checked her schedule board and spit out curses when she saw that she had an upcoming due date. She sighed before going to the kitchen and she saw her step-sister eating while watching something on her phone.
“Hi ate.” Her sister greeted her not taking her eyes away from her phone.
“Hoy Sheena Mae kumain ka muna diyan.” She scolded her while scooping rice on her plate. Sheena Mae Catacutan is her step-sister who was three years younger than her. She loved her like a full-blooded sibling, but she can be overprotective sometimes.
“Ihhh, may pinapanood lang ako sandali sa tiktok.” Sheena argued still glued to the phone.
“Mhm.” Colet responded before sitting across from her. “Pinapanood mo nanaman siguro mga tiktok ni Gweneth no.” She teased her and laughed softly when Sheena’s face turned pink.
Gweneth Apuli or Gwen for short is a school hearthrob. She is a year older than Sheena, but a year younger than Colet. She is part of the dance club, which is the club that Sheena is planning to join. She is quiet and always looks cool which gives her a mysterious person aura. Sheena has been following her on TikTok because of her skill in dancing and well because she is good-looking.
“Huyyy.” Sheena simply said putting her phone down on the table.
Colet paused her movements before raising one eyebrow. “Bakit mali ba ako?”
“Ehh alam mo namang crush na crush ko siya e. Ang poganda niya kaya.” Sheena said dramatically.
Colet lets out an airy laugh while shaking her head. “Tigilan mo na yan. Balita ko may nililigawan na yan. Masasaktan ka lang.”
Sheena frowned deeply while pouting her lips. “Kung makapagsalita ka parang hindi mo tinitigan ng isang oras picture ni Ate Aiah!”
Colet almost choked on her food on Sheena’s bluntness, while the younger girl smirked teasingly. Maraiah Queen Arceta, Aiah for short, is one of the popular girls in school. She is the same age as Colet so they are in the same school year. She is beautiful, intelligent, athletic, and a beauty queen. She also has a good heart helping out things with good causes by organizing events herself. She is also part of the student government body. That is why Colet has a big crush on her.
The older girl reached out for a glass of water before speaking, “I-iba yong sa akin.”
“Anong iba? Eh balita ko nagda-date daw sila ni Mikha Lim.”
Mikhaela Janna Lim, but she preferred to be called Mikha. She is also one of the popular girls in school because she is an athlete. She is on a volleyball team and is the team captain. Not only that, but she is also cool and intelligent. She is so intelligent that she accelerated into a year which is why she is in the same year as Colet. Mikha and Gwen are also cousins so imagine the screams of girls in the hallway when the two walked together. There are also rumours around school that she is dating Aiah due to their closeness.
Colet rolled her eyes before leaning into her chair. “Tsismis lang naman yun tsaka wala naman akong chance kay Aiah so hindi na mahalaga yon.”
“Paano ka magkakaroon ng chance eh ni hindi mo nga kinakausap.” Sheena pointed out before taking a bite of her food.
“Sheena.” She said her name firmly. “Tingnan mo nga itsura ko. Tingin mo ba titingnan ako ni Aiah? Eh wala nga ako sa kalingkingan no’ng Mikha Lim.”
Sheena rolled her eyes before pouting, “Sobra ka naman sa sarili mo. Kasing cool ka rin kaya ni Mikha Lim kaso ang kulang sayo confidence.”
Colet opened her mouth to argue but closed it again when she didn’t know what she’d say. So she huffed frustratingly before saying, “Kumain ka nga lang diyan.”
Sheena laughed softly knowing that she had a point, but she didn’t say anything and just ate there quietly. Then she opened her mouth again as soon as she remembered something, “Oo nga pala ate, mag-audition na ako sa dance club sa weekend baka gusto mong sumabay?”
Colet stopped moving all of a sudden. She looked at Sheena without any expression before speaking, “Alam mo na sagot ko diyan.”
“Come on ate! Sabi ni mama mahilig ka daw sumayaw at magaling pa! I want to see that so please join ka na with me.” Sheena pleaded using her puppy dog eyes.
“Ayoko nga.”
“Please?”
Colet sighed deeply. “Please huwag mo na akong pilitin kasi mali si mama. Ayoko na sa mga ganyang bagay. Mag-focus na lang ako sa pag-aaral ko.” Colet said seriously. Then she bit her tongue since she knew that she was lying to Sheena and to herself.
Sheena stared at her and stayed quiet. She knew well not to push Colet even further because the older girl could breathe fire for real when she wanted to. Also, she can see that her sister is still struggling whenever this topic is discussed. So she sighed heavily before checking her phone to simp on Gwen again.
Colet is sitting at the table just outside the canteen minding her own business. She is listening to music on her earphones, while she is waiting for Sheena for lunch. The slight breeze from the tree above her calmed her down as she tapped her fingers on the table matching it with the music on her ears. The memory of last night with Sheena came to mind. She used to love dancing and she sometimes missed the feeling of it. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t find her rhythm anymore. She used to dance with her father. Cha cha is her father’s favourite. She put on a sad smile at the memory of them dancing in the living room. Maybe her life would be different if he was still alive.
“ATE COLET!” Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Sheena scream her name. It’s so loud that she heard it despite the loud music in her ears. She noticed that Sheena had company. She is a tall girl with big glasses. She removed one earphone when the two girls sat down in front of her.
“Okay lang ba sumabay si Jho sa atin?” Sheena asked while taking her backpack out.
“Oo walang problema.” Colet answered and the tall girl smiled shyly.
“Thank you, ate.”
“Sus ang pabebe. Crush mo lang ate Colet ko e.” Sheena teased the tall girl and the said girl blushed before hitting Sheena playfully.
Jhoanna Christine Robles, but her friends call her Jho. She is Sheena’s classmate and best friend. Despite her young age, she is the head of the broadcasting club and part of the student government body. She is funny, intelligent, and has a strong leadership skill. Sheena often teases her over her small crush on Colet. Jhoanna finds her quietness and aura cool.
Colet laughs softly while shaking her head at the banter between the two. She doesn’t really have any friends at school besides her sister. She doesn’t bother with it since she thinks she is not really interesting, so no one would bother befriending her. So, she felt uncomfortable when she learned people took an interest in her especially if it was in a joking way.
“Baliw ka talaga baka naman ma-awkward si ate Colet.” Jhoanna said sounding worried.
“Hindi okay lang. Wag niyo na lang akong pansinin dito sa isang sulok.” Colet joked slightly assuring her that the teasing was no problem, even if she felt slightly uncomfortable.
“Be! Ayun si Gwen oh.” Sheena gushed over the girl across from them while clinging to Jhoanna’s arm.
“Kalmahan mo lang be.” Jhoanna said in a monotone while slightly shaking her head into her simp friend.
Sheena knitted her eyebrows when Gwen approached a girl and sat next to her. “Huy, diba nasa club mo rin yung babae na yon?”
Jhoanna looked closely before her lips turned into a straight line. “Oo si Stacey.”
Stacey Aubrey Sevilleja the ‘kikay’ girl in the school. She is in the same school year as Gwen and they are also classmates. Some of her friends call her Staku as a nickname, while some boys call her ‘prinsesa’ when they tease her. She is in the broadcasting club with Jhoanna and the two always butt heads. Stacey always disagrees with her and sometimes Jhoanna doesn’t appreciate her tone. Right now, Gwen is courting her.
“Malas mo siya ang nililigawan ng bebe mo. Wala e. Classmates sila kaya may advantage yung prinsesa.” Jhoanna said, an irritation in her voice while looking at the girl.
Stacey suddenly looked in their direction, meeting Jhoanna’s eyes. She stared at Jho for a moment, then suddenly blinked her eyes like she had just realized something and rolled her eyes at Jhoanna before glancing away. Jhoanna just huffed deeply, feeling more irritated. “Kainis talaga yan.”
Sheena looked at them in an interesting way. She smirked teasingly before tapping Jhoanna’s shoulder. “Hay nako friend ang oblivious mo.”
Jhoanna knitted her eyebrows. “Anong oblivious. Hoy wag na wag mo nga akong matutukso sa babaeng yan at baka magsimula bigla ang third world war.”
Sheena laughed out loud still teasing Jhoanna, while the tall girl kept telling her to stop. Colet smiled a little at the banter between the two. Well, at least they are having fun. Her smile faded and was replaced by a gaping mouth when she saw the most beautiful girl on the campus for her. Aiah was just leaving the canteen as she laughed with her friends. Her eyes shone through the sunlight as her long hair was being blown by the slight wind.
Suddenly, Aiah looked in her direction and their eyes met. Colet froze in place while her heart was beating fast in her chest. She looked away quickly and was about to walk away from where she was sitting when she bumped into a girl. Shit. Now, she is drawing attention to herself. Without thinking, she grabbed the girl’s wrist. “Tara palitan ko food mo.” She said quickly before dragging the girl away.
Colet walked fast away from the quad. She kept turning into corners, and when she was sure she was far away from there, she stopped panting a bit.
“Uhm, akala ko papalitan mo yung food ko. Bakit mo ako dinala dito?” That’s when she realized that she just grabbed a random person away from there. So, she turned to face the girl and her eyes widened in surprise when it was the girl with Bayonetta glasses that she saw last night. “Dito rin pala siya nag-aaral.”
Colet looked down and realized that she was still holding her wrist so she let go quickly. “P-pasensya na.”
The girl looked at her weirdly before smiling. “May tinataguan ka siguro no?” she teased.
Colet looked away from her scratching the back of her head. Slightly messing up her half-bun. “A-ah hindi. Sorry ulit. Hindi ko alam ginagawa ko.”
The girl laughed slightly covering her mouth with one hand. “Oh sige na. Maglulunch na ako. See you around.”
“Teka.” Colet stopped the girl before she walks away. “Natapon ko yung lunch mo so papalitan ko na gaya ng sinabi ko.”
“Ah no need na. Accident naman yun.”
“Sige na. Ako na, nakakahiya kasi.” Colet insisted. The girl smiled before nodding. Then, they started walking towards the canteen.
“Thank you, Nicolette.” The girl said softly.
Colet looked at her while both her hands were in her pocket. “Paano mo nalaman pangalan ko ?”
The girl laughed again before looking at her. “Classmates tayo, di ba?”
Colet suddenly feels ashamed and a slight guilt. She doesn’t really pay attention to her classmates. She doesn’t bother knowing their names or looking at their faces. She just minds her own business most of the time. Now thinking about it, no wonder that Bayonetta glasses looked familiar when she saw her last night. They’re classmates!
“Mary Loi Yves Ricalde nga pala.” The girl introduced herself while holding out her hand.
Colet took it and they shook hands. “Haba ng name mo ah.”
Mary Loi shrugged. “Well, my friends called me Maloi so you can call me that if you want.”
Mary Loi Yves Ricalde, Maloi for short. She is a quiet and simple girl who always wears Bayonetta glasses. She is a member of the school’s choir, but other than that she is not active in school activities like Colet. Colet never really heard anything about her, except today. So, it made her slightly mysterious? Or is she just a normal student like her?
When they arrived at the canteen, Maloi bought the same meal she dropped earlier. Colet was about to walk away when Maloi stopped her, insisting that she eat with her. Colet was hesitant, but for some reason, she nodded. They sat at the corner of the canteen as the place was still busy with students eating their lunch and hanging out.
Maloi opened the wrapper of her burger, split it in half, and gave it to Colet. She refused to take it, but Maloi shoved her hand closer to Colet, surprising the other girl. Maloi smiled playfully as Colet took the other half.
“Sabi ko kakain tayo e, so bawal tumanggi.” Maloi said before taking a bite of her burger. Colet sat there awkwardly, then smiled and bit into her burger.
The two turned their heads simultaneously when they heard squeals around them. And there they saw Mikha Lim in the flesh. She was talking to her friends while they were lined up to buy some food. When she laughed, Colet heard Maloi grunt in front of her.
“Ugh. Ang poganda niya talaga.”
Colet stared at Mikha for a moment before turning her head to look at Maloi, “Crush mo rin siya no?”
Maloi scrunched her face like Colet just said something so ridiculous. “Hindi no. Di ko type.”
Colet smirked at her teasingly. “Eh bakit napa-‘ugh. Ang poganda niya talaga.’ ka?”
Maloi rolled her eyes slightly. “Wala gusto ko lang makita reaction mo.”
“Huh?” Colet said dumbfoundedly.
“So bakit ka nga nagwalk out kanina?” Maloi suddenly asked, changing the topic. This surprised and confused Colet at the same time. Man, this girl is something else. She thought she was just a quiet and gentle girl, but she was wrong.
“Wala. Nataranta lang kasi nabangga kita kaya ayon hindi na ako nakapag-isip.” Colet lied not looking into Maloi. She suddenly felt awkward.
“Hmmmm.” Maloi hummed like she did not believe her. “Bakit ka nataranta? Crush mo ba ako?”
Colet choked on her burger. What the hell? This girl. She heard Maloi laugh softly before giving her water. She took it quickly gulping the chunk that was stuck in her throat.
“Sorry. Gusto lang sana kitang biruin.” Maloi said, a hint of playfulness in her tone.
Colet slightly knitted her eyebrows. Seriously, this girl is something else. She glanced at the Maloi slightly as the smaller girl ate her burger happily. She was humming a bit while her mouth was full of burgers. Colet noticed there was a ketchup on the corner of Maloi's mouth. Without thinking, she grabbed a napkin and wiped it.
“Kalat.”
Maloi stopped her movements to look at Colet. Then, Colet froze when she realized what she had just done. So, she threw the napkin into Maloi’s face while hiding her face using one hand. She felt her cheeks burning up feeling shy. What the hell is wrong with her, today?!
“S-sorry. Nasanay lang ako na ginagawa sa kapatid ko kaya di na ako nakapag-isip.” Colet rambled as she was still hiding her face in her hand. Then, she stood up quickly and ran away from the canteen. Gosh! She did many embarrassing things today. Maloi’s face suddenly flashed into her mind and she could feel her face warming up again.
“T*ngina, tumigil ka!”
Colet neatly organized the napkins on the counter, making herself busy to distract her from today’s event. Thankfully, the coffee shop is a bit busy today because of the procrastinating students. The coffee shop’s bell jingled as a customer came in. Colet was about to greet the customer when she froze in place. Oh no. She rubbed her eyes before taking a second good look, but it was really HER.
Maloi came in wearing a blouse and a long skirt covering her knees. She still has her Bayonetta glasses while clutching the strap of her cross-body bag. Her smile widened as she saw Colet behind the counter. Colet’s heartbeat started to run at a fast rate. She felt like her chest was going to burst anytime soon. Maloi started to walk towards her.
Great. Really great. She needed a distraction, but the one she needed distraction from just came to bother her even more.
“Hi, ano pong gusto nila?” Colet greeted her, forcing a smile. She had no choice but to do this since this was part of her job.
“Hi din. I’ll have that.” Maloi pointed at the board. “Yung matcha. Thank you.”
Colet puts her order in and starts making her drink. She sees Maloi sitting on the stool of the counter, opening her bag to get her laptop out. A moment later, Colet finishes making her drink and serves it to her.
“Enjoy.” She simply said.
“Thank you.” Maloi said softly smiling at her. Colet just nodded before making herself busy again. Maloi kept working using her laptop, but Colet caught her looking at her sometimes smiling at her. She just avoided her gaze and continued working.
As time went by, the number of people at the coffee shop started to diminish, except for one. Maloi is still there, looking busy at her laptop. She finished her drink a long time ago, and the sun was starting to fade from the sky, enveloped by darkness. So, against her will, Colet walked in her direction. She slightly leaned into the counter to catch the attention of the girl with Bayonetta glasses.
“Hindi ka pa ba uuwi? Anong oras na. Kanina ka pa nandito.” Colet said looking at the girl in front of her.
Maloi closed her laptop before answering, “Uuwi ka na ba? Hinihintay kita e.”
Colet knitted her eyebrows while giving her a questioning look. “Ano?”
“Hinihintay kita. Sasabay ako sayo.” Maloi repeated herself while putting her things into her bag.
“Bakit?” Colet asked looking at the girl weirdly.
“Hindi mo pa ba gets, Nico?”
Colet opened her mouth slightly exhaling a bit. “Nico?” She hated it.
Maloi noticed her frown so she leaned into the counter bringing her face close to Colet. The taller girl was taken aback taking one step back and looking nervous.
“Do you want me to say it?” Maloi asked playfully.
“A-ang alin ba?” Colet asked, trying to sound irritated, but she couldn’t help and felt nervous about Maloi’s closeness.
“I like you, Nico. Gustong gusto kita.”