Chapter Text
Jhoanna intently focused on the TV screen, entertained by the game she has been playing for hours. Gripping her fingers on the ps5 controller, she smirked as her character drove off, while cops were chasing her. She was playing GTA 5, an action-adventure game with a set of criminals with their goals. Her thumb swayed at the joystick as her car turned away from the cops. As she was about to hide from the cops, a voice echoed through the house.
“Jhoanna! Anak!” Jhoanna's mom, Jhonna, called out.
Jhoanna groaned and exhaled sharply; she knew her mom was going to give her another errand. Jhoanna lazily straightened up to go to her mother. “Ano po ’yun, Ma?”
“Nak, bili ka nga groceries natin, para may bagong stock ako diyan sa kusina.” Her mother stated.
Jhoanna sighed, but took the money anyway to go to the nearest supermarket. Jhoanna wore a soft hoodie with shorts that were neither too long nor too short. She went to the meat section first to pick up ground beef, pork chops, chicken breasts, and chicken wings. She navigated the aisles, collecting food for the kitchen and snacks to enjoy for herself.
Out of the corner of her eye, she swore she saw a familiar figure.
Colet?
Jhoanna panicked, seeing her ex for the first time in 2 years made her heart pound again. She wasn't ready to face her again. Jhoanna didn't care how childish she looked right now; what mattered was that Colet doesn't spot her right away.
Jhoanna quickly darted into the middle of the aisle and hid off to the side so Colet wouldn't see her. She couldn't face her, not with the anger she felt towards her—and she was certain Colet felt the same way.
Back then, they had both been too immature to handle their relationship, which is why it ultimately broke apart. Colet needed to study at her dream university, but that also meant moving far away from Jhoanna. Jhoanna had lashed out in anger because Colet had kept it a secret, only revealing she was leaving at the last minute. Colet, getting angry in return, because she had thought Jhoanna wouldn't support her through her dreams, she immediately gives up on their relationship. Amidst with the overwhelming conflicts and stress, they had separated.
Right now, Jhoanna was sweating despite the supermarket's cool air, her nerves tightly wound. Yet, she still peeked at Colet. Something had changed. Colet was even more beautiful, and her entire aura was different. Her vibe was calm, and her clothing was distinctive now. Deep down, Jhoanna is still in love with her. She knew it, but she shook off the feeling of love towards Colet, and wanted to replace it with hatred.
Jhoanna moved to the cashier quicker than before and placed her items on the checkout counter. Her patience wore thin as her foot tapped on the tiles, looking around for any sign of Colet. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Colet wasn't near yet. She had done her best to avoid her.
Once her bags were full of food and ready to go, she bolted outside the supermarket, stopping just near the glass doors. She thanked the universe for getting her out of a bad place. Suddenly, she felt a light finger tap her on her shoulder. She spun around to see Colet's furrowed eyebrows, who was obviously annoyed by Jhoanna's presence. The glare on Colet's face said it all. It was enough to make Jhoanna glare back.
“Excuse nga. Maraming tao ang dumadaan diyan, may emote pa eh.” Colet hissed.
“Excuse me? Hindi ako nag e-emote. Nagpahinga lang saglit.” Jhoanna said coldly, not too aggressive. She had no energy to start a fight so she abruptly turned her back to go straight home. She was obviously fuming right now, but Jhoanna had to keep herself calm as well. She didn't want to crash out in a public place, so she quickens her pace to finally take a rest at home.
“Panira talaga ng araw yung babaeng yon. Bwisit.” she mumbled, rolling her eyes at the thought of seeing Colet give her an icy glare. But remembering how lightly Colet tapped her shoulders, made her cheeks appear slightly red. It was wrong to feel that way, she knows that obviously but she chose to shake off the feeling again.
Just when Jhoanna was about to open her door, a voice called out to her.
“Jho.”
Her voice. Colet—again.
Jhoanna turned sharply, visibly irked by Colet’s reappearance. The disdain was clearly mutual, because of Colet’s cold demeanor and sharp movements. Jhoanna wanted to curse—to tell Colet to go back to where she had gone all those years ago. The latter wanted to scream as well, but she controlled her thoughts anyway. “Anong kailangan mo? Stalker ka ba? Bakit ka nandito sa tapat ng bahay ko?” She demanded.
“Apaka arte ha. Piste, ang daming tanong amp.” Colet rolled her eyes. She reached into her pocket to retrieve Jhoanna’s wallet, which had been left on the ground just a few minutes ago when Jhoanna ran off.
Oh?
Jhoanna’s mom suddenly opened the door, slowly peering out to see Colet and Jhoanna standing face-to-face. Her mother’s expression was calm at first, but the moment she recognized Colet, her whole face lit up.
“Colet!! Nakabalik ka na pala rito sa Laguna?” Jhoanna’s mother exclaimed, evidently thrilled.
“Bakasyon lang po, Tita”
Colet chuckled. She was delighted to see Jhoanna’s mom, who had been very close to her two years ago. “Ahh. Tara. Makikain ka muna saamin.” Colet hesitated for a moment. She observed Jhoanna’s reaction first and she saw that Jhoanna was visibly irritated again. Colet grinned and accepted Tita Jhonna’s offer to successfully taunt Jhoanna in a mocking way.