Mirage

twelve

When Mira heard that, she panicked. "What? Wag na." She felt anxious being alone in with a lot people even if it's just for a moment. Aliyah raised her brows, amused at Mira.

"Why? Kukuha lang ako ng shirt."

"Hindi naman ganon kabasa shirt mo eh."

"Anong hindi? Basa kaya oh." Aliyah pointed at her wet shirt and looked at Mira. The latter looked worried, different from when she first saw her.

"Are you nervous?"

"No."

"Wehh? Mabait naman sila eh, promise. Hindi sila nangangagat."

Mira quietly put the plates away after washing and Aliyah helped. She didn't say anything as they moved the utensils.

Both were quiet for a while until Aliyah talked. "Sorry if I'm forcing you to interact with them. You can go naman na if you want. Nakakakain ka na ng dinner eh." She smiled warmly.

The girl sighed and said, "Go get a shirt."

"Talaga? Dun ka muna sa sala, okay lang?"

Mira nodded.

"Kapag may mga pinagsasabi silang weird wag mo na lang pansinin ha, saglit lang ako wait." Aliyah hurriedly went to her room to get changed.

She went inside her room and leaned on the door for a while. She feels sick, not in a sickly way. But she felt conscious of how her heart was thumping on her chest. "Pagod lang siguro."

Aliyah smiled remembering how playful Mira was at the kitchen earlier. She could feel the girl beginning to be open to her and it felt nice. It looks like Mira doesn't notice but Aliyah was glad to see Mira in a good mood tonight — though quite nervous as well.

As she got out of her room after changing, she could hear her friends' voice in the living room. Aliyah looked at their direction and could see how Mira was awkwardly sitting between Cleo and Mayu. She finds it cute, how Mira would rub her ears when feeling awkward or nervous. Her whole expression was just so cute, it made Aliyah smile wide.

"Ilang taon ka na Mira?" Guia asked.

"22."

"Pano mo napagsasabay dalawang part time?" Stella was sitting on the carpet floor and looked at Mira curiously.

"True, graduate ka na ba?" Joanne asked beside Stella.

"Gusto ko rin mag part time kaso ung schedule sa school." Stella continued.

"Ano course mo?" Sam asked as well not giving Mira time to answer.

Mayu joined too and said, "San ka nag aaral?"

"Guys, stop. Inooverwhelm niyo masyado." Aliyah said and sat in front of Mira, on a single seat sofa.

Aliyah herself doesn't know much about the girl so she also wants to know but she thinks it would be appropriate if she let Mira decide when to open up.

Mira looked at Aliyah and bit her lip. She wanted to sit beside her and not feel so uncomfortable.

The girl looked like she was in deep thoughts and all of them waited for Mira to say something.

"Uhm. Tuwing Wed and Friday lang ung part time sa building nila Cielo. Other than those days nasa gas station ako." Mira explained.

"Nasa school ka pa ba or graduate na? Same age lang pala tayo." Sam curiously said.

Mira looked at the floor and said, "No. Hindi ako nag college."

The girls didn't react but was kind of surprised because they just assumed Mira was in college.

"Ang sipag mo naman mag part time. Do you want Ice cream? May dala sila Sam na ice cream kanina." Aliyah changed the topic. Mira just nodded so Aliyah stood up to get some and all of them didn't ask about Mira's background anymore.

The eight girls hung out and catching up especially with Mayu and Guia. Mira was quiet all the time unless the question is for her, she was just listening to them talk and sometimes would look at Aliyah. The latter would laugh and give comments to the girl's stories.

It was getting later that night. Cielo and Sam were already bidding their goodbyes because there's still work tomorrow.

"Thanks for inviting me, guys." Cielo said after hugging Joanne.

"Kasama ka rin naman namin nung college Cielo ano ka ba, parte ka rin ng grupo." Guia said. Cielo, Guia, Stella, Joanne and Sam were all from the same campus. Cielo and Guia were just the first ones to graduate.

"Oo nga sadyang napaka introvert mo lang talaga." Sam joked.

"Bye guys mag ingat kayo pauwi ah." Aliyah said.

"Kami rin ni Guia mauna na, kita na lang tayo bukas ate Liyah." Mayu side hugged Aliyah.

"Okayy, Gigi hahatid mo ba si Mayu?" Aliyah turned to Guia who nodded. "Oo kotse ko gamit namin eh."

"Bat hindi mo isabay sila ate Cielo?" Stella said to Guia.

Joanne tried to stop herself from laughing because Stella looked on edge. Aliyah forced herself to stop from smiling too and shook her head.

"Ah oo sinabi ko na rin naman na pwede sumabay sila Cielo at Sam." Guia scratched the back of her head.

"Let's go?" Mayu winked at Aliyah with a playful smile and clung on to Guia's arm.

"Bye Sammy, lunch bukas ha." Joanne said to Sam.

"Yes po, bawal late ha."

"Sus kelan pa ako na late."

"Sinasabi ko lang." Sam stuck out her tongue. Cielo nudged her, "Tama na yan naghahantay sila Guia."

"Bye Mira!" They all said good bye to Mira too which the girl just waved and nodded in response.

"Good bye." She whispered as if someone would hear it.

"Ate liyahhhh! Thanks, sa dinner!" Stella hugged Aliyah. "Bawi ka na."

"Ay hindi pa pala ako bawi kahapon nung breakfast?"

"Hindi pero ngayon oo."

Aliyah laughed at Stella's cuteness.

"Tara na Stell." Joanne motioned to Stella. She looked at Mira who was still sitting on the couch, "Ikaw Mira?"

"Ah aalis din siya may ibibigay lang ako." Aliyah reasoned and urged the two girls to walk to the door way.

"Matulog kayo agad ha! Good night girls."

Now that they were only two of them, she turned to Mira, "Okay ka pa?"

The girl nodded and tiredly sighed. "Ang daming tao." She mumbled. "Di ako sanay."

Aliyah chuckled. "Busog ka na ba or kaya pa ng tiyan mo for another dessert?"

"Ikaw di ka pa busog?"

She shook her head. "Gusto ko tikman ung cake na binili mo."

"Okay sige."