Bound by Friendship

Chapter 1

"Pst, Jas" I heard someone call my name, kaya naman lumingon ako. But when I looked around, wala namang tumawag sakin. Kaya I went back to answering my exam. Seconds later, narinig ko nanamang may tumatawag sakin. Nung tinawag ako, I looked beside me. Yun pala, tinatawag ako ni Mia. "Bakit?" I whispered. She then asked kung ano yung answer sa number 9, which made me chuckle. Ang cute niya ba naman. After chuckling at Mia's question, I leaned a bit closer to her, making sure no one can hear us. "Number 9? Uhm.." I glanced back at my paper, so that I can tell her the answer. "Answer is, C" I said softly, trying to be discreet. Mia nodded, jotting down the answer quickly on her own exam paper. "Thanks, Jas!" she whispered back with a grateful smile. As I turned back to my own exam, I couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement at the small interaction. Mia's smile lingered in my mind as I focused on finishing the rest of the questions.

Despite trying to focus on the remaining questions, my mind kept drifting back to Mia's smile. There was something about her that always managed to brighten up my day, even the most stressful situations. Lost in thought, I didn't realize that Mia had finished her exam and was now discreetly passing a note to me. I unfolded it cautiously, expecting it to contain another question about the exam. But instead, it read, "Wanna grab some snacks after this?" Surprised by the unexpected invitation, I glanced at Mia, who was now giving me an encouraging smile. With a smile of my own, I quickly jotted down my response on the note and passed it back to her. "Sure, sounds good!"

After the exam, umalis na kami ng room ni Mia upang kumuha ng snacks. Habang naglalakad sa hallway, I couldn't help but smile from our interaction. Ang babaw ko, I know. "Grabe Jas, ang hirap ng exam kanina no?" sabi ni Mia, habang tumitingin sa canteen na pwedeng bilin. "Kaya nga e" ang sagot ko, sabay tawa. "Pero atleast tapos na tayo" 

Habang papaalis na kami sa canteen ay bigla naming nadaanan ang boyfriend niya, si Alex. I gulped hard when I saw him. Suddenly, happines turned into sadness. "Hey, Alex!" masayang sinigaw ni Mia habang papalapit sakanya. "Kamusta ka?" 

"Okay lang," sagot ni Alex, na tila walang pake sa'kin doon. "Kasama ko lang sila Ben at Mark sa gym kanina"

"Ah talaga ba? Nag enjoy ka?" Tanong ni Mia habang nakangiti. Alex nodded. "Ok naman, ikaw, kamusta exam?" 

"Ok lang siya. Mahirap, pero buti andito si Jas. For the rescue" sabay tawa. May side comment sana ako don, kaso bago pa ko makapagsalita ay biglang nag ring yung cellphone ko. Kinuha ko yung cellphone ko from my pocket at tinignan kung sino ang natawag. "Sino yan?" Tanong ni Mia. "Si Nash lang" ang sagot ko. Di ko nalang muna sinagot ang tawag ni Nash dahil magkikita rin naman kami mamaya sa classroom, mamaya na siya

"Tara na, don tayo sa kabilang canteen. May Fries don e" sabi niya, habang nakangiti. "Oo, tara. Pumunta na tayo don," nang sinabi ko yon ay nag paalam na si Mia kay Alex at umalis na kami. Nang lumingon ako, napansin kong nakatitig si Alex samin. And I can't help but think if he's jealous or what

While me and Mia were walking towards the other canteen, I just cant shake off  the feeling of Alex's gaze on me. I mean, it's not the first time this has happened. But today it feels more different. More intense. "Jas, Jasper!" nagulat ako nang sumigaw siya, siguro dahil lumulutang isip ko. "Huh?" ang sagot ko. "Okay ka lang?" tanong niya

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied with a forced smile. Hoping she doesnt notice the unease in my voice. "Just thinking 'bout the exam" 

Mia nods understandingly, but you can tell na may iba siyang iniisip. "You know, I've been meaning to ask you something.." she says, her tone hesitant. "What is it?" I asked, curious. "It's about Alex" she begins, glancing back at the other canteen where he's still seated. "Dont you think he's been acting strange lately?"

Her question caught me off guard, but I quickly reply with "I dont know, maybe he's just stressed with school and stuff. Also he's been really exhausted from doing basketball and gym all day, so I guess thats normal..?" I say, try hard maging nonchalant. Mia nods, but theres a furrow in her brow that tells you she's not entirely convinced. As we reach the other canteen, bumili nalang kami ng fries and some other snacks tas bumalik na kami sa room namin.

After class

It's 7pm, cleaners ako today kaya pinauna ko nang umuwi si Mia. Sabi ko mag tricycle siya, and buti naman sumunod siya. After namin maglinis ng room, kinuha ko na bag ko then bababa na sana ako kaso bigla akong tinawag ni Nash. "Jas! Hintayin mo 'ko, inaayos ko pa gamit ko. Sabay tayo umuwi" I nodded nalang, since I was in no mood non

"Okay ka lang bro?" tanong ni Nash, since di ako nagsasalita. "Huh, oo" sagot ko. "Di nga? Gusto mo libre?" tanong niya, which made me smile a bit. "Wag na, ok lang ako" ang sabi ko

"Di nga? Kanina ka pa ganyan. Si Mia't si Alex nanaman ba?" I was shook nung sinabi niya yon. "Ha? Dami mong sinasabi, ilibre mo na nga lang ako," tumawa lamang si Nash then said "sabi na e" I just sighed then bumili na kami ng milktea and takoyaki, libre niya since I was feeling down nga daw

While me and Nash were nag k-kwentuhan habang kumakain, ay biglang nag ring ang phone ko. "Shet, si daddy" ang sabi ko't sinagot ko ang tawag niya

in call

Dad: Jasper Vaughn Garcia! Anong oras na 'di ka pa nakakauwi. Asan ka ba, nagala gala ka pa ba?!

Jas: H-hindi po. Kumakain lang po kami ni Nash, after neto uuwi na po kami (I then showed Nash kay Daddy para maniwala siyang kumakain nga kami ni Nash)

Nash: Hi po tito

Dad: O sige. Basta siguraduhin mong uuwi ka na pagtapos niyan. Pag nalaman kong gumagala gala ka pa yari ka sakin pag uwi.

call ended

"Nakakatakot talaga yon si tito kahit kelan pre" sabi ni Nash. I just sighed then kumain na. After eating umalis na kami ni Nash sa kinaroroonan namin at naglakad na kami pauwi. "Ay- oo nga pala Jas"

"Huh?" I asked. "Mayaman naman kayo, may kotse naman kayo. Bat hindi ka magpasundo kay tito?" I just laughed at what he said then replied with "Ako? Magpasundo kay daddy? Wala nga yon laging time sakin. Tsaka ayoko din kasi. Boring kasi pag nakaupo ka lang sa kotse, tsaka ayoko ding makauwi muna sa toxic household na yon. Kaya mas gusto kong naglalakad," Nash just looked at me for a few seconds then said "ah, okayy"

After our conversation, Me and Nash continued walking home, the chilly evening air enveloping us as we made our way through the dimly lit streets. The bustling sounds of the city slowly faded into the background as we strolled along the quieter residential area.

As we approached our neighborhood, I just couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had been gnawing at me ever since Mia brought up Alex earlier. I knew I couldn't keep ignoring this conflicted emotions of mine, especially with Nash picking up on his somber mood.

"Nash," I spoke up, breaking the silence between me and my friend. "Can I ask you something?" 

Nash turned to me, then said "Yeah sure, what is it?" 

"It's about my feelings towards Mia" I began, my voice hesitant. "Do you think it's normal for me to feel jealous?"

Nash paused, his brow furrowing as he thought about my question. "Well, bro, it's normal to feel a bit jealous sometimes, especially if you care about someone. But it's important to understand where those feelings are coming from"

I nodded, grateful for my friends insight. "Yeah, I get what you mean. It's just... I've known Mia for so long, and seeing her with Alex sometimes makes me feel... I don't know, weird."

"Hey, it's okay to feel that way," Nash reassured me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "But remember, Mia's happiness is what matters most. And if that means being with Alex, then we just have to accept it and be happy for her."

I sighed, the weight of my emotions gradually lifting as I absorbed Nash's words of wisdom. "Thanks, Nash. I really needed to hear that."

"No problem, bro," Nash replied with a reassuring smile. "We've got each other's backs, remember?"

Feeling a sense of relief wash over, I returned Nash's smile. "Yeah, always."

End of chapter