Unit 808

CHAPTER 8: Tech Stuff

Outside Stella's Unit Days after...

Mav hovers outside his sister's door, phone in hand, frowning hard. After a hesitant knock with no answer, he sighs. Just then, Aya steps out of her unit, balancing a trash bag.

Aya (raising a brow): "What now, Kapre? Stella's not there, she went shopping with Millie."

Mav hesitates. Holds up his phone sheepishly. On the screen, the food delivery app is open, but his card was declined.

Aya: "Wait I'll just take the

Before she could finish her sentence, Mav quietly takes the trash bags from her arms and walks them to the trash chute.

Now standing in front of Aya's unit, he returns, brushing his hands off.

Aya (smirking):"So what's wrong, Kap?"

Mav: "Kap?"

Aya: "Kapre"

Mav (scratches his neck, ears turning pink): "Oh. Uh... I just... I don't get this app."
Aya (sighs, amused): "What app?"
Mav (turns his phone so she can see): "The food one. It says my card's not working. I don't know how to... change it."

Aya (teasing): "You lost to an app?"

Mav (mutters): "We don't really use this at Camp..."

Aya (laughs): "You big baby. Give it here. Come on, I'll help. Let's do it in my unit—"
Mav (quickly shakes his head): "No, no, not here. Come to my unit. We'll wait for the food there. And... order what you like too."
Aya (waves a hand) : "It's fine, I don't—"
Mav (cutting in, boyishly stubborn): "No. You have to. Tell me what you want. You always order chicken and garlic rice from this shop right? I'll get that."

Aya blinks at him, a little caught off guard by how he noticed. Still, she shrugs and follows him inside.

Mav (grinning): "Your face lights up when it's that one."

Mav's Unit – 30 Minutes Later

The doorbell rings. Aya opens it... and freezes.

A delivery guy stands there with six stacked boxes of pizza, four 1-liter bottles of soda, and a separate bag with her garlic chicken rice meal.

Aya: "...Kap. What. Is. That?"

Mav (sincerely proud): "Food!"

Aya: "This could feed an army!"

Mav (innocent grin): "You said it's better to share, right? What if the others come home hungry?"

He walks past her and starts arranging everything like it's a feast. Aya can't help but laugh.

Aya: "Kapre appetite ba to?"

Mav (beaming, still arranging): "Nah. Just hungry. And grateful."

Pizza boxes are open. Soda poured. Aya sits cross-legged on the floor near the coffee table, her chicken and rice meal in front of her. Mav's halfway through his fifth slice, legs stretched out, hair a little messy from running his hand through it in frustration earlier.

A mellow playlist hums softly in the background. Aya glances at Mav between bites.

Aya: (casual) "So... aside from being a Kapre vacuum cleaner, what else do you do?"

Mav: (blinks) "Eat rocks."

Aya: (deadpan) "I meant hobbies, Kap."

Mav: (grinning) "Oh. Um... hiking? I like cliffs. And caves. And water. And mud. But not wet socks."

Aya: "Wow mud? Kapre na aso pa? Deep."

Mav(nods solemnly): "Mud is serious business."

Aya laughs, shaking her head.

Aya: "Do you miss Australia?"

Mav (slower, thinking): "Sometimes. The air's different there. And the stars. But... it's louder here. Kinda nice. I like the noise now."

Aya (sincerely): "You adjusting okay?"

Mav (soft smile): "Getting better. Cole, Ja, Gav, you and ate help a lot. Even if she makes me carry furniture at 7am."

Aya: "Classic Stella."

Mav finishes another slice, then turns to her, curious.

Mav: "What about you? Why student council?"

Aya: "Because if I don't organize things, chaos happens. And someone once told me I'm scary when I'm not in control."

Mav (nods): "You're a little scary in control too."

Aya: "Excuse me?"

Mav (grinning): "Compliment. Promise."

They both smile. A comfortable silence settles in.

Mav (glancing at her): "What do you like? Like... what makes you happy?"

Aya (surprised): "Ang random mo."

Mav (shrugging, eyes on his soda): "I just wanna know. You always look serious. I wanna see what makes you laugh. What makes you smile."

Aya looks at him, caught off guard by the honesty in his tone. She fidgets slightly.

Aya: "...Sleep. Rain. Clean socks. Garlic rice. That feeling when I finish everything on my to-do list."

Mav leans back on his arms, eyes on her.

Mav: "That's nice. You look nice when you smile. Even when you don't. You look nice either way."

Beat.

Aya: "You're just saying that because I didn't strangle you today."

Mav: "The night is young."

The lights are soft. The pizza boxes are stacked, drinks half-finished. Mav and Aya sit on the floor by his low table, her food neatly plated, his side a controlled mess.

Aya wipes her hands with tissue, glancing at Mav curiously.

Aya: "So... Camp Silvergate, huh? No phones. No tech. No malls. No dating?"

Mav (shrugs, chewing): "We have tech, but more on building stuff, we can have social media but we don't really do it that much. Too busy with school, training, hunting, flying drills, combat training, business training and tech too. We really don't need malls we have shops inside the camp."

Aya (stares): "Flying drills? ...Like drones?"

Mav (grins, eyes sparkling): "Sure. Let's say that. Ang dami kong sinabi flying drills lang narinig mo."

Aya: "Ba't magaling ka magtagalog, acutally kayo lahat even Cole?"

Mavee: Marami naman kaming Filipino sa Camp we tend to hangout together. Plus ate always talks to me in Filipino so I won't forget daw."

She gives him a look.

Aya: "But no girls?"

Mavee (shakes head): "No time. No interest."

Aya: "Weh? Kahit nagagandahan? Wala? International school kaya yung Silvergate."

He pauses, picking up a new slice. Then, casually almost like it's a fact he's known forever:

Mav: "Ikaw."

Aya (looks up): "Huh?"

Mav (breezy, still focused on his food): "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life."