Champorado

2

He reaches over and snatches her drink, and before Jiya can protest, he bites the straw and takes a sip. "Oo."

Jiya packs up her things. "I can go home with whoever I want. Besides, you were busy."

Migo stands up, too. He shoulders his bag and brings her coffee with him, sliding a piece of paper on Sir Seguerra's desk before following her out. "Selos ka?"

"As if. Baka ikaw." Jiya grabs her coffee back with a scowl. "Don't you have class? Or someone else to bother?"

Migo checks his watch, walking alongside her. "Yes to class. What are you doing after school?"

"Acads. And then I have org meetings."

"From? Until?"

"Does it matter kung aabot lang din ako until magsara MVP?"

Migo sighs, clicking his tongue. "Ang hirap makipag-agawan for your time, Valle."

Jiya stops, facing him. She raises an eyebrow. "You know, we're not friends. Never tayo naging friends. Last year, you sold my Histo reviewers to your walang kwentang freeloader classmates—reviewers I made for three days."

Migo raises his eyebrows, too. "Last year rin, you turned off the hot water in Buenca's condo no'ng naliligo ako."

"Kaya nga." Jiya turns around and stalks away. "So 'wag mo na 'kong kausapin."

She half-expects him to follow her with a counterargument, just because he loves getting the last word in.

But when Jiya glances back, he's gone.

*

"Yay!" sigaw ni Addie, shutting off her laptop. "Tapos na 'ko sa culture writing assignment ko!"

Van and Jiya don't look up, focused on their own screens.

"'Grats," Van mutters.

"E 'di ikaw na," Jiya says.

"Grabe!" Addie stands up and stretches, heaving a sigh of relief. "What are you guys working on ba?"

"EnLit," Van mumbles distractedly. Pareho silang nasa same Google Doc and Google Slides ni Jiya. She says, "Ji, can you check my part? I'll add to yours na rin."

Jiya nods, scrolling up. "Thanks, babe."

All three of them started as blockmates, pero si Van 'tsaka si Jiya nag-stick sa AB Literature English, while si Addie nag-shift to AB Communication before second year. Journalism ang track niya.

"Aga pa," sabi ni Addie, obviously smiling. "I have a date sa UPTC with Cas, but he's probably still studying with the boys at Black Scoop, so daan lang ako do'n."

Van frowns and picks up her phone. "Speaking of UPTC, magmo-movie dapat kami ni Isco, asan na 'yon?"

Jiya scrunches her nose. Usually, wherever Van is, Isco's there, too.

"Pinagpapalit ka na niya," Addie teases, heading to her room.

"No way," Van says, rolling her eyes, tapping on her phone before tossing it aside. "Okay, back to work."

Jiya smiles a bit. That's what she loves about being groupmates with Van—she's focused, very serious about her studies, and kung makikipaglandian man siya, dapat at least fifty percent ng work niya tapos na.

Jiya's phone vibrates. Anton texted.

Anton: you busy?

She picks it up and types her reply.