“You’re being immature.” Sally said when she found out that Jade didn’t attend their sessions.
“I thought you didn’t care?” Paul said when he found Jade glaring at Wila, who was sitting beside Althea.
“I don't see what the big deal is, suck up your pride or you’ll fail English.” Sally said when she saw Jade's current test results in English.
“Don't worry. I won't tell Dada.” Noah said when she found Jade hiding from Althea while forcing herself not to cry.
“Tumigil ka na or I'll feed you to the chickens.” Sally said when she just had enough.
It’s been a month since she decided to ignore Althea and her grades has severely suffered for it.
She stared at the 80% mark in her English exam paper, slammed the paper in her desk and threw herself in her bed. She had never received a grade below 85.
Never.
Paul and Sally even tried to tutor her but they didn’t have the same patience Althea had. And Pride and Prejudice was just so vague and boring! Damn you, Jane Aus—
Jade's phone lit up and rang. Althea's picture popped up in her home screen.
Oh great.
She ignored it and buried her face in her pillow. Moments later her phone vibrated, signalling for a new text message. She tried to ignore it because she knew who the text was from but when it vibrated again all thought of self-control flew out of the window.
Althea: lablab labas ka
Jade quirked an eyebrow at the text but proceeded to read the next.
Althea: please?
Jade: Are you outside of my house?
Althea: yes. paul let me in. tinago niya ako sa mga body guards niyo. mag usap naman tayo oh
Jade: Althea, gabi na. Baka makita ka pa nila Dada pease go home.
Jade heard the light sound of something being thrown at her window.
Jade: Stop throwing rocks at my window!
Althea: NEVER. at pebbles lang naman.
Jade: Stop! I'm serious. Go. Home.
Althea: I'll be here all night and your family will see me and i'll DIE because you didn't just talk to me.
Jade: Don't be so dramatic.
Jade: Was that you coughing?
Althea: jade ang lamiiiig
Jade: I don't care. I'll throw down a sweater.
Althea: haharanahin kita and your the entire house will hear
Jade: You wouldn't dare.
Suddenly, a slightly deep, melodic voice reached Jade's ears and — “I don't mind spending everyday. Out on your corner in the pourin' rain. Look for the girl with the broken smile, ask her if she wants to stay awhile. And she will be loved, and she will be loved…”
Jade: OK OK OK SHHHHHHHH STOP BEFORE SOMEONE CALLS THE POLICE!!
—————————
“…so nagselos ka?” Althea asked after Jade explained why she was avoiding her.
Jade let out a frustrated noise. She’s getting real tired of this.
“No, I was not jealous. I’m just mad because you lied.”
“I didn’t lie about anything! Wi—”
Jade rolled her eyes. “You said that you cut our session because you have a gig.”
Althea still looked clueless. “Oo tapos?” she said.
“Sally saw you and Wila walking home that afternoon. And I saw you all giggly with her during lunch. So you had a date, not a gig.”
Althea quirked an eyebrow. “…so nagseselos ka?”
They’re back here again? Jade groaned and stomped her foot at the grassy ground of their backyard. “No! I’m just mad beca—”
“Because I lied? But I told you I didn’t lie about anything!” Althea said. “Wila and I just walked home that day. She watched my gig and her house was right next to mine so sinabayan ko nalang umuwi.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh.” Althea rubbed the back of her neck. “Jade, hindi pa ba obvious?”
“What?”
Althea smiled. “Jade, the first time I saw you, you were staring at something in your locker. I was a good 20 feet away from you and there was a sea of students between us pero ikaw lang ang nakita ng mga mata ko."
Jade slowly stepped closer and Althea held her hands. "Inisip ko nun 'Sino kaya 'tong baliw na kanina pa tulala sa kawalan?' After a while narealize kong ako pala yung baliw na kanina pa nakatitig sa'yo. Jade, I've liked you since the first time I saw you. Mas lumalalim sa kada araw na kasama kita.”
Jade removed her hands from Althea's and started pacing. “No. No, Althea. Alam mo ba 'tong ginagawa mo? Hindi 'to pwede. Hindi tayo pwede. Pa'no kapag nalaman ni Dada? I can't—”
“I'm not asking for anything, Jade. Gusto ko lang linawin ang nararamdaman ko."
Jade stopped and stared at Althea's eyes, looking for sonething. Slowly, a smile formed on her lips and she stepped closer to Althea. “Hindi pa ba obvious?”
Althea smiled. “Don't worry. Obvious na obvious.” Althea held Jade's hands again. “Aattend ka na ba ulit sa mga sessions natin?”
“Bakit? Namiss mo 'ko, lablab?”
Jade can see a blush starting to appear on Althea's cheeks. God, you're so cute
Althea shook her head. “That’s a funny statement coming from someone that got jealous just because I walked a girl home.”
“HINDI AKO NAGSELOS!” Jade exclaimed. Althea just smiled and after a moment moved forward to hug her. The action caught Jade off guard so it took seconds before she could hug him back.
“What’s this for?” Jade mumbled against Althea's shoulder.
“I’m just…really happy that you’ll study with me again,” Althea said while tightening her hug.
Oh great. The butterflies are back again.
“I knew you missed me.”
“No, naawa lang ako sa grades mo.”
“Shut up.”
———————
It took longer than it was necessary for Jade to finally go to one of Althea's gigs. But, as it turns out, Jade was a fantastic audience member. She sat quietly with a warm smile on her face as she watched Althea perform, sometimes singing along with her when the chorus comes up.
“You’re incredible,” she said softly as Althea made her way to Jade's table.
“I know.”
Jade laughed. “You’re also a little too full of yourself, lablab,” she added, “but I really like that about you.”
Jade moved closer; and glanced at Althea's lips before looking back at her eyes. In that moment Jade knew she wanted to kiss Althea.
And as if she's able to hear Jade's thoughts, “You’re going to kiss me,” Althea said triumphantly.
Jade tried to play coy. “Really?”
“Sabi na nga ba hindi mo ako matitiis once you hear me sing.”
“You’re very pretty, but you’re also really arrogant.”
“Kaya nga meant to be tayo 'di ba, lablab?”
Jade rolled her eyes despite the tiny blush on her cheeks.
“You can if you want, you know,” she said conversationally, as if Jade wasn’t inches away and dying to kiss her. “These are my people, and I'm pretty sure they're too busy listening to the next performer to—”
Jade grabbed the neck of Althea's infuriatingly dorky another-anime-that-she-doesnt-know sweater, yanked her down, and kissed her. She felt Althea grin against her lips, felt her nerdy glasses press against her face, felt her nerdy sweater against her skin, and she decided maybe almost failing english wasn't that bad.