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Shit.
Is the first thought Zoey has as she wakes from what definitely was a restful sleep, a little too restful. Suspiciously so as the sun shone a little too brightly for it to be barely the crack of dawn. Her hand shoots out to start panickedly slapping around on her bedside table looking for her phone ( whose alarm definitely didn't go off ). And she was right, because one glance at her screen tells her she’s woken up way past the time she was so sure she set just the night before.
6:49 am.
She was supposed to be up at 6:00 .
[Mira 6:05 am]
Goodmorning zozo <33
Ready ka na first day?
( Are you ready for our first day? )
[Mira 6:23 am]
Mira sent an attachment .
Kape kasi mainit panahon
( Coffee because the weather's hot )
Don’t skip ng almusal okay
( Don’t skip breakfast okay )
[Mira 6:37 am]
Gising ka na ba?????
( Are you even awake????? )
Huy???? 7:30 pasok natin??? Sarap tulog mo gago
( Hey???? Our class is at 7:30??? Sleeping good huh dumbass )
[Mira 6:46 am]
Dito na ko sa sakayan ng jeep san ka na??
( I’m already here at the jeep stop where are you?? )
Inamo iiwan kita sige
( Fuck you im gonna leave you try me )
[Zoey 6:50]
TEKKKAAAAA KAKAGISING KO LANG HUHUU
( WAAAAAAIITTTTT I JUST WOKE UP HUHUU )
WAIT LANG BIBILISAN KO BIHIS 10 MINUTES DIYAN NA KO WAG MO KO IWAN BABY KO PLSSSPLSLSSPLSSS
( WAIT PLEASE ILL GET READY FAST I’LL BE THERE IN 10 MINUTES DONT LEAVE ME MY BABY PLSSSPLSLSSPLSSS)
Zoey tosses her phone. It bounces once, twice on her mattress as her very late ass scrambles up and out of bed towards her closet. Zoey practically slams the doors open in a panic, hangers rattle as she haphazardly rifles through her clothes looking for her uniform. The internal panic was prevalent on her face, lip worried between her teeth as she felt the tension in the way every second ticks by. It was one thing if she was late, it was another if she accidentally roped Mira into it too.
Zoey groans in distress. Oh this was just plain horrible. Today of all days her alarm decides to betray her. She pulls the hangers out, her blouse and skirt neatly ironed, pristine. Very much unlike her current state of bedheadedness and dried up drool from her much too long sleep. Why on the first day of all days. She was supposed to make a good first impression!
Zoey throws the uniform onto her bed, a green patterned backpack following suit along with notebooks, books, papers, and a pencil case that definitely should’ve already been packed in there from the night before. Zoey looks upon her things with deep regret. Why does she do this to herself. Mira was going to kill her. Maybe. Definitely.
7:02 am.
She was going to kill Zoey. Maybe. Definitely.
Okay no she wasn’t going to do that, but if Zoey didn’t get here in the next 30 seconds she was actually going to scream. No she wouldn’t leave her, Mira wasn’t that cruel. Just maybe bully her a lot for it.
She's broken out of her thoughts by a rapidly approaching noise.
Clack!
Clack!
Clack!
Mira turns, hearing the distinct sound of black shoes hitting the ground in that rhythmic pattern that she had already engraved in her mind as being so distinctly Zoey .
The younger girl skids to a stop just in front of Mira, hunching over hands on her knees as she catches her breath. Mira snorts in amusement, Zoey’s uniform a mess with her collar askew and buttons in the wrong places with her ribbon untied. Mira’s eyes soften as her gaze trails over her best friend, fond as she thinks what am I gonna do with you?
“Took you long enough. I was about to get on and leave you,” The teasing tone in Mira’s voice wasn’t lost on Zoey as the younger girl whined in mock hurt. It didn't last long as almost automatically Mira's hands moved to Zoey, hands unbuttoning and rebuttoning the girl's messed up uniform and tying her ribbon in a pretty bow.
“Miraaaa…” A pout, closer to a frown, was plastered on Zoey’s freckled face as she clings onto Mira’s arm and gives her the saddest, biggest eyes she could muster.
“Im kidding, babe.” Mira softly plants her lips on Zoey’s forehead, the pout melting off her face at the warm feeling that washes over her. “Now come on or we’re actually going to be late.”
Zoey releases Mira’s arm with a nod, now shuffling their bags around to hold them in front of their bodies as they board the waiting jeepney. It was already half full, other tired commuters heading to school or work filling the seats. It smelled distinctly of mixed perfumes that everyone had put on that morning.
Red plastic seats gave a squeak as they sat down side by side, settling in to wait for it to continue filling up. A song faintly played through the drivers speakers, a thrumming beat building up until it drops, followed by the sound of a deep breath as the vocals came in.
“Manong naman, kaaga-aga relapse agad malala.”
( “Sir, it’s so early and already a severe relapse.” )
One of the passengers around them whispers under his breath.
Mira pays him no mind as she listens to Zoey begin to talk, ranting about how her alarm hadn’t gone off and that’s why she woke up late. Followed by cursing her past self for not getting her things ready the night before, and how she had to skip breakfast and was now desperately hungry. Mira teases and pokes fun at her, calling her a mess as she reaches a hand up to smooth down Zoey’s wild hair. She also vehemently denies the way her heart skips a beat as Zoey leans into her touch. Way too early for gay thoughts about her best friend.
Mira shakes the gay thoughts away.
Sadly, it seemed, fate had other plans.
“ Sige! Dalawa pa kasya pa yan!”
( “Go! Two more can fit!” )
Both heads turn towards the sound of the conductor's voice as the people on the other side of the jeep shift to accommodate the last two passengers boarding.
And oh.
Oh .
Oh wow.
They were not prepared for the way their hearts nearly beat out of their chests. How their breaths would catch.
Because she was pretty.
Beyond pretty.
Gorgeous, even.
The girl who boards ducks into the entrance, loose purple braid tossed over her shoulder, a yellow sweater with her blouse's collar peeking out, the same black skirt as their own uniforms, and looking far too well adjusted for it being 7 in the morning.
Mira chances a glance at Zoey. Yep. Also staring. Zoey meets her eyes, a blush spreading across her freckled face making them look like they were glowing stars.
One shared look was all that it took.
The mysterious, alluring, downright gorgeous purple-haired girl sits directly across from them. She scoots over just a little, and sits down right next to her is a black haired guy wearing the boy's uniform, also from their school.
They eye the opposite pair curiously, observing, trying to gauge their familiarity with each other. But just a few seconds of body language and hushed conversations was all it took for Mira and Zoey to clock him as not being a threat. They could work with this.
The rumble and roar of the jeepney’s engine shakes them out of their thoughts. Mira holds on to the railing above her head as the sudden start has Zoey jerking into her side. She stays there pressed against Mira.
Zoey glances up and they lock eyes again. A whispered conversation starts between them covered by the steady noise of the vehicle’s engine.
“Mira she's cute…like really cute .” Zoey whispers conspirationally.
“Way too cute.” Mira whispers back.
At the same time their eyes wander again. Stealing a look at the prettiest girl they've ever seen now sitting across from them. Warm morning light bathing her in a golden hue. They could hear her speak to her companion, voice low and soft, the occasional giggle slipping past her lips that made red paint across their cheeks once more.
Unfortunately (or rather, fortunately) for them, their stares didn't go unnoticed. The absolute vision of a girl across from them suddenly stops mid-sentence, sitting upright in what was almost alert, and eyes shifting away from her companion and then to the side. To them .
Mira's eyes meet hers.
And then Zoey's.
A breath.
They hold their gazes.
And then she smiles. She smiles right at them. A small thing, barely curving the corners of her glossy pink lips. The corners of her eyes squinting, just a bit.
The girl raises a hand and waves her fingers at them, a small gesture that has both their eyes locked straight onto her. Eyes flitting between the movement and tantalizing brown eyes. Red slightly, ever so, slightly dusting her cheeks. She was glowing.
And then she turns back to her friend.
Zoey and Mira release the breath they had been holding.
Holy shit.
Holy shit.
The pair's eyes snap to each other in disbelief. A quiet conversation unfolding through nothing but eye contact and nudges.
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Mira, did you see that? That wasn't my imagination right? Zoey stares at her, wide-eyed and dreamy.
I saw. It wasn't. Fuck. She's really cute. And pretty. We can't fumble this. Mira, expression tight, nods.
With a newfound determination they start scheming. Tossing ideas back and forth until it clicks. It was brilliant, Mira thinks.
The older girl nudges Zoey with her shoulder. “Be cool, be cool. Just follow my lead.”
Zoey watches as Mira's hand holds onto her school ID, fingers around the lace. She catches on quickly. Tapping away at her phone and showing Mira. They nod. This was a good idea.
Rumi feels the way heat rises to her cheeks as she waved at the girls sitting in front of her. Jinu raises an eyebrow when she turns back to him, oddly bold of you , his gaze says. She doesn't dignify him with a verbal response, instead opting to just roll her eyes.
They continue their previous hushed conversation. The rumbling and movement of the jeep supplying a peaceful ambience as they get closer and closer to their destination. Genuinely, Rumi really tried to focus on her friend's words, something about his cat, Derpy, catching a bird. Derpy didn't kill it, no. Now the bird refused to leave. Something like that. She thinks.
But Rumi couldn't shake the looks the girls across from her gave. How their eyes honed in on her every movement and feature. Eyes locked with hers. God. They were pretty. Devastatingly so. The taller one, long pink hair, with sharp features and tantalisingly sharp eyes behind a pair of black square-framed glasses. And the other girl, younger definitely, black hair in cute buns behind her with freckles like stars dappling her cheeks. Something in her chest sparked alight.
Rumi was crudely jerked out of her thoughts as Jinu elbowed her in the side.
“Tangina, what's your problem?” Rumi hissed at him, rubbing her side. He didn't answer, not verbally at least. Instead he gestured with his lips and nodded in the direction across the aisle. To them.
Rumi’s eyebrows furrowed, upper lip curling at the slightly smug expression on Jinu’s stupid face. Still, she looks. Rumi wasn't sure what she was expecting. Maybe another charged moment of eyes meeting eyes.
But no.
Instead, the sight in front of her was far more ridiculous.
Rumi felt the warm amusement already spreading from her chest to the rest of her body, the laugh blooming in her lungs.
Oh gosh…
They were— they were doing something alright.
The taller of the two, held onto the railing, head down and eyes closed as pink hair framed her face, glasses slipping down her nose. And more importantly, school ID in hand and facing directly towards Rumi.
Mira Kang
Grade 11 - Voyagers
Rumi covered her mouth with her hand, unable to hide the stupid grin that had made its way to her lips, suppressing the giggle that wanted to so badly come out.
But she held firm.
And then her eyes landed on Mira's companion.
The smaller of the two leaned into Mira's side, head on her shoulder, phone up in her hand covering her face. The screen was on and pointed towards Rumi. On it was what was very clearly the girl's Facebook profile.
Zoey Choi
Fallen - Lola Amour
▶︎•၊၊||၊|။||||။၊|။•
This time, Rumi really couldn't stop the giggle that slipped past her lips. God, how cute. She makes sure to remember their names, their faces. Mira. Zoey. Rumi felt warm at the thought. Wondering how each letter, each syllable, would feel on her tongue.
Wary of disturbing the other passengers, Rumi bites her tongue, suppressing the next bout of giggles wanting to escape her. Instead she smiles, and quietly mouths their names. Mira. Zoey.
Almost as if they heard her, she watches them try to subtly peek one eye open at her. The three of them lock eyes once again, and Rumi, smiling with a little lopsided grin waves once more. She points a finger towards herself and slowly mouths her own name back at them.
Ru-mi.
Something in her chest blooms as she sees their eyes light up, red dusting their cheeks. Slowly, they put their hands down, along with the ID and phone. The pair across from her look at each other, quietly giggling while nudging each other with their elbows. The sight almost made Rumi laugh again, but she tempered it down in lieu of a smile, trying to ignore how fast her heart was beating at the moment.
They looked so proud of themselves. Mira practically preening and almost puffing her chest. Zoey grinning like a kid in a candy store, those freckles once again glowing with the blush on her face.
God. They were really, really cute.
Rumi was in trouble, if the way her heart was trying to thud out of her chest had anything to say about it. A nudge from Jinu snaps her out of it. The smile on her face dropped for a half annoyed scowl as he repeatedly raised his eyebrows at her with a dumb smile on his face. She elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to double over. That's better.
Before she could say or do anything else the jeep comes to a halt jerking them all to the side as it stops.
Rumi centers herself again, watches as other student passengers start filtering out. Along with them is Zoey and Mira, the younger of the two pulling the latter's arm to get down. She overhears something about stalls and missing breakfast before the both of them are ducking out and off the jeepney and are on their feet.
Rumi watches them from behind, thinking they’d be going now. But they look back at her smiling, waving as Zoey drags them off to who knows where. Grins on their faces, a blush over their cheeks looking at Rumi with what she could only describe as adoration .
Rumi sits there smiling for a while, a new emotion blooming in her chest that she couldn't quite name.
It's only when Jinu speaks that she's once again broken out of her thoughts. “Come on, unless didiretso ka na sa Jollibee. We'll find your lovergirls later.” ( “Come on, unless you want to go straight to Jollibee.” )
Rumi scoffs at him, rolling her eyes, but following him down and out.
This year was going to be interesting.