Little Miss Perfect

4

Jamie feels like she's been hit by a freight train. It's finally college entrance exam season, the season that everyone, especially Jamie, has been dreading the most. She's running on 5 minute power naps, pure adrenaline, and coffee (until Cole banned her from drinking any more). 

She genuinely feels like she's going to pass out at any second.

Waking up from her scheduled power nap to Cole singing while holding a spatula as a mic in the middle of Jamie's kitchenette did not make any of it better. In fact, Jamie is convinced that it is making things worse. Something about fragility, Jamie doesn't know, she doesn't want to think about it any further.

She makes the mistake of moving, which catches Cole's attention immediately.

"Good morning!" Cole greets. "Or evening. Whatever. Malapit na pala mag 7." The athlete turns the induction stove off and walks towards her. 

"Good evening," Jamie chuckles nervously. "Ano gawa mo?"

"Luluto," Cole replies as she sits on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Really tired," Jamie answers with a yawn.

Cole only nods and motions for Jamie to transfer her head to her lap. Jamie swears her brain is fried, so she obliges without hesitation. Talk about fragility.

"Go back to sleep," Cole whispers. "Gisingin nalang kita pag kakain na." 

Jamie wants to protest, but Cole running her fingers through Jamie's hair is enough to make all of the muscles in Jamie's body to soften, unable to do anything but drift off to sleep.

-

When Jamie wakes up for the second time, she notices the lack of Cole in her bed. Instead, she spots Cole hunched over her desk, her tongue between her teeth, focused on whatever she was doing.

She tries creeping up on Cole to see what the girl was doing, but the rice cooker's switch goes off, which startles the both of them.

"Oh, sakto, you're awake na," Cole greets her. "Kain na tayo?" 

Jamie nods and grabs two plates from the cupboard. She watches Cole bring dish after dish to the dining table. 

"Dami ah," Jamie chuckles.

"'Di ka kasi kumakain nang maayos," Cole scolds. "So this is to make up for every meal you've missed. And no, iced coffee does not count as a full meal. You're a STEM student, you should know that." 

Jamie is grateful, having someone take care of you while you're balancing 7000 things is a privilege that not everyone has. She notes mentally that she should return the favor when all of this is over.

"Kain na," Cole motions to Jamie. "Subuan pa ba kita?" 

"Ano ako?" Jamie asks. "Baby?"

"Baby ko." Cole jokes. Jamie prays that she is joking.

"Sira," is the only thing Jamie can say. She busies herself with eating. 

"By the way," Cole speaks up. "Ano schedule mo sa weekend?"

"Last exam ko na, my schedule is at 1pm." Jamie answers.

"Okay," Cole nods and goes back to eating. "Sunduin kita? Kain tayo after, sama ko sila Yzabel." 

Jamie thinks for a second. Her original plan was to pass out on her bed for at least 17 hours after her last exam so she can catch up on all of the sleep that she missed, but going out with Cole sounds more appealing.

"It's okay if you don't want," Cole adds. "Baka pala gusto mo magpahinga." 

"No, I want," Jamie clarifies almost too quickly. "But can it be just the two of us? Feeling ko sobrang exhausting pag kasama sila."