After The Credits

Chapter 16 Afternoon Picnic Karl's POV

"We're celebrating today. Just meet me at the parking lot in an hour. I'm going to get us inside the Ateneo." Joan said on the phone.

Karl wasn't quite sure what they were supposed to celebrate or what UP students would be doing inside Ateneo de Manila, but he figured he might as well tag along. Not like he had anything better to do since he luckily didn't have too much schoolwork that week.

Karl later made his way to the same parking lot where he and his friends got in Chomskie's car for a drive that was anything but boring many weeks ago. He saw Joan standing outside a black van with Sue and Vlad with her and approached them.

"Looks like we're almost complete." Joan said, watching him get closer.

Karl waved to the group as he got closer and spoke once they were near enough to hear him.

"So, uh... ba't tayo pupunta sa Ateneo? At ba't kailangang mag-celebrate? May nag-birthday ba?"

"Oo, ako." Vlad said with a chuckle.

"'Wag ka nga, Vlad. Alam ko kaya kung kailan birthday mo." Karl replied.

Karl noticed a smile escape Vlad's face despite the latter's attempts to hide it.

Cute.

"Actually, Karl, what we're celebrating today is Sue's coming out." Joan explained.

"More importantly..." Sue began to add.

"Joan and I are finally going public as a couple." She said, holding Joan's hand.

Karl smiled upon hearing the news before being surprised by a voice from behind him.

"O-M-G! Congrats!" Chomskie said, coming seemingly out of nowhere.

He ran past Karl to give the two girls a hug. The two seemed shocked, but didn't hesitate to hug him back.

"Anyway, ba't tayo pupunta sa Ateneo?" Chomskie said, releasing the girls from his embrace.

"Sue said I could pick any place I wanted to celebrate, so I figured I'd take you all to my high school." Joan answered.

"Now get in." She said, gesturing to the van.

"My brother's an Ateneo student, so our car has a sticker that can get us in. We'll have to dodge the guards considering how none of us have Ateneo IDs, but what's an adventure without a little fun?"

The drive was short, considering how close the two schools were to each other. After they parked the car near what Joan explained was the high school campus, they walked a bit farther to a grass field surrounded by roads on all sides with a large Christmas star in the middle, reminding everyone that it was December and Christmas was near.

The group made their way to the field with Joan leading the way. There were buildings in every direction, but the most notable was a large white church shaped kind of like a pyramid. Karl couldn't help but stare at it.

"The Gesu caught your eye, huh?" Joan said.

"Ah, 'yan pala ang Gesu. I've heard of it pero ngayon ko lang nakita.

Sue set down a picnic blanket by the star while Joan began bringing snacks out of her bag. Vlad set down Joan's cooler by the blanket. The group sat themselves down on the blanket to start the picnic.

"A toast." Sue said, holding up a plastic cup.

"I'd normally toast with wine or something, but I wasn't sure if we'd be able to bring alcohol on campus, so this grape juice will have to do." She continued as Joan began distributing plastic cups, pouring juice into them from her portable pitcher.