A's Lullaby

How We Met (part 1)

[ Mikha and Aiah first met in high school. Aiah was a senior and Mikha was one year below. ]

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Every Wednesday, after classes, is club day. Students go to their respective rooms or locations depending on their clubs. Mikha was always at the gym every club day as a member of the varsity cheerleader.

Most of the time they train until late afternoon or evening. But today their training ended really early. Mikha got her duffle bag on her shoulder and had just finished saying bye to her team mates. 

Since they were let off early, she wanted to go home and sleep. But on the way out of school, a girl was running towards her direction.

She frowned and when it looked like the girl didn't notice her standing there, she moved aside.

The girl was about to pass by her but she tripped and her glasses fell. "Ouch!"

Mikha winced seeing her hurt. She contemplated whether to help or not. The girl still hadn't notice there was someone else on site.

"Nasan salamin ko..." Mikha heard her say. She looked around to find the poor girl's glasses and saw it by a bench. She went to grabbed it.

"Arghh! Bahala na late na ako!"

She turned around again but saw the girl running away. Mikha widened her eyes and called out, "wait!"

Great, now kailangan ko tong ibalik...sino ba yon?  She put the glasses in her bag, deciding to do it tomorrow because she wanted to go home already.

Going home was both relieving and painful for Mikha.

Feeling relieved because she can rest after a long day. Painful, because she comes home to no one.

She had no one waiting for at home except for the ones who takes care of the house.

"Janna, napaaga ata uwi mo iha?" 

"Nanay Luce, maaga po kami pinauwi ni coach eh." Mikha greeted her with a small smile. Nanay Luce was her caretaker, she took care of her since she was a baby. And was the only one left of her family.

"Talaga ba?  Osiya magbihis ka na ipagluluto kita." Nanay Luce got her bag from her and shooed her away to her room.

Once she was in her room, Mikha slumped on her bed. Slept until Nanay Luce called her again to eat.

The next day Mikha was looking for the girl who lost her glasses. She thought that the girl was kind of familiar. But she wasn't sure so she asked for help from her friend.

"Gwen, dali na ikaw na magtanong." Mikha tried convincing Gwen. She was her friend since elementary until now in high school. They met when they were finally first picking clubs in third grade.

Both of them were lined up to the cheerleading club but turned out that Gwen mistook it for majorette. So, she switched club the next school year.

They first talked because Gwen was so shy their coach told Mikha to basically get the girl to speak. They've been friends ever since.

"Eh ayoko nga. Ako pa talaga pinatanong mo! Mahiyain nga ako eh di ko kaya itanong sa teacher ko yan." Gwen complained as she ate from her lunch box. They were currently at the canteen for break time.

"Tsaka ano sasabihin ko? Ma'am may kilala po ba kayong estudyante na babae na may salamin?" Gwen said dramatically, "Malamang meron! Ang daming estudyante dito na may salamin na babae."

Mikha sighed, "San ko to bibigay? Di ko naman kilala yon...."

"Bat di mo ilagay sa-" Gwen stopped when she noticed someone from another table, "Ay alam ko na!" She exclaimed. 

This made Mikha frown, "Ano?"

"Itanong mo na lang sa kaklase mo, si Stacey."

Her frown deepened at the suggestion. "Ung kikay?"

"Yup."

"Ung laging naka pink?"

"Uhuh."

"Ung mahilig mag make up?"

"Oo."

"Ung maputi-"

"Oo nga daming sinasabi neto. Ung kaklase mo!"

"Ayoko nga!" 

Gwen raised her eyebrow at her, "Bakit naman, kaklase mo naman yon. Tsaka kilala non lahat."

"Impossible. As if kilala niya lahat. Di nga niya ata ako kilala eh."

"Di mo alam yan baka nga crush ka non eh."

Mikha doesn't know if Gwen was trolling her or not but she decided to give it a try and ask Stacey.

To be honest she doesn't really want to. Just because she couldn't vibe with her classmate. Stacey was just too girly and kikay and loud.

I mean I could be girly too pero hindi ganon ka girly... She thought to herself as she was walking inside the classroom.

She saw Stacey by the backrow putting on some powder.

When she was infront of the girl, she was just about to talk but Stacey beat her to it. 

"Oh my gosh! Mikha Lim? Bakit, ano ano kailangan mo sakin?" 

Stacey looked shocked and a bit, scared?

Huh? Problema neto.

"I was just gonna ask sana kung may kilala kang student, a girl with glasses?" Mikha awkwardly said.

"Uhm, ung class pres natin girl with glasses?" 

Mikha shook her head, "no I mean, eto kasi nahulog niya kahapon kaso di ko kilala kaya di ko mabalik." She took out the eyeglass to let Stacey see.

"Ahhhhh," Stacey stared at it for a moment and was deep in thought. "Hmmmm, parang familiar tong salamin."

"Ahhhhh! Eto ung salamin ni Jhoanna! Hinahanap niya to kahapon eh!"

Maybe Gwen was right, Stacey somehow knows everyone.

"Ah so pwede mo ba bigay sakanya?"

"No. Sorry."

"Huh?" Mikha was confused. "Di ba kayo friends?"

Stacey looked offended. "What?! No! Never! I don't like her. Feelingera yon eh akala mo kung sinong blink."

"Blink?"

"Oo! Fan ng blackpink di mo ba un alam?"

"Ah." Mikha doesn't know what to say next.

"Sorry, kahit takot ako sayo. Mas ayaw ko kay Jho kaya iba na lang pagawa mo."

"Ano?"

Stacey put her hand on her mouth like she said something she shouldn't. "Ah eh, wala wala. Hindi ako takot sayo!"

And so she couldn't give it to Stacey but at least she knows who it belongs to now.

From section charity, Gwen's section. So convenient. She should give it to Gwen!

She quickly picked up her phone and called Gwen after classes to ask her to meet up.

"Hello? Gwen! Alam ko na kung kanino ung glasses! Sa kaklase mo, si Jhoanna Robles daw. Nandito ako sa hallway malapit sa room nyo labas ka ikaw magbigay!"

"Oh? Kay Jho pala yan? Sorry pero nasa Gym na ako eh pero sasabihan ko sya dyan ka lang wait." Gwen suddenly hung up so Mikha did as she was told.

As she was waiting by the corridor, Gwen messaged her a number and a location. Gate 2?

"Anong gagawin ko don????" Mikha groaned. She saw a text again saying to go there and meet Aiah Arceta?

Who the heck is that? Diba kay Jhoanna Robles to?!