21st of April

Both of Ours

"I am always ready when it comes to you." A phrase that she says when things gets tough.

9 words... Diana grinned as if the weight she had been carrying for the previous few days had been lifted. Angela thought back to the day they first spoke, which was the beginning of everything, with that radiant smile she possesses.

The 21st of April.

With her awkward approach to Diana, as they began chatting on this planned get-together and whether Angela could attend. She's always been the diffident, stubborn, impotent, and risk-taker person (she was). She's more of a pessimistic person while Diana? she's the total opposite of Angela. They had no idea what's ahead of them and what's more astounding is that somehow... they clicked.

They were on a vacation before entering the tenth grade. It may be the end as they're going to begin a new journey but for them, it is just the beginning.

Buying matching clothes and rings.

Silent eye contacts with each other, only they know what its meaning.

Picking up Diana in their classroom whenever she misses lunch break.

The close embraces whenever they miss one another while being merely one classroom apart.

Video calling just to greet one another especially on every occasions like birthdays, christmas, and new year's.

Exchanging letters on email like social media's nonexistent.

Having cringy but sweet endearment.

Angela wrote poems for her and even tried writing a song.

Exchanging of sticky notes just to get a glimpse of each other.

Some notes contains:

"Hug me before you go home, okay?" -D

"I'm sorry, I can't breathe" -D

"Hi Mahal Angela ko!"

"See you later, Dee."

"Missing you already" -A

"Sabay tayo mag lunch later!" -A

It's like sticky notes are their thing and will forever be their thing. They were inseparable—ride or die partners. If they weren't well-known, people would've already assume that they're a couple.

"Diana!" She went near her and gave her a long tight hug. They've been doing an art project and Angela's creative juices are clearly not working as of the moment. She went to her classroom just to tease her like what she always do to recharge herself. Diana's classmates are looking at them but they couldn't care less. "Wala akong maisip! I already have the quote but the design? Girl wala talaga pumapasok sa utak ko my goodness!" Tinakpan niya mukha niya to express her disappointment. For her, art expression is way easier even though art's not her forte.

"Can I see yours? Sige na idea lang hehe." Diana is always the gifted and talented one, which makes Angela happy and pleased anytime she aims for something she genuinely deserves! "Ganda, I like it as usual 100000/10!" She gave her a big thumbs up which made Diana smiled wider. She thinks na binobola lang siya ni A. "Hala! nandito na si teacher, later na lang. I can't breathe babye, amor!" She winked at her before returning.

I can't breathe is always their code for I love you.

"Alam mo ba I really want to have a sleepover sa bahay niyo and then we'll drink a beer and just talk while looking at the sunset or stars or the sky," Angela shrugged and looked at Dee on the screen. "As long as I'm with you!" They were in their own little world.