Noted, Architect (Architecture Series #1)

Chapter 5: Break My Routine

APHAEA

After the last class of the day, I packed my things as quickly as I could, eager to escape the teasing glances of my friends. Hindi mawala ang utak ko kay Ody.  In order to distract myself from him, tamang drawing lang tuloy ako sa sketchpad ko. The sharp lines of my architectural sketches were the only things keeping me grounded these days.

Just as I stepped out of the classroom, I froze.

Ody was there, leaning against the wall, that ever-present smirk on his face. The same damn hair I want to play with, the same relaxed posture, like he didn't have a care in the world. His presence was so out of place in this rigid academic environment, yet somehow, he fit in perfectly with the chaos that seemed to follow him.

"Hey, Phae," he greeted, straightening up as I approached.

I blinked, my brain racing to catch up. "Ody? What are you doing here?"

He chuckled, hands slipping into his pockets. "Waiting for you, obviously."

"Why?"

"Because I have an idea," he said, his grin widening. "Come with me. Let's go for a drive. Now."

I stared at him, my mind immediately going into overdrive. "A... drive? Ngayon?"

"Yep, ngayon," he repeated, unfazed by my confusion. "Just you, me, and the open road. No plans, no destination. Let's just see where we end up."

I almost laughed at the absurdity of it. Me? On a random, unplanned late-night drive with someone I barely knew? The idea was completely insane. Hindi nga ako sumasama sa mga spontaneous plans ng friends ko, tapos ngayon, bigla na lang ako mag-aagree sa isang drive kasama si Ody?

"No way," I blurted out, shaking my head. "I can't do that. I have plans—may kailangan akong tapusin, mga assignments, and—"

"Come on, Phae," he interrupted, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "You're always making plans. Just this once, try something new. Break the routine."

"I don't break routines," I shot back, feeling my pulse quicken.

"Well, maybe you should," he replied, stepping closer. His voice lowered, almost like he was sharing a secret. "There's a whole world out there waiting for you, pero hindi mo 'yun makikita if you keep sticking to your schedule."

For a second, I considered it. The idea of letting go of my rigid structure, even for just a few hours, felt like stepping off a cliff. Pero may kakaibang spark na nararamdaman ko—an urge to see what life outside my meticulous plans could look like.

"Phae, you ready?" Atlas's voice cut through my thoughts as he, Dray, Javi, and Lee approached from the end of the hallway.

I glanced at Ody, then back at my friends. I could already imagine the reactions of my overprotective crew if I even mentioned Ody's suggestion.

And, right on cue, Atlas narrowed his eyes when he saw Ody standing so close to me. "What's going on here?"

Ody didn't seem fazed. In fact, he looked amused as he turned to face them. "I was just asking Aphaea to come with me for a drive."

Dray immediately raised an eyebrow. "A drive? Out of nowhere? Yung hindi niyo alam saan kayo pupunta?"

Lee's eyes flickered between me and Ody, his usual playful expression replaced with mild concern. "At this hour? Hindi ba medyo... late na?"

Javi didn't say anything, but I could feel the weight of his gaze on me. They were all waiting for me to explain myself.

"Ody... uh... he was just—"