Cheer Up, Captain

Chapter 05

Chapter 05

As if my life wasn't already hard enough, nadagdagan pa ng gossip about me and Finley... and it's not like they're being discreet about it. They'd literally talk about me when I was around. Tsk. At least talk about me behind my back? Was that so hard?

"Maia."

I looked at Cynthia. "What?" I asked. One look at me and I already knew what she wanted to ask me. I groaned. "Not you, too."

"Can you blame me? Ang tagal mo na kayang crush si Finley!"

"Excuse me. Let's be clear—I had a crush on him!"

She just rolled her eyes at me. "Fine, fine, but bakit ka nga niya binuhat? Like look at him!" sabi niya tapos ay may pinakita sa akin sa phone niya. She played a video. Agad na nanlaki iyong mga mata ko nang makita ko kung ano 'yon.

"Why is there a video?!"

"I think someone was filming a tiktok or something then they saw you faint and then they saw Finley rushing over instead of just ignoring you like usual," she said while I my eyes were glued on the screen of her phone.

Totoo naman iyong sinabi niya... but what struck me the most was that Finley was watching me even before I fainted! Like ewan ko kung ma-a-amaze ba ako sa quality nung video o magtataka kung bakit niya ako pinapanood?! Did I look too weird while running na tipong papanoorin ako ni Finley? Kasi totoo naman iyong sinabi ni Cynthia na ang expected na reaction ni Finley ay ang hindi ako pansinin!

"So... what's the tea?" sabi niya after kunin pabalik iyong phone niya.

"There's no tea, okay? He just probably grew a conscience or something."

"Finley? Conscience?" she said. See? Hindi lang ako ang may alam na evil si Finley! Kaya takang-taka ako kung bakit parang super nice niya sa akin lately.

Tsk.

Naalala ko na naman na ginawa niya akong charitable act for the year. Bakit ba hindi na lang si Riley ang naka-kita sa akin? That would've worked better for me... I think.

"Maia."

Cynthia's eyes widened kaya naman napa-tingin ako sa likuran ko. Finley was standing behind me. He was just wearing our uniform. It's so annoying how good he looks! He really won the genetic lottery.

"Liar," Cynthia mouthed.

Suddenly, I was aware na ang daming naka-tingin sa amin. Bakit ba kasi aware ata ang buong batch ko na once in my young life, nagka-crush ako kay Finley? Hindi ba pwede na mistake lang 'yon as a child?! Bakit lagi na lang nilang ipapa-alala sa akin?

I was contemplating kung dito na lang ba kami mag-usap kahit maraming naka-tingin sa amin or if I should just drag him elsewhere. Hindi naman ako normally nahihiya kapag center of attention ako, but now's different. I felt like I was hiding this huge secret. Ayoko na nasa akin ang spotlight.

But if hatakin ko siya paalis, people will think na naman na something's going on between us! This was so stressful!

"What?" I said while looking at him. I was really hoping na magbell na or something kasi feel na feel ko talaga iyong mga mata sa amin. Hindi na ako masu-surprise kung may nagvivideo na naman nito.

"What time?"

"What?"

"Kita susunduin?"

I heard Cynthia's gasp. Agad na nanlaki iyong mga mata ko dahil bakit parang iniimply ni Finley na may something going on at boyfriend ko siya na susunduin ako?!