I'll Be Back

5

It was as their second day on the beach. The sun had just risen, casting a golden hue over the sand and waves. Inside the beach house, the smell of freshly cooked breakfast wafted through the air as the girls gathered around the table, filled with laughter and animated conversation. They reminisced about their memorable moments in college, their stories punctuated by bursts of laughter.

"Naalala ko si Julia, yung naka-crush kay Mikha? Kamusta na kaya siya?" Sheena chuckled, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"I follow her sa Instagram. Single parin siya until now, pero super ganda na niya ngayon" Maloi said, scrolling through her phone to find a recent photo of Julia.

Aiah couldn't help but feel her blood boil at the mention of Julia's name. Julia, a former classmate, had been obsessed with Mikha during their high school days. Julia would often try to make Aiah jealous by hugging or clinging to Mikha's hand whenever she walked past them.

"Yeah, she will go sa alumni natin" Mikha smiled, remembering their recent conversation.

"Paano mo nalaman?" Jhoanna asked, curiosity evident in her tone.

"Ah, nag-chat siya sakin last week. Madaldal parin siya until now. It's cute" Mikha said, making the girls nod and then quickly glance at Aiah.

After that talk, Aiah became quiet. She felt something strange—jealousy. The other girls noticed how Aiah went silent but didn't ask about it, respecting her sudden change in mood.

The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange, and they decided to take a dip in the ocean. Everyone was having a great time, splashing around and enjoying the cool water, until they heard a scream.

"Owwww!!" They turned to see Aiah holding her right foot, which was bleeding slightly.

Mikha rushed to Aiah's side and gently supported her hips, helping her to shore with the other girls following closely. "Anong nangyari Aiks?" Mikha asked, her voice laced with concern.

"I don't know, I stepped on something" Aiah winced.

It turned out Aiah had stepped on a sea urchin, causing a splinter in her foot. Gwen quickly asked for help from nearby locals who knew how to handle the situation. They efficiently removed the splinter from Aiah's foot and cleaned the wound.

Meanwhile, Mikha stood silently apart from the group, her mind racing. She couldn't believe she had instinctively held Aiah's curvy hips and felt a sudden, intense longing for that closeness. "What the heck, Mikha Lim?" she whispered to herself, pinching her arm in disbelief.

After the incident, they settled outside on the patio. Colet, Maloi, and Sheena took charge of preparing the meat for grilling while the other girls gathered around Aiah, who was resting her foot, to keep her company and lift her spirits.

"Grabe ang bilis kanina ni Miks. Mas malapit pa ako kay Aiah kanina pero nauna pa siya kaysa sa akin" Stacey jokingly said, and the girls laughed. Aiah chuckled but her eyes were on Mikha.

As the breeze turned chilly, Mikha noticed Aiah shivering. Acting quickly, she got up and grabbed a blanket from the couch in the living room to help keep Aiah warm.

"Hey. You're shivering, here oh." She handed Aiah the blanket.

The girls were covering their mouths to avoid squealing.

"Thank you" Aiah gave Mikha a huge smile, her eyes filled with gratitude.

---

They had just finished eating when Gwen brought out a bottle of tequila from the fridge. The girls were excited since they hadn't drunk together in a long time. Gwen opened the bottle and filled up each cup. Colet handed everyone a cup, but when she got to Aiah, Aiah refused.