SHE'S NOT A SAINT (MIKHAIAH) by: Pinkvettes

Chapter 9: the things that she does on the mattress

Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter

Mikha

Tinakasan ako ni Aiah. When practice ended and we headed back to the locker room, she was gone. She didn’t wait for me to go get her checked up like she said she would. Ang tigas talaga ng ulo. The fall she took was no joke, and I was responsible for it. If she had taken serious injuries, dapat ay malaman na, kasi ako ang malalagot.

It was an accident, anyway. It was.

The memory of Aiah falling played over and over in my head. I kept trying to make sense of my actions in that exact second before she hit the ground. Hindi ko naman siya hahayaang mahulog, especially if seryoso ang pwedeng kalabasan— that was the most rational thought. And so I went with it. Nevermind that my mind was in a haze, or high emotions took over me. Nevermind that I was upset she couldn’t even look at me before then. Nevermind that I had seen the notification from Maloi, the possibility that she was letting another girl into her life. It was an accident. A stupid one.

Then, a sound of knocking on metal. I swiveled my locker door to reveal Colet, looking freshly showered. I think she had the impression that we were gonna go home together. Wala lang rin naman si Aiah, so might as well.

“Ready?”

“Tara.” I gathered my things and headed out the locker room with Colet, her fingers slipping into mine so naturally. I decided to shoot Aiah one last text as we were walking, baka sakaling andito pa naman siya.

To: special girl
u promised :( pls aiah pano ka makakaperform bukas niyan?

“Bat parang iritado ka?” Colet said, urging me to immediately pocket my phone.

“Aiah.”

“Shocker.”

“Pumayag kasi siyang ipatingin yung likod niya after practice. But she ditched.”

“Not interested in the details. But you’ll get to spend time with me instead. See? It all worked out.”

“Babi, no. Serious to, it’s on me if ever may mangyari kay Aiah.”

Colet rolled her eyes. She really didn’t wanna hear about Aiah as much as Aiah didn’t wanna hear about Colet. I don’t know how I’m still managing, to be honest, with the two most important people in my life hating each other’s guts.

“Fine, whatever. Let’s hang out muna at my place. If Aiah responds to you, hatid pa kita.”

I nodded. Her suggestion felt relieving. I loved how she wanted to stay supportive, no matter her disdain. I loved a lot of things about her actually, I thought. I pushed the thought aside before it reached waters I didn’t want to even begin to navigate yet.

–

“Ayoko dito kay Dan.”

“Nobody does.”

Colet and I were watching Gossip Girl in her living room, a show I chose because she said she wanted to watch one of my favorites.

“Sino ba yang gossip girl na yan? Hula nga ko.”

“Sige nga!”

“If nahulaan ko, what do I get?”

“Kiss.”

“Isa lang?”

“Unli.”

“Si Jenny ba? Feel ko oo. Kasi she’s young kaya trip trip lang niya at first, tas nag blow up. Oh, diba. Galing ko talaga.”

I gave out a soft giggle. She looked cute theorizing, serious expression on her face and all. “Interesting theory, pero aamin na ko. Di ko rin alam.”