we were never really friends : a mikhaiah au

sixteen

Mikha saw the texts coming from Stacey, asking for help regarding Aiah who wouldn't stop crying. This hurt her heart. The concern for the older girl mingled with the lingering hurt from their recent argument. She stared at the screen, feeling the weight of each word.

princess bubblegum 🙄 : mikhs

princess bubblegum 🙄 : wru?

princess bubblegum 🙄 : kanina pa iyak nang iyak si ate aiah here sa room naming tatlo, 'di namin alam gagawin ni jho

princess bubblegum 🙄 : gusto namin siya icomfort at the same time baka kasi gusto niya alone time

princess bubblegum 🙄 : please send help

Mikha read Stacey's messages, contemplating what to do. She was still in her room after Aiah had stormed out, and the pain from their fight still felt fresh. Gwen had already arrived, so she wasn't alone in the room. Luckily, she had stopped crying before Gwen could see her.

princess bubblegum 🙄 : can you come here na lang? ikaw na kumausap, alis muna kami ni jho

princess bubblegum 🙄 : we feel so bad pero 'di namin alam gagawin kasi 'di naman namin alam kung bakit siya umiiyak

princess bubblegum 🙄 : ayaw naman namin i-push siya mag open up samin

"Mikhs, nag-aaya mag volleyball sila Ate Colet sa beach, sama ka?" Gwen asked from her own bed, making the red-haired girl look at her. Gwen's voice was light and inviting, a stark contrast to the turmoil in Mikha's mind. She thought for a second if it would be a good idea to play with them. Maybe it could take her mind off what was happening.

Gwen stood up from her bed and fixed her outfit. "Ano, Mikhs, sama ka? Punta na 'ko don."

"Sunod na lang ako siguro," Mikha answered, not knowing if it was the right thing to do. Gwen just nodded and left their room. Her phone indicated that a notification was sent again.

princess bubblegum 🙄 : mikhs, nag-aaya sila ate colet tumambay sa beach, lalaro ata sila volleyball

princess bubblegum 🙄 : aalis na kami ni jho, iwan namin si ate aiah. ikaw na bahala sa kanya, ha?

princess bubblegum 🙄 : dapat pag balik namin, hindi na 'yan umiiyak

Mikha laughed lightly at Stacey's message. The attempt to lighten the mood made her smile, but she couldn't shake the heavy feeling in her chest. She contemplated whether to go to Aiah now that their argument was still fresh, and the other girl was probably still mad at her for what she said.

She stood up from her bed and went out to their room's balcony. The beach looked so pretty in front of their room. The sight was calming, a momentary escape from her troubled thoughts. She saw her members, except Aiah, playing and having fun in the sand. She smiled at them. She noticed that there were seven of them, so she squinted her eyes more. Why were there seven of them?

It was Chloe. Chloe was the seventh person in the sand, playing with her members. Without hesitation, Mikha took off the hoodie she wore because it was cold in the room and went out of their room, on the way to go to her six other members and Chloe.

Stacey and Jhoanna moved around the room, getting ready to leave. The atmosphere was tense, filled with the unspoken worry they both shared for Aiah.

"Ate Aiah, labas kami ni Jho," Stacey said as she and Jhoanna got up from their respective beds and fixed themselves. "You probably want some alone time rin naman, so we're giving you that."

Aiah looked up from where she was sitting, her eyes red and puffy from crying. She appreciated their concern but felt overwhelmed by her emotions. "Just please, please, please call us if you need anything," Jhoanna added, looking at the older girl. "Don't hesitate, we're here lang, okay? One call away."