we were never really friends : a mikhaiah au

seventeen

Aiah and Mikha were on their way to the ice cream place that Aiah had been raving about for hours. They walked side by side, enjoying the comforting silence that only the two of them could share. The gentle breeze ruffled their hair, and the distant sounds of city life formed a soothing backdrop.

"I wish I could hold your hand," Aiah suddenly pouted, her eyes softening as she looked at Mikha.

Mikha just smiled, a warm and reassuring smile that reached her eyes. "I know, babi. Me too," she said, lightly tapping Aiah's shoulder.

The ice cream shop was a riot of colors, with cheerful decorations and an assortment of patrons milling about. They navigated their way through the crowd to a table and sat down, the anticipation of sweet treats making Aiah's eyes sparkle.

As they settled in, they heard excited whispers from a nearby table. "Omg! Si Mikha at Aiah ata 'yun, oh," someone exclaimed.

"Hala oo nga! Si Mikha nga 'yun, red hair eh," another voice confirmed.

Aiah looked at Mikha and made a funny face. "Lagot," she said playfully, making Mikha laugh.

"In 3... 2... 1..." Mikha counted down, predicting the inevitable approach of a fan.

"Excuse me po! Pwede po ba magpapicture?" a young girl asked, her voice tinged with excitement.

Mikha exchanged a glance with Aiah and smiled before standing up. "If okay lang po, sa inyong dalawa, hehe," the fan added nervously.

Aiah stood up as well, matching Mikha's smile. They posed for pictures, accommodating each fan with genuine warmth. After the impromptu photo session, they finally made their way to the counter to place their orders.

Aiah insisted on paying for their ice creams, reasoning that since Mikha bought them Cornettos earlier, it was only fair. Mikha chuckled, finding Aiah's logic endearing, but she knew better than to argue.

The ice cream was self-serve, so they collected their cones from the cashier and headed to the machine.

"Di mo naman sinabi, kailangan pala may experience sa pagiging crew para maka kain ng ice cream dito," Mikha joked as she struggled with the machine.

"Baliw!" Aiah laughed, shaking her head.

"What flavor are you getting?" Mikha asked, finally managing to get some ice cream into her cone.

"Probably the cookies and cream! Ikaw, you should get the cherry one," Aiah suggested, her tone playful.

"Porket red, cherry agad? Pwede naman apple," Mikha retorted with a smirk.

"Yuck, ano lasa nun? Apple ice cream?" Aiah made a face.

"Baka blood ice cream 'yan," Mikha teased back.

"Ewan ko sa'yo, Mikha. I know you want pistachio so get it na," Aiah said, giggling as she watched Mikha struggle with the machine again.

Once they had their ice creams, they moved to the toppings section. Mikha's eyes lit up at the sight of gummy bears. "Omg! Gummy bears!" she exclaimed.

"Yes!" Aiah echoed, equally enthusiastic.

"Sino bias mo sa gummy bears?" Mikha asked, teasing.

"Ikaw," Aiah replied without hesitation, making Mikha blush.

"Luh," Mikha laughed, watching Aiah pick out her favorite colors.

"Bakit mo pinipili? Kawawa naman 'yung 'di mo mapipili," Mikha teased, causing Aiah to laugh.

"Gusto ko ot8, walo hanggang dulo," Aiah explained. "Look mo, may Jho na. Maloi, Mikha, Colet. Wala pa Aiah, Gwen, Stacey, and Sheena. Help me, babyyyy, look for blue, orange, pink, and purple."