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

Chapter 11: faster than you could say sabotage

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

Mikha

My footsteps echoed in the empty hallway as I exited the school clinic after a brief conversation with Aiah’s mom. Even now, my mind was still buzzing from the amount of shit that’s happened within the past hour. Ang dami na ngang nangyari, dumagdag pa tong pagkukunwari ko kay tita. I had to pretend that Aiah and I were okay. Like our years of friendship hadn’t just crumbled down in a snap.

And, Colet... Colet was with me. Kahit na nagkaroon rin kami ng alitan kanina, pinuntahan niya parin ako agad after she heard what happened. As much as I hated it, I felt wary being in close proximity to her after the bomb Aiah dropped on me. The lie, I corrected myself.

“Babi, may sasabihin lang daw sakin si Coach sa office saglit. Meet me sa parking?” she said once we were completely out of the building. I nodded, which she returned with an unexpected kiss on my cheek. Or at least, an attempt. Because all of a sudden, I found myself back on that night when Colet walked me home after our first date, and turned my head to avoid her lips. What the fuck is wrong with me? Aiah was lying. I needed to get it through my head.

I saw the sudden shift in Colet’s demeanor, my chest instantly filled with regret. Sana lang ay isipin niya na lang na dahil to sa tampuhan namin kanina. She forced a smile on her lips, and walked away, whilst I then made my own way towards the parking lot.

And then, there were voices as I was approaching. A group of people were there talking, I believed. Their voices were low and intriguing that it was impossible not to want to listen in. Chismis. I leaned closer to the wall and just as I was about to turn the corner, my eyes spotted the vibrant orange colors on fabric. A skirt. A girl sitting on the trunk of a car, presumably with other people I didn’t catch a glimpse of because of my quick reflexes in hiding back behind the wall. I lingered, hiding, straining to hear.

They were talking about the game. Trash talking, more like. Puro insulto ang binabato sa team namin, porket nanalo sila. Di makashoot si ganito, bano si ganyan.

Finally, a voice I recognized. One I had just heard this afternoon when she drove my best friend back to campus.

“Congrats guys, pero you know the real highlight of the night?” she said, and I could almost see Maloi’s wicked smile just by the sound of her speaking.

“Queen bee’s epic fall?” another one said.

“Correct! You’re all welcome, by the way. It was all me. You can kiss my feet later.”

“And we all thought you were really becoming besties with her the other night.” A different voice.

“Please. She may be hot, pero she isn’t the prize I have to keep my eyes on. Hindi ko parin pwedeng hayaang makuha niya lahat ng attention na dapat na sakin diba? Well, sayang lang na she things didn’t go the way I expected it to, but it was still funny! So, bright side.”

Napatulala ako. First thing that rolled in was my insides shaking with anger. Despite what’s happened between me and Aiah, my heart ached for her, how someone could have possibly done this to her. There was a certain sting to it, knowing the pitfalls someone has gone through to build her walls up high and conceal her own fragility. Tinago ni Aiah, but I still saw right through her. And that’s where the sting came in. I had been with her through it all, guarding the walls she had broken down only for me. Now, someone had tried to forcefully tear them down, tear my best friend down. I couldn’t help but still feel for Aiah after everything. It’s those damn heartstrings, I thought.

What followed was my sense of vindication. I had been right all this fucking time. I didn’t trust that girl one bit, and I just wished I could have stopped Aiah. But she didn’t even give me the chance to.