Cheer Up, Captain

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

It had already started—I literally had to put my phone in do not disturb mode because my friends were already flooding me with questions regarding Finley's 'soft launch' post! I didn't even try to deny that it was me because duh?! We're in New York right now and I was literally just wearing that very headband earlier today. Ugh! It was like Finley intentionally did it... for some unknown reason.

Hindi talaga matanggap ng brain ko na may gusto siya sa akin or something. Did I offend him before? May ginawa ba ako na nagalit siya sa akin? Was this his way of getting back at me?! I mean, there must be a reason why he's torturing me this way! He probably realized na hindi enough na iniiwasan niya ako sa school before—mas maganda if gawin niya akong target ng lahat ng chismis and target ng hate ng mga fangirls niya.

Oh, god.

Paano kapag bumalik na kami sa school?! Ang daming fans ni Finley both from school because he's the captain of the basketball team and also outside school!

I was doomed!

Feel ko magkaka-sakit ako dahil sa mga naiisip ko. If mas maraming maka-pansin sa akin because of Finley, then it means all eyes will be on me... Baka mas malaman nila agad iyong family situation ko.

Great.

Nagka-headache for real na ako.

I asked my roommate to ask our teachers for a medicine. I didn't want to miss today. Sandali lang kami dito, e. Who knows kung kailan ulit ako magkakaroon ng chance to travel?

Instead na bigyan lang ako ng meds, pumunta iyong teacher ko sa room. She checked my temperature. I was told to stay in my room. I tried to argue, but she was adamant na dito lang ako. I tried to pout my way out of it to no avail!

"Maia."

"Hmm?" I replied. Paalis na iyong roommate ko. Ako lang talaga maiiwan here and kung sinumang teacher ang naka-assign sa akin. Kawawa naman kaming dalawa.

"Ikaw 'yung nasa IG ni Finley, right?"

"No," I quickly replied. "Inalis ko 'yung headband ko last night. Someone took it. Probably wore it. Weirdo behavior," I continued. I was a bit proud of myself. I sounded convincing... I think?

I groaned and complained about my headache para hindi na ako i-ask. Ayoko na kasing magsinungaling pa. Ang dami ko ng jina-juggle na lies! Hindi na ako maka-keep up. Mabuti na lang at nakuha ng roommate ko iyong clue dahil narinig ko na magsara na iyong pinto.

Around 11AM, my teacher checked in on me. Binigyan niya ako ng food. I told her thanks and na hindi ako lalabas ng room so she could freely roam around. It's her first time in New York. I kinda felt guilty that she had to stay back because of me. I promised her that I wouldn't tell on her and dito lang ako sa room ko.

After a bit of back and forth, she agreed na. Nagstay na lang ako sa room. I watched some random movie that's playing in the TV. I ate din iyong binigay sa akin na food and pati iyong Crumbl cookies na binili ni Finley—

Ugh! I couldn't have a day to myself na hindi ko siya naiisip!

Then I heard a knock on the door. I opened the door thinking that it was my teacher na na-guilty dahil iniwan niya ako dito sa hotel. I was ready to tell her once again to go and have a great time nang mapa-tigil ako dahil instead na teacher, iyong mukha na pinaka-ayokong makita ngayon ang nasa harapan ko.

"What—" I said nung hinarang niya iyong kamay niya. I was about to shut the door at his face. I really had a headache! I didn't want to deal with his nonsense today.