MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

Chapter 8

Jhoanna props her chin on her hands, lazily waiting for her food to finish in the microwave. The hum of the appliance fills the small kitchen, and the aroma of reheated leftovers wafts through the air.

A few minutes later, the front door swings open with a soft creak, and Jhoanna looks up to see Stacey walking in, her face illuminated by a beaming smile. Jhoanna raises her eyebrows in surprise at the sight of her cousin looking so elated.

"Well, someone's having a good day," Jhoanna teases with a playful tone.

"I think I am," Stacey replies, her voice full of giddy excitement, as if she can barely contain her joy. This response makes Jhoanna furrow her brows in curiosity and confusion.

"Weird," Jhoanna mumbles to herself, puzzled by Stacey's unusually cheerful demeanor. She follows her cousin with her gaze, watching as Stacey practically skips to her room, her happiness palpable.

The microwave beeps, signaling that Jhoanna's food is ready. She takes her meal out, places it on the table, and starts eating in silence.

Moments later, Stacey reappears, her energy still bubbling over. Jhoanna doesn't bother looking up until she catches a whiff of Stacey's perfume as she walks by. The scent immediately grabs her attention, making her turn her head toward Stacey.

"Did I just smell your perfume?" Jhoanna asks, puzzled.

"Yeah. Why?" Stacey responds with a nonchalant shrug.

"What... why? Why are you wearing perfume? You're just staying here," Jhoanna says, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"Is it wrong that I just want to smell good?" Stacey replies, a hint of defensiveness in her voice.

Jhoanna is about to retort when they both hear a knock at the door. Stacey immediately skips over to answer it, and Jhoanna watches her, still curious.

As the door swings open, Mikha steps inside and meets Jhoanna's questioning gaze.

"Project," Mikha answers shortly, making her way to the couch with a stack of papers and her laptop.

She didn't bother asking anything and focused back on her food. After a few minutes, she finished her meal and got up to clean her dishes.

She turned on the water and washed her plate and spoon, taking her time, enjoying the quiet moment to herself.

Suddenly, another knock came at the door. Jhoanna grew curious about who could be visiting but waited until she finished cleaning. She overheard Stacey greeting the newcomer with her usual cheery voice.

As Jhoanna finished with her dish, she wiped her hands on a towel and turned around, ready to greet the visitor, only to see an unexpected sight.

Standing there as Stacey ushered her inside was Colet.

With her hair tied in a neat ponytail, she wore a baggy shirt with a rock band logo printed on the front and some comfortable-looking sweatpants. Jhoanna noticed the large bag slung over Colet's shoulder and the stack of papers she was carrying.

Colet turned in her direction, and their eyes met. Jhoanna felt her breath catch in her throat.

She thought of smiling but found her lips pressed together, feeling speechless for the first time. Luckily, Stacey stepped in.

"Jho, this is Colet. You already know her, right?" Stacey said, her voice breaking the awkward silence. Colet still had her gaze fixed on Jhoanna, making her self-conscious. She glanced away from Colet and back to her cousin, giving a small nod.