Anonymous Lines - Hambebe AU

Chapter 17

"Uy, si Sage at si Gab!" Maxine exclaimed, as she spotted the two familiar faces entering the school cafeteria, her voice loud enough to catch the attention of everyone at the table.

Nicole and Shaine turned in unison to see Sage and Gabrielle walking through the entrance. Sage, always animated, was chatting away while Gabrielle seemed more composed, glancing around the crowded cafeteria.

Maxine waved her hand energetically, trying to catch their attention. "Sage, Gab! Dito!"

Sage noticed Maxine's wave and nudged Gabrielle, who smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. Sage mouthed, "We'll be right there," before motioning toward the food counter to get their lunch. Maxine nodded eagerly, motioning them to hurry up.

Meanwhile, Shaine remained quiet, still smiling to herself, lost in thought about the latest conversation she had with Gabrielle on X. The thought of Gabrielle's last message made her blush a little, but she tried to shake it off before anyone noticed.

It didn't take long for Sage and Gabrielle to return with their trays of food. They made their way over to the table, Sage grinning as usual while Gabrielle followed closely behind her, her eyes scanning the table, taking in the lively group.

"Here they come," Maxine said with a wide smile, shifting to make room for the two.

As soon as Sage sat down, she greeted everyone with her usual playful energy. "What's up, guys? Sorry, gutom na kami ni Gab. We needed fuel first," she said, placing her tray on the table.

Gabrielle gave them all a polite smile as she settled into the seat next to Sage. "Hey," she said simply, taking a sip of her drink.

Maxine immediately slid over to make space. "Finally! Na-ambush ko na kayo. Dito na kayo, you two!"

Sage laughed. "Busy si Gab kasi nag-ayos ng mga requirements niya. Alam niyo naman, baguhan sa SAU."

Gabrielle smiled sheepishly as she took a seat beside Sage. "Yeah, it's been... a bit chaotic," she admitted.

Maxine smirked. "Welcome to SAU, Gab. Masasanay ka rin."

Maxine jumped right into introductions. Gesturing towards Nicole, who was sitting across from Sage. "By the way, Sage, Gab, this is Nicole. Nicole, this is Sage, and of course, Gabrielle."

Sage extended her hand to Nicole with a friendly smile. "Hey, nice to meet you! I've heard a lot about you from these two." She gestured at Shaine and Maxine.

"Hi, nice to meet you." Nicole shook Sage's hand and nodded. "Same here. I've heard about you too, mostly from Max. She talks about your modeling gigs a lot."

Sage chuckled. "Max is my biggest fan. Can't blame her."

"True!" Maxine laughed, giving Sage a playful nudge. "Gotta hype my friends up."

Gabrielle offered a quiet smile, feeling slightly more reserved, though she couldn't help but sense the subtle buzz of energy between everyone at the table.

After a few moments of casual banter, the conversation shifted naturally as they all began to dig into their food. The topic moved from classes to random school gossip until it eventually landed on Shaine and her "mystery online friend" from X.

"So, Shaine," Maxine started, smirking at her friend. "What's the latest update on your kilig-worthy online friend? You've been unusually happy lately."

Shaine immediately shot Maxine a warning look. "Max, please—"

"Oh, come on! You've been giggling about it for days!" Maxine said, giving Shaine a playful nudge. "And we all want to hear about your mystery crush from X."