Lyra and Jona sat at a small table inside Jollibee, the smell of Chickenjoy and sweet spaghetti filling the air. The brightly lit restaurant buzzed with the chatter of families and friends, but the two of them were lost in their own world. Lyra poked at her fries, sneaking glances at Jona, who was busy twirling her spaghetti around her fork.
“Hindi ko talaga gets kung bakit favorite mo ‘to,” Lyra teased, shaking her head as she watched Jona take a big bite of the sweet spaghetti.
Jona laughed, covering her mouth as she chewed. “Ano ka ba! Masarap kaya. Ito ang tunay na comfort food,” she shot back with a grin, her eyes crinkling in the way that always made Lyra’s heart skip a beat.
Lyra smirked, but her mind was elsewhere, stuck on how cute Jona looked when she smiled like that. They’d been best friends for years, but lately, something had shifted. Lyra couldn’t stop noticing every little thing about Jona—her laugh, the way she brushed her hair behind her ear, the way her eyes sparkled when she was teasing her. Lyra caught herself staring again and quickly looked down at her Chickenjoy, hoping Jona didn’t notice.
Jona, on the other hand, was doing her best to hide her own feelings. She dipped her chicken in gravy, but her mind was swirling with thoughts about Lyra. They’d always been close, but now every touch, every shared look seemed to mean more. Jona wasn’t sure when it had started—maybe during one of their late-night hangouts, or maybe it was the way Lyra’s laugh made her feel like the world was a little brighter.
“Gusto mo ng fries?” Lyra offered, holding the container out to Jona. As Jona reached for one, their fingers brushed, sending a spark through both of them.
For a second, their eyes met, the air between them heavy with something unsaid. Jona quickly pulled her hand back, laughing a little to ease the tension. “Grabe ka, ang damot mo pa sa fries!” she joked, though her voice was a little too light, a little too forced.
Lyra laughed, her heart pounding in her chest. “Sayo na nga,” she said, pushing the fries closer to Jona, but her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
They both went back to eating, the moment passing, but the weight of what they weren’t saying hung between them.
The laughter between Lyra and Jona faded into a comfortable silence, but that unspoken tension lingered in the air. Lyra fiddled with her drink, her mind racing. She wanted to say something—anything—to break through the wall that had formed between them, but every time she opened her mouth, the words stuck in her throat.
Jona felt the same weight. She picked up a napkin and crumpled it nervously in her hand, stealing a glance at Lyra. The warmth in Lyra’s eyes made Jona’s heart race, and for a split second, she considered blurting out everything she’d been feeling—how her heart skipped a beat every time they were together, how she had caught herself daydreaming about moments like this, but with their hands intertwined.
Finally, Lyra spoke. “Alam mo, Jona...” Her voice was soft, hesitant. “Napansin ko lang na... parang may iba.”
Jona froze, her heart pounding. “Iba? Anong ibig mong sabihin?”
Lyra looked down at her hands, her nerves showing. “Parang... ewan ko. Ang weird, ‘di ba? Matagal na tayong magkaibigan, pero lately... may nararamdaman akong iba. Parang, hindi ko lang kayang i-ignore.”
Jona’s breath caught in her throat. She wanted to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. Was this it? Was Lyra feeling the same way?
Lyra finally looked up, her eyes searching Jona’s face for any sign of rejection or—if she dared to hope—mutual feelings. “Jona, alam ko, baka awkward ‘to. Pero... parang hindi na lang kita nakikita bilang kaibigan. Hindi ko alam kung paano nangyari, pero parang...”
