Anonymous Lines - Hambebe AU

Chapter 22

Gabrielle's POV

Two days.

That's all I had left to figure this out. I walked back to my condo from the café, my mind spinning with possibilities, none of which seemed even remotely good. There has to be another way,  I kept telling myself. But no matter how hard I thought, the same roadblock popped up: I couldn't be in two places at once.

As soon as I got back to my place, I kicked off my shoes and threw myself onto the couch, grabbing my phone.

Scrolling through my messages with Shaine—well, Wonnie —didn't help ease the anxiety. Every conversation we had was so casual, light, and fun. I hated the idea of disappointing her, of breaking this trust we'd built online. But how could I pull this off? I sighed and opened our most recent chat, staring at the message she'd sent me earlier about the event on Friday.

--------

Wonnie: Gabbieeee! Are you excited for Friday? I can't wait for you to see the performance! Plus, finallyyyy! We'll meet in person!

--------

Just reading that made my stomach flip.

Finally meet in person.

I dropped my phone onto the cushion beside me, running a hand through my hair. How was I supposed to face her at SAU when she thought I was this guy? And then there was the real-life Gabrielle, the one she already knew. It was such a mess.

My phone buzzed again. I stared at the screen, feeling a wave of guilt. Shaine's excitement was so palpable, even through text.

--------

Wonnie: Hope you're ready for Friday! Btw, have you thought about where we can meet up after the show?

--------

I sighed heavily, rolling over to grab my phone. My mind raced, trying to figure out a response that wouldn't give anything away.

Gabrielle: Haven't thought about it yet. Let's figure it out after your performance?

It wasn't a lie... but it wasn't the whole truth either.

I needed a plan, fast. If I couldn't pull off the "guy Gabrielle" appearance, I needed another way to manage this without hurting Shaine.

The thought of her finding out everything made me feel sick. How was I supposed to explain that I'd accidentally let her believe I was someone else? I had never meant for it to go this far, but now it was out of control. I couldn't just vanish either—she was one of my closest friends at SAU now, thanks to Sage. Disappearing wasn't an option.

I grabbed a throw pillow and groaned into it. Maybe I could just fake being sick? No. That would only delay the inevitable. Plus, Shaine would still wonder why "guy Gabrielle" didn't show up. I couldn't keep dodging forever.

I picked up my phone again, debating whether to text Sage for advice. But even just imagining telling Sage about the situation made me cringe. No way. She'd probably laugh her head off, then yell at me for getting myself into such a mess. Sage wouldn't let me live this down for years.

Just as I was spiraling into another wave of stress, my phone buzzed again.

-------

Sage: Gab! Are you free? Punta ka naman sa dance studio later. We're just practicing for the Friday event. 

-------

I bit my lip, unsure if I was in the mood to be social. But maybe being with Sage and the others would help clear my head. Plus, avoiding everyone wouldn't help anything. I texted her back.

Gabrielle: Yeah, sure. What time?

Sage: 5:00 pm! See you there! Bring snacks? Hehe.

I tossed my phone on the couch again and stared at the ceiling. Okay, focus, I told myself. I needed to distract myself, at least for a few hours.

-------

By the time I arrived at the SAU dance studio, the sun had dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the campus. The moment I stepped into the building, I could hear the faint sounds of music and chatter coming from inside the studio.

I pushed the door open and was greeted by the sight of Sage, Maxine, and Shaine all stretching and getting ready for practice. Shaine caught my eye first, flashing me a bright smile.

"Gab!" Shaine waved, her face lighting up with excitement. "You made it!"

I smiled back, trying to keep things normal, even though the pit in my stomach tightened. "Of course, wouldn't miss it."

Sage grinned from where she was tying her shoes. "And you brought snacks, right? You wouldn't dare show up empty-handed."

I rolled my eyes and tossed the bag of chips I'd brought over to Sage. "Yes, yes. Always prepared."

Maxine snickered, stretching her arms behind her head. "Gotta love how snacks are more important than practice."

Sage threw a chip at her, laughing. "Hey, priorities, Max!"

Shaine laughed along with them, and for a moment, everything felt... normal. It was easy to fall back into the rhythm of hanging out with them, watching them practice, and chatting about random things. But every time I looked at Shaine, the guilt gnawed at me. She was so kind, so genuine. She deserved to know the truth... eventually. But how?

"So Gab," Shaine started, coming over to where I was sitting. "Excited for Friday?"

My heart skipped a beat. She was talking about the performance... and the meetup afterward. I nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah, of course. You guys are gonna kill it."

Shaine's smile widened. "I hope so! It'll be fun. After the performance, gagala kami, sasama ka saamin, right?"

"Yeah," I said, forcing a smile. "Definitely."

Shaine's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I'm really glad you'll be there. It's going to be a good night." She paused for a moment, then added, "And... maybe we'll finally get to meet 'Gabrielle' from X"

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I kept my face neutral, nodding slowly. "Oh, really?"

She smiled again, clearly not sensing my internal panic. "Yes! I can't wait."

I nodded, smiling back, though my mind was screaming. What am I going to do?

As the practice session went on, I kept thinking about my options. Kyle wasn't available. I couldn't fake being sick. And I definitely couldn't just ghost Shaine after all this time. She was a good friend—too good for me to let this lie keep building. But I wasn't ready to tell her everything. Not yet.

By the time practice wrapped up and everyone started packing their things, I still didn't have a plan. But I knew one thing: I couldn't avoid the truth forever.

As I walked out of the studio with Sage and Shaine, I resolved to come up with something. Anything. Because Friday was coming fast, and if I didn't find a way out of this mess soon, everything I had with Shaine—our friendship, our connection—could blow up in my face.

There has to be a way to fix this.

I just hoped I could figure it out in time.