The Pages of Me

CHAPTER 1

Maya was always good at waiting. She had learned the art of patience early on waiting for her turn, waiting for her grades, waiting for people to finally see her worth. But this time, the waiting felt heavier, more painful, like she was slowly unraveling with each second that passed.

"Nasa'n na kaya siya?" she muttered under her breath, staring at her phone screen for what felt like the hundredth time that night. No messages, no missed calls just the empty notification bar staring back at her, mocking her silence.

Her friends always told her to stop waiting, to stop giving so much of herself to someone who barely seemed to notice. Pero paano ba pipigilan ang puso kapag ito na mismo ang nagpupumilit? She didn't want to seem desperate, but deep down, she knew she was holding on to something someone that had already let go a long time ago.

A vibration startled her, and she quickly grabbed her phone, heartbeat racing. But it wasn't him. It was her best friend, Lani.

Lani: "Girl, andito na kami ni Rina sa coffee shop. San ka na? I thought you needed this break?

Maya sighed. She had promised to meet them, but she felt drained, emotionally exhausted from the constant back-and-forth battle in her mind. Should she go? Or should she stay, hoping that maybe tonight, he would remember her?

In that moment, she realized just how much power she had given him. Lani and Rina had always been there for her, no matter how often she canceled plans, always waiting for a version of her that was too preoccupied with someone who rarely showed up.

But tonight was different. Hindi na p'wedeng lagi na lang siyang second choice hindi lang sa kanya, kundi sa sarili niya. She was tired of choosing someone who never chose her back.

She quickly typed a reply.

Maya: "On my way."

For the first time in a long time, Maya stood up from her bed, threw on her jacket, and grabbed her keys. As she walked out the door, a sense of determination surged within her. She didn't know what would happen tomorrow, or the next day, or even next week. Pero sa gabing ito, pipiliin niya ang sarili niya.

Her phone buzzed again, and for a moment, she thought it might finally be him. But she didn't check. She didn't need to. Because if he wanted to reach out, he would have already.

And for the first time in forever, she didn't feel the need to wait.