Teenage Dirtbag (Opposites Attract-JhoCey Spin-Off)

11

It had been a week since the unexpected double date with Guill and Sheena, but Stacey still couldn't shake the lingering awkwardness from that night. Every time she thought about Jan, her high school crush, and how he casually explained his disappearance, she felt a surge of emotions—nostalgia, frustration, and something unspoken she didn't want to confront just yet.

Today, Stacey was wrapping up a glamorous magazine shoot, her final pose earning applause from the entire production team. She tossed her hair back and gave a final wave to the crew when suddenly, the room fell silent. Everyone's attention shifted toward the entrance, their eyes widening in surprise.

Stacey turned, confused by the abrupt change in atmosphere, and there, standing by the door, was Jan Cristiano Robles. The Jan. The one who ghosted her after their prom. The one who was now a famous Calvin Klein model. And, to everyone's shock, he wasn't just there for a surprise visit—he had a bouquet of pink tulips in his hand.

Stacey froze, her heart doing somersaults in her chest. What was *he* doing here?

"Stacey," Jan's voice broke the silence, his eyes soft yet brimming with confidence. "I came to see you."

Her makeup artist gasped beside her, whispering to one of the assistants, "Oh my God, Calvin Klein model 'yan! May dala pang flowers!"

Stacey blinked, still processing the sight in front of her. "Uh, Jan? What are you doing here?"

Jan, ever so nonchalant, took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them. "I wanted to take you out for dinner and coffee. Naisip ko lang... it's been years."

Stacey, trying to maintain her cool, shook her head, "Jan, I—"

But before she could come up with an excuse, one of the makeup artists chimed in, "Naku, Stacey! Pagbigyan mo na si Jan. Ang gwapo at ang haba ng hair mo ngayon, girl!"

"Pagbigyan mo na," echoed another crew member, causing a ripple of giggles across the set.

Rolling her eyes and knowing she couldn't back out of this now, Stacey sighed. "Okay, okay. Fine. Dinner and coffee."

Jan smiled, his dimple appearing on his left cheek, and handed her the pink tulips. Stacey awkwardly accepted the flowers, her mind racing. *What is happening right now?*

---

Dinner was quiet. Too quiet. The entire meal had passed with little conversation, just the occasional clink of utensils and the muted hum of the restaurant's ambiance. Stacey tried to focus on her food, but her mind kept wandering back to how strange it was to be sitting across from Jan after all these years. And after everything that had happened—or rather, hadn't happened.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of awkwardness, they arrived at a cozy café for coffee. Stacey hadn't even told Jan her order, so when he came back to the table, she immediately spoke up.

"Uh, Jan? I didn't tell you what I wanted. How did you know what to get me?"

Jan set the cup in front of her and took a seat, a small smile playing on his lips. "Don't worry. Iced cappuccino with two pumps of vanilla and cinnamon on top, right? It's still your favorite, di ba?"

Stacey stared at him, wide-eyed. "Wait... how did you know that? That's been my order since high school!"

Jan chuckled softly, his eyes not leaving hers. "I always saw you drinking it back then. Every morning."

Stacey blinked in disbelief. *How could he remember something like that?* She hadn't even realized he'd been paying attention to her back then, especially since she'd always thought he was too absorbed in his books or his awkwardness to notice anyone else.

"First day of high school," Jan began, his voice growing softer, as if he was telling a secret. "Everyone was making fun of this nerdy kid—me. Lahat ng tao, parang galit sa akin kahit wala akong ginawa. Then this girl walks into the classroom, wearing a pink fitted cardigan, a denim skirt, and carrying this fuzzy pink bag. She told everyone to stop bullying me. Little did she know, she didn't just stop them from bullying me—she stopped my entire world."

Stacey's heart skipped a beat. "Jan..."

He leaned in slightly, his eyes never leaving hers. "Lagi akong pinagtatanggol ng babaeng yun. Whenever she was around, everything felt... calmer. Until one day, I found out she punched a guy who threw a basketball at my face. I was thankful, of course, but I also told her to stop defending me. I didn't want her to get hurt because of me. I couldn't bear the thought."

Stacey remained silent, her throat suddenly tight as memories of their high school days flooded her mind.

Jan continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "Then, third year high school, I got new friends. Guill and Nick. Guill taught me how to dress better, how to fix my hair, kasi siguro sawang-sawa na siya sa akin kakasabi ko na 'ang ganda ni Stacey, sobrang out of my league.' They helped me gain confidence. And when prom night came, I finally had the guts to approach you. We danced. And when you offered me your last dance, it was like... nothing else mattered."

Stacey swallowed hard. *She still remembered that night, too. How they swayed to the music, how they both sang along to 'Teenage Dirtbag' while everyone else faded into the background.*

"I remember," Jan said, his voice breaking her thoughts. "You told me, 'See you on Monday.' I was so happy. But... life had other plans. My mom and I had to leave before Monday even came. She and my dad separated that weekend, and she took me to the U.S. with her. I had no choice."

Stacey looked down at her hands, her heart heavy with the weight of his words. "You just... left."

"I wanted to reach out," Jan said, his voice pleading. "I saw your posts on social media, and every time, I wanted to message you. But I was scared. What if you'd already moved on? What if I was just some memory from your past?"

Stacey let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, her emotions a mix of anger, sadness, and something else she couldn't quite place.

"Jan..." she started, but before she could continue, the barista suddenly called out, "Uh, Teenage Dirtbag?"

Jan smiled sheepishly. "That's us."

He stood up to grab their coffee orders, leaving Stacey sitting at the table, her mind racing with everything he had just confessed. *What now?*