The cafeteria was bustling, as usual, and the noise of clinking plates and soft chatter filled the air. Maloi, Sheena, Gian, and JR sat at their usual spot—a large table meant for eight, perfect for their big group, but today it was just the four of them. JR was munching on his sandwich, Gian silently sipping his coffee, Sheena doing a little shimmy in her seat as she scrolled through TikTok videos, and Maloi fidgeting with her salad.
"Grabe naman, walang ibang table today," Maloi complained, glancing around the cafeteria. It was unusually packed. "Parang buong kumpanya ata nandito ngayon."
Sheena snickered. "Oo nga eh, feeling ko lahat ng departments nag-lunch break at the same time. *Pati mga accounting, andiyan sa corner nagteteknobreak.*"
Just then, Stacey and Aiah arrived, trays in hand, looking around for a place to sit. Their usual table was occupied, and the only available seats were the empty ones next to Maloi and the gang.
"Uh, guys..." Aiah began, her tone hesitant as she glanced at the table. "Pwede ba kami maki-share? Wala nang ibang space."
Stacey, with her usual bubbly demeanor, grinned. "Parang reunion na rin ito!" She was already pulling out a chair beside Maloi, her pink accessories gleaming as usual.
Maloi and Sheena exchanged quick glances, their eyes wide with excitement. This was prime *chismis* territory. As if they'd ever say no to the besties sitting with them. Plus, they already knew this could potentially turn into something juicy.
"Sure, sure! Dami pang space," Maloi chirped, scooting over to make room for the girls.
Sheena elbowed Maloi under the table, trying to stifle her excitement. "Girl, this is gonna be *fun*," she whispered.
Just as everyone settled in and started unpacking their lunch trays, two more figures appeared at the entrance of the cafeteria—MJ and Cole. And of course, with the table already half full, it wasn't long before they, too, made their way over.
Cole was the first to speak, casually dropping a bomb. "Uy, JR! Okay lang ba if we sit with you guys? Wala na ring available seats eh," he said, already pulling out the chair across from Aiah and Stacey.
Maloi almost choked on her salad as she and Sheena frantically kicked each other under the table. This was better than any *teleserye* on TV. MJ silently sat beside Cole, throwing a quick glance at Aiah before focusing on his food, his jaw tight as if trying to remain cool.
The tension at the table was palpable, and for a few moments, everyone tried to focus on eating. Gian, as usual, remained quiet, but even he couldn't help but sneak a peek at the developing situation.
Cole, being Cole, wasn't one to leave awkward silence lingering for too long. He leaned forward, smiling at Aiah like they were old pals. "So, kamusta Aiah? Been a while ah."
Maloi and Sheena nearly gasped at the same time. *Ay nako, eto na!* They could feel the tension rising, and they subtly scooted closer, as if getting better front-row seats for the drama that was about to unfold.
Aiah slowly put down her fork, her lips pressing into a thin line. Her golden retriever energy was long gone. "Kamusta after what? After mo mag-cheat sa akin?"
Maloi's hand shot to her mouth, and Sheena's eyes widened. Even Gian paused mid-sip of his coffee, his eyes darting between Aiah and Cole. JR raised an eyebrow but kept munching on his sandwich like he was watching a sitcom.
Cole, to his credit, tried to remain calm. "Look, Aiah, I was a kid back then. I'm sorry, okay? But hindi din naman ako nag-cheat sa'yo noon. It was a long story. Bottomline is... adults na tayo. Nakamove on ka naman na, right? Let's be friends na lang."
Aiah scoffed, her eyes blazing. "Wow. Ano yun, joke? *Gago!*" Her words were sharp, and even Maloi, who loved a good confrontation, cringed.
Stacey bit her lip nervously, shooting a glance at MJ, silently pleading for backup. MJ, who had been quietly picking at his food, sighed and decided to step in. He leaned forward slightly, trying to break the ice.
"Oo nga, Aiah. You guys should be friends. Bata pa naman tayo non, di ba?" MJ's tone was calm, as if he were trying to mediate the situation. "Look at me and Stacey, we're friends."
Stacey nodded eagerly, though her smile was a bit strained. "Yeah! We're cool. I mean, it was such a long time ago. MJ and I are super okay now." She awkwardly patted MJ's arm like they were best buddies, though the underlying tension between all of them was still very obvious.
Aiah crossed her arms, her glare now directed at MJ. "*Ge lang, pagtanggol mo BFF mo, MJ. Diyan naman kayo magaling eh.*"
The table fell silent for a second, and you could practically hear Maloi and Sheena's hearts pounding with excitement. They were both staring intently at the unfolding scene, completely ignoring their food now.
MJ raised an eyebrow at Aiah's comment, the usual calm demeanor he carried cracking a little. "Wow, seriously? *Ganito pa rin tayo?* Just trying to help here, Aiah. No need for the claws."
"*Claws?* Oh, MJ, sweetheart, you haven't even seen me with my claws out," Aiah shot back, sarcasm dripping from her words.
Maloi subtly nudged Sheena under the table again, whispering, "*Girl, ang init ng ulo ni Aiah. Ang init pati dito!*"
Sheena, barely able to contain her excitement, replied, "Parang *aswang* vibes na si Aiah ngayon. Pero girl, same, nasusunog na yata ako sa init ng drama na 'to!"
As the bickering between MJ and Aiah continued, Stacey tried to intervene with her usual bubbly energy. "Hey, guys, c'mon! We're all adults here. No need for all the... *angst.*" Her voice trailed off as she realized that no one was paying attention to her.
Cole, who had been trying to stay neutral, couldn't help but snicker a little. "You know, this is kind of amusing. It's like watching a rerun of a bad breakup scene."
"*Gago ka rin eh,*" Aiah muttered under her breath, her voice low but sharp enough for Cole to hear.
Meanwhile, Gian sat there, stone-faced but clearly entertained. He had his arms crossed, observing the chaos unfolding in front of him like it was the greatest thing he'd ever witnessed.
JR, on the other hand, had completely stopped eating, his eyes darting between MJ, Aiah, and Cole. His lips twitched as if he was trying not to laugh, but he was loving every second of it.
Maloi, unable to contain herself any longer, leaned over to Sheena and whispered, "*Gagsti! Akala ko maglunch lang tayo ng chill. Ano 'to, special episode ng 'I Can See Your Claws'?!*"
Sheena nodded frantically, giggling into her hands. "Girl, hindi na ako makahinga! *Ang saya nito!*"
As MJ and Aiah's verbal sparring continued, Stacey tried one last time to bring some peace to the table. "Okay, okay, let's all just take a deep breath. We're just here to eat lunch. We're all professionals, right?"
MJ sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Fine. Truce?" He held out his hand to Aiah, his expression softening a little, though there was still tension in his posture.
Aiah stared at his hand for a moment, then finally sighed and shook it. "Truce. For now."
The table fell into a tense silence once more, but the moment had passed. Maloi, Sheena, Gian, and JR were left in awe, silently celebrating the fact that they had just witnessed one of the most entertaining lunches ever.
Maloi, grinning like a maniac, whispered to Sheena, "*Girl, hindi tayo nabigo. Best lunch ever.*"
Sheena nodded in agreement, still trying to stifle her laughter. "*Uy, true! Parang nabusog ako sa chismis at away!*"
And as they all returned to their food, the group knew that this was only the beginning of a very long, very interesting journey of love, tension, and inevitable *chismis.*
