Take A Chance With Me

6: sana

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MAVEN
the ball day

I woke up with a strange feeling in my chest. I tried to shake it off, telling myself it was just the excitement for the ball.

After all, I was going with Jaimie, my long-time crush, and everything was supposed to be perfect.

But as I got ready for school, something didn't sit right. Ac had been avoiding me again for the past few days, and I missed her.

More than I cared to admit.

"Hey Ate Mave!" Margaux's voice startled me out of my thoughts as she knocked on my door. "Tara na, late ka na!"

"Oo, susunod na" I shouted back, grabbing my bag and hurrying downstairs.

The usual chatter and chaos from my siblings filled the breakfast table, but my mind was somewhere else.

I barely touched my food, just moving it around on my plate while thinking about Cress. We hadn't talked much lately, and every time I saw her, she seemed distant.

I kept telling myself that maybe she was just busy with her book project, but I knew that wasn't the full story.

"Penny of your thoughts?" Aiden said with a smirk as he stuffed toast into his mouth.

"Shut up" I muttered, rolling my eyes. "Hindi siya ang iniisip ko."

Mavrex grinned from across the table, clearly not convinced. "Defensive naman, eh I didn't say a name nga" He laughed.

I threw a crumpled napkin at him, and he dodged it, laughing. "Mag-concentrate kayo sa pagkain niyo kaysa sa buhay ko." I grumbled.

But as much as I tried to brush it off, their teasing hit close to home. I did think about Ac a lot lately—probably more than I should.

But what was I supposed to do? She was my best friend, and I hated that things were awkward between us now.

I wanted to fix it, but every time I tried, she would pull away. And seeing her with Ken the other day just made things even more confusing.

What's happening, really?

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School that day felt like it dragged on forever. I tried to focus on my classes, but my mind kept wandering back to Cress.

Every time I saw her in the hallway, she was either with Ken or our blockmates, chatting like everything was fine. Except, she never looked my way.

By lunchtime, I couldn't take it anymore. I spotted her sitting by the window in the cafeteria, surrounded by a few of our friends.

Jaimie was beside me, talking about the ball, but I barely heard her. My eyes were on Ac, who was engrossed at something Ken said.

"Tara, Maven" Jaimie nudged me. "Let's sit down."

I followed her to the table, trying to act like everything was normal, but as soon as I sat down, Ac's smile faded.

She glanced at me briefly before turning back to Ken, avoiding my eyes.

“Excited ka na ba for the ball, Mavs?” Jaimie asked, giving me a bright smile.

I forced a smile back. "Oo naman, excited ako."

But the truth was, the excitement I'd once felt was starting to fade. I used to imagine the ball as this perfect night—dancing with Jaimie, wearing a beautiful dress, and just having fun with everyone.

But now, all I could think about was how things between Ac and me had changed. And no matter how much I tried to ignore it, it hurt.

As lunch went on, I caught Ac looking at me a few times, but she quickly looked away every time our eyes met.

It was like she was purposely keeping her distance, and it only made the knot in my chest tighten.

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The day passed in a blur, and soon, I was back home getting ready for the ball.

My siblings were buzzing with excitement, and the house was full of chatter and chaos as we all prepared for the big night.

Mom and Dy will come home late but still they made bilin on us earlier to enjoy the ball.

"Ang ganda mo naman, Ate" Margaux said, watching me as I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my dress. "You'll surely steal the night"

I smiled, but it didn't quite reach my eyes. "Thanks, Margaux."

"Parang hindi ka naman excited" Aiden said, poking his head into my room. "Akala ko ba date mo si Jaimie? Dapat happy ka."

"I am happy" I insisted, but even I didn't believe it. Something was missing, and I knew exactly what it was—  who rather.

The doorbell rang, and I knew it was Jaimie. I took one last look in the mirror, smoothing down the fabric of my dress before heading downstairs.

As I opened the door, Jaimie beamed at me, looking radiant in her dress. "You look amazing, Maven!"

"Thanks" I said, offering her a small smile. "You look great, too."

We walked to the car, and while Jaimie was talking about the music and decorations at the venue, my thoughts were somewhere else.

Epecifically, with Ac. She hadn't mentioned anything about her plans for the ball, and I couldn't help but wonder if she's going with Ken.

The thought of her being there with him bothered me more than it should have.

By the time we arrived at the venue, the ballroom was already bustling with people.

The lights were dimmed, casting a romantic glow over everything, and the music played softly in the background.

I should've felt excited—this was the night I'd been waiting for—but all I could think about was finding Cress.

Jaimie led me to our table, and as soon as we sat down, I scanned the room for her.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw her standing by the entrance, looking beautiful in a simple but elegant dress.

She wasn't alone, though. Ken was right beside her, and they were laughing about something, looking completely at ease.

"Uy, ayan na si Ate Ac" Aiden said, nudging me from across the table. "Ay may date na siya?"

I frowned, watching as Ken guided Ac to the dance floor, his hand resting gently on the small of her back.

They started dancing, and for some reason, the sight of them together made my chest feel tight.

"Ate, your expression, it's halata" Margaux whispered, leaning closer to me.

I forced a smile, trying to brush it off. "It's not what you're thinking, Margaux. I'm just happy for her."

But as the night went on, I couldn't stop watching them. Every laugh, every smile Ac gave Ken felt like a punch to the gut.

And for the first time, I wished I hadn't asked Jaimie to be my date. I wished I had asked for Cress instead.

"Sana..." I thought to myself, my heart was sinking.

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