Take A Chance With Me

7: twisted fate

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MAVEN

As the night grew deeper and the party started, everything was perfect.

The ball was everything we expected it to be-loud, filled with laughter, and dazzling with lights. I should've been happy.

'Yun naman dapat hindi ba?'

I was here with Jaimie, my long-time crush, dancing and enjoying the night, but no matter how hard I tried, something felt missing.

My laughter was forced, and every time Jaimie spoke, I found myself drifting in and out of the conversation.

We swayed to the music, Jaimie's hand resting on my waist as we danced. Her eyes sparkled, and she kept flashing me these bright smiles, but I could barely return them.

My mind wasn't with her. It was somewhere else-someone else.

My gaze kept wandering over to Ac, who was just a few seats away, chatting genuinely with Ken and a few of our blockmates.

I couldn't shake the weird feeling inside me. Cress looked so happy, but it felt like she was miles away.

The distance between us wasn't just physical-it was like there was a wall now, one that I couldn't break through.

"Tired?" Jaimie asked, pulling me back to reality as we twirled on the dance floor.

"No," I lied, trying to force a smile. "Okay lang ako."

But I wasn't. I haven't been okay for a while now, and it was all because of my best friend.

Something had changed between us, and no matter how much I told myself it was nothing, it gnawed at me.

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Hours had passed, we were asked to pick a new partner for the next dance.

My heart raced for a moment. My eyes instinctively sought out for her. She was sitting quietly now, sipping from a drink as Ken and some of our classmates chatted around her.

I made my way over to her, nerves bubbling up inside me. "Can I have this dance?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

Ac looked up at me, surprised, she then looked at Ken after.

For a moment, I thought she would say no, but then she nodded slowly as her eyes were back on mine. "Of course, Maven." She answered.

Relief flooded through me as we stepped onto the dance floor. As soon as our hands touched, I felt something shift.

We hadn't danced together in ages, not since our senior year in high school. It felt nostalgic, like a piece of the past was coming back to me.

The soft music played in the background as we started swaying to the beat.

For a few moments, we didn't say anything. Just the sound of our feet moving in sync, our hands barely touching, but somehow, it was the most comforting thing I had felt all night.

"Kumusta ka na?" She finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "We've been so distant lately."

I sighed, looking down at my feet for a second. "I know. I guess we've just been busy."

"Busy with Jaimie," She said quietly, though there wasn't any malice in her tone.

Just... acceptance.

I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. You're with Ken too. I wanted to blurt out but didn't .

"Yeah... we're getting along well." I smiled.