Player 1 | MIKHAIAH AU

Part 8

It had been ten long, tension-filled minutes since Mackie had quietly sat next to Addison. Neither spoke, neither dared to. Instead, their conversation consisted of stolen glances and fleeting smiles, both too caught up in their own thoughts to break the silence. 
Mackie’s mind raced, her hands nervously gripping the edge of her chair. “Did I do something wrong? Did I say something last time?” The doubt gnawed at her as she glanced at Addison again, trying to read her expression. Addison, on the other hand, was caught in her own whirlwind of emotions. “Why am I like this? I should just focus—I have a job to do.” She shifted in her seat, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, the weight of the livestream and Mackie’s presence pressing down on her. 
Noticing Addison’s discomfort, Clover leaned in and casually draped an arm over her shoulders. “You okay? Nilalamig ka ba? Or do you want water?” she asked, her voice soft with concern. 
Addison blinked, startled out of her thoughts. “Ha? No, I’m okay. Maybe just… nervous since this is, you know, ‘official,’” she replied with a weak smile, her voice barely above a whisper. 
Clover gave her a reassuring squeeze, but it was Mackie who spoke next. Her tone was warm, comforting. “It’s okay to feel nervous. Just remember, there are a lot of people supporting you,” she said, flashing Addison a small but genuine smile.  The comment caught Addison off guard, her eyes meeting Mackie’s. For a moment, the nerves melted, replaced by something softer, more vulnerable.

“Uy, Mackie, galaw-galaw daw sabi ng comments!” Jhai suddenly called out, her teasing voice breaking the quiet moment. The chat exploded in laughter and emojis, pulling everyone’s attention back to the stream. Mackie chuckled, shaking her head as she glanced at Addison once more. This time, the corners of Addison’s lips lifted into a real smile, and for the first time that morning, the tension seemed to ease, even just a little.

Offering her hand Mackie stands up and says “Tara, I'll show you you have nothing to be afraid of” she says with a smile. Addison takes her hand and they start to game. Addison was still nervous about playing but Mackie keeps on just walking around with her in the game, Addison started to drive with Mackie on the passenger side, she keeps on bumping on trees and almost falls off a bridge. “Remind me to never get in a car with you” Mackie says with a teasing smile. “Ay wow, mas magaling naman skills ko in real life” Addison says bantering back. “Hindi ok lang yan, bagay ka naman maging passenger princess ko” Mackie says cringing after what she said. “Luh yan na naman siya” Gab says laughing a little after hearing what Mackie said.

Mackenzie stood, offering her hand with an encouraging smile. “Tara, I’ll show you there’s nothing to be afraid of,” she said, her voice warm and steady. Addison hesitated, but the sincerity in Mackenzie’s gaze made her take the offered hand. They sat down together, Mackenzie guiding Addison into the game.  Despite her nerves, Addison did her best, but her character kept stumbling through trees and veering dangerously close to the edge of a bridge while driving. Mackenzie stayed by her side, her character calmly riding shotgun. “Remind me to never get in a car with you,” Mackenzie quipped, a teasing grin tugging at her lips.
Addison shot her a look, fighting back a laugh. “Ay wow, mas magaling naman skills ko in real life,” she countered, her confidence peeking through.
Mackenzie chuckled, leaning back slightly. “Hindi, okay lang yan. Bagay ka naman maging passenger princess ko,” she said without thinking, immediately cringing at her own words. “Luh, yan na naman siya!” Gab interjected from the background, her laugh cutting through the tension as Mackenzie turned red, and Addison tried to hold back a smile. The chat exploded, fueling the moment with endless comments and emojis.

“Mackie, ang cute niyo daw kagabi,” Jhai said, reading off a comment that flashed on the screen. She paused, tilting her head curiously. “Huh? Umalis ba kayo kagabi?” The words tumbled out before she could stop herself. Mackenzie glanced up from her setup and replied casually, “Oh, I went out for coffee with Dior.” She shrugged, as if it was no big deal. Mackenzie had always been close to Dior—they shared similar interests, and their bond felt more like that of siblings than anything else. “Ahhhhhhhh,” Gab and Jhai chorused dramatically, their reactions exaggerated as they exchanged knowing glances.
“Huh? Bakit? Anmeron?” Mackenzie asked, genuinely confused by their sudden shift in energy. “Diba lumabas din kayo, Ate Mandy? Saan na nga yun, sa BGC?” Shan chimed in without thinking, her tone light and curious.
The room seemed to freeze for a split second. Mandy hesitated, darting nervous glances between Addison and Mackenzie. “Oh, uhm, yeah... around the same area sa café,” she said carefully. “We thought about dropping by, pero nahihiya ata si Ate Ads,” Mandy added, her voice faltering slightly as she tried to gauge their reactions. Mackenzie’s brows furrowed, her confusion turning into something more. “Andoon ka kagabi? Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, setting her phone down and focusing entirely on Addison.
Addison shifted uncomfortably, offering a small, tentative smile. “Napadaan lang kami. You seemed busy... so I didn’t want to bother you.” Mackenzie’s expression softened instantly, her voice warm and sincere. “Not for you. I’d make time for you.”

“Yown!” Jhai burst out, breaking the tension as she clapped her hands.
“Ganon pala manuyo ang Mackie boi!” Gab added, grinning mischievously as the teasing began, their laughter filling the room.

“Ate Ads, kaya ka daw ba nagtatampo? Ganun daw sabi sa comments,” Shan teased, her tone playful as she leaned closer, fishing for a reaction. 
“Luh, hindi noh. Bakit naman magtatampo?” Addison replied, shaking her head with a small laugh. “I knew naman na makikita ko siya today,” she added, brushing off the tease with a casual shrug.  The chat erupted with new comments. ‘Uy DiCkie taob.’ ‘Sakanya pa rin daw uuwi si Mackie.’ ‘Daming comments... hindi ko pa din mahanap karapatan.’ Addison smirked slightly, unable to help herself. “Dami niyo alam,” she quipped, her eyes flicking briefly to the stream monitor. 

Another comment caught Shan’s attention, making her laugh. “MaDdi pa ba kayo? Eh cute din kasama ni Addison oh,” she read aloud, grinning. “Uy, Ate Clo, cute mo daw sabi nila!”. Clover blushed, bowing her head shyly as if to hide her face. Mandy, noticing, leaned in with a mischievous smile. “Pogi ba, guys? Bigay ko na lang number nito!” Mandy teased, earning a light shove from Clover, who couldn’t help but laugh. 
“Ayan na sila,” Shan said, shaking her head in amusement as Mandy and Clover’s playful banter filled the room. 
“‘CloDy’ daw sabi sa comments,” Gab chimed in, grinning as she watched their dynamic unfold, the chat now flooded with fans shipping the pair. The warmth and lighthearted chaos of the moment made it feel like a gathering of close friends rather than a highly publicized stream.