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MAVIS
The Monday after our date, I found myself grinning like an idiot every time Ashi crossed my mind.
I hated how she had this effect on me, making my stomach flutter like some hopeless romantic.
And, of course, she'd noticed, throwing smirks and eye-rolls my way whenever I caught her gaze.
It didn't help that our friends had started to pick up on the sudden shift between us. Mas lalo silang mapang asar.
Where we'd usually be snarking at each other from across the oval, now we were talking—more like playfully bickering and exchanging little nudges whenever we walked side by side.
The teasing from everyone was relentless, and today was no exception.
During lunch, we'd all gathered around the school oval. Colen, Jai, Mali, Sace, Gian, and Sam sat with us, forming a little circle as we passed around snacks and chatted about anything and everything.
“So, what's up with you two?” Colen smirked, elbowing Jai. “Ashi and Mavis—enemies turned lovebirds?”
Before I could even respond, Ashi leaned in, grinning as she crossed her arms. “Excuse me, lovebirds? We're far from that, Colen” She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm but a hint of a smile played at her lips.
Jai, never missing an opportunity to poke fun, snorted. “More like enemies to lovers, honestly. I mean, it's got the whole slow-burn drama vibe.”
I couldn't resist the opportunity to add fuel to the fire, glancing at Ashi with a smirk. “Enemies and lovers, maybe” I said, raising an eyebrow suggestively.
“Why settle for just one? Strive for the best” I added while grinning.
That got the group roaring with laughter, and Ashi shot me a glare that, judging by the twitch at the corner of her mouth, was more amused than annoyed.
“Wow, Mavis” She deadpanned, eyes twinkling with that familiar spark. “Are you telling everyone your master plan now?”
“Oh, I don't need a plan, Ash. You're already hooked at wala na akong plano na pakawalan ka pa” I shot back with a wink.
Our friends lost it, rolling their eyes and playfully groaning at our exchange.
Mali, who was seated beside Sace, leaned into the teasing. “Honestly, I can't even tell if they hate each other or just want to kiss all the time.”
Sace, not one to let that slip, nudged her with a smug grin. “Sounds like someone else I know.”
“Hoy, Sace! I'm not like that, okay?” Mali shot back, giving her a shove that was a little too gentle to mean anything. "Mandiri ka nga, you think papatol ako sayo?" She sassed.
“Oh yeah? Sure, just keep telling yourself that” Sace teased, throwing an arm around her shoulders before she squirmed away, cheeks a bit pinker than before.
Jai took this as her cue to jump in, turning to Colen with a smirk. “And you, Colen—how long are you planning to keep this crush on me going?”
Colen rolled her eyes, though she was definitely blushing. “Tigilan mo nga ako, Jai! Hindi porket nagkiss na tayo ay ganyan ka na— gusto mo isa pa?”
"Wow, the audacity to say it again, gusto mong masampal ulit?" Jai raised an eyebrow.
"Ang kapal ng mukha Ms. President " Colen snorted
“Eh, sino bang may gusto ng kapal ng mukha ko?” Jai teased, giving her a cocky grin. “I've got a list if you want to check it out.”
“Oh, please” Colen muttered, trying to sound exasperated, but her blush said otherwise. "Ako ang number one sa list" She mumbled
She pretended to roll her eyes, but everyone knew she didn't mind the attention one bit.
Meanwhile, Gian and Sam had somehow gotten roped into their own little teasing session.
Gian had an arm draped lazily around Sam's shoulder, and though Sam was pretending to be annoyed, she hadn't moved away.
“Bebe, bakit ang clingy mo?” She asked, raising an eyebrow but unable to hide the smile tugging at her lips.
“Because you let me be” She replied with a smirk, giving her a slight squeeze. “And you love it.”
“Sabagay, tru the fire” She shrugged, rolling her eyes but clearly enjoying the attention.
Amid all the chaos, Ashi and I were exchanging grins, watching everyone with a mix of amusement and pride.
It was wild how easily our friends teasing had gone from us to each other, and as much as I liked having the spotlight, it was nice seeing everyone's little “crush confessions” unfold, even if no one outright admitted it.
Colen finally sighed, giving the whole group a mock-exasperated look. “Honestly, it's like everyone here is in love or something.”
Ashi shot back, unable to resist a challenge. “That's just because you're all secretly obsessed with us.”
I smirked, adding, “Right? Who wouldn't be? I mean, come on—look at us.” I gestured between Ashi and myself as if we were the hottest catch at school.
Not that I didn't low-key believe it, but still.
The group burst into another round of laughter, everyone throwing playful insults and retorts that were more affectionate than anything.
As the conversation lulled, Sace nudged me with a grin. “So, Mavis, does this mean we're expecting more date reports from you two?”
Ashi groaned, burying her face in her hands, but I just leaned back, unfazed. “Only if you want to know all the juicy details” I said, waggling my eyebrows.
Ashi looked up, cheeks tinted red as she threw me a fake scowl. “Ang bastos mo, kala mo naman gusto ko yang gusto mo”
“You like it or not” I replied smugly, nudging her side. “You're stuck with me now, roar”
And, as ridiculous as it was, that thought didn't bother me one bit.
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