This or That?

xi

Aiah's POV

The hospital night shift was finally over. Napagalitan pa ako sa sobrang ka-sabawan ko, I wasn't able to balance the centrifuge. Instead of 4 test tubes, tatlo lamang ang nalagay ko sa portals. I'm just hoping against hope na sana hindi masira 'yong laboratory apparatus. I'm out of my mind lately. 'yong tipong kahit mga kasama ko sa duty at mga instructors namin ay napapansin.

Drained but relieved, I trudged out of the laboratory room with my friends, Maloi and Fons. As we walked, the cool night air did little to soothe the exhaustion in my bones.

"Grabe, ang toxic ng duty, ano?" Maloi sighed tapos inakbayan kaming dalawa ni Fons.

"Kasing toxic ba ng jowa mo?" Fons teased. "Ewan ko ba sa'yo, Maloi! Andyan naman si Colet, 'yong batchmate ng kapatid ni Aiah."

Maloi shook her head. "Oh, that kid? Well, she's cool and cute but nah."

"Ang arte! Ganda yarn?" I teased her too. Paano ba naman kasi, dati, palagi sila Mikha sa building namin kasi crush na crush ni Colet si Maloi but Colet never make a move and Maloi didn't bother noticing Colet and her secret gazes towards her.

"Syempre maganda ako! But I feel like hindi kami bagay." she replied shortly.

"What do you mean, bro? Dahil ba halos magkaheight kayo?" Fons asked.

"Gaga! No, I feel like may mas babagay sa kanya." Maloi smirked.

Fons and I both turned to her curiously. "Who?" we both asked.

"Basta .. hmmm, 'yong best friend ng sister mo? Jhona? Wala lang, I always see her watching Colet from afar eh." Maloi shrugged off her shoulders.

"Oh, it's Jhoanna." I nodded.

The three of us decided to grab some snacks at Jollibee. After all, we deserve something dahil pakiramdam namin ay sobrang haba ng shift namin ngayon.

"You know, Aiah," Fons started, his voice teasing as he handed me a straw for my diet coke, "You're quite the martyr, aren't you?"

I raised an eyebrow, confused. "What do you mean?"

Maloi chuckled. "Oh, you know, sacrificing your own happiness for your sister's. It's quite noble, really. Hindi ka pa nasanay kay Fons, palagi ka namang inaasar niyan about doon."

I faked a laugh. "What are you two talking about?"

"Oh, come on, Aiah," Fons persisted. "You've been pining over Mikha for years, and now your own sister is stealing her right from under your nose."

I rolled my eyes. "That's not how it is."

"Sure," Fons said, a smirk playing on his lips. "Just a friendly sisterly bond, right?"

I sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing. They were right, of course. I had always put others before myself, especially my sister. And now, I was watching her and Mikha, the girl I'd secretly loved for years, grow closer and finally became in a relationship.