// one shots // ft. jedean

// Set Up (pt. II) //

prompt: "sana next nun yung sa maglulunch or dinner na ata yun tas yung pasimpleng inaasar ni jia si jema nang hindi alam ng lahat" -@KateCastillon

please don't be disappointed, i, too, am really not proud of my writing skill.

•••

   As soon as she started driving, neither one of us spoke. I am lowkey fidgeting with my seat belt unable to think of something to say to start a conversation. I'm not normally like this, I would've been talking really loud or screaming my lungs out with whatever is playing on the radio, but right now, it looks like all the saliva in my mouth dried up and I have lost my voice like I'm Arielle who had a deal with Ursula just to meet my prince charming, instead it's a princess.

   After a while, not being able to tolerate the intolerable, for me at least, silence, I decided to start a conversation. I mean, when do I ever get the chance to be alone in a car ride with my crush? Rarely. This is literally once in a lifetime. Better make the mose out of it. Go lang ng go, Galanza.

    "Saan nga pala tayo kakain?" I ask, turning my head to look at her.  She glances at me before answering.

"Sabi ni Ate Jia sa Crisostomo daw in Eastwood." she says, keeping her eyes on the road.

    "Bakit dun? Why not sa UPTC?" Not that I'm complaining. I have more time with Deanna, so it's all good.

    "Ewan. Siya nag-aya, sabi nga rin namin na sa UPTC nalang, pero she insisted, may lalakarin daw sya," she shrugs. I love how she speaks. I love how her voice sounds. It's thick and a little husky at times. It sounds very astig.

    "Oh. If I know, sinadya nya talaga para mas matagal kong kasama si Deanna." I whispered the last part since I don't want her knowing my admiration towards her yet.

   "If you know what, ate?" and with that, I felt all the blood flowing in my body disappear.

   "N-na g-gusto nya lang gumala?" I sound unsure, but that's good enough. Sana di nya mahalata, tanga ko naman kasi eh. "And don't call me 'ate' mas nakakatanda eh. 'Jema' is fine." Or 'love'. Okay tama na Galanza.
  
     "Okay. If you say so, Jema." she says smiling. I don't know, but there's something on the way she says my name. It's different. I love how she says it. It just slides off her tongue smoothly. It sounded special, like I'm special.

   We drove a few more minutes, talking about small things like volleyball, school and me graduating, before finally arriving in Eastwood. Deanna parks the car in the mall's basement parking. Our walk to the restaurant was nothing, but me pretending to be scrolling through my phone. I just don't want to talk, I'm too kinikilig. Deanna walks in front of me and I follow her just a few inches behind. Not that long, we reach the place.

"Hey." Deanna and I said at the same time, making us look at each other and having the short pause before laughing.

  "Tara. We ordered na, ang tagal niyo kasi eh." says Ate Ly.

   There are only two vacant seats left, both are just next to each other. There are 12 people here, no rookies, excluding Deanna and I: Ate Ly, Ate Mel, Ate Michele, Jia, Alex, Jho, Bea, Maddie, Jules, Ponggay and the imports. I sit in front of Jia, just so I could throw death glares at her, and maybe kick her underneath the table. Deanna sits next to me. They aren't really talking about a certain topic, since it's either they're on their phones or the other are talking to the person next to them. As soon as my bum meets the chair, I can sense a pair of eyes burning holes on me. Jia's.