Mikki had always been the quiet one. Ever since she was a kid, she never felt the need to be surrounded by people. She found comfort in silence when no one was asking her questions or demanding her attention. Most kids her age would run around screaming during recess, but Mikki preferred to sit in the corner of the classroom, drawing little doodles on her notebook.
That is, until Sue came along.
Sue was the complete opposite of Mikki. She was loud, energetic, and absolutely relentless when it came to making friends. She had this ability to turn even the dullest moments into something funny, something worth laughing about.
The first time Sue talked to Mikki, it wasn’t even a proper conversation—it was an ambush.
“Uy, sorry!” A high-pitched voice startled Mikki as a girl tripped over her bag.
Mikki sighed, looking up from her sketchpad. “You should look where you’re going kasi dapat eh.” she mumbled, expecting the girl to leave.
But Sue didn’t. She sat beside Mikki, shamelessly peeking at her drawing. “Wow! Ang galing mo mag-drawing! Ako taong stick lang kaya ko!”
Mikki huffed. “Sus, para yan lang.”
Sue only laughed. “Ang sungit mo! Pero mukha kang masaya kasama.”
Mikki raised an eyebrow. “Paano mo nasabi?”
Sue grinned. “Kasi challenge ka. Gusto kita patawanin!”
Mikki rolled her eyes, thinking Sue would eventually get bored and leave her alone. But she didn’t.
She stayed.
And Sue didn’t care. The next day, she sat beside Mikki again. And the day after that. And the next week, and the next month.
At first, it was annoying. Sue wouldn’t stop talking, wouldn’t stop cracking jokes, wouldn’t stop poking Mikki’s arm just to get her attention. But after a while, Mikki found herself… not minding it.
Actually, she kind of liked it.
She liked how Sue always had something funny to say, even when Mikki was having a bad day. She liked how Sue would randomly do impressions of their teachers just to make her laugh. She liked how Sue would pull her into the most ridiculous situations—shooting bobas at their classmates by blowing through the straws or trying not to laugh challenge while eating mikmiks.
Mikki never asked for a best friend, but somehow, Sue became one.
As they grew older, their dynamic never really changed. Even in high school, when Mikki stayed quiet and reserved, Sue remained her chaotic, noisy self.
“Bat ang seryoso mo?” Sue would whine whenever Mikki was too focused on something. “Magpahinga ka muna, dali! Ipa-prank natin si Ma’am!”
“Tapos pag napagalitan tayo?”
“Edi tatakbo tayo!”
Sue was the kind of person who made life feel like an adventure, and Mikki never admitted it out loud, but she was grateful for that.
Even in college, when stress started piling up, Sue was still the same. She’d show up at Mikki’s dorm unannounced, bringing junk food and a playlist of their favorite childhood “jejemon” songs.
“Alam kong gusto mong mag-aral, pero ang boring nyan, Mik. Live a little!” Sue joked, handing her a bag of chips.
Mikki rolled her eyes but took the chips anyway.
That was the thing about Sue—she never let Mikki drown in her own thoughts. She always pulled her back up, made her laugh, reminded her that life wasn’t just about surviving, but enjoying too.
But something changed when they hit their early 20s.
It was subtle at first. Sue wasn’t as quick to crack jokes. She canceled plans more often. Her usual messages—long and filled with nonsense—became shorter, sometimes unread for days.
Mikki noticed, of course. She always noticed.
“Busy ka ba lately?” she asked one night while they were supposed to be hanging out.
Sue, lying on Mikki’s bed, scrolling through her phone, barely reacted. “Hmm?”
“Parang… you’re not yourself these past few days.”
Sue gave her a half-smile. “Dami lang ganap. Work, life, ganun.”
“Okay ka lang ba?”
“Syempre, anong drama mo?”
Mikki frowned. The old Sue would have turned the conversation into something ridiculous. Teased her. Made her laugh. But this Sue—the one who was barely looking at her—felt like a stranger.
Mikki tried to brush it off, thinking maybe it was just stress. But weeks passed, and Sue continued drifting. Mikki hated how helpless she felt, how she didn’t know how to fix this.
Then, one night, she saw Sue at her lowest.
Mikki went to Sue’s apartment unannounced, growing more and more frustrated with her best friend’s avoidance. But when Sue opened the door, any anger Mikki had evaporated.
Sue looked terrible—hollowed eyes, unkempt hair, her usual vibrant energy completely drained.
“Sue…”
Sue just turned around, leaving the door open for Mikki to enter. The living room was a mess—empty beer bottles, a pile of unopened mail, and an overwhelming sense of… sadness.
Mikki sat beside her on the couch.
“Ano bang nangyayari sayo?” she asked, softer this time.
For the first time in weeks, Sue didn’t deflect. Didn’t joke. She just stared at the floor, voice barely a whisper.
“Pagod na ko, Mik.”
Mikki’s chest tightened.
“Sa ano?”
“Sa lahat.” Sue swallowed hard. “Sa work, sa expectations ng lahat, sa pagiging ‘masaya’ palagi kahit ang bigat-bigat na.”
Mikki had no words. This was foreign territory. Sue was the strong one, the light one. She never knew that behind all those jokes, her best friend was carrying something so heavy.
Sue sighed, leaning back. “Ang pangit, no? Sanay kang ako yung nagpapatawa, tapos ngayon, ako yung ang hirap patawanin.” She tried for a chuckle but failed. “Nakaka-guilty lang.”
Mikki clenched her fists.
She hated this. Hated how much Sue was hurting.
So even though it wasn’t in her nature, she did the only thing she could think of.
She tried to make Sue laugh by making jokes.
Mikki took a deep breath. “Alam mo, Sue…”
“Hm?”
“Password ka pala.”
Sue blinked. “Ha?”
“Kasi…” Mikki struggled to keep a straight face. “Hindi kita makalimutan eh.”
For a moment, there was silence. Then—
“Wait, I have another one. Uhm.. Espanyol ka ba?” Mikki uttered.
“Bakit?”
“Kasi sinakop mo yung puso ko eh.”
Another silence.
“Oh c’mon, say something naman, Sue! I’m trying naman eh. Pano mo ba ginagawa yon?! Tawa ka na ulit, please?”
Sue let out a snort.
Mikki’s heart flipped.
“Tangina, ano yun?!” Sue groaned, covering her face as she laughed. “Ang corny, Mik!”
Mikki shrugged. “Effective naman.”
Sue shook her head, still giggling. “Hirap na hirap ka no?”
“Super!”
And suddenly, everything felt lighter.
Mikki didn’t know if she actually fixed anything. Maybe Sue would still struggle, still have bad days. But in that moment, she made her laugh. For now, that was enough.
Sue wiped at her eyes, still smiling. “Salamat, Mik.”
Mikki didn’t reply. She just nudged Sue’s shoulder, silently telling her that she was there. Always.
As weeks passed, Sue started getting better. She wasn’t completely okay, but at least she was trying. And Mikki? She stayed. She made sure of that.
One night, as they sat on a rooftop overlooking the city, Sue suddenly spoke.
“Alam mo ba, Mik…”
“Hm?”
“Hirap na hirap akong lumayo sayo noon.”
Mikki just stared at her, waiting for her to continue.
“Pero di ko alam paano humingi ng tulong,” Sue admitted. “Tapos nung ikaw yung nag-effort, nung ikaw yung nagpatawa, doon ko naisip… Hindi ko na kayang hindi ka mahalaga sakin.”
Mikki tried to hold it in, but then burst out laughing. “BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.”
Sue looked at her, completely puzzled. “Tangina mo di naman ako nagpapatawa, bat tawang-tawa ka?”
Mikki exhaled shakily. “That was a good one kasi.”
Sue blinked. “Ha? Di naman ako nagjojoke. Edi wag na magseryoso, tanginang yan!”
Mikki turned to her, heart pounding. “Of course mahalaga ka rin sa akin, noh! Di naman ako mag-eeffort nang ganito ng wala lang. Ang manhid mo lang kasi, ngayon mo lang talaga narealize yan? Talaga ba? After all these years?!”
For the first time in a long while, Sue’s eyes lit up in pure joy. “Seryoso ba, Mik?”
Mikki just nodded, and that was all Sue needed before pulling her in—hugging then she tangled their hands, both of them laughing softly, their hands finally intertwining like they were always meant to.