Chapter 21
The atmosphere in Jamie’s condo was deadly .
Not because someone was physically harmed—no, that would’ve been easier to deal with.
This was worse .
Celine, Jamie, and Gale sat on the couch, heads hanging low like kids who just got caught sneaking out past curfew. They weren’t saying a word. They barely even moved.
And in front of them…
Lumina stood with their arms crossed, all five members including skylar staring them down like disappointed parents.
Sasha, the main victim of last night’s disaster, had the scariest glare. “So, let me get this straight…” she started, voice eerily calm. “You three got so wasted that Gale—without consulting me—just announced our relationship to the world?”
Celine gulped. “…Technically, Jamie dared her.”
Jamie’s head shot up. “Hoy! Ba’t ako na naman?!”
Gale groaned. “Ugh. My head hurts.” She leaned on Celine’s shoulder dramatically. “Celine, tell them I was peer-pressured.”
Celine patted her knee. “I got you, bro.” Then she looked at Sasha. “Sasha, it was totally Jamie’s fault.”
Jamie snapped her head toward her. “Tangina mo, Celine!”
Skylar, watching all this unfold with mild amusement, sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know what I expected. You three have a combined IQ of two when you’re drunk.”
Arianne, who had been silently standing beside Sasha, finally spoke. “Celine.”
Celine stiffened at how serious she sounded. She slowly looked up. “Yes?”
Arianne narrowed her eyes. “What made you think calling Sasha at 2 AM was a good idea?”
Celine tried to think of a good excuse. But then Jamie mumbled, “Because it was funny.”
Arianne’s glare intensified. “Jamie.”
Jamie immediately shut up and looked down again.
Arianne pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling sharply. “Do you three even understand how much damage control had to be done because of your stupidity?”
Mavis clicked her tongue. “Do you guys even have brains when you drink? Or do they just shut down completely?”
Skylar, sitting quietly on the armrest of the couch, smirked. “They definitely shut down.”
Gale, still half-asleep, weakly raised a hand. “Sasha, babe, I’m really sorry. Can we kiss and make up now?”
Sasha scowled. “No, we can’t. Sit properly.”
Gale immediately obeyed, sitting up straight like a student in front of a terror professor.
Jamie, still a little tipsy, laughed. “Ang cute niyo talaga, amp.”
Mavis shot her a glare. “Jamie, if you say one more stupid thing, I swear—”
Jamie threw her hands up. “Okay, okay, sorry! Chill lang!”
Sasha shook her head, taking a deep breath before looking at Gale again. “Gale, I need you to understand that this wasn’t a joke. You literally posted it on X for millions to see.”
Gale bit her lip. “Did it… Did it at least get a lot of likes?”
Mavis groaned. “Gale, for the love of—”
Jamie stifled a laugh. “It actually did. You were trending.”
Sasha glared at her. “Jamie, shut up.”
###
Gale sat stiffly in the passenger seat of Sasha’s car, her hands gripping the edges of her seat like she was about to be launched into space. Her head was still pounding from last night’s drinking, and to make matters worse, Sasha was driving like she was auditioning for Fast & Furious .
The moment Sasha made a sharp turn, Gale’s soul nearly left her body.
“Bebe…” Gale whimpered, eyes wide with fear.
Sasha didn’t even glance at her, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. “Ano!?” she snapped.
Gale gulped. “B-bagalan mo naman… dahan-dahan lang…”
Sasha scoffed. “Ikaw dapat ‘yung dahan-dahanin ko! Ikaw ang nag-post, ikaw ang nagdala ng sakit ng ulo sa ‘kin!”
Gale pouted, leaning her head back against the seat. “Babe, sorry na… hindi ko sinasadya…”
Sasha let out a dry laugh. “Ah! Hindi mo sinasadya?!” She took another sharp turn, making Gale yelp. “Walang sinasadyang nagpo-post ng I love you, Sasha! My bebe forever! sa X tapos may kasamang heart emojis!”
Gale groaned, covering her face. “Okay, fine! Alam ko na! Mali ko na! Pero please, Sasha, baka mamatay ako bago pa ako makabawi sa’yo!”
Sasha finally slowed down, but her glare remained. “Tingnan natin mamaya kung paano ka babawi. Pero ngayon, magdusa ka muna sa hangover mo.”
Gale let out a deep breath, relieved that she was no longer experiencing a rollercoaster ride. She turned to Sasha with her best puppy eyes. “Babe, soft ka naman sa’kin dati…”
Sasha smirked. “Dati ‘yon. Bago mo ako ibinenta sa buong internet.”
Gale groaned, sinking into her seat. “Nadelete ko naman na po bebe yung post”
Sasha shrugged. “Too late. Na-post mo na, tapos na.”
Gale sighed, closing her eyes. “Kakahiya…”
Sasha glanced at her, shaking her head. “Mahiya ka nga.”
Despite the situation, Gale couldn’t help but smile a little. Even if Sasha was mad, at least she was still driving her home. That had to count for something… right?
Meanwhile in jamie’s condo, it is expose the disaster zone left from the previous night’s drinking session. Empty bottles, half-eaten snacks, and a lingering smell of alcohol filled the air.
In the middle of the mess, Jamie sat on the couch, rubbing her temples as she nursed her hangover. Across from her, arms crossed and an unimpressed look on her face, stood Skylar.
Skylar exhaled sharply, tapping her foot impatiently. “Jamie.”
Jamie winced at the sharpness in her tone. “Hmm?”
“You’re an idiot.”
Jamie blinked. “Okay, rude—”
“No, seriously, Jamie. Of all the things you could’ve done last night, bakit ka nanghila ng tao sa kapahamakan?”
Jamie groaned, leaning her head back. “It was just a dare—”
“JUST A DARE!?” Skylar threw her hands up. “Jamie, Gale literally outed herself to the entire internet because of your stupid dare!”
Jamie snorted. “Technically, it was her fault for being too drunk to resist peer pressure.”
Skylar narrowed her eyes. “And whose fault is it that she was that drunk?”
Jamie pursed her lips. “…Mine?”
“Exactly.”
Jamie huffed, sitting up and looking at her girlfriend with pleading eyes. “Okay, fine. My bad. But come on, Sky, it was fun! You have to admit, last night was iconic.”
Skylar gave her a deadpan stare. “Iconic? Jamie, may crisis ngayon sa X at may possibility na may madamay pang iba! Lumina is literally on high alert! Hindi ka ba natatakot na madamay pati kayo ni Celine sa gulo!?”
Jamie chuckled nervously. “Well, good thing we’re already an open secret, so no worries there. Si Celine ang dapat mag-worry”
Skylar crossed her arms tighter. “Not the point.”
Jamie sighed, finally looking guilty. “Okay, I get it. My fault. But… don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy watching Gale panic this morning.”
Skylar fought back a smirk but quickly covered it with a glare. “That’s not the point either!”
Jamie grinned, scooting closer to her. “But you did enjoy it.”
Skylar rolled her eyes, sighing in defeat. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
Jamie smirked. “I know.”
Skylar groaned, flicking Jamie’s forehead. “Just clean up this mess, you disaster of a human.”
Jamie whined, rubbing her forehead. “Babe, I have a hangover…”
Skylar grabbed a pillow and threw it at her. “And whose fault is that?”
Jamie caught it with a smirk. “Fine, fine. I’ll clean up… after one more hour of sleep.”
Skylar shook her head, muttering under her breath as she grabbed a trash bag, already knowing she’d end up doing most of the cleaning anyway.
Over the parking lot as Celine stood between Arianne and Mavis, both of whom had their arms crossed while giving her the ultimate "You have a lot to explain" stare.
Celine, wearing oversized sunglasses and holding her iced coffee like it was her lifeline, took a long sip before sighing dramatically. "Okay, before anything else, I just want to say—this is all Jamie's fault."
Mavis scoffed, leaning against her car. "Typical. But seriously, Celine, bakit hindi mo man lang pinigilan si Gale kagabi!?"
Celine held up a hand, trying to suppress a laugh. "Dude, do you think I had the power to stop her? I was literally trying not to fall off the couch from laughing too hard."
Mavis shot her a look. "So you admit it! Tumawa ka pa!?"
Celine cleared her throat, avoiding Mavis’ glare. She glanced at Arianne—who was staring at her with that unreadable expression, arms still crossed. That’s when Celine straightened up, fixing her gaze. "I-I mean, of course not! I was concerned. Super concerned. Like, wow, Gale, don’t do it—" she said in the most monotone, obviously fake voice.
Arianne sighed and shook her head, the tiniest smirk forming on her lips. Mavis, however, was not amused.
"Hindi magandang biro, Celine." Mavis muttered, rubbing her temples.
Celine chuckled.
Celine swallowed hard, giving Mavis a nervous smile. Before she could retaliate, Mavis stretched and pulled out her car keys. "Anyway, sumabay ka na sa akin. Baka malate pa tayo sa meeting."
Celine was about to agree when she caught Arianne shifting beside her. The idol opened her mouth like she was about to protest but then closed it quickly, her lips pressing into a thin line.
Celine smirked. Oh? May gusto sanang sabihin pero hindi kaya?
Arianne exhaled slowly, and for a second, it looked like she was debating with herself. But before she could say anything—
Mavis’ phone rang.
Mavis pulled it out of her pocket, her face immediately twisting. "Oh, great. It’s the manager. Celine, tayo ang pinapatawag."
Celine, without missing a beat, tilted her head back, groaned dramatically, and placed a hand on her forehead."Oh noooo… my headache… my hangover… I feel so… weak…"
Mavis rolled her eyes. "Nice try, gago, pero hindi uubra sa—"
Before she could finish, Arianne suddenly laughed. A genuine, soft laugh. It caught both Mavis and Celine off guard.
Then, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, Arianne placed a hand on Celine’s lower back and leaned in slightly.
"Oh, poor girl," Arianne said in a teasing voice, her lips twitching into a smirk. "Halika na, ako na maghahatid sa’yo."
Celine blinked, thrown off for a moment. "H-Huh?"
Arianne turned to Mavis. "Since may meeting pa kayo, ako na lang maghahatid kay Celine. She clearly needs rest."
Mavis narrowed her eyes, sensing something, but before she could question it, Celine, still trying to process what just happened, just weakly nodded. "Uh… yeah. That works."
Arianne grinned, clearly enjoying herself now. "Let’s go then, weakling."
Celine could only follow along, still trying to figure out who gave Arianne the right to be this attractive when she was teasing.
And Mavis? She was left standing in the parking lot, watching them go, a suspicious look on her face.
The moment Celine settled into the passenger seat of Arianne’s car, she let out a deep breath and leaned her head against the window. "Ugh, I am never drinking that much again."
Arianne chuckled as she started the engine. "You say that now, but we both know that’s a lie."
Celine grinned but quickly sobered up. She turned her head to Arianne, who was focused on the road, her fingers tapping lightly on the steering wheel. There was something about her posture—calm, but a little tense—that made Celine frown.
She hesitated for a moment before softly asking, "Mahal, hindi ka naman galit sakin, diba?"
Arianne’s grip on the wheel tightened for a split second before she let out a small sigh. "I’m not mad."
Celine pouted. "Sure ka? Kasi parang tahimik ka, baka iniisip mo parin yung kagabi—"
Arianne glanced at her briefly, her expression unreadable. "I was just… worried."
Celine tilted her head. "Worried? About what?"
Arianne sighed again, eyes still on the road. "You weren’t answering my texts."
Celine blinked. "Huh?" She quickly grabbed her phone, only to realize—her notifications were flooded. "Oh my God, ang dami mong messages."
Arianne gave her a flat look. "Exactly."
Celine chuckled nervously. "hehe"
Arianne shook her head, exhaling through her nose. "Celine, you were drinking. Alam kong kasama mo sila Jamie, but still… I couldn’t help but overthink."
Celine’s teasing smile faded. She turned fully to Arianne now, reaching out to gently touch her arm. "Mahal… I’m sorry. Hindi ko sinasadya, I must’ve passed out or something. But you know Jamie, if something happened to me, she wouldn’t shut up about it."
Arianne let out a small chuckle at that, but the worry in her eyes didn’t completely disappear. "I know… pero hindi ko pa rin mapigilan mag-worry. What if something happened? What if may nakakita sa’yo tapos naglabas ng kung ano-anong rumors?"
Celine softened, squeezing Arianne’s arm. "Hey… I’m okay. And I promise, next time, I won’t ignore your texts."
Arianne side-eyed her. "Next time? So may next time?"
Celine smirked. "Depende kung yayain ako ni Jamie ulit."
Arianne scoffed, shaking her head before firmly saying, "No. Hindi ka na makakaulit."
Celine blinked at her, surprised. "H-Huh? Ang harsh mo naman—"
Arianne let out a sharp sigh, tightening her grip on the steering wheel. "Celine, hindi ito biro. What if nung tinawagan mo Sasha sa kalagitnaan ng gabi tapos may nasabi kang hindi mo dapat sabihin?"
Celine opened her mouth to argue, but Arianne wasn’t done.
"What if bigla kang nadulas about us? What if napag-usapan niyo si Gale at Sasha tapos ikaw mismo nagsabi ng something na hindi dapat nilang malaman? Hindi mo ba naisip ‘yon?"**
Celine swallowed, suddenly feeling small in her seat. "Hindi naman—"
Arianne shot her a look. "Talaga? Sigurado ka? Don’t lie, Celine”
Celine groaned, covering her face. "Okay, I’m sorry"
Arianne shook her head. "Exactly. Celine, I’m not mad about you having fun. Pero you can’t just be reckless like that. Lalo na sa sitwasyon natin ngayon."
Celine stayed quiet, processing Arianne’s words.
After a moment, she let out a long sigh and turned to Arianne with an apologetic look. "I’m sorry… Hindi ko naisip ‘yun. I swear, next time, I’ll be more careful."
Arianne finally softened, though she still looked exasperated. "Good. Kasi kung nag-leak ‘to dahil lang sa kalasingan mo, hindi ko alam kung paano kita ipagtatanggol."
Celine winced. "Ouch."
Arianne glanced at her, rolling her eyes. "Honest lang."
Celine sighed before grinning playfully, trying to lighten the mood. "Pero mahal mo pa rin ako, diba?"
Arianne huffed, looking straight ahead. "Pag-iisipan ko pa."
Celine gasped dramatically. "WHAT?! Ang unfair!"
Arianne let out a small chuckle but didn’t say anything else. Despite the scolding, Celine could see the fondness in her eyes.
And just like that, the tension finally melted away.
As Arianne pulled up in front of Celine’s place, she put the car in park but didn’t unlock the doors just yet. Instead, she turned to Celine with a pointed look.
“Siguraduhin mong magpapahinga ka. Hindi ‘yung may gagawin ka na namang kalokohan.”
Celine, still a little sluggish from the hangover, raised her hands in surrender. “Promise. No more kalokohan... for now.”
Arianne narrowed her eyes. “For now? Celine.”
Celine laughed, leaning her head against the seat. “Joke lang, joke lang! Matutulog na ako, okay?”
Arianne sighed, finally unlocking the doors. “Good. At huwag mong kalimutang uminom ng tubig, please.”
Celine shot her a small, grateful smile. “Yes, ma’am.”
She opened the car door but paused before stepping out. She turned to Arianne again, her voice softer this time. “Salamat sa paghatid.”
Arianne gave her a long look before shaking her head with a slight smile. “Alam mo namang hindi kita kayang pabayaan.”
Celine’s heart did a tiny flip at that, but before she could respond, Arianne gently nudged her. “Go inside. Magpahinga ka na.”
Celine pouted but obeyed, stepping out of the car and waving lazily. “Bye-bye, mahal.”
Arianne smirked. “Bye.”
As soon as Celine disappeared inside her place, Arianne leaned back in her seat, letting out a deep breath.
“That girl is going to be the death of me.”
Still, despite everything, she couldn’t stop the small smile that crept onto her lips before she drove off.
###
Sasha’s condo was dimly lit, the curtains still drawn as the aftermath of last night lingered. Gale sat cross-legged on the couch, hugging a pillow like a child awaiting punishment. Meanwhile, Sasha stood in front of her, arms crossed, staring down at her with a sharp gaze.
"Now, explain.” Sasha finally spoke, voice firm but not exactly angry—just exhausted.
Gale chewed on her lip, avoiding Sasha’s eyes. "Bebe... sorry na…" she murmured.
Sasha sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You know this is a mess, right? Alam mo namang may ‘no dating’ contract ang Lumina, tapos biglang ganyan? Now people are freaking out, the company is probably going to have a heart attack, and I don’t even want to check our group chat kasi malamang puro capital letters ‘yung messages ni Mavis.”
Gale groaned, slumping against the couch. "Lasing lang talaga ako kagabi! Tapos si Jamie pa ‘yung—”
Sasha shot her a sharp look. "Oh no, hindi si Jamie ang nag-type at nag-post. Ikaw ‘yun, babe."
Gale winced. "Okay, fine. My fault." She peeked up at Sasha, pouting. "Pero galit ka pa rin?"
Sasha sighed again, shaking her head. "Im not mad, okay? Disappointed ako. Pero kailangan nating ayusin ‘to."
She grabbed her phone from the coffee table and tossed it onto Gale’s lap. "Mag-tweet ka ulit sa X. Sabihin mong it was just a dare. Damage control, babe."
Gale groaned but took the phone anyway. "Okay, okay..." She opened the app, her fingers hovering over the keyboard before typing out:
Last night was wild lol. That post was just a dare, don't take it seriously!! Blame Jamie. Joke. 😂
Gale showed it to Sasha. "Okay na?"
Sasha skimmed the screen, then smirked. "You just had to include Jamie, no?"
Gale grinned mischievously. "Well, technically, it was her fault—"
Before she could finish, Sasha flicked her forehead.
"Ow!" Gale yelped, rubbing the spot. "Ano ‘yun?!"
Sasha smirked, leaning down until they were at eye level. "Para matuto ka. Next time, huwag ka nang magpapadare habang lasing. At please lang, babe, magtira ka ng konting takot sa management."
Gale groaned. "Fine, fine! Wala nang next time! Promise!"
Sasha just chuckled, finally sitting beside her and pulling her into a side hug. "Good girl."
Gale pouted. "Hmph. Di pa rin ako makapaniwala na pina-tweet mo ako agad."
Sasha rolled her eyes, resting her chin on Gale’s shoulder. "Babe, ikaw ang nagdala ng sarili mo sa gulo. Kaya ikaw din ang maglilinis. But don’t worry…" She smirked, voice dropping into a teasing whisper. "…Jamie will definitely suffer for this."
Gale grinned. "Good. Deserve niya."
Gale leaned back against the couch, satisfied after posting the damage control tweet. Sasha was still eyeing her like a strict manager, but at least she wasn’t mad anymore.
And then—her phone buzzed.
A notification from X.
Jamie had already replied.
@JamieT_Official: HAHAHAHA as if hindi ka willing!!! 🤡 Sino nag-type? Sino nag-post? Sino nag-smile pa habang pinindot ang send? HMMMM 🤔
Gale snorted. “Tangina, Jamie talaga, oh.”
She was about to type a response when another notification popped up.
Celine had joined the chaos.
@CelineM_: Tsk. Sasabihin lang naman sana namin ni Jamie na itigil mo na yung dare… eh kaso, ‘di mo kami pinakinggan. 🤷♀️ Hala ka na.
Gale let out a loud laugh, shaking her head. "Gago 'tong mga 'to, grabe sila sa ‘kin!"
Sasha, who had been watching her the whole time, raised an eyebrow. “Ano na naman?”
Gale, still laughing, turned her phone so Sasha could see. But the moment Sasha’s sharp eyes locked onto the screen, Gale immediately sat up straight and fixed her gaze elsewhere. “…Wala.”
Sasha crossed her arms. “Oh, wala?”
Gale gulped. “Uh… wala, babe. Promise.”
Sasha narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure?”
Gale panicked. She knew Sasha was already annoyed from all the drama, and if she saw Jamie and Celine ganging up on her, she’d probably make her delete her account.
So Gale did the only thing she could do.
She threw her arms around Sasha and back-hugged her tightly. “Bebeee, lablab na please!” she whined, burying her face into Sasha’s shoulder.
Sasha stiffened. “Gale—”
“Lab na lab please…” Gale continued, now swaying them side to side like a clingy puppy.
Sasha sighed, rubbing her temples. “Alam mo, hindi mo ako maloloko—”
“Pero ang cute ko, ‘di ba?” Gale grinned, looking up at her with the most innocent eyes possible.
Sasha exhaled sharply, trying so hard to keep a straight face. “Putangina, Gale.”
Gale took that as a victory. “So… hindi ka na galit?”
Sasha rolled her eyes. “Mmm.”
“Mmm? So love mo na ulit ako?”
Sasha smirked. “No.”
Meanwhile, back on X, the fans were losing their minds .
@StarlightFan21: This whole mess is actually so funny LMAO imagine Jamie, Celine, and Gale literally setting each other up for disaster HAHAHAH
@GaleBebeLover: “Blame Jamie, joke” pero siya pa rin ang nasira sa huli 💀💀💀
@CelineM_: I think we should keep bullying Gale. Thoughts? @JamieT_Official
@JamieT_Official: AGREED. Who's making the group chat?
@GaleTired: WHAT THE–PLS HUWAG NA
Sasha glanced at Gale’s phone, reading the tweets. Then, with a small smirk, she spoke.
“You know what? I changed my mind.”
Gale blinked. “About what?”
Sasha smirked, stealing Gale’s phone. “I think I should join in on this.”
And just like that, Gale’s suffering continued.