Chapter 9
After the game ended, the five of us decided to stay a bit in the school to watch other games too. around 4:50pm when we decided to eat outside. We used my car dahil kasya naman kami at may balak pa sila bumalik sa school after kumain. We decided to eat at Japanese Restaurant 15 minutes away sa school. Pero dahil sa traffic, inabot kami ng 25 minutes sa highway.
Amara was driving dahil sabi ko sakanya pagod ako from the game. I leaned back in the passenger seat, closing my eyes for a moment. The adrenaline from the game was still running through her veins, but now that the match was over, the exhaustion was starting to hit her.
"Napakagaling mo naman kanina! Halatang inspire" Pangtutukso sakanya ni Jill
"Grabe, Jill. Bakit ba?" she replied, raising an eyebrow playfully. "Inaasar mo na naman ako!"
Jill grinned mischievously, her eyes twinkling. "I mean, I wasn’t wrong, was I? Everyone could see it! Plus, Hero was practically glued to his seat the entire game."
Amara, who was driving, glanced over at them with a small smile. "Oo nga, Serafine. Kahit ako nga na-amaze sa laro mo, eh. Hindi lang si Hero."
Sage laughed from the backseat, teasing her further. "Ah, so si kuya Hero 'yung main character ng laro mo, ha? Sabagay, titig na titig siya sa 'yo."
Serafine rolled her eyes, but there was a slight blush creeping up her neck. She couldn’t deny the fact that she had noticed Hero watching her closely during the game. She’d tried not to think too much about it, focusing on her performance instead. But now that it was being brought up, she couldn’t help but replay those moments in her head.
"Saglit lang, okay?" she replied, trying to sound casual. "Alam niyo naman na matagal na ako pinipilit nung bumalik sa paglalaro ng volleyball kaya nanood talaga yun. No big deal."
Jill and Marga’s teasing continued in the background as they finally pulled into the parking lot of the Japanese restaurant, the conversation shifting to what everyone wanted to eat.
As they walked into the restaurant, Serafine's mind kept returning to those lingering glances, those words of encouragement, and the unspoken connection she was starting to feel from Max.
And speaking of Max .. shit may message nga pala yun sakin kanina.
Maxiene (4:30pm): Hey we won the game, meet tayo? I'll wait on the back of audi. Hindi ako dito aalis ng di ka nagpapakita no joke.
She quickly glanced at the clock—it was already 5:30 pm, and it was getting dark outside. What the heck? Max never seemed like the type to be so pushy about something like this. But the fact that she said she wouldn’t leave until Serafine showed up? That was... bold.
"Shit," Serafine muttered under her breath. "Max is serious about this."
Jill, who was sitting next to her at the table, raised an eyebrow. "What’s wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost."
"I just got a message from Max," Serafine said, trying to sound casual, though she could feel the tension creeping up her spine. "She wants me to meet her... like, right now. At the back of the auditorium."
Amara and Sage leaned in, curious. "Wait, what? Bakit ka pupunta dun? Sabihin mo na lang na hindi ka pwede." Sage gave her an amused grin, obviously not taking the situation too seriously.
But Serafine couldn’t help but feel nervous. There was something about Max’s message—something about her tone—that felt different. It was playful, but there was also this... undeniable pull. Why is she being like this?
"I don't know," Serafine said, her fingers hovering over the screen as she thought about her reply. "I didn’t plan on seeing her today. But... I don’t know. Should I go? What if it’s... awkward?"
Jill leaned back in her chair, a knowing look on her face. "Sera, let me get this straight. Max is asking to meet you, and you're debating it? Girl, go for it. We all know there’s something there."
Amara, ever the voice of reason, nodded slowly. "If you're not busy, why not? It sounds like she really wants to talk to you. Just... go with the flow."
Serafine stared at the screen, feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety. This is Max, after all. She’s not going to bite, right?
"Okay, okay. I’ll go," she said, finally making up her mind. "But if this turns into some weird drama, I’m blaming all of you."
"Go girl, we'll all wait for you here"
With that, Serafine quickly typed out a reply:
Serafine (5:32pm):
"Alright, alright. I’ll be there in 10."
She hit send, then looked up at her friends. "Guess I’m going. Wish me luck!"
Jill smirked. "Best of luck, Serababes. Don’t make it weird!"
Serafine took a deep breath as she stood up. This is it. Let’s see where this goes
The dim light casts long shadows across the vast, empty auditorium. The air is still.
Sera walks in with purpose, her footsteps echoing. She heads directly toward the back, unsure why Max wants to meet here instead of a more obvious spot, like the front or side.
In the far corner, she spots Max standing alone. She feels a rush of relief at the sight of the older girl’s back. Max is staring at the sky, lost in thought—probably counting the stars after waiting for more than an hour.
(quietly)
“Max...”
It’s dark, but she knows she’ll recognize her voice.
“Heyyy, Max!” Ulit ko
She steps closer. Max doesn’t move, just stares at her in surprise, silent.
“It’s Serafine... the one you’ve been texting.”
Still no response. Her patience is thinning.
“Well? Say something...” naging mute na ba ‘to at hindi na makapagsalita’
Max stands frozen, not saying a word.
“Bahala ka na nga dyan” She storms off, frustration bubbling over. She grabs the door of her car, slamming it shut with a loud BANG. The engine roars to life as she speeds away, tires screeching against the asphalt.
Tangina mo, Maxiene! Nakakagigil ka! Sigaw ko sa loob ng kotse
The night air feels heavy as she drives away, the sound of her engine fading into the distance.
Serafine walks into the restaurant, clearly upset. She slumps into a chair, her anger palpable. Her friends are already seated, glancing up at her.
Marga who looks concern asked her the question “Oh Sera, anong nangyari?”
Serafine is still seething, her frustration with Max still fresh. She doesn’t even notice that their food has already arrived.
“I’m so mad. Sobra!!“ panimula niya kaya nagkwento na siya ng nangyari kanina. Alam niya na hindi ito mga titigil kakatanong
sakanya.
“Haha, napaka-angas ni Max, tiklop lang pala sayo!” Sambit ni Amara
Jill and Sage were still laughing, halos pag tinginan na kami ng mga tao dito. Lintek ng rhey still dind it funny?!?!
Gosh! Napahiya ako dun! Nasayang ang effort ko sa pagpunta! Serafine hisses, still unable to shake the embarrassment. She picks up her phone and switches it off, not wanting to deal with Max texting her.
“I can’t even! I turned off my phone para hindi siya makapag-text.” Galit kong binagsak ang cellphone ko sa lamesa
“Di ko alam kung nadisappoint ba siya or na-starstruck kasi all this time, ikaw pala yung nakakatext niya”
Serafine glares at Jill, then reaches over and *binatukan* her playfully on the head.
Jill is (laughing and rubbing her head)
“Ay, sakit nun”
The rest of the group bursts into laughter. Even though Serafine is still frustrated, she can’t help but crack a smile.