Chapter 6
Stacey stood patiently in the parking lot, her arms folded as she waited for Lucas to arrive. She didn’t mind the wait, though; she had her own car, but Lucas always insisted on picking her up, even when he didn’t have classes. It was a little endearing, how he always made the effort to be there for her, no matter what.
When Lucas’s car finally pulled up, he quickly got out and walked over to her, his usual easy grin plastered on his face. Without hesitation, he leaned in and kissed her gently on the forehead.
"Did you wait for too long? It's a little bit traffic eh," he said, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish smile.
"Nah, it’s fine, babe. I just came here actually," Stacey replied, her lips curling into a smile. She couldn’t help it—Lucas was just too adorable, with his goofy charm and the way he always made her feel special.
As they chatted, Stacey’s attention briefly shifted to the sounds coming from a nearby circle of people. Laughter and teasing drifted toward her, and she recognized the familiar voices—Aiah and her friends. She couldn’t help but glance in their direction.
Her eyes briefly locked with Aiah’s. For a split second, Aiah’s expression was all smiles, but that smile quickly faltered when her gaze moved to Lucas beside Stacey. Aiah’s face twisted into a subtle frown, a clear change in her mood.
Stacey blinked, unsure if she had imagined it, but the look on Aiah’s face was unmistakable. Did she just… look disappointed? Stacey couldn’t help but chuckle to herself, trying to shake off the thought.
Am I seeing things? she wondered, feeling a slight pang of confusion. She had never noticed Aiah reacting that way before. Aiah had always been cool, collected—even if she wasn’t exactly close to Stacey, she never seemed bothered by her presence. But now? That brief, disapproving glance said something different.
Stacey couldn’t help but laugh quietly under her breath. Lol. She looked so disappointed seeing me with Lucas.
"Babe, can you just drop me off to my unit?" Stacey asked softly, her mood shifting abruptly. "Nawala ako bigla sa mood.. Nakaramdam ako ng pagod."
Lucas raised an eyebrow, his concern instantly showing. "Is there something wrong?" he asked, his voice full of worry. He looked at her, his brow furrowing slightly, as if trying to figure out if she was really okay.
Stacey smiled reassuringly, though the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. "No, I'm fine. It's just that I feel tired today. Bawi na lang ako sa susunod." She tried to downplay it, not wanting to spoil their plans or make him worry any more than he already was.
Lucas wasn’t completely convinced, but he nodded anyway. "No worries, baby. Just take a rest, okay? Let’s just go out next time." His voice was gentle, brushing away any lingering concern as he reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze.
"Thanks, babe," Stacey said quietly, her voice softening as she leaned her head against the window. She appreciated how Lucas always seemed to understand when she needed space, but there was still a nagging feeling she couldn’t shake off. It wasn’t just the exhaustion from the day—it was that strange encounter with Aiah, and how it lingered in the back of her mind - she's so ugh why am i even thinking about her?
When Stacey reached her unit, she didn't waste any time. She dropped her bag by the door and headed straight for the bathroom. It had been a long day—too many things racing through her mind. The sound of the water running as she turned the shower on was a welcome relief, a way to momentarily drown out the chaos in her head.
The warm water washed over her, soothing her tired muscles, but no matter how much she tried to relax, the thoughts kept coming. There was the usual academic pressure—she still had so much to study for her subjects, and with everything piling up, it felt overwhelming. She needed to focus, but the constant mental tug-of-war was exhausting.
Then, there was the photoshoot with Gwen for the brand. Stacey had always enjoyed working with Gwen. They have been working together for almost 3 years now at mahal na mahal talaga nila ang pag momodel.
After stepping out of the shower, Stacey wrapped herself in a towel and put on her pajamas. She was tired—not just physically, but mentally too. The idea of cooking seemed like too much effort, so she decided to just order food instead. Scrolling through Foodpanda, she debated between comfort food options,. Maybe some pasta? she thought, but her attention was soon diverted by a familiar ping from her phone.
Her Instagram app had a notification—Aiah Arceta just liked your post.
Luh? Stacey blinked in surprise, pausing for a moment. What? Why was Aiah liking her post? She had to double-check. She opened Instagram and scrolled through her feed until she found the post in question. It was from seven months ago—an old photo of her taken in Coron, Palawan. She was smiling at the camera, with the crystal-clear waters of the island behind her, a carefree moment from a trip that now felt like ages ago.
Stalker na pala siya, Stacey thought, raising an eyebrow. She couldn’t help but chuckle to herself, feeling a bit amused but also confused. Okay, Aiah. What’s going on in your head? She’d never really noticed Aiah as the type to go digging through her feed like that, especially not for a photo that old.
So weird. Stacey muttered to herself, shaking her head. It wasn’t like Aiah’s like meant anything, but now she couldn’t help but feel a little curious. Why did she like that post? A small part of her was tempted to go down the rabbit hole and check out Aiah’s profile,
Just as she was about to resist the temptation and move on, a notification popped up on her screen:
Aiah Arceta follows you
Should I follow her back? she thought, a bit annoyed by the whole situation. But then another, more rational thought crept in: Nah, hayaan mo na lang siya d'yan, mabulok.
She shook her head and laughed softly to herself, trying to shake off the strange feeling Aiah’s message had left her with. Probably napindot niya lang yun by accident. Whatever. She wasn’t about to waste her time overthinking something so small.
With a sigh, she tossed her phone aside and focused on more important things—like her hunger. She pulled up the Foodpanda app again and quickly decided on pasta. Comfort food, always the right choice.
While waiting for her order to arrive, Stacey stood in front of the mirror and started to blow-dry her hair. She wasn’t in the mood for anything too complicated, just a quick fix to feel a bit more put together after a long day. The soft hum of the blow dryer filled the room as she ran the brush through her damp hair, her mind finally starting to quiet down.
Aiah’s heart was racing as she stared at her phone screen, her fingers hovering above it. Shit, shit, shit, she thought to herself, panic flooding through her. She had been aimlessly scrolling through Stacey’s profile when, in her nervousness, she accidentally liked one of her old posts—a photo from months ago, taken in Coron. What the hell was I thinking?!
She cursed under her breath, regretting the decision to even check out Stacey’s profile in the first place. Sabi na nga ba, bad idea na iistalk ko siya. But it was too late now, and the thought of looking like a total stalker made her stomach churn.
Just as she was about to back out of the profile and pretend like it never happened, she felt a sudden movement beside her. Before she could react, Colet snatched the phone from her hands.
“Piskit!” Aiah exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief. She reached for the phone, but Colet was already a step ahead.
“What’s this? You followed her?” Colet grinned mischievously, clearly having seen what happened. Aiah’s face turned bright red.
“Colet, piskit ka!” Aiah swatted at her playfully, but it only made Colet laugh harder.
“Ha! Now you can’t undo it mag nonotif na sakanya yan masyadong halata pag iunfollow mo ulit,” Colet teased, tapping the screen and making herself comfortable with the phone as if it was her own.
Aiah’s face fell into her hands in frustration. “I swear, you’re the worst.” She could feel her face heating up in embarrassment, but deep down, she couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. This is so me, she thought with a heavy sigh.
“Well, at least you followed her,” Colet said with a playful wink. “Now you can see all her posts and... maybe message her, too? Sabi na crush mo hahaha omg hindi ka straight!!! ”
Aiah groaned. "Don’t even start with me. I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore. isa pa straight ako" She grabbed the phone back from Colet, her mind already spiraling over the accidental like and the awkwardness it might cause.
“Okay, okay, sabi mo eh” Colet laughed, finally backing off.