CHAPTER 3: Small Talks, Slow Shifts
610 Words
“Gwy! Dito ka na kumain!” Harper called out, waving from their usual lunch spot near the back of the cafeteria.
Gwy hesitated for a moment, tray in hand. She usually ate alone or sometimes with her seatmates, depending on the day. But Harper was persistent—and beside her was Haze… and Aileen.
Of course.
She walked over slowly, trying to act casual. “Sure. Libre bang upuan dito?”
“Para sa’yo, oo,” Haze smirked.
As she sat, she gave a polite nod to Aileen, who looked up from her lunch and gave a small smile. “Hi ulit.”
“Hey,” Gwy replied, placing her tray down and suddenly very aware of how quiet she was being.
Harper and Haze were already knee-deep in conversation about some group project, so Gwy and Aileen were left at one side of the table, sharing occasional glances but mostly silence.
Then, unexpectedly—
“May dala kang camera?” Aileen asked, eyeing Gwy’s bag.
Gwy blinked. “Yeah. Lagi ko siyang dala parang habit.”
Aileen grinned slightly. “I like light. I draw better when I observe how it falls.”
Gwy couldn’t help but smile. “Interesting. I take photos for that same reason—how light tells the truth.”
Aileen looked at her for a moment, thoughtful. “Maybe we see the same things, just differently.”
The words sat between them, soft and simple, but it felt like a string quietly tied around their conversation—connecting them without them noticing.
“Baka after class,” Gwy said, her voice quieter, “you can show me.”
Aileen nodded once. “Sure.”
“Gusto mo i-shoot yung art wall sa labas ng building B? May sunlight doon around 3 PM. Ang ganda ng shadows.”
Gwy tilted her head. “You noticed that?”
And just like that, a moment that wasn’t supposed to mean anything suddenly did.
After lunch, their group began to scatter—Harper had to go to the library, Haze was pulled into a club meeting, and Gwy found herself walking beside Aileen toward the hallway, neither of them really saying where they were headed.
They didn’t have to.
“May class ka pa after this?” Aileen asked, her voice calm, hands in her pockets.
“Wala na,” Gwy replied. “Free period. You?”
Aileen nodded. “Same. Gusto mo dumaan sa art wall? Baka maganda pa rin yung light.”
“Sure,” Gwy said, adjusting her camera strap.
They walkedin comfortable silence until they reached the far side of Building B. The wall was half-painted, filled with old murals, faded sketches, and student tags that had survived for years. The sun was slanting perfectly across it, casting sharp lines and soft glows.
“Ang ganda,” Gwy said softly, lifting her camera.
“Diba?” Aileen said, leaning against the wall, eyes closed for a moment. “Parang kahit luma na, may kwento pa rin.”
Gwy took a photo of her just like that—unposed, at peace. When Aileen opened her eyes and caught the shutter click, she smiled.
“Kinuhanan mo ako?” she asked, a bit amused.
“Yeah,” Gwy replied honestly. “You looked... real.”
Aileen didn’t say anything at first, but her eyes softened. “Okay lang. I like being remembered that way.”
And for a moment, that shared silence between them didn’t feel awkward at all it felt safe. Like neither of them had to pretend, or explain, or try too hard.
Just two girls under the sun, capturing shadows and light.
- Writer
