Arrange Hearts

CHAPTER 9

Nung sinabi ng prof na may quiz bukas, I should’ve felt stressed, worried about how to prepare in such short notice. Normally, quizzes made me anxious—lalo na kung unexpected. But instead of freaking out, my thoughts drifted back to Violet.

For the first time in a while, hindi ako worried sa sarili kong stress. What bothered me now was how she looked earlier—so drained, so unlike herself. I could still see the exhaustion in her eyes, the way she tried to mask it with a weak smile. May pinagdadaanan talaga siya, and I couldn't shake the feeling that it was something bigger than she was letting on.

I stared down at my notes, the words blurring together. Quiz? It didn’t even feel important right now. Sure, kailangan kong mag-review, pero how could I focus when all I could think about was Violet? It was hard to imagine her, of all people, feeling lost. She was always the one na parang walang problema, always confident. But today, that version of Violet was gone, replaced by someone struggling to hold it together.

As I absentmindedly highlighted a line in my textbook, I found myself debating. Should I message her? Should I check on her again? Ayoko siyang pilitin, but I also didn’t want her to feel like she was facing everything alone.

With a sigh, I closed my notebook, deciding that no amount of studying tonight could clear the worry in my head. I needed to do something. Even if it was just a small message, at least she’d know someone was thinking of her.

Okay, focus muna kay Violet, I told myself. After all, the quiz could wait. What mattered now was making sure she was okay.

I texted her, "Hey, Violet. I know medyo weird timing 'to, but I just wanted to check on you and I just wanted to let you know na I'm here if you need someone to talk to. Kahit simpleng usap lang, okay? Take care."

I hit send before I could overthink it. For a moment, I stared at my phone, waiting for any sign of a response. My heart pounded in my chest, and I found myself nervously tapping my fingers on the table. What if she doesn’t reply? What if she’s too overwhelmed? But then I remembered how tired she looked earlier. Maybe she just needed someone to remind her that she wasn’t alone.

I sighed, leaning back in my chair and go back to studying. I was hunched over my desk, trying to focus on reviewing for tomorrow's quiz when I heard a knock on my door. Before I could even respond, the door creaked open, and there was Evan, leaning casually against the frame.

"Ada, dinner's ready," he said with his usual nonchalant tone, like everything was always easy for him.

I barely looked up, eyes glued to my notes. "I'm studying," I muttered, the frustration creeping into my voice. I was too stressed, too distracted. "Go eat dinner yourself and stop bothering me for a while."

There was a pause. I could feel him still standing there, not leaving like I hoped he would.

Evan sighed, but I could hear the teasing smile in his voice. "Okay, grumpy. Don’t forget to eat, though. Ayaw mo ata ng hangry na quiz review."

I finally glanced up, narrowing my eyes at him. "I’m not hangry."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Right. Well, good luck with the studying. But you know where to find me when you need a break—or food," he added, giving me one last grin before closing the door behind him.

As soon as he was gone, I slumped back in my chair, trying to shake off the annoyance—and maybe just a tiny bit of guilt. Okay, that was harsh, I admitted to myself. But I was too stressed to deal with anyone right now, even if it was Evan.

I was studying hard, trying to cram as much as I could for the quiz tomorrow, when the exhaustion finally got to me. My eyelids felt heavy, and I knew I needed a break. I decided to step out of my room and make myself some coffee to perk up.

Paglabas ko ng kwarto, I noticed Evan sprawled out on the couch, sound asleep. Bakit dito siya natutulog? I thought, momentarily puzzled. But my mind was too full to dwell on it. I was more focused on the fact that I needed coffee, and I needed it now.

I shuffled into the dark kitchen, flipping on the light. I was craving iced coffee this time—something to cool me down and wake me up. I opened the freezer to grab some ice.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, I felt a small, creepy sensation on my toes. I looked down and saw a cockroach scuttling across my foot.

“AAAA!” I shrieked, my voice echoing through the quiet kitchen. I tried to shake it off, but it was already too late.

Before I could fully process what was happening, I felt someone wrap their arms around me tightly from the side. Startled, I looked over and saw Evan, still groggy but wide awake now. His embrace was firm, almost protective, and his face was a mix of concern and confusion.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice still thick with sleep. He was rubbing his eyes, trying to make sense of what was going on.

I was trembling slightly, still caught between fear and embarrassment. “May cockroach!” I managed to stammer, pointing vaguely in the direction of where I’d seen it.

Evan’s eyes widened, and he immediately released me from his embrace, looking around. “Nasan? Did it run away?”

I nodded, feeling a bit self-conscious. “Yeah, I think it’s gone. Thanks for, um, saving me.”

He chuckled softly, his sleepiness making his voice sound more relaxed. “Actually, hinihintay kita na lumabas. You’ve been studying non-stop, and I figured you’d need some company or at least a reminder to eat. Sorry I slept”

I blinked at him, realizing that he must have fallen asleep waiting for me. So that’s why he’s on the couch. “Oh, I’m sorry for disturbing your nap,” I said, feeling a pang of guilt.

Evan waved it off with a sleepy smile. “Don’t worry about it. I was just worried about you. And now that you’re up, how about we get some food? I’ll make sure no more cockroaches invade your kitchen.”

I laughed softly, feeling a bit more at ease. “Sure, that sounds good. I guess I could use a break.” He smiled, warm. Yung mga ngiti mo na yan evan, jusko po.

As we headed back to the kitchen, I glanced at Evan, feeling a mix of relief and gratitude. Despite my annoyance earlier, it was nice to know that someone cared enough to wait and make sure I was okay. And maybe, just maybe, a little bit of company was exactly what I needed to get through this stress.

He made a sandwich.

Habang binibigyan niya ako ng sandwich na ginawa niya, hindi ko mapigilang magtanong, “Sarap nito, ha! San mo ba natutunan magluto?”

Evan flashed me a sly grin, leaning against the counter with an air of confidence. “Ah, ‘yan ba? Actually, sa mga years of perfecting my culinary skills. May mga natutunan akong secret recipes na di mo alam.”

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Secret recipes? Baka naman ginaya mo lang ‘to sa recipe book.”

Evan chuckled, shaking his head. “Recipe book? Please. Ang mga tunay na chef, hindi nagre-rely sa mga libro. May mga secret ingredients na you cannot see on the book.”

“Really? Ewan ko lang kung kaya mong magluto nang walang recipe book,” I teased. “Baka nga kailangan mong mag-enroll sa cooking classes.”

Evan leaned in closer, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “Ah, Are you sure about that? Kasi baka hindi mo kayang sabayan ang level ko. Baka mapagod ka sa kakaluto.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Sige nga, kung ganun ka kagaling, baka pwede mo akong i-challenge sa cooking showdown.”

Evan raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the challenge. “Cooking showdown, ha? Baka naman gusto mong mag-set up ng kitchen battle. Pero kailangan mo munang ipakita kung anong level ka and as far as I know. You just cooked... a burnt... pancakes” He said while laughing

I glared at him “Excuse me? Baka ikaw ang mangailangan ng lessons sa akin.”

“Wow, confident ka ah! Lesson ng? How to burn your foods?” he said, smirking. “Pero okay lang, kasi baka naman kailangan mong magready. Kasi sa cooking showdown natin, ikaw ang magiging judge.”

“Judge? Baka gusto mo lang ng excuse para maging winner kahit hindi mo alam ang ginagawa mo,” I teased. “Sige, mag-set up tayo. Pero prepare yourself, baka mapahiya ka sa akin.”

Evan laughed, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth. “Sige, challenge accepted. Pero tandaan mo, pag natatalo ka, maghahanap ako ng cooking trophy na ibibigay sa’yo.”

“Bring it on,” I said with a competitive grin. “Pero baka maghanda ka na sa pagkatalo. Ako, always ready for a kitchen duel.”

Evan shook his head, his smile widening. “Sige, pero huwag mong kalimutan—sa cooking showdown, ang tunay na winner ay yung may pinaka-creative na excuse kung bakit natalo.”

Habang kami ay nagbibiruan, naramdaman ko ang kakaibang excitement at saya. Ang intense teasing ni Evan ay nagbigay ng bagong sigla sa akin, at parang ang stress ng buong araw ay nawawala sa halip ng playful banter at friendly competition. I know this is all joke kasi girl, I'm not good or even know how to cook.