Arrange Hearts

CHAPTER 5

The Next Day.

Maaga ako pumasok to get my coffee, Coffee is life girl. Mamaya pala susunduin ako ng driver ko kasi hindi na ako samin uuwi after this day.

“Coffee na naman, sis?” Violet asked, walking up behind me with a smirk. “Parang ang dami mo nang caffeine intake, baka ma-jitters ka na niyan!”

“Why do you care?” I replied, trying to sound nonchalant habang iniinom ko ang mainit na kape. “Coffee is essential sa survival ko, Violet. At saka, hindi naman ako papasok sa school na parang zombie kung wala ‘to.”

Violet laughed, grabbing her own cup of coffee. “Baka nga kailangan mo na ng intervention, Ada. Paano kung mag-crash ka na lang bigla sa klase? ‘Di ba, kailangan mo na ng kape de-tox?”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, come on. I’m just making sure I stay awake enough para hindi mag-miss sa mga importanteng classes ko. Besides, wala namang ibang makakapag-patanggal ng pagod kundi kape.”

Violet sipped her coffee and grinned. “Okay, okay. Baka mamaya may kape-o-meter na tayo para malaman kung nag-o-overdose ka na.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “Sige na, Violet, if you see me twitching, just make sure to call the coffee emergency services.”

She laughed and shook her head, making her way to a nearby table. “I’ll keep that in mind. Just don’t let your coffee addiction ruin your day, okay?”

I smiled and sat down, taking another sip of my coffee. “Promise. Now, let’s see how long I can last before I need my next fix.”

After the chaotic chat with Violet, we rushed to our class dahil ayaw namin malate. As I was walking towards my seat, I saw Felix smiling at me. His smile was like a burst of sunshine after a storm—unexpected but totally welcome.

I tried to keep my cool, but there was something about his grin that made my day a little bit better. "Hey Felix," I said, forcing a casual tone while taking my seat beside him.

“Hey Ada,” he replied, his smile widening. “Good to see you. I hope you survived your coffee fix this morning.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Barely. I think I might need another one soon, just to be safe.”

Felix chuckled, then leaned closer. “Well, if you ever need a coffee buddy, you know where to find me.”

I raised an eyebrow playfully. “Are you offering to be my coffee dealer now?”

He grinned. “Only if it means I get to see that smile of yours more often.”

I rolled my eyes, trying to hide my smile. “Cheesy much?”

“Just speaking the truth,” he said with a wink. “Anyway, ready for today’s class?”

I nodded, feeling oddly reassured. As the class started, I found myself more focused and less stressed. Felix’s presence had that effect on me—turns out, sometimes a friendly face is all you need to turn a hectic day around.

After class, I headed to my locker to prepare for my next class, which was PE. I decided to change into my PE uniform right away. As I walked to the field, Nakita ko si Evan sa malayo, sitting under a tree with a stack of books. He looked unusually downcast, and I couldn’t help but recall what I’d seen yesterday. Was he still upset about that incident?

“Ada! Let’s go!” Violet’s voice pulled me back to reality. I saw her waving her hand at distance and I saw Felix chuckling at me

I shook my head, pushing away the thoughts of Evan for now. I had to focus on my PE class and not get distracted by what I’d seen. I quickened my pace, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling that had settled in my chest.

During PE class, I struggled to concentrate. While the rest of the class was engaged in the usual drills and exercises, my mind kept drifting back to Evan. Alam kong hindi ko dapat siya iniisip but I couldn't help it. I couldn't shake the image of him sitting alone under that tree, looking so forlorn.

We started running laps around the field.

"Hey, Ada, are you okay?" Violet's voice broke through my haze as she jogged alongside me.

"Yeah, Why do you ask?" I replied, trying to focus on the task at hand.

“You looked distracted.” she said, noticing my lack of energy.

I hesitated, not sure how to explain. “Just stuff… personal stuff. I’ll be fine.”

We finished our laps, and as the class moved on to the next activity, I found myself zoning out again. Even when we practiced our drills, my movements felt robotic, as if my mind was elsewhere. Nagfocus na lang ako ulit, tsaka bakit ko naman iisipin si Evan 'no?

While we were cooling down, I felt someone tap my shoulder. It was Felix, grinning from ear to ear as usual.

“Hoy, bakit parang lutang ka kanina? Muntik ka na mabangga sa pylon!” he teased, laughter in his voice.

I rolled my eyes, trying to hide a smile. “I wasn’t that out of it.”

He raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Sure ka? I was about to call 911, akala ko bigla ka na lang babagsak.”

I playfully nudged him. “Ang OA mo. I was just thinking, okay?”

Felix leaned in, his tone playful yet curious. “Thinking about me, huh?”

I laughed. “As if.”

“Wow, nasaktan ako dun ah. Sige, para mas maalala mo ako, how about I treat you after class? Kape or... me?” he joked, winking dramatically.

I bit back a laugh. “Hmm, tempting, pero kape na lang. You’re way too high-maintenance,” I teased, flipping my hair dramatically just to mess with him.

“Oo nga eh, hard to resist, right?” Felix grinned, obviously enjoying this playful banter.

He suddenly stepped in front of me, blocking my path, his hands dramatically raised like he was surrendering. “Wait! Before we go to the next class, kailangan mo munang ngumiti. I can’t let you keep walking around with that sad face.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t stop myself from smiling. “Okay, fine, fine. Ngumiti na ako. Happy?”

He looked satisfied, nodding. “Better. The Ada I know doesn’t let little things ruin her day.”

The sincerity in his voice made my heart flutter just a little. It was moments like this that reminded me of how Felix always knew how to make things lighter.

As we walked towards the locker room, Felix continued his antics, pretending to trip over nothing and dramatically catching himself like he was in some kind of action movie.

“See, kahit ako distracted na rin! That’s what your presence does to me,” he said, putting a hand over his chest, mock-serious.

I shook my head, laughing at his antics. “Oh please, Felix. Drama mo!”

He smiled, this time softer, and for a moment, I felt that warmth spread through me again. Kilig hits me out of nowhere, like I almost forgot about the whole world and Evan.

“Thanks, Felix,” I said quietly.

“For what?”

“For being you,” I replied, smiling.

He flashed me that goofy grin again and, for a split second, everything felt lighter. I didn't expect din na ganito pala siya kakulit, akala ko very nonchalant lang siya, but i like this verison of Felix better.

True to his word, Felix insisted on treating me after class. "Dinala kita sa safe zone ng wallet ko," he joked as we walked down the street towards the local street food stalls. He was trying to sound all serious, pero halatang excited din siya. I couldn’t help but laugh at his playful banter.

We found a stall selling isaw, kwek-kwek, and fish balls. "Para hindi naman ako mamulubi," Felix said with a grin, pointing to the skewers. "At least dito, afford ko lahat ng gusto mo."

I smirked, playing along. "Wow, you're really pulling out all the stops ha, kaya nga ba ako nilibre dito para sure na abot sa budget?"

Felix nodded enthusiastically, pretending to be deeply serious. "Oo naman, siyempre! Pero wag kang mag-alala, I’ve got a big heart. Kahit ubusin mo lahat ng fishballs diyan, go lang ako."

I raised an eyebrow, teasing him. "Hmm, big heart ba talaga or maliit na wallet?"

"Both! Big heart, small wallet," he said, laughing as he handed me a stick of kwek-kwek. "Okay lang, basta you're happy."

"Wow, ang cheesy mo na naman," I said, taking a bite. "Pero sige na nga, pinapatawad na kita for being high-maintenance kanina."

Felix laughed, shaking his head. "See? Galing ko diba? Just feed you and everything’s forgiven." He then ordered a few sticks of isaw for himself, eyeing me like he was proud of his 'budget' treat.

We stood by the stall, eating and laughing about random things—mostly about how bad we were at PE that day. Felix, as usual, kept making me laugh with his over-the-top impressions of our classmates.

"Can you believe si Violet, muntik na masipa yung ball sa ibang field? Tapos ‘yung mukha ni Coach? Classic!" Felix mimicked Coach’s exaggerated reaction, causing me to nearly choke on my food from laughing too hard.

"Stop it, Felix! Mapapasukan ako ng isaw sa ilong ko!" I gasped between laughs.

He just grinned at me, clearly satisfied with making me laugh. "Mission accomplished," he said, tapping his imaginary 'big heart.'

I shook my head, still smiling as I finished my stick of kwek-kwek. "You’re too much sometimes, you know that?"

"Yeah, but admit it—mas masaya ka pag kasama mo ako," he teased, giving me a playful nudge.

I pretended to roll my eyes, but deep down, he was right. Felix always knew how to make the day lighter, kahit gaano pa ako ka-stressed or distracted. The street food was simple, but it felt perfect for that moment. No fancy dates or big gestures, just the two of us laughing, eating, and teasing each other.

"Thanks, Felix," I said, a bit more sincerely this time.

He looked at me with a soft smile, not his usual playful grin. "Anytime, Ada."

There was something about the way he said it that made me feel warm inside—like for just a second, all the complicated things around us didn’t matter.

As we finished eating, I saw my driver pulling up nearby.

"My driver’s here, Felix. I have to go," I said, gathering my things.

"Ah, sayang. But thanks for hanging out with me today, Ada," he replied with a smile, looking a bit disappointed.

"No problem," I said, returning his smile. "Salamat din for the treat, kahit street food lang," I teased.

"Uy, grabe ka, napamahal din 'yun ha," he laughed, pretending to be hurt. "But you owe me next time, okay?"

"Sure, sure," I waved as I turned towards the car. Before I could take another step, he called out, "Hey, Ada!"

I glanced back, curious. "Hmm?"

"Take care, okay?" His tone softened, his usual playful demeanor momentarily replaced with genuine concern.

I nodded, feeling a warmth in my chest. "You too, Felix."

With that, I headed to the car, watching him wave until the door shut behind me.

As I slid into the backseat of the car, I couldn’t help but smile to myself. I leaned back, hugging my bag close to my chest.

“Grabe, Felix,” I whispered under my breath, recalling the way his voice softened when he said, "Take care." Ugh, why was that so nakakakilig?

I shook my head, trying to dismiss the feeling, but my heart was still racing. The way he looked at me, the little jokes, and the subtle care he showed—it was like my whole day got lighter.

I bit my lip, trying to hide the grin creeping across my face, but it was useless.

"Seriously, ano ba 'to?" I muttered, glancing out the window as the car started to move. "Why does a simple 'take care' feel like this?"

I let out a small laugh, realizing how giddy I felt. "Ano ba, Ada. Get a grip."