Absquatulate (MaColet)

Chapter 5

Cole's POV:

I'm in the back seat together with Aya, while the one driving Aya's car seems to treat me very coldly. She's intensely focused on driving, her thick eyebrows almost meeting in the middle. She's like an anime character with an ominous black aura surrounding her. Galit ba siya?

"So, you're the one who texted using Aya's phone. Thanks for driving, I can't drive. I didn't know Aya would get THIS drunk."

I speak up to try and ease the tension that's filling the car. I need to show gratitude for what she's done tonight, because without her, Aya and I might get scolded by her parents.

MJ: "Can you not see it?" She asks, her tone making her voice sound even scarier. She's the new crew member at the fast food restaurant where I will be working. I remember Aya calling her that name instead of Mayla Jada.

"What do you mean?" I ask, rubbing Aya's head which is resting on my lap.

MJ: "Tsss, the irony of being answered by a question." She lets out a frustrated sigh, making my forehead furrow in confusion.

Why does she seem angry at me? I haven't done anything to her. I've been confused about her since earlier. First, her willingness to help. Second, how does she know Aya? I know she's a worker at Aya's family business, but there's something different about her.

MJ: "Aya and I have been childhood friends since we were 5 years old. But when you arrived, she stopped coming to my house. It's like she abandoned me. And now, all her attention is on you. To the point where you don't notice everything she's trying to show." She talks at length, her gaze fixed on the road, gripping the steering wheel tightly as if trying to hold back her anger.

"Really? She didn't mention you to me. I'm sorry if your friendship got affected because of me. I didn't expect that they would take me in and adopt me. I didn't even hope that someone would take care of me. Maybe it was just a miracle that I passed by Aya's house. I didn't intend to cause a broken friendship." I didn't want this either. I wasn't hoping that someone would take me in. It's almost miraculous that I happened to end up in front of Aya's house. But I didn't mean to break any friendships because of that.

MJ: "Hayyy." I hear her let out a deep breath. Even her grip on the steering wheel loosens. Her scowling eyebrows suddenly soften, as if the intimidating aura around her has disappeared.

MJ: "It's not your fault that your so-called 'sister' fell for you." She says, causing my eyes to widen.

Is she sure about what she's saying, or is she just drunk? Aya is my sister, there's no way she would have feelings for me. And I certainly don't have any romantic feelings for her; she's like a sister to me.

"H-Huh? That's not true. She's my sister." I deny what she's saying, still not believing her straightforwardness.

MJ: "It's true. But again, it's not your fault that she fell for you. Pero ang manhid mo to the point na hindi mo alam na nag-inom siya ngayon dahil sa'yo. Because she knows she doesn't stand a chance with you." She remarks, as if she knows all of Aya's feelings.

This girl is so mysterious. She used to be Aya's childhood friend, but she seems to know Aya better than I do, even though I spend almost every day with her.

Maybe that's why I haven't noticed Aya's behavior, to the point where she's hurting. I never thought that someone could develop feelings for me, especially when I see her as a sibling.

"You're really straightforward. I don't even know how to respond to all these revelations." I said, still shocked by everything I've learned.

MJ: "It's okay. If you can't reciprocate her feelings, just leave her to me... I-I m-mean, I'll— W-We'll continue our friendship, we will s-start over again." She stammers. Her face is bright red now. I can feel her embarrassment. She was so bold earlier, but now she's stumbling over her words like a child.