Shadows of Serendipity - Hambebe AU

Chapter 1

Flashback - Grade 6

"Gab! Gab!"

"Bakit?"

"Remember the guy I told you I was crushing on before?"

"Yes? What about him?"

"He likes me back, Gab! It's so unexpected and hindi pa rin talaga ko makapaniwala na mutual kami ng feelings!"

"O-oh... Really? Congrats, I'm happy for you, Elise..." Gab's hand tightly grasped on the object she was holding as she try to force herself to smile in front of Elise.

The object being a small plush toy that she was supposed to give to her crush once she confessed.

"I already knew it was hopeless... you're a straight girl after all."

One.

Flashback - Grade 8

"Kade?"

"Yes, Gabbie? What's up?"

"May gusto sana akong sabihin..."

"What is it? You can tell me anything, no worries!"

"Kasi... I don't know how to say this pero..."

"Are you hesitant? You don't have to tell me if uncomfy ka ah?"

"No-! I mean kasi... I kind of have a crush on you, Kade."

Kade giggled, "Really?"

Noticing Gab's serious expression, Kade realized that it was a confession that isn't supposed to be taken as a joke.

"Seryoso ka..?"

"Yes? You know I would never joke about something like this diba, Kade?"

"Yes..?

Silence.

"K-kaya ba madalas mo kong ilibre sa canteen..? Then yung pagiging chivalrous and gentlewoman mo sakin..?"

"Yes."

"Pero, Gab, I'm sorry-"

"No, no, it's fine, Kade haha... I've expected it naman na."

"Still, it doesn't hurt less to know your feelings had been rejected."

Two.

Flashback - Grade 9

"H-happy Valentines Day, Kriesha..." Gab stated bashfully as she handed over the gifts she bought earlier for her yet another crush; a bouquet of faux roses, a heart-shaped container of chocolates, and a pink teddy bear.

She took out another small gift from her pocket and gave it to Kriesha. "Here... I don't know how to convey my feelings well towards someone so I just wrote it down as a letter. P-please take your time to read it..."

The girl in front of her gave her a smile and opened the letter after putting down the gifts she received. Hindi mapakali si Gab habang hinihintay na matapos basahin ni Kriesha ang letter na bigay niya. But the look on her crush's face after reading the letter was enough to know that her feelings were acknowledged.

"Awe! I was really expecting you to confess to me sooner or later sa totoo lang! But I didn't expect you to be this full of effort towards someone you like. I really appreciate it, Gaille!" Kriesha pulled the taller girl in for a hug, in which the latter gave back.

Gaille, the name she called Gab. The one she preferred to be called in the first place.

"Anyway, I have to go na, Gaille! I have some errands to run pa, haha. See you and thanks again!"

Gaille let out a small smile. "You're always welcome, Kriesh... And enjoy your date later."

Her feelings were acknowledged... but wasn't returned.

Because Kriesha has a boyfriend. And she knows about it simula pa lang.

Three.

Present - Grade 11

"Mga mata mo na naman, Gaille."

The said girl snapped out of her thoughts as soon as she heard that along with a snap of fingers in front of her face.

"Serena." Gaille glared at the girl beside her.

Serena Catacutan, a co-member of hers from the dance troupe she joined in when she started senior highschool. A girl popular with guys at their campus. Though she wouldn't deny that the girl has some real talent for dancing.

Apparently, they were already schoolmates way back elementary school. She just never noticed her- or maybe she didn't really bother getting to know Serena.

Thanks to being in the same dance troupe, Serena took this as a chance to get to know Gaille more.

The younger's also a witness of Gaille's failed attempt of ever being liked back by the girls she had her eyes on- as to why she teases Gaille whenever she catches her staring at her crush.

The only thing she hopes for Serena is to stop acting like they're close and to stop judging her for admiring a girl from 2ft away from her.

"Oh, chill! Kanina ka pa kasi nakatitig kay ate mo gurl. Baka matunaw yan sige ka!" Pang-aasar ni Serena.

The tall girl groaned. "I was just admiring the way she dance 'no."

"Sus. Masyado ka nang halata, bading. Try to just be subtle about your crush kaya?"

Gaille immediately shushed Serena and whispered. "Hinaan mo naman boses mo! She might hear you."

Serena chuckled. "As if namang hindi pa niya alam by the way you look at her. Akala ko ba bounce ka na sa kanya kasi baka tulad lang siya ng iba mong crush sa past?"

"Well... When I found out that she was gay, I gained a bit of hope na maybe she'd be different from the straight girls na pinag-effort-an ko before. You know naman pag straight girls diba? Kahit anong romantic action ipakita mo sa kanila, they would take it as a platonic or friendly gesture."

"May point ka naman pero your statement really screams what a hopeless romantic person thinks. Di naman porke't bading din malaki na chance na magustuhan ka."

Gaille clicked her tongue out of annoyance towards Serena. "It's just a source of hope, bakit ba? Why do you keep on meddling with my life? I never do that kapag may ka-one night date only ka ah."

"Grabe naman sa one night date! Para mo na ring sinabi sakin na nakipag-one night st-"

Di na natapos ni Serena ang sasabihin niya when their dance troupe leader, Claire, also known as Gaille's current crush, clapped her hands and called for her co-members.

"Everyone! Formation na!"

The girls immediately stood up and went to their designated position for their dance.

Habang nagpa-practice, hindi maiwasang isipin ni Serena ang mga sinabi sa kaniya kanina ni Gaille. She has a reason kung bakit pang-isang araw lang mga nagiging ka-date niya.

She's trying to find that specific feeling- The feeling of certainty.

'Yung ipararamdam sayo ng tao na once na makita mo siya, you'll immediately think na "they're the one".

And out of all the several dates she had from different guys, ni isa walang nagparamdam sa kaniya ng gano'n.

No matter how good they look; no matter how much they treated her like a princess- it's all the same for her.

It felt nothing.

Serena tried to keep these thoughts out of mind to focus on their practice. Sighing as the last thought she had was her date after class with her current suitor.

***