Lost and Found • mikhaiah au

03. Tweets to Tides

Maiko flopped onto the hotel bed, exhausted but happy after a fun-filled day at the beach with her family. The trip to Boracay was her reward for placing top in the season's first major swimming competition.

As she snuggled into the covers, reviewing pictures to post, a notification popped up on her phone. She blinked in surprise as she saw the name: Agnes Navarro.

Maiko's grin widened, a mix of amusement and delight spreading through her. "Did she just like my old tweet?" she thought, giggling at the idea. "Looks like the infamous Agnes Navarro has been stalking me, huh?" The idea of her rival secretly following her updates made Maiko's heart flutter with a strange, unexpected excitement.

Feeling playful, Maiko decided to send Agnes a direct message: "What's up, Navarro? Didn't know you were a fan pala? Enjoying my old tweets?" She hit send and chuckled, imagining Agnes's reaction.

Meanwhile, Agnes was lying in bed, trying to calm her racing heart after her accidental like. Her phone buzzed with a new message notification, glancing at it, she froze.

M: What's up, Navarro? Didn't know you were a fan pala? Enjoying my old tweets? Her eyes widened, and her stomach dropped.

"Anak ng bohge ka! She noticed! Gago ka talaga, Agnes!" She leapt up from her bed, pacing back and forth, her mind racing. "What do I do? What do I say?" She could feel her face heating up with embarrassment and panic. "I can't believe this is happening!"

Agnes' fingers hovered over the screen, her heart pounding as she tried to come up with an excuse. She took a deep breath and typed:

A: Hey! Your account actually just got in my feed, so I decided to... um, check for fake news. Congrats on your win, by the way. She hit send before she could second-guess herself and flopped back onto her bed, covering her face with a pillow. "Please lang, wag ka mag-rereply, i-heart mo na lang Herrera PLZ!" she muttered, her heart still racing.

Maiko saw the reply and grinned even wider. She decided to tease a little more:

M: Fake news? Didn't realize my past tweets were so controversial. Anything in particular you were fact-checking?"

Agnes groaned loudly, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. "Is she seriously doing this? Bwisit!" she muttered, her fingers trembling as she typed back, A: Very funny, Herrera. Just trying to make sure you're not spreading lies. Nothing more.

Maiko's laughter echoed through her room as she read Agnes's response. M: Oh, I see. So you're trying to keep me honest? I didn't know you were this interested in me. She could almost imagine Agnes's flustered expression and it only made her smile more.

Agnes's annoyance grew, but she couldn't deny the small thrill she felt at the exchange, her cheeks slowly heating up. A: Don't flatter yourself. Just want to know my competition better. She hit send, hoping to put an end to the teasing.

But Maiko wasn't done yet. M: Well, if you ever need more 'research', I'd be happy to help. Maybe we can even train together sometime? ;)

"Luh!"

Agnes's heart skipped a beat at the suggestion. Her mind went blank, unable to process Maiko's last message. She began to pace back and forth, her feet tapping on the floor as if trying to shake off the sudden excitement.

She flopped onto her bed, grabbing a pillow and hugging it tightly while kicking her feet up and down, her face flushed with a mix of frustration and kilig? Luh.

She couldn't tell if Maiko was serious or just enjoying her reactions, but either way, it was infuriating her. A: I think I'll manage on my own, thanks. She replied, trying to sound nonchalant.