Lost and Found • mikhaiah au

14. Forced to the Table

Agnes sighed, staring at the flurry of notifications flooding her screen. Her Twitter was abuzz, and her name was trending in her feed, thanks to Maiko.

Agnes could practically feel the virtual spotlight burning down on her. Messages from Maiko's fans ranged from heartfelt support to unhinged rants, while some of her acquaintances found the whole situation amusing.

Who would've thought that the greatest rivals, Maiko Herrera and Agnes Navarro, were a couple all this time?

"Punyeta," Agnes muttered, rubbing her temples. She could strangle Maiko for this mess. During the junior tryouts, when she had every intention of drowning her on the spot, Maiko had slipped away like a ghost, leaving Agnes fuming.

As she brainstormed ways to get even with Maiko, another notification pinged on her phone. This one, however, caught her full attention. It was from her coach, Colleen.

C: Agnes, Malia and I are having dinner tomorrow night at 7 PM. Be there.

Agnes' heart skipped a beat. Dinner with Malia and Colleen? What. the. fuck.

The thought was nerve-wracking, considering what she had just discovered about their connection to the red-haired girl who looked so much like Maiko.

The tangled web of their pasts and the revelations they had uncovered added an extra layer of anxiety to the evening ahead. Agnes felt a knot tightening in her stomach as she thought about facing Colleen and Malia, the mysterious journal entries, the emotional weight of the photographs lingering in her mind made her palms sweat.

On the other hand, the invitation also piqued Agnes' curiosity. This was the first time she had been invited to her coach's home, and she couldn't ignore the possibility of discovering more about the mysterious girl.

What if there were more clues waiting for her there? The chance to delve deeper into the truth and potentially find more pieces of the puzzle was tempting.

Agnes felt a flicker of hope amid her nerves, wondering if this dinner might bring her closer to understanding the full story.

With a deep breath, Agnes replied. A: Noted po, coach! Pero, para saan po yung dinner?

Almost immediately, another notification buzzed. C: Basta. Invite Maiko as well. You can do that, right? I mean, she's your girlfriend. Make sure she's there tomorrow.

Agnes stared at her phone, feeling a mix of frustration and panic. She quickly typed a response.

A: Coach naman, hindi ko 'yun jowa. Mataas standards ko, huy! It's actually some kind of prank Maiko pulled on me during the tryouts. Wala pong kami.

Agnes pressed on the last sentence, trying to make Colleen understand that Maiko and her were actually not together. However, Colleen's reply was swift and unyielding.

C: Prank or not, you two seem close enough. You can still make sure she's there. No buts, I'll be expecting you and her tomorrow.

"Ano ba 'yan!" Agnes groaned, running a hand through her hair. Colleen was strict and unrelenting, as always.

Her coach's lack of concern for the truth behind Maiko's prank added another layer of pressure. How was she supposed to convince Maiko to come to a dinner she didn't even want to attend herself?

Agnes, irritated, dialed Maiko's number for a swift response. The phone rang several times before Maiko finally picked up, her voice still groggy from sleep.

As she waited for Maiko to answer, Agnes couldn't help but think about how she even had Maiko's number in the first place.

After their first dinner, Maiko had left a piece of paper with her number stuck to Agnes' refrigerator without her noticing. Agnes had kept it, and now, in a twist of irony, it was turning out to be surprisingly useful.

"Who's this?" Maiko's voice crackled through the phone, still thick with sleep.

"Girlfriend mo," Agnes snapped.

"Agnes?"

"Sa dinami dami mong babae, pangalan ko talaga una mong nasabi ha?"

"Ikaw lang naman babae ko," Maiko replied, her voice now full of life

Agnes jolted, her heart fluttering at Maiko's words. She tried to maintain her composure, determined to keep the banter going.

"Inlove ka ba sakin?" Agnes teased, hoping her voice didn't betray her sudden nervousness.

"Maybe," Maiko replied, the word hanging in the air like a challenge.

Gago ampota. Agnes's cheeks burned, and she momentarily lost her train of thought. She quickly shifted gears, focusing on the reason she called. "Utot mo blue. Tumawag pala ako kasi Ate Colleen invited me for dinner with Ate Malia tomorrow, and she wants you to come with me."

Maiko sounded intrigued. "And you want me to be there?"

"Hindi tanga! Sinabi ko lang para alam mo, at sasabihin ko na din kay Ate Colleen na ayaw mo kamo."

"What? I'll come no, I'd love to!" Maiko said firmly.

Agnes's heart did a flip, and she hastily added, "Ako ayoko! Sabihin ko ayaw mo pak u BYE!"

"I'll come nga—"

Before Maiko could finish her sentence, Agnes already ended the call. Her heart raced, but she couldn't contain her laughter.

She leaned back against her couch, a mix of exhilaration and nerves bubbling up inside her. Agnes sighed and opened her messaging app, composing a text to Colleen.

A: Coach, ayaw daw ni Maiko. Grabe no?

She stared at the screen, knowing Colleen wouldn't accept this easily. Sure enough, the reply was almost immediate.

C: Seriously, Agnes? Why do I find that hard to believe?

Agnes bit her lip, quickly typing back. A: Luh! Totoo nga, coach! I tried, but she really doesn't want to come.

There was a brief pause before Colleen responded again.

C: Fine. If she doesn't want to come, we'll just have to make do without her. Be at my place at 7 PM. Don't make my wife wait.

Agnes exhaled, relieved and anxious at the same time. She had managed to get herself off the hook from having Maiko there, but the dinner with Colleen and Malia still loomed ahead.

A: Noted, coach. See you and Ate Malia po!

With the message sent, Agnes tossed her phone onto the couch and leaned back, closing her eyes for a moment. She had a lot to prepare for, both mentally and emotionally, for the dinner. The thought of facing Colleen and Malia without Maiko's presence was both a relief and a challenge.

"It's just a dinner, nothing more."