cinco

Life outside of school was supposed to be my refuge—a place where I didn’t have to think about awkward recitations, existential quizzes, or the increasingly frequent daydreams about Ms. Risa Hontiveros. But, as always, the universe had other plans.

It started during lunch when my little brother Wes decided to crash my table, uninvited and unbothered.

“So,” he began, casually stealing the chicken from my plate. “I ran into Migs earlier.”

I froze mid-bite. “What?”

Cassy, sitting across from me, perked up instantly. “Migs? As in the Migs? First-year crush Migs?”

“I didn’t like her,” I said quickly, my voice a little too loud. “She was just… friendly.”

Wes snorted. “Friendly enough that you wrote her name all over your planner? With little hearts around it?”

“WES!”

He leaned back, looking far too pleased with himself. “What? Just telling the truth, Ate. Anyway, she’s back in town. I saw her at the arcade.”

Cassy’s eyes gleamed. “Oh, now this is interesting. What’s the full story with Migs?”

“There’s no story,” I mumbled, stabbing my rice with unnecessary force. “She moved to Manila after first year. That’s it. The end.”

“Not really,” Wes chimed in, grinning like a little devil. “You had the biggest crush on her. And now? She’s back. It’s fate.”

I groaned, wishing the cafeteria floor would just open up and swallow me whole. “Can we not make this a thing?”

Cassy ignored me entirely. “You should talk to her, Alice. You know, catch up.”

“Or maybe don’t,” Wes added with a shrug. “Word is, she’s kind of a player now. Different girl every week.”

“Awesome,” I muttered. “Just what I need. Another distraction.”

After school, I was determined to forget the entire conversation. I walked home with my milk tea in hand, headphones on, when I saw her.

Migs.

She was standing outside the milk tea shop, leaning against her motorbike like she belonged in some cheesy rom-com. She looked almost the same as I remembered—messy hair, lopsided grin—but there was something different now. She looked older, more… polished.

She spotted me before I could duck into the nearest alley.

“Alice?” she called out, her grin widening. “Is that you?”

I froze, caught between the urge to run and the obligation to be polite. “Uh… hey, Migs.”

She walked over, hands in her pockets, the confidence of someone who’d never tripped over their own feet in their life. “Wow, it’s been forever. How’ve you been?”

“Good,” I said quickly. “You?”

“Better now,” she said, flashing me the same smile that used to make my heart race. “I’ve been meaning to catch up. You free sometime?”

Free? Was I free? No. My mind was already preoccupied with school, life, and a very distracting student teacher. But somehow, I found myself nodding.

“Maybe,” I said, trying to sound casual. “I’ll let you know.”

“Cool.” She pulled out a scrap of paper and handed me her number, like it was 2007. “Text me, okay?”

“Sure,” I lied.

She gave me one last grin before walking away, leaving me standing there like an idiot, holding the paper like it was a grenade.

By the time I got home, my head was spinning. I could already picture the smug looks on Wes and Cassy’s faces when they found out I’d actually run into Migs.

But the thing was, I wasn’t thinking about her.

Instead, my thoughts kept drifting back to school—to Ms. Hontiveros. To the way her eyes softened whenever she looked at me, the way her smile lingered just a second too long.

Why couldn’t I stop thinking about her?

This was getting ridiculous.

I didn’t tell anyone about running into Migs, not even Cassy, which was probably for the best. Knowing her, she’d come up with some elaborate scheme to “help” me rekindle things with her.

Instead, I spent the evening overthinking everything. Migs showing up out of nowhere felt like some kind of cosmic joke.

First Ms. Hontiveros, and now this? My brain was already stretched thin from navigating my increasingly awkward school life; the last thing I needed was more emotional chaos.

Still, I couldn’t stop myself from glancing at the scrap of paper on my desk. Her number was scrawled in a way that was so distinctly Migs—bold, confident, and just slightly messy.

I shoved it into my drawer and flopped onto my bed, groaning into my pillow. “Why is everything so complicated?”

The next day at school, the chaos continued.

Ms. Hontiveros walked into class, her usual poise and grace making the room seem brighter somehow. She carried a stack of papers, setting them on her desk before addressing us with a warm smile.

“Good morning, everyone. I hope you’re ready for today’s recitation.”

A collective groan rippled through the class, but I just sank lower in my seat, praying she wouldn’t call on me.

“Now,” she continued, “we’re going to focus on interpreting metaphors. I’ll read a passage, and you’ll share what you think it means.”

She scanned the room, her eyes landing on different students as she spoke. When her gaze finally reached me, my stomach did that annoying flip thing it always did around her.

“Let’s start with…” Her eyes lingered just a fraction too long. “Alice.”

Of course.

I swallowed hard as she read a passage aloud, something about storms and longing. My brain, as usual, decided to sabotage me, replaying her voice in my head like it was the soundtrack to my own personal disaster.

“Well?” she asked, her tone encouraging.

I fumbled for words. “I think… um, the storm represents chaos, but also… growth?”

Her lips twitched, like she was trying not to smile. “Interesting. Can you elaborate?”

“Uh, like… sometimes chaos forces us to change? Or… something?”

I could feel the entire class staring at me, but all I could focus on was the way she was looking at me—patient, attentive, like my awkwardness didn’t bother her at all.

“That’s a good observation, Alice,” she said finally, her voice soft. “Thank you for sharing.”

As she moved on to the next student, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Cassy leaned over and whispered, “You looked like you were about to pass out.”

“Shut up,” I hissed, my face burning.

By lunchtime, the Migs situation reared its head again.

I was sitting with Cassy and Wes when my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen and froze.

New Message: Migs

Hey, free later? Let’s catch up.

I owe you milk tea. ;)

Cassy noticed immediately. “Who’s that?”

“No one,” I said quickly, shoving my phone back into my pocket.

Wes smirked. “Migs, right? Told you it was fate.”

“Shut up, both of you,” I muttered, glaring at my food.

But even as I tried to ignore them, my thoughts kept bouncing between Migs and Ms. Hontiveros. Why couldn’t I just be normal and have one crush at a time?

———

Ms. Hontiveros POV

The faculty lounge was quiet for once, giving me a rare moment to sip my coffee in peace. But even the calm didn’t stop my thoughts from drifting.

Alice’s behavior during class had been… peculiar, as usual. It wasn’t unusual for her to overthink her answers, but lately, her distracted energy seemed amplified.

I sighed and stood, deciding a short walk might clear my mind. Passing by the courtyard on my way to the library, I spotted a familiar group.

Alice and her friends were sitting in their usual spot, but this time, something caught my attention—a girl I didn’t recognize.

Alice was sitting stiffly beside her, clearly uneasy, while her friends were whispering and giggling behind their hands.

I lingered by the edge of the hallway, just close enough to catch snippets of their conversation.

“Come on, Alice,” one of her friends teased, a mischievous edge to her voice. “Migs is clearly into you. Why are you so awkward about it?”

Alice groaned, burying her face in her hands. “I’m not awkward!”

The girl beside her—Migs, I realized—laughed softly. “You’re a little awkward,” she said, nudging Alice playfully.

The sound of Alice’s laugh, nervous and strained, reached my ears. “You’re all impossible,” she muttered.

I leaned slightly against the wall, my chest tightening as I watched. Alice’s friends were clearly trying to pair her with this girl, and Alice… didn’t seem to know how to respond.

Was she uncomfortable? Or was I imagining it?

Migs leaned closer to Alice, saying something I couldn’t hear. Whatever it was, it made Alice’s cheeks flush, and her friends burst out laughing.

I clenched my jaw. This shouldn’t bother me. Students had lives outside of school—it wasn’t my business who Alice spent her time with or what her friends said. But watching the scene unfold, I couldn’t ignore the unfamiliar twinge in my chest.

Before I could analyze it further, Alice’s gaze shifted. She spotted me standing there, and her eyes widened.

“Ma’am!” she exclaimed, her voice cracking slightly.

The group turned toward me, their laughter fading into awkward silence. Migs raised an eyebrow, her expression unreadable.

I stepped forward, forcing a neutral smile. “Good afternoon, everyone,” I said smoothly, addressing the group. Then, turning my gaze to Alice, I added, “I hope you’re not forgetting about your English assignment, Alice. It’s due tomorrow.”

Alice scrambled to her feet, nearly knocking over her bag. “Of course not, ma’am! I’ll have it ready!”

Migs smirked, leaning back against the bench. “Looks like someone’s a teacher’s favorite,” she muttered under her breath.

I pretended not to hear her, but I caught the flash of embarrassment in Alice’s eyes.

“Good,” I said, my tone firm but calm. “See that you do.”

As I walked away, I could feel their eyes on my back, particularly Alice’s. And for reasons I didn’t want to examine too closely, I found myself hoping Migs wasn’t as much of a distraction for her as she appeared to be.

I continued down the hallway, my steps purposeful but my mind still on Alice. I tried to shake off the feeling that had settled over me like a heavy fog.

It was none of my business who Alice spent time with, and yet I couldn’t ignore the way her eyes had flickered toward me when I appeared.

There was something… tentative about the way she looked at me, like she wasn’t sure how to behave or how I might react. It made me wonder if my presence had any impact on her, beyond just the classroom.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I made my way back to my office. My mind should’ve been on the tasks ahead—grading papers, preparing for the next lesson—but it kept drifting back to that brief exchange in the courtyard.

I hadn’t missed the way Migs had leaned in toward Alice, the teasing tone in her voice. She was obviously trying to get a reaction out of her, and from what I could tell, Alice hadn’t seemed entirely comfortable with it.

I frowned as I sat back at my desk.

Was Alice uncomfortable around her? Or was I projecting my own discomfort? I tried to remind myself that this was high school, and students had their own relationships and friendships to navigate.

Still, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that maybe—just maybe—Alice wasn’t as certain about her feelings as she was letting on.

I found myself replaying the earlier moments: Alice’s flustered look when she caught me watching, her distracted gaze in class.

What was going on in her head? I had seen that same hesitance in her when she spoke to me, the way she would sometimes glance up at me and then quickly look away.

Was she just shy? Or was there something deeper that she wasn’t willing to acknowledge yet?

It wasn’t my place to pry, but the curiosity gnawed at me. I wasn’t used to being this… intrigued by a student, let alone a student who seemed so intent on keeping her emotions under wraps.

Maybe it was her intensity—her way of hiding everything beneath a mask—that made me want to understand her more. Maybe I wanted to know what made her tick.

But I was her teacher. I reminded myself of that fact.

It was my job to guide her in her studies, not to delve into her personal life or feelings. The boundaries had to remain clear, no matter how much my thoughts wandered.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. It wasn’t like me to get so wrapped up in a student’s affairs. But Alice was different. And for some reason, I couldn’t quite let go of the sense that something was changing, both in her and in me.