Heartstrings | Frince au メ

The following Monday, the buzz of the weekend lingered in the hallways as students shuffled to their classes. Marie stood by her locker, fumbling with the combination lock while Kai and Rinee exchanged stories about their Sunday misadventures.

“Tapos teh, natapon niya yung sabaw sa sarili niya” Kai said, barely able to contain her laughter. Rinee groaned in mock despair. “'wag mo na ipaalala, please lang. Sobrang nakakahiya."

Marie laughed softly but froze when she felt someone’s presence nearby. Turning her head slightly, she saw Frince leaning casually against the lockers a few feet away. He wasn’t looking at her—not directly—but his proximity was enough to make her stomach flip.

“Hey, Marie,” he said, his voice smooth and confident. It was the first time he’d addressed her directly. She blinked, momentarily stunned.

“Uh, hi,” she managed, her voice quieter than she intended. Kai and Rinee exchanged wide-eyed looks, but wisely stayed silent.

“Sabi ni Kirk magaling ka daw sa math,” Frince continued, a small smile playing on his lips. “Patulong naman sa problem set nung sa calc natin, oh?”

Marie’s mind raced. Kirk told him? Why would Kirk tell him that? She tried to compose herself, nodding quickly.

“Ah, sige ba. When mo ba kailangan?” she asked, her voice steadying.

“Bukas?,” Frince said. “or free ka ba mamaya?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Marie glanced at her friends, who gave her silent thumbs-ups behind her back. She fought the urge to roll her eyes at their antics.

“Cool,” Frince said. “Sa library mamayang 4?”

“okay.”

With a nod, Frince walked away, leaving Marie with a mixture of excitement and dread swirling in her chest. Kai and Rinee wasted no time pouncing.

“Oy nuyon?” Kai demanded, her eyes alight with curiosity.

“Math tutoring,” Marie replied, trying to sound casual.

“Sure, tutoring,” Rinee teased.

“Tutoring amp, bobo ka sa math teh, pinagsasabi mo?” Jangku laughed. “Girl, crush ka talaga non.”

Marie rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress the small smile that crept onto her lips. Whether it was just tutoring or something more, she’d find out soon enough.