Fine Day,Innit?

[Cue Grieg’s Morning Mood]

Narrator: …Where’s my script…

Narrator (clears throat): Morning dew drips down, forming small puddles, while a spider clings to its web as a truck drives past. Sunlight blesses the street with its warmth,and soon it will creep even to the darkest alley in this neighborhood.Truly,..a morning worthy of the greeting: Good morning!

Narrator (sneezes): …Pardon.In one of the many average two-storey houses in this average neighborhood, belonging to any average-income family, lives a totally average high school girl with short-term goals and big dreams...

[Cue obnoxious alarm ringtone]

A finger slides across the screen. Footsteps echo. A door creaks shut...Muffled water fills the silence.

Bluetooth Speaker: THE BLUETOOTH DEVICE IS SUCCESSFULLY CONNECTED.

The volume cranks up...

[Cue Call Me Maybe]

Unknown Girl💖: 😎 Hey! I just met you~ ! 🥺Aaaand this is craaazy~! 🤭

Narrator:They say all Filipinos can sing, but there's that 10% of the population that sounds like a howling monkey yet to be discovered by foreign vloggers…

----***

Aling Sanchez💅: Katniss, anak, can you go wake your brother up?

Narrator:Upon hearing her mother’s command, she marches up the stairs with such determination you can see flames in her eyes.…Wait, is that even possible?Oh well...

Narrator (clears throat):Katniss busted the door open. Her sleeping brother is almost on the floor, snoring loudly—which may be the reason why he won't wake up.She pulls out her trusty Bluetooth speaker from her inventory and places it right next to his ear.With a sly smile,she tapped her phone and raised the volume.

[Cue Ode to Joy]

Narrator:Seconds later, Katniss runs out of the room like The Flash carrying her speaker—screaming Ode To Joy, her brother followed her like a mad bull.They thunder down the stairs—shaking the whole house.

Aling Sanchez💅:Jhondell, thank goodness you're awake!

Jhondell👺:Mom, Katniss just busted my eardrum!😩

Aling Sanchez💅:Then you better wake up early from now on! Now go take a shower!😑

Katniss💖 (peeking behind her mom): 😜 Haha~

-----***

Narrator:The siblings in their uniforms—ready to figh-i mean to start school.

Jhondell👺 (at the doorway):Katniss, hurry up!!👹…

Jhondell 👺(turning back inside):(groans) Katniss!!!👹👹👹

Narrator:Katniss—deaf to her brother’s desperate shouts—is still in the kitchen, delicately tying a satin ribbon into a dainty bow—tounge out.She steps back to judge her work… nods in approval.She takes a card in her hands and smooches it....Eww. Germs.😐She carefully staples it to the package and gently holds it in her palms, gazing at it with sparkly eyes, blushing cheeks, and a wide smile.

Jhondell👺 (snatching the package):So this is what took you so long.🤨

Katniss💖:Give it back, you moron!👹

Narrator:Jhondell raises his arm, watching as his sister jumps desperately to reach it.

Jhondell👺:Not unless you tell me what’s inside… 🤪 shortie.

Katniss 💖(crossing her arms):Fine. Just don’t sully it with your filthy hands!
Jhondell👺 (gasps):Dearest sister, you better take that back. Your skin moisturizer literally made my hands maiden-like. Look~ ✨

Katniss💖:YOU WHAT NOW!!!

-----***

Narrator:Katniss peeks into the hallway, furtively glancing left and right.The coast is clear.
She tip toes towards a locker,signs the Catholic sign of the cross, inhales aggressively, then opens the locker door.Carefully, she places the package inside.
She turns around and runs—almost tripping—outside the vicinity, she gleefully jumps up and down, squealing like a pig.🐷

---***

Narrator:An hour later, the empty halls—now infested with students, all buzzing like bees—but far less therapeutic.Every eye is on a lone boy: fringe with tapered sides, headphones on, black hoodie, black cargo pants.He sighs exhaustedly—aware of all the murmurs directed at him.

Narrator:He opens his locker.A pink package with a white satin bow stumbles in front of him.He takes it out, reads the card attached.The hallway held their breaths in anticipation.Some students started to sweat.
He simply folds the card then puts it into his hoodie pocket before he simply walks away.

---***

Narrator:Now that he's gone—the hallway explodes.

Walking 10K Gurl💸: OMG! 😮 ANOTHER LOVE CONFESSION!!! 😍

Walking CCTV👀: OBVIOUSLY! 🤭 He got THREE yesterday! I wonder how many TODAY!!!🧐

Party pooper💩: That girl will totally get rejected.😒

Proud Fujoshi😤: Wait—don’t assume the gender! It could be a boy!!! 😮🤔

Simp no.109🫥: OMG he’s so MYSTERIOUS. 😍

Guy who over analyzes🤓: He didn’t even FLINCH!😲

Wannabe American Gurl💃: OH MAH GOODNESS—could it be because of his SUPPAH TRAUMATIC BACKSTORY??? 🤯

The Whole Hall: THAT’S PROBABLY IT!!!😮😯😲😳🤯

---***

Narrator:An hour later the school finally let's the students out for lunch hour....

Narrator:Here is a grand tour of the school's fine cafeteria✨—lines and lines of students, staff questioning their life choices, and food that has absolutely no right to rival a five-star Michelin dish.✨

Among the sea of students sits the lone boy who made the school hall shouted in unison—a rare moment of unity.He quietly sips a purple juice box—an opened pink package on his table.

---

Prep Boy🎉:Yooo~Ace!

Ace💜:Slowpokes-😑

A literal gremlin 👹(snorts):Not gonna lie,Ace,you look so edgy without us?LOL.

Lil bro🩵 (scoffs):Come on, you don’t get to make fun of my big bro when he’s got the whole school down on its knees.

Businessman📊(adjusts glasses):Technically, Marco is correct. Statistically speaking, Ace has 90% of the school down on its knees—minus the principal and faculty.

A literal gremlin👹:No one asked for your stats, nerd.🤨

Prep boy🎉(pointing at the package):What’s that?👀

Ace💜:Cookies. Want some? They're “really” good. 🙂👍

A literal gremlin👹:Ohohoho~ Lemme guess—another love confession?😏

Marco🩵:There’s a card attached: “Dear Ace, I hope you’ll love it. xoxo K.S.”

Prep boy🎉:I mean, not surprising at all. Our boy Ace is just that popular~✨

---

Narrator:Ace watches his companions take a cookie—one by one—sipping juice....Narrator:One by one,their faces drain color—then unnaturally turn green.They all run out of the cafeteria to puke and get some water.🏃🏃🏃🏃💭
Ace 💜(deadpan):Um. Guys?There's two more left—

---***

Narrator:While Ace is comforting his friends from being almost sent to the afterlife,Katniss suddenly slides into the classroom doorway, sparkles in her eyes.

Katniss💖:OMG!!! Helio! Helio!! 😃🤭😁You would not BELIEVE what just happened!✨✨

Narrator:A boy with blonde curls smiled at her.

Helio☀️:If it’s you, of course I’ll believe you.

Katniss💖:Okay, so—I DID it! 🎉I gave it to him, and I overheard him say that my cookies were good! 😃KYAAAAHhhh! 🥳😍…although, I don’t know why his friends suddenly ran off…🤔Anyway! You know what that MEANS, Helio???!!It means I’m this close 🤏 to his heart and I just can’t BELIEVE it!! 💕😭

Narrator:She places her palms on her blushing cheeks and starts giggling giddily.

Helio ☀️(politely smiles):😊 That’s great, Katniss.

Katniss💖:I know, right?! 💯 And also~ I left some for you!

Narrator:Helio politely thanks her before putting the cookie—FDA unapproved—into his mouth.He immediately begins to choke violently.

Katniss💖:😱 Omg!! Helio??

---***

Narrator:Classes officially ended,silence has now filled the once chaotic hallways.The sky weeps, and most of the school has emptied by now.Katniss stands quietly, watching the raindrops ripple across the ground.The pitter patter of raindrops—a comfort to the soul—Katniss quietly enjoys it.Footsteps approach her—breaking the tranquility.

Helio☀️:Geez,you didn't bring an umbrella?

Katniss💖:Helio?You still here?

Helio☀️:We practice at dismissals.

Narrator:Helio tilts his umbrella closer to Katniss—he smiles at her waiting for her to come join him under the shade.Katniss gratefully smiles at him.

...

Narrator:They walk side by side—sharing together the shade of Helio's umbrella,only the sound of the rain can be heard—but the silence between them is comfortable.Their shoulders brush now and then,but neither says a word.Them being close with each other—a shield against the rain’s humidity.A moment shared in peace.

---***

Narrator:Later that night, Helio—on his bed—stares intensely at his phone.On the screen:“Juice Box and Sparkles ✨” —a shared playlist....

Narrator:An hour or two have passed,he finally taps his phone then sets it down.He stares at the ceiling,quietly waiting for her answer.