Chapter 16: Late Celebration

Chapter 16: Late Celebration

Arriving at the classroom, Aria noticed that the instructor hadn't arrived yet and saw Marcus and Emily sitting in the front row.

"Halika rito, Aria," Emily called out, gesturing for Aria to seat beside them.

As Aria made her way over, Emily initiated a conversation. "Since varsity players na kayo dalawa, what if mag-celebrate tayo?" she suggested.

Marcus nodded enthusiastically, a smile spreading across his face. "Sure, game ako diyan! " he agreed, his tone filled with enthusiasm.

"Pwede-pwede kung libre mo Em," Aria jokingly chimed in.

Emily laughed, playfully rolling her eyes. "Hoy, hindi 'yan! Kayo siguro ni Marcus ang maglibre kasi kayo ang nakuha sa varsity eh," she teased, her tone light-hearted.

"Kaya na yan ni Aria ang libre," Marcus playfully went with Emily's flow.

Sige, walang celebration maganap!" she exclaimed, pretending to be offended but unable to contain her laughter.

Emily laughed even harder at Aria's reaction.

Emily's laughter filled the room as she finally relented. "Oh sige, libre ko McDu mamaya lunch," she declared, her tone cheerful and generous.

Aria's face lit up with a bright smile at Emily's offer. "Talaga? Wow, thank you, Em!" she replied eagerly, her earlier pretend offense forgotten in the excitement of the impending treat.

Marcus joined in with a grin. "I-ready ko na order ko," he chimed in, his enthusiasm matching Aria's.

Emily grinned, pleased with their enthusiastic response.

As the trio's laughter began to settle, their instructor walked into the classroom, carrying a stack of papers and a laptop. The room quickly hushed as everyone took their seats and prepared for the lecture.

"Good morning, everyone," the instructor greeted, setting his things down on the desk. "Let's get started with today's lesson."

Time passed by quickly and before they knew it, the class was over, and the students started packing up their things.

As they made their way out of the classroom, Marcus turned to Aria and Emily. "So sa McDu tayo diba Em?" he said with a grin.

"Pina-alala pa ulit oh, sge tara," Emily teasingly replied, her excitement evident.

The three friends left the school building, their laughter and chatter filling the air as they walked toward the nearest McDunold's, ready to celebrate their achievements.

After arriving at McDu, Aria and Marcus first searched for a vacant seat while Emily stood in line.

"Mix n Match na Chicken Fillet at McFloat lang sa akin Em," Aria said, scanning the area for a vacant table.

"Same kay Aria sa akin pero baka naman meron pang i-add Em hehe," Marcus teasingly said as he smiled widely.

Emily chuckled, shaking her head. "Sige, Marcus. Alam ko na ang gusto mo. I'll add one BFF fries para sa ating lahat, one lang ha."

"Wow, thanks, Em!" Aria called back, smiling gratefully.

"You're the best, Em!" Marcus added, giving her a thumbs up.

Emily smiled, feeling pleased with her decision. She placed their orders and since Marcus and Aria already found a vacant table, Emily went to join them while carrying a beeper.

They settled in, chatting about their day and the excitement of being varsity players.

After a few minutes, the beeper vibrated and lit up. "Ready na ang food natin," Emily said and she was about to stand when Aria placed her hand on Emily's arm to stop her.

"Kami na ni Marcus kukuha sa food,"  Aria said.

"Pahinga ka muna diyan aming Prinsesa, kami na bahala," Marcus jokingly added with a grin.

Glancing at her friends, Emily laughed, "Sige, pahinga nga muna ako. Thanks, guys!"

Aria and Marcus headed to the counter to pick up their food. They returned with trays laden with their orders, including the extra BFF fries Emily had promised.

"Yey, celebration time!" Marcus said as he sets down the trays.

They eagerly dug into their meals, savoring every bite. The food was delicious, and the company made it even better.

"So, ano ang expectations niyo sa varsity life?" Emily asked, dipping some fries into the ketchup.

Aria thought for a moment as she sipped her McFloat. "Well, I'm hoping na maka-compete ako sa maraming tournaments, mapa-labas or sa loob man na bball competition,"

Marcus nodded, taking a bite of his chicken fillet. "Ako rin. Since nasa volleyball naman ako, I think gusto kong iimprove ang skills ko,"

"Hayss, baka magfofocus lang kayo sa sports niyo ha, wag niyo kong kalimutan," Emily replied with a teasing smile.

Aria laughed. "Baka ikaw ang makalimot sa amin since may boyfriend ka eh."

Emily rolled her eyes playfully. "Hindi noh! Promise, mag-mamake time ako para sa inyo guys."

Marcus grinned. "Siguraduhin mo lang ha. Baka mamaya, puro date na lang kayo ni boyfriend mo Paolo."

"I promise, hindi ko kayo pababayaan," Emily shook her head while laughing. 

"Pero real, Em, mag-make time rin kami para sa mga future hangouts natin. After all, kayo una kong close friends dito sa USTP eh," Aria said with a smile.

"Yeah, same here," Marcus agreed. "Dapat mag-relax rin tayo, even with all the academics, training, and competitions."

Emily's eyes softened and Aria nodded enthusiastically. "Oo naman! Like today, this is just the start. Marami pa tayong bonding moments na darating."

After finishing their lunch and sharing a few more laughs, they gathered their things and headed back to school. Time passed quickly with classes and various activities filling their day. Before they knew it, the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day.

"Gosh, ang bilis ng araw," Aria remarked as she put her sling bag on her shoulder.

Marcus nodded in agreement. "True. Pero at least, tapos na and we can relax a bit."

"Hey guys, don't forget about sa PE dance natin bukas," Emily reminded them as they walked.

Aria nodded. "Right, bukas na pala tayo magpractice."

With their plans in place, the trio bid each other goodbye and headed home. After heading straight home, Aria reviewed her notes in class. The evening passed quickly as she reviewed her notes and then she took a quick shower  to prepare for the next day.

=================