Sofie's POV
"Nothing," I said, flipping a page I wasn't reading.
RJ was already spreading highlighters across the table like weapons in a battle. "Okay, listen up. We have exactly twelve days before Ma'am Cruz stares into our souls during the practical. I say we meet twice a week—plus online check-ins. We will slay this skeleton project."
"I can meet after P.E.," Trisha offered.
"I'm free weekends," Lance added.
I nodded. "Weekdays after class are fine with me."
Johnmark leaned his arms on the table, nodding slightly. "Same. Just let me know in advance."
RJ clapped once. "Perfect. Here's the plan."
He pulled out a laminated weekly schedule from his folder like a magician revealing a card trick.
"We split the system: axial skeleton goes to Sofie and me, appendicular to Trisha and Lance. Johnmark does the shared review and references both sides."
"Wait, did you laminate this?" Trisha asked, eyes wide.
"Of course," RJ said proudly.
"Aesthetic and functional."
I tried to focus as we divided the tasks, but part of my brain still wandered.
Every time I glanced at Johnmark, he was already looking down. But once or twice—just for a moment—our eyes met again.
And even if no one else noticed, something in me did.
Johnmark's POV
They were surprisingly organized—RJ's chaos came with structure.
As the discussion continued, I noticed how Sofie quietly wrote everything down, even adding arrows and corrections as people spoke. Her handwriting was soft, neat, and a little curved, like her.
She didn't speak much unless needed, but when she did, it was always something useful.
"Here," she said at one point, sliding her notebook my way. "I added color codes for the thoracic cage—so we don't mix ribs with vertebrae again."
I looked at the notes. Precise. Thoughtful.
I looked back at her. "You really are good at this."
She shrugged, almost embarrassed. "I just want to pass."
"I think we all do," I said, giving her a small smile. "But you're helping us do more than that."
She didn't answer, but I could tell by the way her ears turned slightly red than she heard me.
RJ's POV
By the time we ended the study session, I had enough drama content for a full teleserye in my head.
Sofie and Johnmark? Oh, they thought they were subtle. But I saw. The stolen glances. The polite "accidental" moments. The way they leaned slightly toward each other when they thought no one was watching?
I was watching.
"Okay, team. I declare this group chat officially open," I announced, creating a Messenger group titled:
BONES & BANTAY SA DEADLINE 🦴
I added everyone, sent the schedule, and dropped our first sticker: a dancing skeleton.
"We'll send updates here. No ghosting. Unless it's Halloween."
Trisha sent a thumbs up.
Lance replied with "let's go."
Sofie just sent "Okay po."
Johnmark dropped a simple: "Noted."
I smiled. This group might actually work.
Not just for grades.
But for something else, too.
Sofie's POV
As I left the library that day, the wind was warm and the sky was quietly pink. College still felt overwhelming. There were still so many names, so many new lessons, so many things to prove.
But at least… I had a group.
And maybe—just maybe—a start.