"Ano 'yun, Carter? Gagawa ka ng Instagram story?"

Carter stopped sipping her frappe, the delicious taste of strawberry staying on her tongue. Inangat niya ang tingin kay Natalie na mala-agila ang tingin sa kaniya, matalas at mapangsuri. Briefly, an image of Kuya Kim flashed into her mind and she couldn't help a snicker.

"Anong tinatawa mo?" Natalie gasped. "OMG. Nasapian ka na ba ng kabaliwan niya?"

Agad na nablanko ang mukha niya. "Wala," she pushed her phone towards Natalie. "Turuan mo na ako."

Hindi mapigilan ng babae na mapatitig sa kaniya. She has never imagined that they'll arrive at this. Never, in a million dreams, did Natalie think that someday she'll teach Carter how to make an Instagram story.

After all, Carter and social media? A funny and impossible thought.

Mas itinulak ni Carter ang phone sa direksiyon niya nang walang sagot na nakuha. Natalie sighed and decided to sit beside her friend. She summoned her inner teacher to teach her poor, old friend how to survive in the normal world.

"Ngayon nga pwede ka na ding mag-add ng music diyan. Just tap this icon..."

"Ayoko ng music."

"Okay, okay! So... dito lalagay ka text. Tapos pwede ka ding magpili ng color, font at pwede mo din siyang i-align! Oh, lagyan mo caption."

"Ano maganda?"

"Aba malay ko sa'yo! Ako ba mags-story?!"

Natalie received a glare.

"Pwede ano... Starbs with my friend?"

Mas lalong sumama ang tingin sa kaniya.

"E'di... afternoon na lang? Simple tapos alam naman nilang lumabas ka nga."

"Hmm."

"Tapos pwede mo ding lagyan ng time... parang ganito! Oh, di'ba-"

"Pangit."

"Sabi ko nga." Natalie wiped away a drop of sweat from having a stubborn student like Carter. "Malalagyan mo din 'yan ng filter by swiping."

"No need. Tapos anong gagawin ko dito?"

"'Yan na?"

Kumunot ang noo ni Carter at tinitigan mabuti ang story na ginawa niya.

"Bakit? Sabi mo afternoon." Carter answered, now frustrated sa kailangang kaartehan para lang gumawa ng instagram story.

She can't understand the aesthetic of it! Bakit ba kailangan pagandahin pa? Mags-share lang naman siya ng picture diba?

She cursed Rook in her mind.

"Wala naman! Nagtanong lang kung sure ka na ba talaga." Natalie cleared up, afraid that Carter would start blowing fire soon. "Oh, tap mo 'yong 'Your Story'."

"What's this close friend one?"

"Kapag 'yan, tanging ang mga taong nilagay mo sa close friend list ang makakakita at hindi lahat ng followers mo." Natalie glanced at her friend. "Pero bakit mo pa 'to gagamitin kung ang followers mo ay ang close friends mo lang din naman?"

Iniwas ni Carter ang tingin. "I was just asking."

"E'di okay..." Natalie watched her stare at the screen for a minute. "So kailan mo is-story 'yan?"

Natalie's reminder was all that Carter need to post the story. Lumaki ang ngiti niya nang makitang lumabas ang story ng kaibigan sa Instagram niya. She immediately clicked on it, wanting to be the first viewer.

"Ako unang tumingin, Carter!"

But Carter was busy with something. Nakasimangot ito habang kinalikot ang phone.

"Anong problema?" tanong niya.

"I..." Carter paused, looking up at her. "How do you know who viewed your story?"

Hindi alam ni Natalie kung iiyak ba siya dahil walang alam ang kaibigan niya o magtitili dahil ang cute na bobo ito sa technology. Carter was always smart, whether that was in school or their garage. She learns very fast and her memory is astounding. That's why her dropping out was such a surprise.

"Dito oh..."

Teary-eyed, Natalie showed Carter how to work Instagram out. Nang makita niyang siya pa lang ang viewer sa tatlong followers ni Carter, malapit siyang sumigaw sa tuwa.

"Carter, Carter, look! I'm your first viewer!"

She smiled at Natalie's enthusiasm. Hindi niya alam na ganito pala kahalaga ang Instagram story. Napapasaya nito si Natalie at siguro gano'n rin si Rook.

Thinking of the boy, Carter can't help but stare at the screen that shows her story viewers.

Limang minuto ang lumipas na masaya pa rin si Natalie sa pagiging first viewer niya. Sinulyapan niya si Carter para malaman kung anong ginagawa nito at maaya na rin na umuwi sila dahil maga-alas singko na.

Ngunit laking gulat niya nang makitang nakasimangot ito habang nakatitig sa phone.

Lumapit si Natalie sa kaibigan at sumulyap sa phone. The story viewer section was left open and Natalie is still the only viewer.

Disappointed ba si Carter dahil ako lang viewer niya? sa isip niya.

"Ganiyan talaga, Carter. Siyempre walang masyadong magvi-view kasi tatlo lang naman kamingㅡ"

Hindi niya natapos ang sasabihin nang biglang patayin ng baba ang phone. "Yeah."

"Uh..." Natalie peeked at Carter's growing frustration. "Are you okay?"

With a nod of her head and a 'Hm.', Carter covered her mouth with her palm, her elbow resting on the table as she looked outside the shop. She pursed her lips, watching the sky slowly turn orange.

"Mag-story daw..." she whispered beneath her palms. "'Daya."

"Ha? Ano binubulong mo diyan, Carter?"