BOOK 2 Kabanata 2 (Party Princess)
1045 Words
(AVA’s POV)
"One more! One more! One more!" my friends shouted, cheering me on.
I breathlessly gulped down the last of my fifth tequila shot, savoring the burn. As soon as the final drop was gone, I swayed my hips when the music shifted to an upbeat track.
"Woah!" I exclaimed.
"Let’s have a toast to our party princess!" Megan yelled.
We all clinked our glasses before sprinting toward the dance floor. Well, this was my last night to party. Tomorrow evening, I’d be flying back to my home sweet country—the Philippines!
Life here in New York was good. I had a stable job, amazing friends, and a routine I’d grown comfortable with. But everything changed the moment I heard the biggest news of my life—Blackpink was having a concert in the Philippines!
Blackpink in our area!
I’d been dreaming of seeing them live for years. When they had a concert here in the U.S., bad luck struck—I got sick and ended up stuck in a hospital bed. So when I saw the announcement of their Manila concert, I begged my parents to let me go home. Of course, they said no.
But I had an ace up my sleeve—my beloved Tiyang Esther, Mama’s older half-sister. When she agreed to let me stay with her, my parents had no choice but to say yes.
I even resigned from my job as a Senior Interior Designer at a prestigious New York firm. My boss, Miss Bella, was reluctant to let me go, but she understood. In fact, she recommended me to a friend who owned a construction company in the Philippines. After acing the Zoom interview, I immediately booked my flight—partly for the contract signing, but mostly for the Blackpink concert.
I was in the middle of enjoying my last dance when I suddenly felt a hand brush against my lower back.
At first, I ignored it. The dance floor was crowded; bumping into each other was normal. But when I felt fingers squeeze my butt, I spun around.
A guy was standing there, smirking with an expression that made my skin crawl.
"Hey, excuse me?" I said sharply, my voice rising enough for my friends to stop dancing.
"Lemme kiss ya, baby!" he slurred, puckering his lips as he leaned toward me.
"Kiss pala, ah?"
I grabbed a bottle from the nearest table and, without hesitation, smashed it against his head.
And just like that… the night ended with all of us in the police station. Great.
I sat there, scratching my ear in irritation while listening to the guy I’d just clobbered bawl his eyes out.
"Look, she almost broke my head!" he cried like a child throwing a tantrum.
"Eh, buti nga ulo lang ‘yan at hindi utak mo ang binasag ko. Bastos!" I snapped, even though I knew he probably didn’t understand a single word I said.
"Ava!"
I turned toward the voice and pouted.
Mama!
I shot Megan a death glare. I knew she’d called my mom. My snitch of a friend lowered her head, avoiding my gaze.
"Mama…"
"Gavaina Marie, ano ito?" she asked sternly.
Uh-oh. Full name. That meant she was really mad.
"Just… a small fight," I replied coldly.
"Small fight? You almost killed me, damn it!" the guy interrupted.
"If you weren’t such a pervert, we’d all be having fun right now instead of sitting here! Stupid!"
"Abyang!"
Oh no. She was pulling out the childhood nicknames now. I was doomed.
After settling things at the station, we went straight home. So much for my farewell party.
"Ano ba naman, Ava? Paano ka namin mapagkakatiwalaan kung ganyan ka?" Mama scolded me in the car. It was already three in the morning, and the streets were almost empty.
"Ma, I was just enjoying myself. You know I won’t be able to party once I’m in the Philippines. Tiyang’s super strict," I said, resting my head on my hand against the car window. I was so sleepy.
"Partying, partying! Kahit kailan ka talaga!" She started pinching my leg, and I kept squirming to get away from her crab-like grip.
"Ma, naman!" I whined.
"Malay ko ba na magkakagulo. Binastos kasi ako ng mokong na ‘yon."
Papa finally spoke, his voice calm. "Paano ba naman, anak. Iyong suot mo, halos wala nang tela. Tingnan mo nga iyang strap ng damit mo—parang tali lang sa buhok. Mas makapal pa ang tali ng mama mo."
Papa was the calm one. Meanwhile, Mama’s mouth was like a machine gun—ratatatatat, never running out of ammo.
"Iyan kasi! Kulang na lang maghubad ka! Naiinis talaga ako sa ’yo!" She reached for me again, but Papa stopped her.
"Marites, baka masira ‘yang legs ng anak natin. Wala na tayong pambato sa Miss Universe," Papa teased, winking at me in the rearview mirror.
I smiled back at him while Mama fumed beside him.
"Magsama kayong mag-ama!" she huffed.
I woke up at two in the afternoon. Everything was packed. After a quick shower, I looked at myself in the mirror and then at the photos on my wall.
My babies.
I kissed each photo of my idols one by one.
"Lisa, Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé—wait for me, babies!" I squealed, hugging the pictures.
I was head-over-heels for these girls—and several other K-pop oppas. I was a certified, full-blooded fangirl.
I tried picking an outfit from the clothes I’d just bought, but nothing felt right. Then, a lightbulb went off in my head.
I put on my cropped leather peplum biker jacket, black pants, and matching black high-heeled boots. I topped it off with a Cleopatra-inspired wig with cropped bangs, campfire-red lipstick, and a fake clip-on mouth piercing.
Lisa Manoban–inspired look.
Mama scolded me for my outfit, but I didn’t care. I’d change after the flight anyway.
My parents dropped me off at the airport. The flight from New York to the Philippines would take around eighteen hours. I’d land in Manila at about eleven or twelve noon, giving me just enough time to change before my 1 p.m. meeting.
But, of course, things went wrong.
My flight was delayed by two whole hours.
Darn it.
- Writer
