Christmas break was near, and Sampaloc was practically glowing like it had overdosed on fairy lights. Parols blinked from every window, traffic was pure chaos, and Jose Mari Chan’s voice was haunting every tricycle speaker within a five-mile radius.
Mariella, Nancy, Elliot, and Jasmine had just been dismissed early from class, and since the academic gods had gifted them two class-free days, they did what any responsible students would do, they hit up a KTV bar on España.
The place was chaos in tinsel form: cheap beer, neon lights, and a karaoke machine that was clearly possessed. Nancy was already screaming “All I Want for Christmas Is You” at a pitch that made passing waiters wince, while Elliot poured shots like an overly emotional bartender who’d given up on life.
“So,” Jasmine said,
