Immortality (English)

Best Friends

Chapter three

            Filipinas are usually tanned, but my friends still strive to have that perfect white skin like those of foreigners visiting our country. I sometimes even get compliments about my not so tanned complexion when I was still working. Looking at my reflection now, I don't think they'd still compliment me. My skin is now golden tanned with bruises from all the trainings I do. I still work at the hospital up until all their facilities were transferred to all the shelters two months ago. I am a Nurse by profession but since my rank and skills as a Military personnel required me to train, I had to temporarily put my professional growth on hold. We are at war after all.

        I puff powder on my face to reduce oiliness when I saw the ear ring Xed gave me. I wear it on my right ear cause he wore his on his left. He had an piercing on his left ear since we were kids. I usually teased him about it then. But he told me that it was there ever since he could remember. When his parents died he started wearing one of his mom's ear ring, an antique looking cross with a sapphire on the center. He could only wear on piece of the pair, and I never really saw him take it off. He gave me the other one when I became his girlfriend. I guess he was using it to feel secured when his parents died, the same thing I'm doing now. Pathetic, right?

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­        I wore a V-cut top and an army cargo pants. Then I went to the kitchen to check on the cat. It ate every single morsel it could get. “Hungry aren’t you?” I said to it and it purred. I picked up the bowl and washed it. I locked up making sure no other cat would be able to break in the house subconsciously afraid if my mom would know about the broken jar. “I’ll miss this place.” I said mostly to myself closing our living room curtain admiring the view of our little garden one last time, remembering some lazy afternoons spent there with my family. I smiled satisfied.  I took my back pack and my military cap on. The cat followed me to the porch. “Wanna come with me little fellow?” I asked and it meowed looking up at me. “Odd. You answer back as if you understand.” I walked towards the EVAC CAMP the cat following my footsteps.

            People are now lining up, walking towards huge helicopters which are able to carry 15 dozens civilians to the shelter. Women and children below the age of eighteen are now being howled inside whether they like it or not. Some hot head teen who obviously didn’t completed his training is ranting about not being able to stay and help out. But he is still a minor.

            “Fran!” a breathless call made me turn and look at Queencie pushing something huge as big as a luggage fitting a whole colony of ants! “Fran! Thank god!” she then patted the thing which to me is obviously her Computer/Companion/boy friend.

            “Uh, What’s in that?” I asked pointing curiously at the this she was pushing.

            “This is my Baby! Oh yes you are.” She cooed at it as if talking to a living, breathing being. Okay…Computer/ Companion/ cross out the Boy friend and add...brain child! yep, definitely brain child. I shrugged seeing her like that. She may be a genius but she is still a kid no matter what. A kid who has serious issues about stealing boyfriends but not really doing the act. That's her, all theory with being a wanna be villain. I smiled to myself thinking this. Queencie finished High school three years before her time. She finished her college course in two years. She has her Master's and Doctor's degree in things I don't know about. And she works for the Government in developing the latest gadgets--war gadgets! She's a Techno-geek and she has a big thing about stealing boy friends which she never really is a success.

            " Still in love with the box, I see." A sing-songly comment by yet another Diva. I looked at her in her channel dress being still the elegant actress I knew since kindergarten. Her long hair now even shinier, and her face even enhanced by the light make up she wears.

            Being defensive of her companion/computer/brainchild, Queencie stood and snorted, "You'll break your pretty nails fighting me princess, cause I wont hold back."

            "Please I won't bother, it'll be child abuse to do so." She rolled her eyes smiling.

            "I thought you'd be safely tucked inside one of England's shelter by now." I commented, her composure shuttered and I saw my real friend. The one who would never abandon us.

            "Really Fran, I won't waste my time acting like a princess when you guys here do all the fun! War is more fun in the Philippines!" She said and the three of us started laughing and hugging each other. Girly, I know, but we are best friends! The five of us, Mushka, Chealsea, Queencie, Noelle and me were a team in our training. We survived the three-year long military training and service together. I know we don't really fit in like puzzle piece but we are family. We'll protect each other no matter what.

           "You still look great Noelle." I said after all the drama. Noelle Anne Marquez one of my best friends is one of the world's leading Actresses be it in theater or the big screen. Elegant and pink she is the  opposite of me. She left the country to pursue her dreams as an actress a year after our training five years ago. While we concentrated on studying college, she masterfully played the role of Juliet in the remake of shakespere's tragedy--Romeo and Juliet which was the break to her career. Oh, she also has a degree in Theater Arts as a Suma-Cumlaude none the less. After almost dying as a teen in our training she taught me one thing, pursue your dreams so you won't have problems with what ifs.

            " Me?" Sarcastically she asked me, "look at you, a bombshell in a cargo pants!" She studied me. "You could easily be a model Fran." I shook my head laughing, she'd easily compare me to those stick figures they call models, yeah right. Although I lightly wear make up in my day job as an Operating Room nurse, I rarely do so walking around town. Just a shirt and a pair of jeans would do with my long hair up in a neat pony tail. Like I said, I've always been the tomboy and I'm proud of it. Besides you can't practice martial arts wearing make up.

            "Please spare me the model thing Noelle." I said still with a chuckle. "You know I still kick ass!"

            Our little conversation was interrupted by a man who kissed  Noelle and made Queencie droll like a mad dog with rabies. I don't really recognized him but I think he is famous judging by the glances of teens and house wives around.  

            "I want you to meet Laurence, my fiancé." She announced. "You've probable known him already since he is one if the lead casts in a T.V. show in UK. Laurence these are Fran and Queencie, best friends of mine." She said gesturing to us.

            "Hi! I heard so much about you guys!" He said in is obvious English accent. "Especially you Fran! I've seen you competing for the Olympics three years ago! You were great."

            Well, that was embarrassing since I honestly don't know him or has a clue about him. I know that Noelle has a fiancé, but I am not really the nosey kind of friend who'd butt in to your business. And that carelessness showed on my face perhaps because he somehow looked at me expectantly, "Um, I'm so sorry but...I don't really watch T.V. or have time in social media." I said embarrassment creeping in my face. I could feel my cheeks warm up. I felt like a freaking red traffic light on. "I only watch movies and shows done by Noelle." Even more embarrassed, I couldn't look him in the eye.

            "Fran, your such an embarrassment. I can't believe you  don't know him." Queencie  hissed at me.

            "Oh, don't worry! That's okay. I know you are busy with all the things happening here." He said. He then faced Noelle, "I'll help your mom now honey, see you in a bit." He left after kissing Noelle sweetly on her lips which left all the three of us blushing like hell.

            "Don't mind him...he is just so sweet and all..." Noelle said breathy. "He'd always been supportive of me, especially now that I needed him."

            We looked at how he helped Theodore, Noelle's brother with their baggage. "Yummy...Me likey.." Queencie commented with zombie like stare almost drooling with delight.

            "Oh boy, you better hide that eye candy from view! He might get stolen!" I teased eying Queencie. I started laughing when she realized what I meant and she blushed embarrassing herself.

            Noelle just shook her head smiling when Queencie jumped on my back and started pinching my cheeks. She is so small she looked like a little monkey on my back.

        "You wanna piece of me, huh Franny?!" She asked me still pinching my left cheek.

          "Sure if you can survive this!" I started tickling her belly and she shrieked like a kid.

            We often do this--fighting like kids at our age. Well, twenty-four is still considered as young now a days right? And perhaps that's our culture being Filipinos, still able to see the brighter side of life in the face of war.