The Same Romance

VIII

Secret lovers

"Oh akala ko okay na kayo?" Shay asked nang mapansin niya ang hindi pag papansinan nina Chelsea at Saya.

Nasa condo kami ni Saya, kaming mag kakaibigan kasama ang nobyo niyang si Andrew.

I am thankful that we are not in my apartment loitering.

"Oo nga" Saya responded to Shay.

"Hindi mo ba siya niyaya dito?" tanong ni Shay kay Saya

Hindi pa nag papakita si Chelsea sa condo ni Saya kung kaya siguro ay nag dalawang isip si Shay kung talaga bang nag kaayos na silangg dalawa.

As for me, hindi naman ako nag taka dahil maaaring late lang si Chelsea as usual.

Not unless, hindi talaga sinabihan si Chelsea sa pagtitipon namin dito.

"Uhh" Saya awkwardly responded as she brings the liquor into the living room where we are.

"I thought she will have a date today"

"Nung nakaraang nag usap kami may lalaki siyang ikinukwento sa akin" dagdag ni Saya.

It was good to hear that they are acting normal again. I meant, the sharing of stories and fling issues and everything.

"So I figure that they could be out of nowhere"

"Ayoko naman pumunta siya dito nang biglaan habang nag sasaya pala sila-" juast as Saya paused. 

Someone bangs her door out of nowhere.

Nag katinginan naman kamig lahat dahil pare-pareho kaming nagulat sa tunog na iyon na para bang may nag aabang na komosiyon sa likod ng pintuan ni Saya.

"Oh my gosh may utang ka ba?" Shay recklessly spat.

Tinapunan naman ni Saya si Shay ng masamang tingin.

Bago pa masagot ni Saya si Shay, Andrew volunteered to open the door. Which our eyes followed her way through the door.

"I'll get it babe" wika ni Andrew. 

For me, it also serves as a warning.

In case someone dares break-in. 

My wish is just that, it's not a loan shark just as Shay had predicted. 

Kinuha ko ang bote ng inumin at binuksan iyon. I grabbed a shot glass arranged in the middle of the table and pour me a shot. 

"How dare you not invite me to your stupid get together!" sigaw na bungad ni Chelsea pag bukas ni Andrew ng pinto.

Chelsea is enraged.

Obviously.

"I texted her" singit ni Tyler na naging dahilan kung bakit kaming lahat napatingin sa kanya.

"What is your problem" Saya shouted at Chelsea at the front door.

"Why didn't you invite me? Did I offend you again?" Chelsea argued.

No one dared to talk.

Well, I thought this is her issue with Saya not inviting her.

"Akala ko naman kasi kasama mo yung lalaki mo ngayon and I thought it will be rude if I dare invite you here and interrupt your,"

"You know" Saya added.

"Sweet thing" pag kibit balikat ni Saya kay Chelsea.

"But you guys know at least I will make time come over" Chelsea said na parang kinakausap kami.

"And we got no label Saya" 

"I am not marrying" Chelsea spat.

Oh yeah Chelsea hates labels but loves s*x. How could Saya  miss that? Dapat ay tinanong niya pa rin ito kung gusto niya ba pumunta sa pag titipon na 'to.

You got her wrong Saya. You got her wrong.

Matapos ang maigsi niyang talumpati't pag mamaktol. A dramatic silence filled the room.

"Uhh"

"This your favorite right?" Saya offered Chelsea a shot she is holding.

Lahat kami ay napatingin sa alok ni saya kay Chelsea ng inumin nang biglang tanggapin iyon ni Chelsea at madaling ininom.

"I am sorry" wika ni Saya kay Chelsea matapos inumin ni Chelsea ang inalok niyang inumn.

"Fine" Chelsea said at nginitian si Saya.

Well, guess invitations are just this important, especially in friendships.

Maya maya ay sabay sabay kaming nag hiyawan sa loob ng condo ni Saya.

"Alak lang ang katapat" Tyler spat beside me in the couch. Nilingon ko naman siya sa sinabi niya.

Well, where is the lie?

I pour myself a shot once again.

I crossed my legs and fix my ass to the seat.

Everyone celebrated Saya and Chelsea's reconciliation. Well, I also make my own celebration of my victory that day.

Tyler and Andrew told everyone in the room about our bets to them that day.

"You're so rude" Chelsea spat as she reacted to the story.

Shay laughed hard as she listens to the story.

"What can I say?"

"Mayumi sure knows you so well" Andrew looked at me as he commented.

I proudly shrugged my shoulders and just smiled.

"And"

"Hindi ko masasabing gusto ko yung twerking part" Andrew said that made us laugh in the room.

"That can't be help" Saya said and kissed Andrew in the lips.

"Should we make a toast?" Chelsea said.

"Oh, sure!" Shay agreed.

Everyone else in the room agreed and poured their shot glasses some liquor.

"Cheers!" sabay-sabay naming wika. 

"Sayang wala ka dun Shay!" wika ni Andrew.

"Oo nga eh"

"Alam mo naman family is getting me into business" Shay said her excuse.

No one wants to know about that.

"Aw, good luck to you buddy" Saya commented.

"We've been there" Chelsea added and laughed.

It is true. Our families are obsessed with the monopoly that they think we should inherit those traits of theirs. Their desire to suck money.

Tyler is hardly pushed by his parents to follow their steps but he insisted and made his company of his own. Building his own pride in that field. And guess what, his parents have never been proud of my guy. They even think he's the best son they have.

Bunso pa si Tyler kung kaya nakadagdag iyon sa ego niya bilang lalaking anak ng pamilya nila.

Well, while me. I just humbled down myself with my mom and dad's instructions and conditions. The important thing is they treat me as an adult.

"Should we order more food?" Tyler asked.

Sumang ayon naman ang lahat sa kanya.

We already got pizza and chips here. I don't think we need more. But I am craving for more too so.

"Coffee please" I whispered to Tyler.

Tumango naman siya sa akin matapos kong bumulong sa kanya.

I still need coffee in this situation. I mean even there's alcohol. It's just part of my cravings. 

Yes, cravings at this time of the day.

And also, I got no control over these hormones bugging me. I say they are worth the cravings.

"Yun lang?" Tyler asked me.

I am glad he asked. I told him the rest of my cravings. It's fine, I won't eat their food. I'll eat mine. 

Everyone is busy telling Tyler what to order when my phone vibrated beside me on the couch. Everyone is having their personal cravings right now I guess. We got a long list.

I remember the gal from the coffee shop. I wonder how she's doing without me responding to her texts.

I changed my notification into vibration to not miss any single messages I am going to receive. 

Well, I guess there's an exemption. I don't want to lead her on when I am not really interested in her. 

Good morning pretty:)

Ilang araw mo na ako hindi nirereplyan:(

Don't dislike me so fast

Good morning ganda:)

Are your days good?

Why?:(

I want to see you:(

Again:(

Don't you miss me?

I checked my spam messages and there are many of these messages from this gal. I regularly check her messages in the spam because I find the affection funny and a bit thrilling. Call me evil, but I can't help it.

She should give up by now because I am not going to entertain her.

I didn't text her back for days.

Because I am not interested.

And she is pretty persistent I can say. When I wish she is not. Because it's too overwhelming for someone like me. 

I checked the time and noticed that she haven't texted me yet. She hasn't messaged me yet this day.

After rereading the messages I put down my phone and kept pouring myself a drink in my shot glass.

I believe this will keep me sane as long as I am at this party.

Sumandal ako sa upuan ko at pinagmamasdan lamang ang mga kaibigan na busy makipagkwentuhan sa isa't isa. 

Everyone is pretty busy with their own worlds.

I guess we got things to catch up with each other since it's been a while for us, having this get-together.

Naisip ko na mag libang muli sa aking telepono. Pinulit kong muli iyon sa tabi ko at binuksana ang aking telepono sa tabi.

Applications keep us entertain at times like this.

I swiped on my phone as I  chose which app to chose. And then I chose i********:. Social media apps are the best.

Within the few scrolls, I made. 

Biglang lumabas ang people you should follow sa feed ko. n

It's a feature of i********: where it suggests people who you should follow that is far related to people you are currently following.

I usually didn't pay attention to this part. But I found myself interested at the moment so I did swipe a few.

A familiar face once again popped up on the people you should follow bar I am checking. The girl who I am not yet interested in.

I didn't press the follow button so easily. I need more.

I clicked her profile and try to stalk her.

I mean I didn't try because I basically stalked her. 

As I click her profile it loads so quickly that I can't change my mind stalking her.

Her username is @talamontes and her bio says you can't find one like me in the sky because I have fallen. What a great thing to say. Kawalan daw siya sa langit.  

."Five thousand?" that is almost a whisper to myself because I don't want to get any attention to me.

Mamaya kung ano ang isipin nila.

I am just shocked by the fact that she got five thousand followers while I only get three thousand. Is she some kind of internet idol or vlogger?

.A content maker?

What content is she making if it is by any chance? How to make coffee? A day in the life of a club-goer?

I smiled at the thought. Holding back my laughter.

How aesthetically pleasing is coffee making? 

If that is, I am envious. I am so going to watch her. Worse, I could reply her now.

I scrolled further in her i********: feed.

I clicked a photo of hers in a two-piece with her hair being blown by the wind. A place from Greece was tagged in the photo.

I found her photos in different parts of the world I assume. Because she is tagging the place in her photos. 

She has been to multiple beaches all around the world I suppose. She obviously loves the beach.

I scrolled and scrolled in her feed and there are so many pictures of her in different bikinis than the places she's been to.

I guess she's one elite.

I decided to swipe in her tagged photos.

At nandoon ang mga litratong mas inaasahan kong makita.

I scrolled briefly from there and I can tell that it could have no end at all. I mean there are just many photos tagged with her profile. 

At mas mukhang marami pa iyon sa personal uploads niya sa i********: profile niya.

In these tagged photos of hers, a few only are taken from beaches with friends and maybe with her family.

It came down to me that she has two favorite places to go to. Places I think she personally loves. 

There are many tagged photos of hers wandering in clubs. #barhopping and many more. Groufies with her friends dancing and short videos of her kissing someone.

I felt a poke in me somewhere. Maybe because it's gross kissing someone in a bar?

I am sure that's it.

Habang pinagpapatuloy ko ang pag kalkal sa feed niya. nakita ko ang isang picture na kasama niya sina Andrew.

It's really them.

And it is just posted last last month. The day when Chelsea and Saya fought.

I guess they are really close friends.

Maybe their families are friends.

The caption is Welcome to the town chic!  oh so it's true.

Kakalipat niya lamang nitong mga nakaraang buwan? Ngunit nakakuha na agad siya ng trabaho. 

I scrolled further more to see more of her and Andrew's moments. At mayroon pa akong nakitang ibang mga nakaag na photos sa kanya. 

A common friend of them is always tagging them Maybe she and Andrew are in the same circle. I wonder if they are secret lovers.

"Stalker" Andrew whispered in my ear that made my skin hair stand up.

Hinampas ko naman siya sa ginawa niyang iyon. Hindi ko namalayan ang pag lapit niya sa likod ko dahil masyado akong occupied sa i********: feed ng babaeng ito.

"You like her?" he's too straight to the point.

"You are kidding right?" I told him.

"Ha! I heard you've had boyfriends"

"Hindi ka naman lesbian ano?" he said as he throws himself on the couch beside me.

Jokes on you baby boy.

I just smirked with what he just said.

You should've known better" wika ko at sumandal sa couch.

Kinuha naman niya ang bote ng alak saka nilagyan ang basso kong walang laman

Bahagya akong nagulat sa ginawa niya ngunit hinayaan ko pa rin siya.

Matapos niyang lagyan ang akin ay kinuha ko na iyon at nag patuloy naman siyang lagyan ang baso niya.