Expect the Unexpected

David was a hopeless romantic. God, give me a girlfriend and I’ll kiss liquors good bye.

Vanessa was tired of boys. They’re all the same. Assholes!

He was pissed off by his barkada making fun of him. He was the only one in the gang who had not kissed a girl’s lips yet. It wasn’t that he got a nauseating overall package. David was a typical torpe guy.

She may be always smiling but it didn’t mean she was always happy. The truth was that, she was tired of being her. She was a boytoy. Her nice face and body was a jinx from her Spanish ancestry. If she had a history of 17 boyfriends and dumped them in the end, it wasn’t because of her. She defined weakness as a guy’s sweet words.

***

Tropang Tanggero was made up of Rene, a.k.a. Groogie, Mark, a.k.a. Macoy, Miko, a.k.a Nonoy, and David, a.k.a. King, as in King Torpe. The gang loved Wednesdays and Saturdays. Their place was People’s Village which was notorious for nicotine atmosphere, vomitus-on-floors, waitresses on 7-inch skirts, and beer and beer and beer.

“Guys, Bora next week? No GFs allowed.” Rene said after a nonstop gulp of gin.

“Call!” Mark and Miko chorused.

“Next week? It’s Holy Week guys,” David replied, conscious about what his friends might say.

“Ahem! And you would sacrifice those sexy babes in Boracay for kissing scared statues?” Rene joked. “Come on…you’re King, not a saint. Let’s go bitchin! Haha.”

“Groogie’s right, King. You’ve been in same routine for that damn week since you knew you’re a Catholic.”

“A hotter Holy Week!” Mark quipped. “That’s what Miko wants to say. Yeah! Let’s go to the beach…where the bitches are!”

David remained quiet. By then, Rene, Mark, and Miko moved closer to David as if doing a group hug. “You might meet your first GF there,” they whispered their friend like devils.

He had no choice. King Torpe would be on a different Holy Week.

***

Vanessa never told anyone where she would be going, not even her best friend Sandra. She wanted all the time for herself, to think, to be reborn again.

Her breakup with Warren was her worst so far. Somehow, she tried to love him. But boys will be boys. Warren was born a maniac.

The tank is full. Some contents should be spilled.

***

It was David’s second time to Boracay. He was in the island eight years ago and he could definitely say that the place changed a lot. Hotels sprouted near the shores like mushrooms. Not to mention high rates. Boracay is a city within a beach resort.

But he never regretted going with his crazy friends. With bikinis all around, David would want to stay in the island forever. The Tropang Tanggero drowned themselves with liquor in the beach parties.

“Pare! This is awesome!” David screamed. The disco sounds were deafening. Beach bars were in line on the shores.

“Super awesome!” Mark replied. “To think, this is our first night. More chicks to come. Haha!”

“For bitches!” Rene offered a toast.

David had six days to get hooked with a girl…or a mermaid if there was.

***

If only she was a poetess, Vanessa had already a literary folio. She had some titles running her mind like Inside Inferno, Boys are Bullshits, Thoughts of a Love Loser, etc. The burden inside her was heavy. It was psychogenic pain.