Champorado

38

"You're being nice," Jiya teases, looking down at her hands.

"No, I have eyes," Anton argues firmly. "Don't say that shit about yourself. Makes me angry."

Jiya doesn't say anything more.

He takes her arm and spreads sunblock over that, too. "I know it's awkward...with Migo and everything—"

"I don't want anything to do with him anymore," Jiya says. "Please drop it."

Madali siyang kausap. "Okay. Have you tried the dress na?" Anton asks softly.

Sabi ni Addie it's in the closet. Exact measurements daw, pero hindi pa nat-try ni Jiya. "I will tonight."

Anton nods and takes her other arm. "How's work and life sa NYC?"

That is a safe topic. Jiya answers him and he listens.

When they finally join their other friends, Jiya's heart in her throat as she ignores him the way he's ignoring her, Cas breaks them up into teams. Anton, Jiya, Cas, and Addie versus Inggo, Van, Migo, and Isco.

Buti na lang.

The ball is served by Cas, and the game begins.

Serve, receive, lipat, receive, lipat, set, spike, receive ulit, tapos out. Addie is a shit player. She screams every time napupunta sa kanya yung bola. Cas laughs at her.

Migo serves this time. Jiya receives it and almost hisses sa lakas n'on, and Cas sets it. Anton runs up to spike the ball down and Van dives to get it, yelling, "Mine!"

Nabigay kay Migo. He spikes it directly down Anton's position, muntik na tumama sa mukha niya if he didn't turn his head away at the last minute.

"Sorry, pare!" Migo yells, back already turned, but Jiya knows he's pushing his tongue inside his cheek, smiling.

Anton smiles easily. "No worries."

Jiya clenches her jaw. Arrogant fuckface.

Nasa harap na siya ng net, kaharap si Migo. She's suddenly brought back to that time in college no'ng PE nila 'to and they made a bet after kissing in the bleachers.

She receives the ball, and then she runs up when it's returned to her, jumps, and slaps her palm over it.

Migo blocks it. The ball bounces back to her face.

"Shit, sorry ba—"

He stops.

Jiya's holding one hand to her nose, staring wide-eyed at him when he ducked under the net, one foot towards her, eyebrows furrowed in concern until he realized what he was doing.

Migo stares at her, and his Adam's apple bobs up and down.

Cas puts a hand on her shoulder. "Ji, you okay?"

Jiya smiles at him, shaking off her hands and rolling her shoulders. "Yeah, I'm fine."

They continue the game. Migo doesn't block her spikes anymore.

His team wins, though.

As soon as it's over, Jiya turns to the pool, wanting to soak herself in water with a fruit shake (hindi niya naubos 'yong kaninang morning) and relax.

Some of Addie's friends from her work introduce themselves to her, but they also leave her alone kaagad to head to the golf course.

Sinamahan siya ni Inggo maya-maya, dipping his feet in the water, smiling at his phone before he pockets it in his board shorts. He focuses on her. "How's the face?"