Project: Perfect Loveteam (Book One)

2,033

Tonz and the rest of his family attended the Misa De Gallo, he saw some familiar faces, like old teachers, former classmates and neighbors. After the mass, they went home for the Noche Buena. His watch read 2:00 A.M., but the festivities are just starting. His sisters and cousins prepared games and performances. He wasn't even aware that he will be singing. He excused himself to grab his guitar, but he also took the opportunity to call her.

"Hi! Did I wake you up?"

"Not really, I'm watching Love Actually pa, why?"

"Feliz Navidad! Merry Christmas! Maligayang Pasko! Maayong Pasko!"

"Omy! Merry Christmas Tonz! I'm sorry I didn't realize..."

"It's OK, maybe it's the jetlag."

"Yeah, you could say that, we arrived like 2:30 A.M. yesterday. I had trouble sleeping pa."

"Good thing you got a flight. Di ba punuan na kasi Christmas rush?"

"Uhm, private... papa arranged it. Anyway, why are you talking to me instead of joining the festivities?"

He heard the hesitancy in her voice, and the private thing, could it be a private plane? He shouldn't be surprised of this things. He remembered the chopper for the Zambales shoot.

"I'm just grabbing my guitar, I have to perform daw eh, if not I won't get a piece of lechon."

"Perform well, so that you can have the ears, yum! I miss Filipino food na."

"I'll send you the pics of the buffet, para umuwi ka na, hahaha..."

"Don't please, we're having KFC later, so don't make it harder for me."

"KFC? Di ka pa nagsawa sa carpark branch? Kailangan try mo din yung Tokyo branch?"

"It's a traditional Christmas meal here, so my brothers wanted to try, but for sure, my parents will insist on teppanyaki and the likes."

"Ah OK. Talk to you later, Merry Christmas again!"

"Merry Christmas, go get that lechon!"

He heard a knock on his door, it's Aly or Alejandro Gamboa-Ledesma. Aly is a few years older, but he is his closest among cousins.

"Bro! Kanina ka pa hinahanap nila tita. They're waiting for your song number."

"Oo, I just grabbed my guitar."

"Sus, may kausap ka eh. Girlfriend mo?"

"Chismoso! Good friend."

"Baka yung ka loveteam mo? The Ortega heiress?"

"Ka loveteam? Saka heiress ka dyan."

"Bro, may classmate ako sa ADMU, Inaki Ortega. He came to school riding a chopper. He's also hosting my classmates for the Christmas break, in their ancestral home."

"Bakit di ka kasama?"

"Syempre, mom will kill me first before I can ditch our family gatherings. Pero I envy them grabe. They're like the real crazy rich Asians."

"Hey, our family's comfortable naman."

"Yeah but they're a different league. Believe me, if you fall for her, remember to put extra effort."

He didn't bother commenting, he knew that aside from CN3, her family will be another hindrance to whatever it is that he is feeling.

A mini stage was set in the garden, there were round tables with red covers. The buffet table was set-up in the lanai. Everyone is chattering, while his sister made the introductions for him.

He called in Aly, "Hey, let's do our Simple Plan gig!"

"Wait, I'll call Alex, he got another guitar."

Everyone was cheering, they will perform like they used to, ten years ago. So he checked if he still remembered the chords for his song of choice.

"What time is it where you are?
I miss you more than anything
And back at home you feel so far
Waiting for the phone to ring
Its getting lonely living upside-down
I don't even wanna be in this town

But trying figure the time zone's making me crazy

You say good morning, when it's midnight
Going out of my head, alone I this bed
I wake up, to your sunset
And its driving me mad, I miss you so bad
And my heart, heart, heart is so jet lagged
Heart, heart, heart is so jetlagged
Heart, heart, heart is so jetlagged, so jetlagged... "

After their performance, the crowd cheered. They even got the biggest ang pao from the elders. He asked his sister for the video of their performance. She winked at him, she knows why he sang that particular song.

"You know Tonz, it's 2,033..."

"What? Did I owe you money?"

"No, I mean, you're 2,033 miles apart, and it shows that you really miss her." Abby said knowingly.

*Jet Lag by Simple Plan
(No copyright infringement)