Mirage

thirty six

It was a Friday. Aliyah was at work with Mayu and Guia. They were on break, chatting in the pantry of the office.

"So ano na? Kayo na ba? Magiging kayo na ba?" Mayu asked.

"May ligawan stage na ba? Anong plano niyo?" And Guia continued.

Aliyah rolled her eyes at them. After finishing her 'chika' about what they did in Cebu, these two were now indirectly teasing her and asking her questions she would love to answer and say yes to. But the situation isn't like that at all.

"Firstly no, hindi kami. Kung magiging kami, well sana nga maging kami. At wala pang ligawan stage."

"Anong plano niyo?" Guia asked again.

She pursed her lips, thinking what to say. They didn't talk about it. Both her and Mira were just going along well like they have this agreement that they're in the same boat.

And honestly, Aliyah doesn't want to rush it.

"Hindi ako nagmamadali. I can wait naman, our relationship can wait." She paused for a bit. "Like alam niyo yon, we can all see na there's still more on her plate. To fix and to heal. Baka hindi pa time magkarelationship."

"But parang may relationship na din naman kayo? Kung pano kayo kumilos." Mayu said, raising her eyebrows.

"Hindi kaya?"

"Sus deny ka pa diyan!" Guia pinched her side stomach. She immediately squirmed at the contact.

"Gi! Aray ha!"

"Bakit ka ba nandito, wala ka bang photoshoot?" Aliyah asked Guia as she moved closer to Mayu away from the girl.

Now Guia was the one to roll her eyes. She grabbed Aliyah's arm and clung onto her. "Hindi uso break time sayo? Siyempre kailangan ko din kumain."

"Speaking of photoshoot. Ung photoshoot and interview na ginawa natin kay sir Emmanuel Sevilla narelease na." Mayu butted in.

Aliyah froze when she heard the name. "Ano ulit sabi mo?"

"Narelease na ung photos and interview?"

"Hindi ano ulit, sir Emmanuel?"

"Sevilla, ung tatay ni Sam diba. Ung inannounce na may mana si Sam sa hotels nila churva."

Shit? She just had realized. The one she interviewed was the same one Mira was talking about, Sam's father.

"Mayu you're right. Something is sketchy with him. He's not right in the head."

Mayu and Guia looked at her, curious and a little bit surprised.

"Ay speaking of diba may pa dinner party pa siya mamaya?" Guia said. "Narinig ko sa editor, inaannounce niya kanina."

Mayu nodded. "Oo invited daw team natin. Required daw sumama."

"Ay, di naman ako kasama sa team niyo so mauuna na ako mamaya." Guia said.

"I don't think I want to join, uwi na lang din ako agad mamaya."

"Huy Liyah sumama ka. Ikaw nag interview, ikaw pinakaimportante don." Mayu said to Aliyah.

"Bat ako? Nandiyan naman ung mga editor."

"Tsaka ikaw rin hinahanap ni sir Emmanuel." Mayu added.

So that's why, Aliyah has no choice but to attend the dinner party with the team and sir Emmanuel.

She was just outside of the restaurant they were going to have dinner at, trying to contact Mayu who was missing in action.

When the girl finally answered, Aliyah quickly asked where she was.

"Mayu! Nasan ka? Wag mo kong iwan mag isa dito!" She whispered shouted at her phone while looking around, making sure there's no people she would disturb.

"Sorry may biglaang raket eh, hindi ko nasabi agad! Sorry sorry, nandiyan naman sila boss diba? Okaya pasundo na lang kita kay Guia."

Aliyah sighed. "Hindi na ako makakaalis dito nakita na ako nila boss."

"Try mo na lang ienjoy ung dinner, hindi naman siguro nangangain si sir Emmanuel, tatay naman un ni Sam."

Ayon na nga eh, tatay ni Sam. Tito ni Mira, dahilan bat siya nakulong.

"Hindi kasi diba nga ano..."

"Ano?"

"Diba nga parang may something sakanya, ikaw mismo nagsabi niyan."

"Oo nung una nung hindi pa natin alam na tatay siya ni Sam." Mayu laughed at the other line. "Bakit? Bat mo ba nasabing may something din sakaniya?"

"Wala lang ayoko lang sakaniya."

"Ay wait lang, need ko na magstart sa gig ko. Tawag na lang ulit ako mamaya, update mo ko ha!"

At that, Mayu ended the call leaving Aliyah in distress. She doesn't know if she should tell it to Mira or not.

Will it be bad if Mira knew she was going to have a dinner party with her uncle?

Aliyah was still thinking about it until her co-worker called out to her, telling her to get inside to eat. So, she put her phone in her pocket and went inside. Deciding to tell it to Mira later.

"Para kang sira." Mira said as Sam kept annoying her.

After Sam found out she was back in Manila, the girl was sticking to her like glue. Whenever Sam doesn't have classes, she either go to Joanne's place or go to Mira's.

They were going back to the apartment. Mira went to her supposedly work place earlier just to find out she doesn't have a job anymore.

Right now, she's frustrated. They said she was just suspended, suddenly they fired her? The absurdity.

"I'm sure may mahahanap ka pang trabaho diyan, dami dami pwedeng mapag part time-an." Sam said.

"Kaya wag ka na malungkot diyan, kwento mo na nangyari sa Cebu dali dali!"

Mira sighed. "Ayoko. Bahala ka diyan."

"Luh sige okay lang. Sino ba naman ako?"

Mira made face to annoy Sam back. It was a success as Sam slapped her arm.

"Bat ba palagi kang nandito? Hindi ba nagsasawa sayo si Jo?" Mira asked while they went inside the compound.

"Bat naman magsasawa sakin si Jo?" Sam flipped her hair in confidence. Mira just raised an eyebrow amused at the girl's self-love.

"Ewan ko sayo."

"Sige nga," Sam looked at Mira like she was challenging her. "Araw-araw si ate Aliyah sa unit mo, magsasawa ka ba sakaniya? Ha?"

Mira couldn't answer because she doesn't want to admit that Sam was right.

"Oh diba." Sam smirked.

"Ugh so annoying."

Mira left her and went straight to her unit.

"Hoy!"

She went to her room and sat on her bed. Mira sighed to herself. She doesn't have work anymore; she has to find one this week if she wants to not touch her family's money.

The girl went through her phone. She just had texted Aliyah and was wondering why the latter wasn't replying. She should be on her way home by this time, shouldn't she?

Baka overtime lang.

She laid on the bed and took a deep breath. "Tomorrow's another day." Mira uttered.

Then she fell asleep with her phone beside her, no notifications and no replies.