#Yatiz is a story focusing on the lives of young people in a small seaside municipality called Carmen in the southern part of the Philippines. The name is based on a cuss word here, "Yati/Yatis" that has no English equivalent but is closest to WTF.
...
"I ALSO RESEARCHED YOU. I STALKED YOU ON INSTAGRAM. I EVEN ASKED MA'AM ZAMORA ABOUT YOU. AND...WELL, I JUST LIKE THAT YOU'RE NOT AN ASSHOLE. AND I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE I'M AN EXPERT ON ASSHOLES. BEING PART OF A DANCE CREW ALONE FULL OF DOUCHEBAGS...WE'RE FRIENDS BUT THEY'RE STILL DOUCHEBAGS."
JR nods his head no. "Dili ka makaingon ana, Hazel. Wala man ka kaila sa ako."
"BUT HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE, HAZEL? YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ME."
"Ngano? Gago ba ka?"
"WHY? ARE YOU AN ASSHOLE?"
He falls into a silence, ambushed by her question. Despite trying his best to form a response, he can't. He swallows as his arm, as his arms defensively fold in on each other. "Humana na ta?" he says, his words piercing.
"ARE WE DONE HERE?"
"Wow. Dili gyud ka ganahan sa ako no?" she observes.
"WOW. YOU REALLY DON'T LIKE ME, HUH?"
He shrugs.
"Nganong dili man ka ganahan sa ako?"
"WHY DO YOU HATE ME SO MUCH?"
"Tungod atong gibuhat nimo kay Ma—"
"BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH MA—"
"—Aside ana. Mao raman na imong pirme ginarason, ug gi-explain na nako sa imo nga okay na mi ni Maya nga nag-sorry na ko sa iya. So nganong dili man ka ganahan sa ako?"
"—APART FROM THAT, JR. THAT'S ALWAYS YOUR REASON, AND I ALREADY EXPLAINED TO YOU THAT THE TWO OF US ARE FRIENDS ALREADY. I ALREADY APOLOGIZED. SO WHAT'S YOU'RE REASON?"
The question hangs in the air, waiting on his response. "Kay..." he starts.
"BECAUSE..."
"Kay unsa?"
"BECAUSE WHAT?"
"Kay dili ko ganahan ug mga babae nga parehas nimo," JR blurts out and looks away.
"BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE GIRLS LIKE YOU."
"Babae nga parehas nako? Unsa imohang pasabot?"
"GIRLS LIKE ME? LIKE WHAT?"
"Kanang..." JR scrambles for a proper way to make his point. "Kanang...Parehas nimo nga...Komportable sa mga...laing lalake."
"Ha? Laing lalake? Kato gihapon ning about kang Lawrence? Ingon gani ko sa imo nga nangawat siya ug kiss gikan sa akoa, diba?"
"WHAT? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? IS THIS STILL ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH LAWRENCE? BECAUSE I ALREADY TOLD YOU, HE STOLE THAT KISS FROM ME."
"Dili...kanang...okay. Sige. Katong...katong sa spin the bottle. Kanang...Wala gyud nimo nahuna-hunaan nga kawatan ka ug kiss ni Lawrence? Kanang komportable ra kaayo ka. Sa akoa. Unsaon man nako pagkabalo nga seryoso ka sa imohang ginaingon nga ganahan ka sa akoa?"
"NO...IT'S...FINE. DURING THAT...THAT TRUTH OR DARE. DID...DID YOU EVEN THINK AT SOME POINT, LAWRENCE WOULD STEAL A KISS FROM YOU? YOU'RE JUST...TOO COMFORTABLE. WITH ME. I MEAN, HOW WOULD I EVEN KNOW YOU'RE SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? THAT YOU LIKE ME."
Hazel doesn't say anything. She bites her lip and wearily nods. She takes their lunch boxes and puts them inside her tote bag.
"Hazel..." he mutters as she looks at her, his voice trembling at the realization he's said something wrong.
She zips her tote bag shut and lets out a weary sigh.
"Hazel...Sorry...Akong pasabot kay—"
"HAZEL...SORRY...WHAT I MEA—"
"Kasabot ko sa imohang giingon, JR," she says with a cold, unwavering certainty. "Nangutana ko ganiha sa imo kung gago ba ka. Wala ka nitubag. Pero karon..." She pushes herself off the the bench and slings the tote bag onto her shoulder. She walks ahead, not even waiting for JR to get up.
"NO, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEANT, JR."
"I ASKED YOU EARLIER IF YOU WERE AN ASSHOLE. YOU DIDN'T RESPOND. WELL, NOW I KNOW..."
"Hazel..." JR's voice cracks.
"Sabay lang ta'g tricycle pa terminal. Pero lahi lang ta ug bus nga sakyan." She doesn't even stop to turn and face him.
"WE CAN RIDE THE SAME TRICYCLE TO THE TERMINAL. BUT WE SHOULD GO ON DIFFERENT BUSES."
JR follows after her, at a loss and the weight of his regret visibly pressing down on his shoulders. He gazes at the back of her head, trying to will her to turn and stop.
She doesn't.
He takes out his earbuds and puts them on. He plugs them into his phone and presses play.
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