Present Time
"Anakngninjangtipaklong! Aayain mo akong luamabas tapos biglang hindi ka mag-sasalita? Aba, Valdez konting respeto naman sa mga cake! -" Ella complained while munching the second cake she had ordered for their stay in the coffee shop.
Earlier that day, Alyssa texted Ella that they meet up at the coffee shop for she had something to say; but an hour after the said meet up time, Alyssa was still staring blankly into space without touching the coffee and cake in front of her.
Alyssa snapped back into her senses and smiled at Ella. "Ells, what if I'm gay?"
Ella shifted her gaze from the cake to Alyssa then back to the cake again. She sliced a piece of the cake and talked while chewing her food.
"O, edi bakla ka. I'm short, you're gay. It's okay!" Ella said while congratulating herself in her head for rhyming.
"Seryoso kase, what if I'm gay?" Alyssa once again asked.
"Did you kill someone? Or perhaps stole from someone? Did you rob a bank and used all the money for booze, illegal drugs and cigars?" Ella retorted with a snort.
"Of course not! What's up with those questions, it's not even related to my original question." Alyssa answered skeptically. "Ano na nga, what if I'm gay?"
Ella put her fork down and looked straight to Alyssa's eyes. "You haven't murdered anyone, nor robbed someone, sold illegal drugs and wasted time destroying your lungs and liver. You're just gay and that's okay for me." Ella picked up the fork and resumed eating,
"Why, are you gay?" she asked Alyssa.
"Maybe." Alyssa answered Ella without looking at her.
"Ay shit! Ano yun? Kalahating bakla, kalahating hindi? Ako ba pinagloloko mo ha?"
"I'm not sure Ells. It's just that I'm not attracted to every girl. There's just this one girl that caught my attention, stayed in my heart and mind and never left - I know it sounds cheesy but that's the truth! So, I think I'm selectively gay." Alyssa explained.
Both of them weren't looking at each other. Ella was looking at the cake she was happily chewing and Alyssa was looking down, avoiding Ella's gaze fearing it might hold some judgment towards her confession.
"So, you're selectively gay?" Ella asked.
"Yes, I think. If there is such a thing." Alyssa answered, still with her head down.
"Kay Den?"
Alyssa who was still looking down, could not meet Ella's gaze. Instead she gave a nod and took some interest in the cup of coffee and cake that was ordered for her an hour ago.
"Okay." she heard Ella reply.
Feeling a sense of relief that Ella hasn't started running away from her , she started opening the little packs of sugar on her table to place on the now room temperature coffee. Alyssa was stirring her cup when she realized that Ella has become silent - too silent that the chomping sound of Ella happily consuming her cake was gone. Out of panic, she decided to look at her friend and saw a really annoyed looking Jorella De Jesus.
"At bakit ngayon ko lang to nalalaman ha?" Ella's voice was louder than their usual voice for conversation which caused the attention of the other people in the cafe to be caught.
Alyssa, feeling a bit scared and ashamed of Ella's sudden outburst, decided to bribe Ella and explain what really happened between them.
"Ells, kalma na. I'll buy you another cake, I want a new cup din naman because this one is too cold. Please, upo ka na. Nakakahiya, people are staring at us."
"Kalma mo mukha mo, blueberry cheesecake ha!"
Alyssa smiled, stood up, bought Ella's cake and another cup of coffee for her and when she sat again at their table, the story telling began.
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"So, that's the reason!" Ella said while she clapped her hands.
"The reason?" Alyssa said with an eyebrow raised.
"The reason why both of you were almost always no shows to my dinner invites. Either one would be present while the other one was absent or both of you would decline my invitation." Ella complained.
"Well, I'm not sure if she wanted to see me."
"All this time, I thought I was the problem. Both of you were always busy, I thought I was throwing my life away kase I'm not busy. Yun pala, busy kakaiwas sa isa't-isa! Grabe, I cannot believe I was fooled for so long. Nasaaan ang justice!" Ella complained.
"Ells, naman! I had to hide. I did something I would have never thought of doing and I knew from that day on, I have lost her."
"So, that was the last time?" Ella asked.
Alyssa nodded and again went back to that day when their friendship was still starting.
Flashback:
"Babe, buhat mo ako please. My legs are tired." Dennise pouted as she looked at Alyssa while giving the latter her puppy dog eyes that no one can resist.
"You don't have to use your puppy dog eyes. You win every time."
That was how she ended up carrying Dennise Lazaro across the whole field.
Ella noticed that her friend was walking down the memory lane. So, she started snapping her fingers to bring her friend back.
"Huy, Ly!"
"Ay, sorry." Alyssa, finally back to the present replied.
"Eight years, grabe. You guys avoided each other for eight years." Ella said while shaking her head.
"It was only a year actually." Alyssa said.
"A year?"
"Yup, after our first year in med school she actually disappeared right?" Alyssa supplied making Ella remember.
"Ah, yes. Her magical disappearance. Talo niya pa ata ang magician at kriminal sa galing mag-tago. She was just gone. Nasaan na kaya yung babaeng yun?" Ella stated as she started to space out.
Fair question, Alyssa thought. Where exactly is Ms. Lazaro? How are you, babe?
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Yeay! As promised, this is Part Two.
I really do hope someone gets to read this. If you're reading this right now, please comment, vote and share. Thank you.
Much appreciation, Author.
