The Bet (Just The Way You Are)

The Bet *Double Trouble

Chloe gives me a meaningful look.

“Nothing,” I say evasively, shaking my head and dropping the topic.

Parker rolls his eyes and goes to the counter to buy tickets for us.

We sit on the upper part of the theater. There are a lot of people inside. I didn’t expect it, considering it’s a movie with a subtitle. Usually people are lazy when it comes to reading so they tend to disregard foreign movies. I mean, foreign movies with a different language.

Chloe is on the first seat because she says that she’s not comfortable in sitting between people. Parker’s next and then me. Last but not least is Draky. Yeah, he’s sitting beside me. As if I can tell him to choose another seat. Before the movie starts, they play trailers of incoming movies.

“I’ll just go to the rest room,” Draky says, standing up from his seat.

When he’s out of sight, Parker starts to get up as well.

"Where are you going?" I ask.

"Rest room," he says, not looking into my eyes.

"Really?" I have a feeling he's going to do something.

"Yes."

"Why don't I believe you?" I wonder aloud, narrowing my eyes.

"You want to come?" he says amusedly.

"Jerk," I mutter, loud enough for him to hear it.

He grins, not a bit offended at what I called him because he knows I don't mean it. He turns back his head as he walks away and says, “Kakausapin ko lang siya.”

“What?” But he continues walking without a backward glance.

I hate it when he speaks Tagalog! He knows I don’t understand it. Parker is half Asian. His mom is from Philippines, that’s why he knows how to speak their native language. When we were kids, he used to teach me how to speak Tagalog but now I only remember a few words like Kamusta which means How are you, Mahal Kita is I love you, and. . .

Ugh! I don’t remember the other words he taught me! Speaking Filipino is so bizarre. My tongue is not used to the language so it’s kind of hard speaking it. Parker’s mom doesn’t want them to forget her native language so she requires them to speak it at home. I stop blabbering when I see Chloe looking at me amusedly.

“Is there something on my face?”

“Nothing,” she says, shaking her head. “Are you curious about what Parker said earlier?”

“When he said . . .“ I trail off, not remembering the exact words.

“Kakausapin ko lang siya,” Chloe finishes for me.

“You know how to speak Filipino?” I ask excitedly.

She grins, her eyes glittering in delight. “When I knew he can speak Filipino, I forced him to teach me.” She laughs, and then says, “In return I taught him French.”

Whoa. They really do belong to each other. “Do you speak fluently?”

“Not really,” she says sheepishly, “Just a little. My tongue isn’t comfortable when I’m speaking Tagalog. I have to practice more.”

“At least you know something,” I encourage.

“Yes.”

“Can you translate what Parker said?” I ask quickly, glancing behind me to check if they’re already coming.

“I’m not sure,” she says slyly, “maybe the reason why Parker spoke in Tagalog is so that you wouldn’t understand.”

I stare at her, stunned. I don’t know why I feel betrayed. Suddenly she starts laughing.