Six Degrees Of Separation

Spark

After 3 more cups and two trips to the Absolut waterfall, I finally conceded and told myself that I was drunk.

I've made out with probably three more girls and one male foreigner whose name I can't pronounce but I still can't get Hanky Girl's lips out of my mind.

I sat down on the area less crowded and watched the gentle waves cascading off each other. I have to sober up because my hotel's in station 1 and I don't have any idea where I am right now.

I took a swig of the beer I swiped earlier. Banlaw na. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the serenity that the ocean has offered when I heard a shrilly voice that ruptured my almost tranquil state.

"Baham, na saan ka na ba kasi? Kanina pa ako hanap ng hanap sa iyo!"

I whipped my head around and as luck would have it, Hanky Girl was walking a few feet to my left, shouting at her phone.

I stood up and walked towards her.

"Still no luck finding the boyfie, huh?" I slurred. Am I slurring? I must be drunker than I thought.

She was in tears. She looked cuter because her pinkish nose just got pinker. I resisted the urge to touch it.

"Go away." She dialled on her phone again. It just kept ringing and ringing.

"Hey, maybe I can help." I gestured to the party. "I was practically circling that party. Baka nakita ko boyfriend mo."

She looked at me, biting her lip and I steeled myself because I might lunge at it in any moment. "Matangkad siya. Medyo chubby. Naka-white na t-shirt."

"You have to be more specific than that, Hanky Girl." I said.

"Oh, and naka-red siya na cap."

Oh. I looked at her and shook my head.

"I saw him, alright." She suddenly grabbed my hand.

"Saan? Turo mo." She ordered. She looked so feisty when she's being authoritative.

"I am sorry to say that he's been sucking face with some girl for the past hour." I pointed at the Absolut waterfall area. "He hit on me too, bastard."

She was very taken aback and stormed off without another word.

"Dala ka ng bote pag balik mo!" I called.

I finished my beer and proceeded to start sobering up. I was drunker than I thought because as I closed my eyes, I can still imagine Jho's soft lips on mine.

I was almost in the zone when I heard her shrilly voice again.

"PUTANGINA MO KA, ABRAHAM!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. She was crying on all fours. I resisted the urge to laugh.

"Still sucking face, I take?" I said as I approached her.

"Gagong yun! Putangina niya puro chikinini sa leeg! Tang ina niya gago siya putangina niya!" She wailed.

Other people were starting to take notice in her so I grabbed her arm and heaved her up.

"Let's go, Hanky Girl. We don't wanna make a scene here." I tugged at her.

We were walking along the beach when I noticed that she's clutching a fresh bottle of Cuervo. I grabbed it from her.

"Hey, where'd you get this?" I said while still tugging at her. She was still crying and muttering profanities under her breath.

Once we reached a respectable amount of space between the party, I stopped. All this tugging made me hella sober and tired.

"Hanky Girl. Where are you staying?" I asked her. I didn't notice that she stopped crying.

"Station 2. Ayokong bumalik dun. Tangina nung gago kong boyfriend. Gumapang siya pabalik." She muttered.

She looked at me and grabbed the bottle of Cuervo from me. She opened the bottle, took a deep breath, and swigged. Then she retched and coughed. I laughed.

"Shit. What is this? Bakit ang pangit ng lasa?" She sputtered.

"Don't you drink at all?" I said. Interesting.

"No. Si Baham lang naman yung nag aya sakin mag punta, tapos manggagago pa." She sniffed. I took the bottle from her.

"Saang station na ba tayo?" I said as I swigged.

"1 na." She looked at her feet. "Malambot na kasi yung sand eh."

"Oh." I plopped down the sand. "So, where'd you leave the bastard?"

"Bagsak na siya dun sa gilid ng puno," she said while drinking. She winced a little.

"Why on earth would you bring your boyfriend to a party naman kasi tapos ikaw hindi naman umiinom?" I asked. We're now taking turns drinking.

"Sabi niya kasi minsan lang kami nandito." She passed the bottle. "'Anniversary gift mo na satin, babe'" she mocked.

"Anniversary niyo ngayon?" I asked incredulously. "Shit. Pang ilan?"

She held up 3 fingers while swigging the bottle.

"Tang ina niya. Pinakuha niya ako ng drinks sa bar tapos pagbalik ko, wala na siya agad."

I just looked at her while she was ranting about her loser boyfriend.

Usually, when a girl talks about her ex, it just floats over my head. When I meet a girl at a party, talking is the last thing we do. Long talks aren't usually my thing because I don't like being emotional with people I hook up with.

But this girl has got me breaking all the rules. There was just something about her that pulls me in.

"Where will you stay then?" I asked.

"I don't know." She played with the sand.

I looked at the now half empty bottle of Cuervo.

"Do you want to spend the night at my room?" I blurted out.

Dammit.

She looked at me with puppy dog eyes.

"Can I?"