FEBRUARY 23, 2023・THURSDAY・11:55
The girls are standing underneath the shade of a large tree by the ABM Building.
"Okay lang mo nga sabay sa ato sila Noel ug JR?" Maya asks and sends her message to Noel.
"ARE YOU GIRLS FINE WITH NOEL AND JR TAGGING ALONG?"
MAYA: WE'RE HERE UNDERNEATH THE TREE, WAITING FOR PAM-PAM.
"Okay lang uy. The more the merrier." Gabbie says, distracted by some of the ABM students passing by. "Daghan man diay ug gwapo sa ABM no? What if mubalhin ko ug strand?"
"IT'S FINE. THE MORE THE MERRIER."
"WHY DOES ABM HAVE SO MANY HOT GUYS? AND WHY DO I NOT KNOW THIS? SHOULD I SWITCH STRANDS NEXT SCHOOL YEAR?"
Hamza chuckles. "Ayaw, Gabbie. Mingawon ko sa imo."
"NO, GABBIE. PLEASE. I'D MISS YOU TOO MUCH."
Gabbie smiles and intertwines her arms with her. "Awwe, kacute. Okay, baby. Dili na lang ko mubalhin."
"AWWE. CUTE. OKAY, BABY. I WON'T SWITCH, THEN."
Maya receives a text.
NOEL: JUST GIVE US A SEC. WE'RE STILL PEEING.
MAYA: WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER.
NOEL: OH YEAH, RIGHT. HEHE
MAYA: EWW
Maya sends the text, a huge smile on her face.
"Si Noel na Maya?" Mariz asks.
"IS THAT NOEL, MAYA?"
She nods.
"Dili muuban si..." She adjusts her throat. "Si Aljun?"
"IS...ERM..."
"...IS ALJUN COMING TOO?"
Maya gives her a teasing smile. "Dili ko sure. Pangutan-on nako?"
"NOT SURE. DO YOU WANT ME TO ASK HIM?"
Mariz's face turns red. "Ayaw uy! Nangutana ra man ko. Nevermind na lang, Maya."
"NO! NO, IT'S FINE. I WAS JUST ASKING. NEVER MIND, MAYA."
"Okay," she says, still smiling.
"Hi Pam!" Gabbie exclaims as Pamela approaches them, a spring in her step.
The girls clap and cheer at her as she makes her way towards them.
She does a little curtsy with her skirt as she arrives in front of them.
"Unya, Pam," Mariz says. "Kumusta?"
"SO, PAM..."
"HOW ARE YOU?"
Gabbie nods. "Unsa'y feeling maging bad bitch?"
"YEAH, HOW DOES IT FEEL BEING A BAD BITCH?"
Pamela smiles. "Nice kaayo siya. Nag-DM pagyud siya sa akoa gabii. Pero wala nako gibasa. Bahala to siya."
"IT FEELS GOOD. LAST NIGHT THAT ASSHOLE DM'ED ME. BUT I DIDN'T READ IT. SCREW HIM."
"Nice ka, Pam." Gabbie gives Pamela a high five. "Ana gyud!"
"AWWWE, PAM."
"I'M SO PROUD OF YOU."
"Tara?" Pamela asks. "Sa inyoha man ta Gab no?"
"LET'S GO?"
"ARE WE STILL GOING TO YOUR PLACE, GAB?"
She nods.
"Wait lang kay padulong pa sila Noel ug JR dire," Maya says, checking her phone. "Okay lang gyud mo musabay sila, girls?"
"JUST WAIT A LITTLE GIRLS, NOEL AND JR ARE ALREADY ON THEIR WAY."
"ARE YOU REALLY OKAY WITH THEM COMING?"
"Okay ra uy. Para mas mailhan pud namo sila," Gabbie says.
"IT'S FINE, MAYA. REALLY. IT WOULD BE COOL TO GET TO KNOW THEN AS WELL."
"Bitaw, Maya," Mariz says. "Dapat ipa-evaluate gyud dapat na nimo sa imohang mga friends imohang mga uyab. Rule number 1."
"YEAH, MAYA."
"YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE YOUR BOYFRIENDS OR PEOPLE YOU'RE PLANNING TO DATE EVALUATED BY YOUR FRIENDS. THAT'S RULE NUMBER 1."
"Okay. Salamat girls."
"OKAY. THANK YOU GIRLS."
"Tama ba. Ginapugos ko ni mama nga paputlan daw nako akong buhok. Taas na ba diay kaayo siya?" Gabbie asks.
"OH, BY THE WAY, MY MAMA IS FORCING ME TO GET MY HAIR SHORTENED. IS REALLY THAT LONG?"
The other girls look at it.
"Hmm, dili man kaayo," Mariz says.
"HMM, I DON'T THINK SO."
"Ambot ni mama uy. Kada-adlaw na lang gyud siya naa'y comment sa ako. Taas akong buhok, dagko daw ko ug sinina ginasuot pirmente, mag-practice na daw ko dapat mangilay. Ambot."
"I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN MAMA'S BRAIN. SHE ALWAYS HAS SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT ME. MY HAIR IS TOO LONG, I WEAR TOO MANY LARGE CLOTHES TWICE MY SIZE, I NEED TO START PRACTICING DOING MY EYEBROWS. I'M TIRED."
"Ana gyud nang mga parents, Gab," Hamza says. "Daghan kaayo ug mga expectations sa atoa. Panagsa imposible na gani kaayo i-meet."
"PARENTS ARE JUST LIKE THAT, GAB."
"THEY HAVE SUCH HUGE EXPECTATIONS FOR US. AND THEY'RE ALL SO IMPOSSIBLE TO MEET."
Pamela's smile weakens as she listens to them.
Mariz nods. "Ma-imagine ninyo inyong mga parents as teenagers? Murag lisod no? Kanang sa akong utok kay tigulang na sila diretso pagpanganak sa ilaha." She chuckles a little. "Kana ganing mulaag ang mga High School friends ni mama sa balay kay mura sila'g mubalik pagkabata. Mga kiat kaayo."
"CAN YOU IMAGINE YOUR PARENTS AS TEENAGERS? BECAUSE I REALLY CAN'T PICTURE THEM THAT WAY. IN MY BRAIN, THEY'RE ALL JUST AUTOMATICALLY ADULTS WHEN THEY'RE BORN."
"ALSO, EVERY TIME MAMA'S HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS COME OVER, IT'S LIKE THEY BECOME YOUNG AGAIN. YOU SEE THEIR IMMATURE SIDES."
"Hala, bitaw no? Dili bitaw nako sila maimagine." Gabbie says, her expression changes a little into disgust. "Dili pud nako gusto i-imagine. Huna-hunaa ragud. Ginabuhat nila atong mga ginabuhat karon. Igat-igat? Sex? Kalood."
"WAIT, I'VE NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE. AND YEAH, I CAN'T IMAGINE THEM YOUNG."
"AND I DON'T THINK I WANT TO. JUST THINKING ABOUT IT, THEM DOING THE STUFF THAT WE'RE DOING NOW LIKE FLIRTING...OR SEX. I CAN'T. IT'S SO GROSS."
All the girls grimace.
Hamza shakes her head.
From across the hall, Maya can see Noel and JR walking towards them. She smiles and waves at them. "Naa na sila."
"THEY'RE HERE."
"Mao ganing pag mangasaba sila panagsa, muinit akong ulo," Mariz says. "Kay murag perfect kaayo sila. Tao lang baya pud sila."
"THAT'S WHY SOMETIMES WHEN THEY TELL ME OFF FOR SOMETHING, IT GETS IN MY NERVES."
"BECAUSE THEY ACT LIKE THEY'RE SUCH PERFECT BEINGS WHEN THE TRUTH IS, THEY'RE JUST HUMANS."
"At least, ingon ana inyohang mga parents. Responsible," Pamela says. She pauses, almost surprised she said what she said. She adjusts her throat. "Naa man gud ko'y mga kaila nga ilahang mga parents kay...erm...mga isip-bata gihapon." She scratches her head.
"AT LEAST, YOUR PARENTS ARE LIKE THAT. RESPONSIBLE."
"ERM...I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE...PARENTS WHO DON'T GIVE A SHIT. THOSE WHO WON'T MAKE AN EFFORT TO MAKE THEIR LIVES BETTER."
"Hi," Noel says as they inch closer.
"Hi," Maya says as she pulls him in for a kiss.
Pamela is looking at someone behind Maya, slowly she hides behind Gabbie.
"Hazel?" Hamza asks. "Hi, Hazel!" She smiles and waves.
"Maya?" Pamela says.
Maya pulls away. "Hmm?"
"Maya!" Mariz yells.
Pamela covers her mouth.
Somebody agressive pulls Maya's hair from the back.
Maya turns and sees that it's Bianca.
She slaps her face.
Carnage. Chaos.
"Hazel!" Hamza immediately runs in front of Maya to shield her. "Naunsa man ka?"
"WHAT'S GOING ON?"
Pamela lets a banshee-like scream as she stands in the sides.
Maya is given a barrage of slaps, scratches, and hair pulling by Bianca, Hazel and two of their friends.
Mariz and Gabbie try to shield Maya and push them away.
Pamela uses her bag and slams it against Bianca.
JR grabs hold of Hazel's arms and pulls her away from everyone. "Naunsa man mo? Nabuang na mo?"
"WHAT'S GOING ON?"
"ARE YOU CRAZY?"
Hazel angrily looks at JR. She tries to free her shoulder from his grip.
Noel tries to stop the other girls and pulls her away, completely enveloping her in his arms. He receives some blows and punches in his back.
The other girls continue to push back.
Hamza holds on to her hijab and uses her shoulder and elbows to try and push one girl away.
Somebody pulls on Gabbie hair.
"Agay!" she shouts. And with a clenched jaw, she pulls that person's hair back with twice the force.
"OW!"
Pamela continues to randomly hit them with her bag.
Some bystanders begin to intervene and separate the two groups.
"Unsa man inyong problema?" Noel yells in a volume that nobody has ever heard before, not even Maya.
"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?"
They're now surrounded by many onlookers.
Bianca continues to struggle, trying to free herself from a someone's grip. "Pangutan-a na imong burikat nga uyab!" she exclaims.
"ASK YOUR WHORE OF A GIRLFRIEND!"
Noel looks at Maya. "Unsa iyahang pasabot, Maya?"
"WHAT DOES SHE MEAN, MAYA?"
"Buring! Burikat!"
"SLUT! BITCH!"
"Ikaw ang burikat!" Gabbie responds. "Buang."
"YOU'RE THE BITCH!"
"PSYCHO-BITCH."
Tears start to fall from Maya's eyes as she scrambles for a response.
She can't find any. She shakes her head.
Noel's expression slowly changes as he begins to realize what was happening. His shoulders sink and he let's go of her.
Bianca manages to finally release herself and spits on the ground. She walks away
JR lets Hazel go.
And with one last look at him, she walks away and joins Bianca and the others.
As the crowd around disperse, Maya just stands there looking as Noel walks away. She turns to face JR.
He shrugs and runs after him.