MARCH 11, 2023・SATURDAY・21:17
The girls are huddled together on the couch, surrounded by shadows with only the flickering light from the TV screen casting an eerie glow on their faces.
In the movie, the suspenseful music builds up as the doors in the room start slamming shut one by one. The main character, drenched in sweat and overcome by fear, realizes she is trapped with no escape.
Mariz and Gabbie bury their faces in pillows, unable to bear the tension.
The music intensifies even more.
Gabbie lets out a piercing scream.
"Wala pa gani," Maya says trying her best not to laugh.
"NOTHING'S EVEN HAPPENED YET."
"Tan-aw na Gab," Hamza encourages. "Okay na."
"WATCH IT, GAB."
"IT'S SAFE TO WATCH NOW."
"Sure ba?"
"ARE YOU SURE?"
"Sure lage, Gab," Maya reassures. "Mariz, abi ba nako'g ganahan ka'g horror."
"YEAH, GAB."
"MARIZ, I THOUGHT YOU LIKED HORROR MOVIES."
"Ganahan man ko'g horror, mahadlok lang ko," Mariz says quickly.
"I LIKE HORROR MOVIES, I'M JUST SCARED OF THEM."
Gabbie musters up enough courage to take a peek.
Suddenly, a monster shows up on screen in a jump scare.
Gabbie shrieks which, in turn, makes Mariz also scream.
Maya and Hamza burst into fits of laughter, amused at their friends' reactions.
Gabbie wraps her arm around both Hamza and Maya and pulls them in closer. "Dili man siya kataw-anan, gurlz," she says in a high-pitched voice as her friends continue to laugh.
"NOT FUNNY, GURLZ!"
Suddenly, the doorbell rings.
"Wait, ipause sa," Gabbie requests as she gets up from the couch. She makes her way towards the main door.
"WAIT, PAUSE IT."
"Pause? Dili man gihapon mo mutan-aw," Hamza remarks.
"PAUSE? YOU'RE NOT WATCHING IT ANYWAY."
She playfully sticks her tongue out as she turns the knob and opens the door.
"Dili lage mo mahadlok ug horror movies?" Mariz asks them.
"WHY AREN'T YOU SCARED OF HORROR MOVIES?"
Maya and Hamza exchange glances.
"Kabalo man gud ko nga atik lang siya," Hamza says.
"BECAUSE I KNOW THEY'RE FAKE."
Maya nods and pours herself a glass of pineapple juice.
As Gabbie's chatter grows nearer and nearer, the girls can't help but listen intently.
The door creaks open.
To their surprise, Gabbie enters with a disheveled-looking Pamela, dressed in a dark purple dress.
"Hi Pam," Mariz greets.
Pamela doesn't respond and just walks toward the couch.
The other girls exchange puzzled glances, seeking an explanation from Gabbie.
Gabbie responds with a shrug, equally confused.
The girls make room for Pamela to sit on the couch.
Pamela's demeanor is eerily calm and her movements measured.
Mariz, being closest to Pamela, catches a whiff of alcohol. "Pam, gikan ka nag-inom?" she asks.
"PAM, DID YOU DRINK?"
No response.
The other girls share concerned looks.
Gabbie settles on the arm of the couch next to Hamza.
Suddenly, Pamela smiles. "Tan-aw na ta."
"LET'S WATCH."
The other girls look at her, a bit surprised.
Pamela gestures towards the TV enthusiastically. "Play na."
"PLAY IT."
Mariz reaches for the remote control on the coffee table, her gaze shifting between Pamela and the rest of the girls.
"I-play na, bb," Maya whispers.
"PLAY IT, BB."
Mariz bites her lip and cautiously presses the play button.
The movie continues, and the main character is in a state of panic, desperately trying to light a match as the monster pounds violently on the door. The barricade the main character had setup for the monster has failed the monster forcefully breaks down the door.
"Wow," Pamela utters unenthusiastically, her voice trembling a little.
The other girls look at her and notice tears streaming down her face.
Immediately, Pamela's emotions overwhelm her, and she collapses into sobs.
Mariz quickly pauses the movie and says, "Pam?" worried.
"Pam? Naunsa ka?" Hamza asks.
"PAM? WHAT'S THE MATTER?"
Maya and Gabbie exchanged stunned looks.
Maya remembers the pineapple and pours Pamela a glass.
Mariz caresses Pamela's back, trying to calm her down.
Meanwhile, Hamza guides her through deep breaths.
"Inuma ni Pam oh," Maya says, offering her the glass.
"DRINK THIS PAM."
She takes the glass and drinks from it. "Salamat girls..." she says, sobbing again.
"THANK YOU GIRLS."
"Aww, Pam," Gabbie says.
They all wrap their arms around her in a comforting hug.
"Murag buntis ko," Pamela blurts out.
"I THINK I'M PREGNANT."
The other girls pull away, taken aback by the unexpected revelation.
"Unsa?" Mariz asks, surprised.
"WHAT?"
"Si Gab...Basig b—" Before Pamela can finish her sentence, she suddenly vomits towards Hamza.
"IT WAS...IT WAS GAB...MAYBE HE—"
"Pamela!" Hamza exclaims in a high-pitched, panicked voice.
"Sorry..." Pamela manages to say, her tears still streaming. She hastily wipes her mouth, accidentally spilling pineapple juice on herself.
Mariz takes the glass from her before she could drop it, and sets it aside.
Gabbie quickly rushes to the kitchen to grab some rags.
Pamela apologizes once more, her words slurred but filled with genuine remorse.
The other girls exchange concerned glances, still perplexed by what just happened.
Gabbie arrives with the rags and starts distributing them.