APRIL 19, 2023・WEDNESDAY・12:12
JR tries to figure out a riff on the guitar, sat on one of the arm chairs.
Both of them are inside an empty ICT classroom, waiting for Aljun's class dismissal.
The loud sound of the raindrops falling outside reverberates throughout the room.
Noel is on top of the Teacher's table, scrolling through his phone. "Bai uban ta karong Sabado ha?"
"BAI, DON'T FORGET THIS SATURDAY, OKAY?"
Visible confusion is written all over JR's face as he tries to ponder on what Noel's referring to.
"Sa beach house? Kato gung giingon nako sa chat. Tong kauban si Hakeem."
"THE BEACH HOUSE? THE ONE I WAS TALKING TO YOU ABOUT IN THE CHAT? WITH HAKEEM AND ALL?"
"Aw. Awon lang nako, bai." JR scratches his head. "Medyo gipit lang ko sa kwarta."
"OH. I'M...NOT SURE. WE'LL SEE."
"I'M A BIT SHORT ON FUNDS."
"Sus. Okay ra na," he reassures. "Pangitaan ra na nato'g pamaagi."
"HEY. DON'T WORRY."
"WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT."
"Okay."
"Nice ka bai," Noel mutters and resumes typing on his phone. "Erm...tama pud diay bai...akoang gitext si Maya gabii"
"NICE ONE."
"ERM...BY THE WAY BAI...I TEXTED MAYA LAST NIGHT."
JR stops playing his guitar and looks at Noel. "Bai..." he lets out a disappointed exhale.
"Bai, kabalo ko bugo kaayo siya bai. Na-hype man gud ko sa giingon atong Gelo."
"I KNOW. IT'S SO STUPID. BUT TALKING TO GELO LAST NIGHT GOT ME SO HYPED."
"Unya? Nireply siya?"
"AND? DID SHE RESPOND?"
Noel shakes his head. "Giseen lang niya." He sighs. "Wala ko kabalo nganong ingon ani ko bai. Panagsa mahuna-hunaan nako nga maypag wala na lang mi nag-ila-ila ni Maya; nga wala na lang mi nagka-uyab. Siguro dili ingon ani kasakit pirme. Lisod mag-atik-atik nga okay lang ko bai."
"NO REPLY. BUT SHE DID SEE IT."
"I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M LIKE THIS BAI. SOMETIMES I JUST WISH I HADN'T MET MAYA AT ALL...THAT WE NEVER GOT TOGETHER. THEN IT WOULDN'T HURT LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME. IT'S SO HARD LYING TO MYSELF AND PRETENDING I'M OKAY."
JR purses his lips, contemplating what to say next. He closes his eyes and clenches his jaw. "Bai," he mutters weakly, his mouth dry. "Naa ko'y iingo—"
"I HAVE SOMETHING TO S—"
"Yo! What's up boyz?" Aljun says as he walks inside the classroom.
All of a sudden, behind him other students, his classmates, pass by.
He approaches them and fist bumps each one of them.
"Happy lage ka? Uyab na mong Mariz?" Noel asks.
"YOU'RE HAPPY. DID YOU TWO GET TOGETHER?"
JR lets out a little breath of relief.
He giggles. "Wala pa. Pero murag hapit na." He says, trying to keep his obvious excitement at bay.
"NOT YET. BUT...IT'S HAPPENING SOON."
"Nganong hapit na?" asks JR.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"
He looks at both of them. "Nag-kiss mi bai. Gabii."
"WE KISSED BAI. LAST NIGHT."
Noel and JR's eyes light up.
"Gago, sure ba?" Noel clarifies.
"HOLY SHIT, REALLY?"
He excitedly nods his head. "Oo bai!" he exclaims with zeal, lightly jumping. "Nag-laag mi ug Tagum gahapon unya gihatod nako siya sa kanto sa ilahang subdivision kay strikto daw iyahang papa. Unya bag-o siya nihawa kay..." He smiles shyly, blushing. "Kato."
"YES BAI!"
"WE WENT TO TAGUM YESTERDAY. AND I DROVE HER HOME AFTER. JUST AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE SUBDIVISION, BECAUSE HER FATHER'S STRICT. SO YEAH, BEFORE SHE LEFT, WE..."
"YEAH."
"Nice ka bai." JR gets up and carefully places Noel's guitar on the chair. He walks toward Aljun and before he could high five him—
"NICE ONE, BAI."
"Salamat bai!" Aljun gives him a tight squeeze.
"THANKS."
JR makes an uncomfortable noise, surprised the hug.
"Unya bai. Kinsa pud una ni-kiss sa inyo bai?" Noel asks.
"AND? WHO KISSED WHO FIRST?"
Aljun halfheartedly laughs, embarrassed. "Secret," he mutters as he pulls away from JR.
"Ingna mi ba." Noel grabs the guitar from the chair and puts it inside the case. "Wala baya ka nagpakita sa amo gahapon ha. Pila baya mi ka oras naghulat sa imo unya nag-date ra diay mong Mariz."
"LAME. COME ON. JUST TELL US!"
"IT'S THE LEAST YOU COULD DO FOR STANDING US UP YESTERDAY. WE WAITED SO LONG FOR YOU BAI, WHILE YOU WERE SOMEWHERE DATING MARIZ."
"Okay, sorry!"
"Ingna na dayon mi kung kinsa ang una nag-kiss," Noel teases.
"SO TELL US...DID YOU KISS HER FIRST?"
Aljun rolls his eyes. "Si Mariz."
"NO. IT WAS MARIZ."
Noel and JR exchange smiles.
"Unsa?" Aljun asks, apprehensive.
"WHAT?"
The two of them, with huge smiles, put their arms around each side of Aljun's shoulder.
"Congrats bai," Noel says proudly.
"Happy mi para sa imo."
"WE'RE HAPPY FOR YOU."
"Salamat bai," he says shyly. "Librehon ko ninyo ug lunch?"
"THANKS BAI."
"SO ARE YOU GUYS TREATING ME LUNCH TO CELEBRATE?"
JR immediately takes his arm away from his shoulder. "Gago. Ting bayad na nako sa boarding house."
"GAGO. I HAVE RENT, REMEMBER?"
Aljun looks at Noel, waiting on a response.
He just shakes his head and gives Aljun the finger.
"Unsa man mo uy. Dili man mo true friends," Aljun says jokingly.
"YOU GUYS ARE THE WORST. NOT TRUE FRIENDS AT ALL."
"Next time...Next time na bai. Kay wala koy kwarta karon," Noel says, massaging the back of Aljun's neck with his hands.
"NEXT TIME...NEXT TIME BAI. WHEN I HAVE MONEY."
"Bantay bitaw."
"OKAY. I'M COUNTING ON IT, NOEL. I'M SERIOUS."
They all share a laugh as they make their way to the door.
"Bai. Tama diay." Aljun stops walking, as if remembering something.
"OH. BAI, BY THE WAY."
"Unsa man?" JR asks.
"YEAH?"
Aljun turns to look at Noel. "Naa ko'y iingon bai. Giingnan ko ni Mariz nga dili ka ingnan pero..." He looks outside the classroom at first, making sure no one's there to hear him. "Dapat makabalo man jud ka bai."
"I HAVE TO TELL YOU SOMETHING. MARIZ TOLD ME NOT TO TELL YOU BUT..."
"I THINK YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS."
"Unsa diay?" he asks, his face awash with concern.
"WHAT IS IT?"
"Ayaw ninyo iingon sa uban ha?" He looks at JR.
"DON'T TELL ANYONE, OKAY?"
JR nods. "Unsa diay na diay?"
"WHY? WHAT IS IT?"
Aljun puts his hand on Noel's shoulder. "Bai, naa'y nagapanguyab kang Maya karon."
"DUDE, SOMEONE'S ALREADY TRYING TO COURT MAYA."
Noel turns to look at JR, serious, slinging the guitar case onto his shoulder.
He looks back at him, worried, scared, so many things at once.
"Ahh." He swallows. "Kinsa pud?" Noel asks.
"AND WHO IS IT?"
"Taga Grade 12 daw. ABM."
"SOMEBODY FROM GRADE 12. ABM."
Noel swallows. "Si Gabriel?"
"IS IT GABRIEL?"
Aljun shrugs. "Kato ra akong nahibaw-an. Grade 12 siya, unya gikan sa ABM." Aljun sighs. "Bai, ayaw sila ingna ha nga giingnan tika. Patyon gyud kong Mariz."
"THAT'S EVERYTHING I KNOW. HE'S FROM GRADE 12 AND FROM ABM."
"BAI, PLEASE DON'T TELL ANYONE I TOLD YOU, OKAY? MARIZ IS GOING TO KILL ME."
JR steals another glance at Noel.
"Aw." He fakes a smile and tilts his head. "Wala na ta'y mabuhat ana. Wala na man ko'y karapatan nga masuko ana kay dili naman mi niya uyab."
"OH."
"WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT NOW. WE'RE NOT DATING ANYMORE SO..."
"Pero maskin na bai. Three-month rule," Aljun says.
"STILL. HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE THREE-MONTH RULE?"
"Ambot bai." Noel resumes walking again, ahead of the two.
"I DON'T KNOW."
"Sorry, bai," Aljun says.
"Tara na. Mangaon na ta ninyo. Gutom na kaayo." He goes out the door, leaving JR and Aljun giving each other worried looks.
"LET'S JUST GO, OKAY? I'M FAMISHED."