APRIL 24, 2023・MONDAY・9:29
JR, carrying a plastic bag full of snacks, sees his friends laughing and shaking their heads as he approaches them. They're sat at the top bleacher seat. Mariz is also with them, sitting next to Aljun.
Noel groans. "Gago!" he exclaims, shaking his head.
"THE FUCK?"
"Aljun!" Mariz exclaims smacking Aljun's shoulder, his face already red from laughing too much.
JR climbs up the bleachers and finds a spot one level lower than them.
His friends and Mariz give him acknowledging looks.
"Bai, awa bai," Aljun says showing him a photo from his phone of a guy accidentally getting a small of the foreskin on his penis stuck in the zipper of his jeans.
"BAI, LOOK AT IT, MAN."
JR winces in horror. "Unsa mana?"
"WHAT IS IT?"
Aljun laughs uncomfortably and cringes. Recalling how he came across the image, he says, "Lain kaayo no? Murag nafeel pud nako ang sakit sa akong..." He looks at Mariz for a bit and stops himself, embarrassed.
"SO GROSS. I CAN ACTUALLY FEEL THE PAIN ON MY..."
JR hands the plastic bag to his friends and they start distributing the snacks amongst themselves. He takes out a ten peso coin from his pocket and gives it Aljun. "Wala'y siopao."
"NO SIOPAO TODAY."
Aljun receives the coin and puts it in the front pocket of his school uniform.
"Nganong naa man ka ana nga picture?" JR asks, eyebrows raised.
"WHY DO YOU EVEN HAVE THAT PHOTO?"
"Nigawas ra siya'g kalit sa akong feed gabii sa Facebook. Siguro kay naga-follow ko'g mga meme nga pages."
"IT POPPED UP ON MY FACEBOOK FEED LAST NIGHT. MAYBE BECAUSE I FOLLOW A LOT OF MEME PAGES."
"Dili gyud naga-pambrief nang mga foreigner no?" Noel points out. "Mao nang mangaipit na lang na ilahang mga otin."
"YOU GUYS NOTICE FOREIGNERS DON'T WEAR ANY UNDERWEAR AT ALL?"
"THAT'S WHY STUPID STUFF LIKE THEM GETTING THEIR DICKS STUCK ALWAYS HAPPEN."
"Dili bai. Ginatuyo daw na nila. Nakita nako na sa reddit. Makadako man daw na'g otin nang ingon ana." He waves his hands about, as if doing a lecture of some sort. "Kay murag muhiyos diay daw nang otin pag-sige ka'g suot ug brip."
"NO MAN. I THINK THEY'RE DOING THAT ON PURPOSE. I READ SOMEWHERE ON REDDIT ONCE THAT NOT WEARING ANY UNDERWEAR MAKES YOUR DICK LARGER."
"LIKE CONSTANTLY WEARING UNDERWEAR SHRINKS YOUR DICK."
Mariz creases her eyebrows, doubtful. "Tinood diay na?" She purses her lips, not allowing her giggles to escape.
"IS THAT EVEN TRUE?"
"Ambot." He shrugs.
"I DON'T KNOW."
"Bai, nganong naabot man ka ana nga topic sa reddit? Unsa diay imong mga ginapang-search?" Noel asks, laughing.
"DUDE, HOW DO YOU EVEN FIND THAT TOPIC ON REDDIT? WHAT WERE YOU SEARCHING FOR?"
Aljun doesn't respond and just opens his bag of potato chips.
"Hi," JR greets Mariz. "Kumusta?"
"HOW ARE YOU?"
She smiles. "Okay ra man. Sabay sa ko sa inyo ha? Busy man gud akong mga beshie sa ilahang research."
"GOOD. IS IT OKAY IF I HANG OUT WITH YOU FOR A BIT? MY BESTIES ARE BUSY WITH THEIR RESEARCH."
"Humana na ka sa inyo?" Aljun offers Mariz his chips.
"YOU FINISHED WITH YOURS?"
She takes some and nods. "Bright man gud among leader mao nang dali ra kaayo namo napasa amo."
"WE HAVE A SMART GROUP LEADER SO WE SUBMITTED OURS VERY QUICKLY."
JR sighs and rolls his eyes. "Ma'y pa ka."
"LUCKY."
"Ngano diay?" she asks.
"WHY?"
"Wala...Wala'y klaro akong mga ka grupo," JR explains.
"NOTHING...MY GROUP IS THE WORST."
"Shit." Mariz takes out a handkerchief from her pocket and tries to wipe off the grease from her hands.
"Bai, isumbong na lagi na sila," Noel suggests. "Mugara na gyud na sila'g wala ka'y buhaton."
"BAI, I'M TELLING YOU, YOU NEED TO REPORT YOUR GROUP MATES."
"THEY'LL JUST KEEP ABUSING YOU IF YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING."
Aljun agrees. "Bitaw bai. Sa grupo gani namo, upat man unta mi sa sugod. Unya wa ma'y gamit ang isa. Among gisumbong uy. Wala...Gitanggal siya sa among teacher."
"TOTALLY AGREE. WE WERE INITIALLY FOUR MEMBERS IN OUR GROUP. BUT ONE OF US WASN'T PULLING HER WEIGHT. SO WE REPORTED HER. AND YEAH...OUR TEACHER REMOVED HER."
"Okay ra pud siya?" JR asks. "Wala siya nasuko?"
"AND WAS SHE OKAY WITH THAT?"
"WAS SHE ANGRY?"
"Wala. Kataw-anan gani kaayo kay pag-ingon sa iya ni ma'am, recess ato nga time unya...hapit siya natuk-an sa iyahang gikaon," Aljun recalls, laughing.
"NOPE. IT WAS ACTUALLY VERY FUNNY WHEN OUR TEACHER BROKE THE NEWS TO HER, IT WAS RECESS AT THE TIME AND...SHE ALMOST CHOKED ON HER SNACKS."
"Ha? Okay ra pud siya?" Mariz looks a bit horrified.
"WHAT? AND WAS SHE FINE?"
"Oo. Hapit ra man siya natuk-an." He munches on another pair of chips. "Anad na man pud siya ana," he says so nonchalantly.
"YEAH. SHE JUST ALMOST CHOKED."
"I MEAN, SHE'S USED TO IT ANYWAY."
"Anad? Nganong anad man siya matuk-an?" Mariz asks.
"USED TO IT? WHY IS SHE USED TO CHOKING?"
"Kay..." He pauses for a second to think of what to say. "Kay, medyo taba man siya."
"BECAUSE..."
"BECAUSE SHE'S FAT."
"Unya? Nganong anad man siya?" Mariz eyes her with a little sharpness.
"AND? WHY'S THAT THE REASON SHE'S USED TO CHOKING?"
"Kay sige man siya'g kaon?" he responds, unsure himself if what he's saying makes sense.
"BECAUSE SHE EATS A LOT?"
"Bai," JR chides.
Mariz doesn't respond.
"Unsa man?"
"WHAT?"
"Gago, body shaming man na bai," JR says.
"THAT'S BODY SHAMING, BAI. THE FUCK."
"Aw..." He hesitates and looks at Mariz, on edge.
She looks back at him but is visibly disappointed.
"Okay ra man siya ana. Kabalo man siya ana. Dili man na body shaming. Isa pa...gwapa man pud siya."
"SHE'S FINE WITH THAT. LIKE SHE KNOWS IT HERSELF. I DON'T THINK THAT'S BODY SHAMING. I MEAN...SHE'S STILL PRETTY CONSIDERING."
Noel quickly gives him a look, eyes wide and shaking his head, trying to stop him from saying anything more.
"Aw." Aljun takes the hint and looks down on his shoe, embarrassed of himself.
"OH."
They all fall quiet for a bit.
Noel and JR exchange awkward glances.
"Erm..." Noel adjusts his throat, scrambling to think of what to talk about next. "Kumusta inyohang...Youtube Channel, Mariz?"
"SO HOW'S THE...YOUTUBE CHANNEL, MARIZ?"
She shrugs. "Erm...Uhh..." Her face suddenly lights up as her attention drifts somewhere else.
JR and the boys follow her gaze and see, by the school gymnasium, some of the 8-Inch Crew making their way towards the canteen.
They look like they're doing a crescent moon formation with Hazel at the very front. She's followed by Gabriel and then by the other members of the crew.
But JR is only focused on her. Despite being very aware that his friends are there, he can't help but stare as the dance crew gets inches forward; as she gets closer and closer. He looks on, quietly, waiting for her to look back at him.
"Hi, Mariz," she greets with a weak smile and a nod as she and her crew stop near the bleachers. She looks at Noel and Aljun and steals a bit of a glance at JR. "Asa sila Maya?"
"WHERE ARE THE GIRLS? WHERE'S MAYA?"
"Busy si—"
"SHE'S A BIT BUS—"
"Bitaw. Asa sila Maya?" Gabriel interrupts, hanging his arm on Hazel's shoulder, clearly trying to wind Noel up.
"YEAH. WHERE ARE THE GIRLS?"
Concerned, JR looks back at Noel, who's clearly trying his best to stay composed.
Despite looking away and for the most part, looking convincingly unaffected, there's still hints of his agitation: the clenched jaw, the fists that are resting on his lap.
"Gago." Hazel rolls her eyes and pushes Gabriel's arm off her shoulder. "Ayaw ra gud apil-apil. Wa man ka'y apil."
"DUMBASS."
"JUST SHUT UP. NOBODY WAS TALKING TO YOU."
"Relax uy. Init man kaayo ka'g ulo." He takes a few steps back, feigning confidence as the other crew members tease him.
"CHILL, HAZEL, COME ON."
"Sorry," she mouths at Mariz. "Iregards na lang ko sa ila ha? Dugay na ta ninyo wala nagkita ba. Busy na kaayo mi uy kay hapit na manggraduate."
"SAY HI TO THEM FOR ME, THEN. I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU GIRLS IN A WHILE. WE'RE ALL SO BUSY WITH THE GRADUATION STUFF AND YEAH..."
"Ay oh diay no? Huy, congrats daan Haze."
"OH MY GOD, YES. CONGRATULATIONS IN ADVANCE HAZE."
"Wala pa uy. Pero...laban lang."
"STILL A LONG WAY TO GO. BUT YEAH...ALMOST THERE."
"Sure na na uy—"
"YOU GOT THIS GIR—"
"Imbitaha diay sila sa fiesta, Haze? Para didto mo magtapok," Gabriel interjects.
"WHY DON'T YOU INVITE THEM TO THE FIESTA, HAZE? THEN YOU CAN HANG OUT WITH THEM THERE."
Hazel is unable to respond at first, a bit taken aback by Gab's suggestion. She turns to shoot him an angry look.
"Unsa man?" he asks, a bit confused. "Nag-suggest ra man ko kay dugay na man kaha mo wala nagkita."
"WHAT?"
"JUST SUGGESTING SINCE YOU SAID YOU HAVEN'T MET UP WITH THEM IN A WHILE."
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath and faces Mariz, a forced smile on her face. "Kung...bakante mo karong Friday, er....adto mo sa amoa. Fiesta sa among village."
"IF...YOU'RE FREE ON FRDIAY, ER...YOU CAN GO AT MY PLACE. IT'S A FIESTA ON MY VILLAGE."
"Rich kid," Gabriel teases.
Hazel flips him the bird. "Sige Mariz. Lakaw na mi."
"ERM. NICE SEEING YOU MARIZ. WE'RE GONNA GO."
"Okay. Ingat. Ay Hazel. Asa...Erm...Asa diay si Julio?"
"OKAY. TAKE CARE. OH, BY THE WAY HAZEL. WHERE'S...ERM...WHERE'S JULIO?"
"Nag-uban man yata to sila ni Pamela," Gabriel responds.
"I THINK HE'S WITH PAMELA."
"Ahh..." she coldly answers and purses her lips.
"OH..."
As they begin to walk away, JR tries to sneak a little smile at Hazel.
She notices but doesn't reciprocate. She just goes on walking.
"Kamo pud bro!" Gab exclaims, looking at Noel. "Adto pud mo sa fiesta!"
"YOU TOO, BROS."
"YOU SHOULD GO TO THE FIESTA TOO!"
Hazel smacks the back of his head as they continue to make their way towards the canteen.
"Bro?" Aljun mockingly repeats, a bit confused.
Nobody says anything, still processing what had just happened.
"Muadto ka atong fiesta?" he asks Mariz.
"ARE YOU GOING?"
She shrugs. "Ambot...siguro. Pero ingnon pa nako sila Maya."
"I DON'T KNOW...MAYBE. I'LL HAVE TO TELL MAYA AND THE OTHERS FIRST."
He turns to JR and Noel. "Kita? Mangadto ta?"
"AND US? ARE WE GOING?"
"Er...Ambot bai," JR starts.. "Mag-study pa ko sa exam, unya naa pa'y research..."
"ER...I DON'T KNOW BAI."
"I STILL HAVE TO STUDY FOR THE EXAM, AND ALSO WORK ON RESEARCH..."
"Ikaw?" Aljun faces Noel.
"YOU?"
"Erm..." He shrugs. "Tama man pud gud si JR bai. Hapit na ang finals."
"JR'S RIGHT. IT'S ALMOST THE FINALS."
"Okay, okay..." Aljun nods absentmindedly, looking a bit disheartened. "So, dili ta ninyo mangadto?" he asks again.
"SO, WE'RE NOT GOING?"
Noel and JR look at each other, amused at their friend.
"Bai, kung gusto ka muadto, adto lang gud," Noel says. "Okay ra man."
"BAI, IF YOU WANT TO GO, YOU CAN GO."
"IT'S FINE."
"Bitaw. Dili man ka namo pugngan."
"RIGHT. LIKE NOBODY'S STOPPING YOU."
"Aw...Gani. He-he." He looks at Mariz. "Pero muadto ra pud ko kung mangadto mo," he clarifies.
"RIGHT. HE-HE."
"I'LL JUST GO IF YOU AND THE GIRLS DECIDE TO GO."
"We'll see," she says. "Kung dili busy ang mga beshy."
"IF THE BESHIES AREN'T BUSY THAT DAY."
JR steals another look at Hazel from afar as she steps inside the canteen with her friends.