Disclaimer: I do not own TRMD and its characters.
"Sooo..."
Batchi winced as she drank her coffee, her head throbbing a little with every minute movement. "Ano?" she asked as she looked over at her friend who is currently sprawled on the tiled floor.
With her head slightly tussled and with a thin-framed glasses perched atop her nose, Althea looked quizzically her friend. "Anong nangyari last night?"
The short-haired girl winced again at the question. She then sipped on her mug while trying to collect her still-muddled thoughts. Absentmindedly noticing the books and reviewers mindlessly scattered on the floor and around Althea, she thought back on last night's events.
It was rather... interesting.
[Flashback]
"Batchiii..." Cathleen slurred as the two girls lumbered along BGC, their drunken gait gaining a few funny looks from the few onlookers. "Let's do something fuuunnn..."
The short-haired girl—who is drunk beyond reason—just nodded enthusiastically in reply. Well, as enthusiastically as a drunk person can do, which is just lazily nodding her head in reply.
"Game. Ano trip mo?" Batchi asked readily because she's at the point of being easily convinced into doing anything right now.
The taller girl, with a playful grin on her flushed face, looked around. "Nakita mo yun?" she slurred as she pointed at a shiny, black Mercedes Benz. "Let's trash that car."
Batchi blinked. She looked at the pointed direction—while briefly pondering on how they got into the parking lot without her noticing—and then looked back at the grinning face of Cathleen.
It was a familiar grin: full of promised mischief and endless excitement. And it was the same kind of grin that got them arrested last November for public misconduct.
So naturally, she will do it. Because she's fucking drunk. "Game ako, tsong."
[End of Flashback]
"Wala. Kasama ko lang si Cathleen kagabi."
Althea sported a look of sudden comprehension at that. "Kaya pala," she tut-tutted, a sly smile surfacing at Batchi's rolling eyes. "Kamusta na pala siya?" she asked casually and the short-haired girl slightly chuckled at that.
"Ayun. Type ka pa din," she said just as causally as she sipped again, sighing at the heavenly, bitter taste.
She needed it for her damn hangover.
The other girl just scoffed in reply. "Tell her to move on na," she added as she flipped another page from the book she's currently holding. "It's been months."
"Look who's talking. Ikaw ba naka-move on na?"
Batchi watched amusedly as Althea Guevarra's eyes widened while simultaneously blushing heavily. "Dun sa girl," she added with a grin as she tried to suppress her laughter at the way her friend tries to hide her reaction.
"Girl? What girl?" Althea tried to asked as casually as she could after a few seconds, but Batchi could still see the major tell-tale sign of her embarrassment so she's not buying it.
The other girl is still blushing.
Maang-maangan 'pa 'to, the short-haired girl mused as Althea's handwriting—which is typically slow—suddenly became hurried. "Hindi bagay, tsong."
"Ang alin?" the other girl asked with furrowed eyebrows, her handwriting getting faster as pages after pages were flipped with more force than necessary.
"Ewan ko sa'yo," Batchi just retorted as she sipped on her mug again. She could feel her headache finally subsiding a bit as she watched how Althea just glared in reply before huffing and getting back to her books. And as she was about to add more insult to the embarrassing injury, she felt her phone vibrate on her pocket.
Devil_Incarnate: Batchi! Thanks 4 d nyt! I had fun! Lets hangout ulit next week. Sama mo na din si Althea ah. :P
The short-haired girl chuckled at Cathleen's message, remembering how they got into a massive trouble last night.
[Flashback]
"Wait! Kuha ka dito daliii..."
Batchi opened her eyes and squinted at the swaying figure of Cathleen. For some reason, the other girl is holding a large paper bag. The short-haired girl then slightly pushed herself away from the black Mercedes Benz—that she has been leaning on for god-knows-how-long after Cathleen told her to wait—and padded sluggishly at the grinning girl.
When she got closer, the tall girl then thrusted the bag at her. Batchi yawned before accepting it and taking out the content.
"Eggs?"
"Eggs."
Batchi may be wasted, but she still has some semblance of sanity left. "Ano gagawin natin dito? Gutom ka ba?" she asked, not getting the point. Coupled with her current sluggish brain, she can't help but think that maybe it's all a big dream.
Naka-take ba ako ng drugs kanina? she mused as she squinted at the now-giggling Cathleen.
"No..." Cathleen rolled her eyes. "We'll egg that car!" the tall girl declared enthusiastically as she took one egg and bounced excitedly on her spot. "Kuha na, Batchiii..."
Batchi may still have some semblance of sanity left, but she's still wasted as fuck. So after shrugging a bit, she picked up two eggs from the container and nodded. "Game."
[End of Flashback]
And as she was about to type a reply—mostly to say that she won't do another crime in the name of drunken boredom, her phone vibrated again.
"Meet me later at d coffee shop near d club," says an unknown number. Batchi squinted her eyes at the somewhat ominous message. As she was about to reply to ask who it is, her phone vibrated again.
"Ako 'to," the new message says coupled with a name and Batchi's eyes widened upon reading it. Glancing minutely at her friend—who is still busy with her notes but noticeably much calmer now—on the floor, she typed back a reply.
Me: Okay. Mga lunchtime andyan n ako.
She then added the number on her contacts. After pressing 'save', the phone vibrated again.
David: See u later
The short-haired girl sighed before sipping on her mug again, musing on how life became much more complicated since last night.
Hindi ko naman buhay 'to eh, she thought before glancing at her friend. "Tsong, alis muna ako mamaya ah. Ikaw muna bahala dito."
Althea, now immersed in her study, just nodded absentmindedly in reply. "Sure. Date ba?"
Batchi then remembered that she does have a date later that night. "Hindi. May kukunin lang ako sa classmate kong reviewer," she just said before searching for her girlfriend's number to call her.
The other girl just waved her hand dismissively. "Sige lang," she said without looking up from her book. "Pasalubong ah."
Batchi just hummed in reply as she waited for Abby to pick up. "Hello?" she greeted enthusiastically as she heard the melodic voice of her girlfriend—despite the apparent sleepy quality to it. "Mahal, tuloy ba tayo mamaya sa..."
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Stepping out of the cab, she strutted towards her destination with a firm resolve. She had an idea on what they'll talk about and she's mentally preparing herself for the inevitable clash.
Ang bait pa naman sana niya, she thought as she strutted towards the coffee shop that she vaguely remembers. It was a quaint little thing built like the ones in the streets of Paris. She can smell the fragrance of newly-baked pastries as came closer and remembered that she didn't eat breakfast.
"Hey." She heard as she was about to go inside, her hand raised to push the door open. As she turned her head to the direction of the voice, she saw him on the outside area with a cigarette in one hand. A genuine smile crept on her face at the dapperness of the man and the brightness of his smile.
"I'm so glad na pumunta ka," David started as soon she sat down opposite of him. "You want anything?"
Batchi thought for a few seconds. "Brewed coffee na lang." She then took out her own pack of cigarettes as the man volunteered to buy her one.
This is nice, she mused as she looked around while waiting for David. The place really is quaint—a breath of fresh air compared to the jam-packed, overrated coffee shops she was used to.
Too bad she can't decide if the coffee is any good since she barely remembers it from last night.
Kung naaalala ko lang sana, she mused before seeing the guy on his way to their table carrying a tray.
"So bakit mo ako pinapunta?" she asked after a few minutes. She took a big bite from her buttered croissant—that David was kind enough to buy for her—as she waited for his answer.
The guy sipped from his mug first and took a drag from his cigarette before answering. "This is about last night." He then took another drag. "Remember?"
[Flashback]
"What are you doing?!"
The two girls turned around, surprised. Cathleen—who were just laughing maniacally earlier in between throwing the eggs, had her eyes widened in surprised before dropping the whole egg carton. "Run!" she shouted before dashing away.
But as soon as she said it, she stepped on the carton and slipped, falling painfully on the pavement of the parking lot.
Thud!
Batchi, frozen on her spot with an egg still on her hand, saw how the angry expression of the guy who shouted morphed into a worried one.
"Hey!" he shouted as he ran towards the wincing, tall girl. "Okay ka lang?" he asked, and it snapped Batchi from her frozen state before running towards her friend.
The taller girl, seemingly dazed, looked up and squinted at the man. "Are you gonna put us in jail?" she slurred. Batchi would've laughed at the other girl's expression, but she's also asking the same question in her head.
The man, who is wearing a navy blue button-up shirt and a tie, chuckled. "Pagusapan na lang natin mamaya. Are you two drunk?" he asked, his dark eyes glancing at Batchi.
"Obvious ba?" Batchi can't help but blurt out before mentally slapping herself: It's not a good time to be damn sarcastic.
The man chuckled again before looking around. "There's a carwash a few blocks from here. Just pay the fee and quits na tayo. Deal?" The man smiled and, despite her reluctance, thought that the guy seems an okay fellow.
"Rapist ka ba?" Cathleen mumbled, her eyes closed and her speech slurred. This time, both Batchi and the guy laughed at the remark.
"No. I just have sisters. And a mother." I just can't leave two really, really drunk girls all alone. Hindi kaya ng konsensiya ko," he explained and Batchi believes him. "There's a coffee shop nearby. Tara," he added with a tilt of his head and the two carried Cathleen to his freshly-egged car.
"By the way, I'm David," he eventually said after they got back from the E.R. to have Cathleen checked. When the doctor declared that she's fine (and commented that good girls shouldn't drink this late at night, in which Batchi has to drag her away knowing that Cathleen will give the doctor a piece of her mind at the remark), David brought them to a coffee shop near the club.
Well, after they got the car cleaned.
"Why so kind, dude?" Cathleen asked casually as she sipped on her mug.
David finished chewing on his clubhouse sandwich before answering. "Like I said, I have sisters and a mother." He took a bite again and sipped on his own mug. "So what are your names? Don't worry," he said before chuckling when the girls glanced at one another. "Hindi ko kayo ipapakulong."
For some reason, Batchi thinks it's safe to tell. So with a nod, she gestured at herself "I'm Batchi. This is Cath."
And after the "official" introduction, the conversation flowed naturally. The three talked about careers, schools, and life in general as coffee after coffee is consumed.
"So your fiancé works at the bar?" Cathleen asked when the conversation shifted to their love lives. "So many hot guys are roaming around here. Hindi ka ba seloso?" she asked and Batchi wanted to kick the other girl for such an invasive question.
David, to their surprise, just laughed out loud. "Hindi ako worried," he explained and the short-haired girl saw the hint of mischief in his eyes when he said it. "Saka napagusapan na rin namin 'yan," he added before his phone chimed.
"At eto na siya," David said as he looked passed both of them. Cathleen turned around and the short-haired girl heard the other girl say, "ah, siya pala 'yun." Batchi didn't look around and just sipped on her mug.
"Hey, there," a familiar voice suddenly said and Batchi whipped her head fast towards the direction of the voice. Her eyes then widened upon seeing the girl, and the girl's eyes widened upon seeing them.
"Guys," David started as the girl walked closer to them, looking wary. "This is Jade. My fiancé."
[End of Flashback]
"Hindi mo naman need mag-explain," Batchi said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Kami naman may kasalana-"
"We're faking it," David said, cutting in. "Kami ni Jade. It's all fake."
Mouth agape, Batchi just stared on as David took a casual drag of his cigarrete. "Anong ibig mong sa-"
"She's gay. And, well, I'm her beard," he explained and Batchi could feel her previous headache slowly coming back. "Pero mahigpit family niya eh. Chinese," he explained with a hand gesture equivalent to 'you get the drill'. "Kaya napagkasunduan namin na kunwari ako boyfriend niya. Para hindi siya kulitin ng parents niya." He sipped on his mug before continuing.
"At least sa 'kin safe siya," he finished with a casual shrug and Batchi could still feel her head reeling at how... blasé he delivered his revelation.
"Safe?"
David sported a pensive look. "I have a girlfriend. And balak namin magpakasal after she graduate," he explained and Batchi could definitely feel the headache now. "But since kailangan ng tulong ni Jade, pumayag ako."
"I'm her bestfriend. But she's more like my little sister." A fond smile surfaced from his boyish face and Batchi can't help but smile at his words. "I'll do anything for her and that includes talking to you. To explain."
The short-haired girl's forehead scrunched at that. "Bakit sa 'kin?"
David smiled. "I know about Althea for a long time na. I also know how you've convinced Jade para makipag-date siya sa kaibigan mo." David chuckled at Batchi's wide-eyed expression. "Like I said, she's my bestfriend."
Huffing, she took a drag. "Ano naman?"
"You're Althea's friend at ayaw ni Jade na isipin mo na cheater siya," David simply said and Batchi can't help agree at the logic.
Sabagay, she thought as she watched how the guy finished off the last bite. "So gusto niya nga si Althea?" she asked, wanting to make sure.
David rolled his eyes before chuckling. "Matagal ng bukambibig ni Jade 'yang friend mo. Ano ba sa tingin mo?" he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.
Batchi chuckled at that. "Matagal na ba yung three days?" she asked before reminiscing on the first time she saw Jade and the days she spent looking for the redhead everywhere.
Leading to, ironically, meeting said girl's "fiancé".
As she was about to tell her woes to the girl's fiancé, she noticed the shift on his expression—from amusement, it morphed into curious, baffled expression. She saw that David is about to say (or add) something, but a familiar ringtone filled the air.
"Sorry but I have to go. I have a doctor's appointment," the guy said as he read the text message. "So okay na tayo?" he asked, his dimpled resurfacing again and Batchi smiled back.
He's such a nice guy.
"Sige. We're good."
"Oh, and pinapatanong pala ni Jade kung pwede ba si Althea tomorrow night?" he added as he started getting up.
Batchi thinks of herself as a good friend, and good friends have just one rule: Never get your friend in trouble.
But despite that one rule and despite the drama that this thing will eventually lead to, she had a feeling that it'll probably be worth it.
It better be.
"Pwede 'yan. Akong bahala."
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Sorry for the really, really late update. Had a busy month. But anyways, this is part 3. Enjoy. :)