It's been six months since the night that Bea first met Jhoana. Six months na din ang nakalipas since the last time she saw her. Dahil yung totoo? Never na uli sila nagkita after she walked away from Bea.
Bea tried to find her. She really did. Mahirap lang kasi talaga hanapin ang isang taong kahit buong pangalan wala ka. She really regretted not getting Jhoana's number when she had a chance. She even went back to the club where they met para magbakasakaling makikita niya uli si Jhoana dun. She was there during the weekends and sometimes even on a weekday just to see kung nandoon siya. She asked the bartender every time kung may nakita ba silang morena girl with Jhoana's description and unfortunately, their answer was always no, they did not.
Halos two months din niyang ginawa yun pero wala eh. Hindi na talaga bumalik si Jhoana.
Sumuko na din siya after a while. Babae lang naman kasi yun. Why stress herself too much? Contented naman na siya sa buhay niya bago niya nakilala si Ice Queen.
The crazy thing is, after meeting Jhoana, she can't help herself but compare all the other girls that she meets to her. Yung kung paano sumagot, kung paano tumawa, even yung way kung paano umirap si Jhoana hinahanap din niya sa mga bagong nakikilala niya. Ang weird lang kasi she barely even knows her and for a few hours lang sila nagkasama pero parang ang tagal na niya siyang kakilala.
Para tuloy gusto na niyang maniwala that there is really such a thing as soulmates and that she finally met hers. Siguro hindi lang talaga panahon pa para magkita uli sila. She wants to believe that they will cross paths once again at kapag nangyari yun, hindi na talaga siya papayag na makawala uli si Jhoana sa kanya.
Ang dami din nagbago kay Bea ever since that night. Hindi na siya masyadong nakikipag flirt sa ibang babae na nakikilala niya sa mga clubs and bars na pinupuntahan niya. In fact, after the last time na sinubukan niyang hanapin si Jhoana dun sa club, never na siya bumalik uli at na-limitahan yung pagiging party girl niya from once a week to twice every month na lang.
Even her friends were questioning her sudden change of lifestyle. Bea just brushed them off and told them to mind their own businesses.
Of course, she had to at least tell them that she met someone at sobra siyang tinamaan to the point na para na siyang mababaliw kakahanap sa girl. They ended up just teasing her about it kaya never na niya in-open up uli sa kanila yung topic.
Buti na lang at nandiyan yung best friend ni Bea and he understands what she's going through. He was very supportive pa nga nung mga panahon na she was still looking for her Ice Queen. He even offered his help to look for her pero tinanggihan ni Bea kasi ang gusto niya, siya mismo ang makakita kay Jhoana.
Speaking of her best friend, nasa arcade sila ngayon sa UPTC and they're currently playing basketball. Ang tagal din kasi nila hindi nagkita and Bea misses hanging out with him. When she found out na nasa Manila ngayon ang best bud niya, inaya niya agad lumabas para makapag-catch up naman sila kahit papano.
"De Leon for three!" she announces with a fist bump nung na-shoot yung last ball niya. "Take that, Mr. Ravena!"
"Lucky shot lang yun oy!" Thirdy smirks at her.
Nataasan kasi ni Bea yung score ni Thirdy sa hoops from a best of three game. They have a bet pa naman na kung sino matatalo, siya yung manlilibre ng lunch.
"That's what you call skill, bro!" Bea counters, playfully ruffling his hair. Pinaka ayaw pa naman ni Thirdy na hinahawakan yung buhok niya.
"Watch the hair naman, dude! Pinaghirapan ko 'to ayusin." Iritado niyang sabi. Tumingin siya sa reflection niya sa may mirrored wall and tries to fix his hair.
"Eww bro! What is this? Nagiging mas vain ka pa sakin?" She then proceeds to laugh like there's no tomorrow.
Thirdy rolls his eyes at her. Siya talaga yung palaging nabu-bully sa friendship na 'to eh.
"Syempre, I need to make sure that I'm always gwapo. Mahirap na, baka iwanan pa 'ko ng girlfriend ko."
Napatigil naman agad si Bea ng pagtawa sa narinig niya. Girlfriend? May girlfriend na ang best bro niya?
"You have a girlfriend na?" she asks him in surprise.
Wow. After 84 years. This torpe guy finally has a girlfriend?
"Duh! I posted about it on twitter a few days ago. Don't you ever check yours? Caveman na naman ba tayo?"
"I guess I missed it." she shrugs, remembering that she hasn't checked her twitter and instagram accounts in a while. "But you need to spill! Who's the girl? Where did you meet? Wait! Do I know her?"
"I doubt if you know her. Tara na. Hanap na tayo ng makakainan. I'll tell you all about it while we're eating."
Bea agrees and they proceed to look for a place where they can eat at the mall. Since Bea is craving for pizza, they both decide to eat at Sbarro.
"Soooo?" Nakatingin si Bea kay Thirdy, expecting him to start talking as soon as they get their orders at nakaupo na sa table.
Thirdy just smiles, looking like he's reminiscing it. "Well, remember kuya's charity mission in Batangas with ate Ly a few months ago?"
Tumango si Bea dahil naaalala niya kung pano siya pinilit ni Thirdy na sumama dun. One week kasi silang nandun to give medical and food assistance sa mga less fortunate na kababayan ni ate Ly. Bea originally promised that she would go but her dad needed her at the office that same week so hindi siya nakasama.
"Well, ate Ly also invited some of her friends there to volunteer and I met this girl."
"Friend ni ate Ly?" tanong niya.
"Sort of. Sinama lang din daw siya ng friend niya na childhood friend ni ate Ly or something. She said she always wanted to volunteer to a charity event so she decided to come."
Bea raises her eyebrows. Trust his best bro to find love while volunteering to a charity event. That is so serendipitous and so like him. May pagka hopeless romantic kasi 'tong si Thirdy minsan na nagiging cheesy na.
"She's... she's really something." he continues with a dreamy expression. "Akala ko nga hindi kami magkakasundo kasi sinusungitan niya ako at first. Tapos nalaman ko pa na she just broke up with her boyfriend at the time. I don't know, it's just... sobra akong tinamaan sa kanya, bro."
Napaisip naman si Bea dun kasi may bigla siyang naalala sa description ni Thirdy. "Baka naman ginagawa ka lang rebound niyan ha?"
"I hope not!" sagot ni Thirdy sabay kagat sa pizza niya. "That was five months ago and siguro naman naka-move on na siya sa ex niya. I courted her for almost four months before she agreed to be my girlfriend last week."
"Five months ago? You've been courting her that long? Why am I just hearing about this now?" Napailing na lang si Bea.
They're best friends. They're supposed to be telling each other everything. Sinabi ni Bea kay Thirdy yung about kay Ice Queen niya tapos hindi sasabihin sa kanya ni Thirdy yung nililigawan niya sa Batangas?
Kaya pala laging missing in action 'tong lokong 'to lately. Lagi pa lang nasa province para manligaw.
"Chill! I didn't tell you kasi I'm not sure yet kung sasagutin niya ko in the first place. Trust me, I really thought wala akong pagasa. Nagulat na lang ako one day, sinabi niya sakin na payag na daw siya maging kami."
Hindi naman napigilan ni Bea na hindi matawa, "Seriously? That is so high school, dude!"
Sinamaan siya ng tingin ni Thirdy. "Palibhasa ikaw ang bilis mo lang makakuha ng babae no? Ngitian mo lang lalapit na sayo agad. Ibahin mo kasi 'to, bro!"
Bea chooses to ignore his first statement. "So in love ka na ng lagay na yan?"
Ngumiti lang ulit si Thirdy at pinwersang isinubo kay Bea yung pizza niya. "Ewan ko sayo. Kumain ka na nga lang!"
"You have to let me meet her, though." she tells him seriously, "I want to see what kind of girl she is that made you not be your usual torpe self anymore."
"Hindi ako torpe, dude. I'm a gentleman."
"Whatever." Bea just rolls her eyes, "Oh, I have an idea. Why don't you just bring her to dad's party on Saturday?"
"I was already planning on it." sagot naman ni Thirdy while smirking, "Tinanong ko na din si Jho and she agreed to go with me since she's staying here in Manila. Dun ko na rin siya officially ipapakilala sa inyo at sa parents ko."
Jho? Hindi maiwasan ni Bea na hindi maalala si Jhoana sa name na yun. Gusto tuloy niya matawa sa coincidence. Pati ba naman sa name ng babae same sila ng nagustuhan nitong best friend niya.
"How 'bout you, bro? Kumusta naman kayo ng 'Ice Queen' mo? Non-existent pa din ba?" Thirdy laughs.
Bea just glares at him. She already told him before na naka move on na siya from her. Since then, mukhang nakisali na si Thirdy sa pang-aasar sa kanya when it comes to her brief kabaliwan to the girl-who-can't-be-seen as her friends call Jhoana.
"Just shut up and eat your pizza, dude." she says as a come back. She doesn't want to talk about Jhoana with him or with anyone really.
Tinapos naman nila agad yung food nila and they both decide to call it a day. May errand pa kasi si Bea from her dad to meet with the caterers and Thirdy wants to meet up with his girlfriend.
"Thank you for today. I had a great time!" Bea tells Thirdy, giving him a hug habang nasa parking lot sila. "Congratulations on the new girlfriend. I hope to meet her soon para makilatis na!"
Niyakap naman siya pabalik ni Thirdy. "Thank you din for the time, bro. I really missed you! Don't worry, makikilala niyo din siya. Just try not to do your usual moves on her and I'm sure magkakasundo kayo."
"Baliw!" hinampas lang niya si Thirdy sa balikat, "I won't do that to your girlfriend no? You can breathe easy all you want."
Thirdy just ruffles her hair. "I was just kidding and I trust you naman so chill."
They part ways after that at sumakay na si Bea sa benz niya. Habang mina-maneuver niya yung car niya palabas ng parking lot, napatingin naman uli siya kay Thirdy na nakasandal sa kotse niya at may kausap sa phone. Napansin agad ni Bea yung laki ng ngiti ng best friend niya habang kausap yun kung sino man ang katawagan niya. She has a wild guess that it's the girlfriend from Batangas. Napangiti naman si Bea sa sarili niya dahil masaya siyang nakikita na masaya na ulit si Thirdy.
He deserves all the happiness in the world after what happened with his previous relationship. May naging girlfriend kasi dati si Thirdy na sobrang mahal na mahal niya. One day, bigla na lang nakipag-break yung girl kasi daw na-fall out of love na daw sa kanya. Yun lang ang explanation nung girl eh. Na-fall out of love na daw siya kay Thirdy. Wala daw third-party involved whatsoever.
That was three years ago at ang tagal bago naka-move on si Thirdy from it. Kaya naman masaya si Bea na nakahanap na uli ng bagong mamahalin yung kaibigan niya. Sana lang hindi na uli siya masaktan this time.
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A/N: Short update lang po 'to pero promise, bibilisan ko na yung next one. I have lots of free time kasi this week.
Nga pala, super random ng Thirdy/Jho pairing no? Di ko kasi bet si Marci so si Thirdy na lang. Bagay naman sila kahit konti diba? Parang KiefLy junior lang ang peg. Hehehehe
-solid Jhobea shipper here 🙋🏻