Gal
I groaned upon hearing my phone's ringtone. The upbeat tune makes me wince. Who the hell would call during this time of the day?
Nagpatuloy 'yon sa pag ring pero hindi ko na pinansin. I feel like shit.
'Di kalaunan, tumahimik na ulit ang kwarto ko.
'Peace! Finally,' I thought as I laid on my stomach and burried my face on my pillow. I can almost feel myself falling asleep when my stupid phone rings again.
I groaned louder this time.
Ano ba?!
Annoyed, I fetch my phone from the side table and answers the call without checking who it is. My face is still buried on the pillow and I haven't even said my "hello" yet when the speaker from the other line greeted me with a lovely curse.
"What the fuck, Gal?"
Woah.
I immediately rolled on my back. It's a guy. His voice is deep and is oddly familiar. Wait, is this-
My thoughts are then interrupted when I felt a sudden headache.
Fuck. Hangover.
"W-what?" I managed to say while massaging my temple. Agad sumagot ang lalaki.
"You said yes?!"
Oookayyyy? Now, what the hell is he talking about?
Sobrang sakit na nga ng ulo ko, dumadagdag pa 'tong lalaking 'to. Problema niya ba?
"Said yes to what?" I answered. I mean, what? Did someone offered me a ring last night and I said yes? Am I engaged? Is that it?
"To the challenge!" He said as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. Napakunot ang noo ko.
Challenge?
I winced a little when my headache intensified. Ugh. Pakiramdam ko mababasag na ang ulo ko sa sobrang sakit. Okay! A bit exaggerated, but still. Masakit talaga.
"What challenge?" I'm so clueless at the moment and my mind is blank. I can't remember a thing from last night.
I felt him pause for a second before he answered.
"Wha-! You mean, you don't remember?" he sounds like he's in great disbelief. My face contorted. I can't help it. Ano ba kasi 'tong pinagsasabi niya? 'Tsaka sino ba 'to?
I finally looked at my phone to check the Caller ID at muntik na talaga akong mahulog sa kama nang makita kung sino ang tumatawag.
"Ike?!"
Well, I kinda figured it out a while ago pero... akala ko guni-guni ko lang 'yon.
I facepalmed, naiinis sa sarili.
Galeley. You stupid bitch.
I held back my thoughts when he sighed.
"Yes, it's Ike, and I'm calling right now because of the situation you got ourselves into," He sounds mad. Pero kaunti lang naman. Kaunti na lang because his voice is practically dripping with annoyance already.
Mas lalo akong naguluhan at wala na talaga akong lakas na pag-isipan pa kung anong kasalanan ang nagawa ko.
"Ike, my hangover is killing me. Please, just go straight to the point. Ano bang ginawa ko? Ano? What did I do?" I asked, tired. Naghintay ako sa sagot niya.
I heard him sigh as if he was trying to calm his nerves down. A bit calmer now, he answered,
"Galeley, you accepted Tresh's challenge last night. You agreed to be my girlfriend for a whole fucking day and apparently, you are too fucking drunk to even remember. Get that?" Ike's voice is like a spectrum. Calm and peaceful at first and then loud and mad afterward.
But that's beside the point. Point is, my brain has a hard time taking in all the words he said but the moment it did, I sat straight up on my bed.
"I did what?!"
Before he could even reply, my hangover took over my whole system and I felt bile rising up my throat.
SHIT!
I jumped out of bed and headed to the bathroom with one hand covering my mouth.
The whole time I threw up, pakiramdam ko masusuka ko na rin pati ang bituka ko. It's horrible.
Nang matapos ay bumalik agad ako sa kama at kinuha ang cellphone. The call ended a few minutes ago but there's one text message from Ike.
> Drink lots of water. It'll help. We'll deal with the challenge tomorrow. For now, get some rest, Gal.
Napanganga ako matapos basahin ang text niya.
Shit. Totoo talaga 'yon?
I gasped in horror.
May malaking parte kasi sa'kin na umasang nagloloko lang si Ike at talagang joke time lang ang lahat. Inisip ko nga na may hidden camera dito sa kwarto ko at kukunin 'yun nina Bee mamaya para pagtawanan ang naging reaksyon ko sa sinabi niya. Pero... totoo pala talaga 'yon?
The thought of it sent shivers down my spine. Umiling-iling ako.
Hindi. Hindi, hindi, hindi.
I refuse to believe it. I mean, hindi naman siguro ako ganoon katanga para pumayag sa challenge ni Tresh, 'di ba? 'Di ba?
Sinubukan kong i-convince ang sarili ko nang paulit-ulit pero kahit anong pagkombinse ang gawin ko, walang epekto.
Knowing very well that I couldn't do anything to remember what happened last night, I did the one thing I thought was a good idea- call my friends.
~•~
"What exactly happened last night?" tanong ko habang nakatukod ang dalawang kamay sa mesa.
Nakaupo sina Cam, Care, at Bee sa harap ko. Ako lang ang nakatayo. Tiningnan ko sila isa-isa at kita ko ang pagkagulat sa mukha nilang tatlo.
Okay. I look and sound like a detective na nangi-interrogate ng mga suspect. This is cool.
Camille snapped.
"See, I told you? She won't remember anything!" sabi niya sabay lahad pa ng isang kamay sa akin na parang ipinapakita kina Bee at Care na tama nga siya.
She's right. Basta ang naaalala ko lang, I went to Tresh's bistro, we had such a great time, nag-inuman kami, nalasing ako, and the rest is a blur.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Why? May dapat ba akong maalala?" I carefully asked.
Care answered.
"N-nothing, Gal. Nothing at all," sabi niya sabay iling.
"Yes, Gal. You were just really drunk last night," Bee added.
Tinitigan ko naman sila nang ilang segundo pagkatapos kong marinig 'yon.
"Sure?" paninigurado ko. Sabay-sabay silang tumango ng mabilis. I eyed them once more.
There it is, Galeley. The confirmation you needed. You didn't do something stupid last night!
I sighed in relief. Parang may malaking tinik na nabunot sa dibdib ko.
Hinila ko ang isang upuan at umupo roon. Thank God!
"Hay, salamat! Grabe! Akala ko talaga may ginawa akong katangahan kagabi, e! Wala kasi talaga akong maalala!" bulalas ko. They just gave me an awkward smile. Hindi naman ako nagtaka kung bakit. Basta nagpatuloy lang ako sa pagsasalita.
"Ike even called me this morning to tell me about that challenge thing!"
Suddenly, they all looked alarmed. But I chose to shrug it off. Nothing's going on. Nothing's going on.
"Yun pala pinagloloko lang ako! Sinasabi ko na nga ba!" Pagpapatuloy ko pa. I leaned back with my arms crossed. And then my brows furrowed when I saw them look at each other.
Something's definitely going on.
Magtatanong na sana ako kung anong meron nang biglang nagsalita si Care.
"Actually, Gal," parang nagdadalawang-isip pa siya kung sasabihin niya ba o hindi but she said it anyway. "Something did happen last night."
And that was all it took to burst my bubble. Nakaramdam ako ng kaunting kaba.
"Oo nga. May nangyari. Nalasing ako. 'Y-yun lang naman, 'di ba?" I asked, trying to sound hopeful. They all winced in unison and I had no idea why.
Sabay-sabay silang umiling.
"Not exactly," they said. My heart started pounding. I already have a thought in mind but I really don't want to believe it.
"T-Then, what the hell happened?" I asked. Camille is the one who answered.
"The challenge thing Ike told you? It's..." she sighed. "It's true."
My mouth parted. Parang biglang gumuho ang mundo ko.
NO WAY.
Suddenly, flashes of memories from last night came rushing back to me. As if Care's words became a sort of trigger to my memory.
---------------
"Yes," I answered and laughed some more. Nakita ko ang pagngisi ni Tresh.
"Remember, Gal. There's no turning back." he said. He sounds like a devil. Pakiramdam ko tuloy nakikipag-negotiate ako sa isang demonyo. Tsk. What can I say? I'm talking to Tresh, after all.
I scoffed.
"But what if I change my mind, though?" tanong ko. "Paano kung ayaw ko na lang pala?"
Tumaas ang isa niyang kilay.
"Well, if you change your mind about it, then you're up for another challenge," sabi niya. Napakunot naman ang noo ko.
"And what's that?" I asked, clueless.
He gave me an evil grin. God, he looks so evil.
"You'd tell Ike you're still not over him. And you'd tell him how much you cried for him while drowning in alcohol, some years ago," he said. I was about to give him a reply but he raised a finger like he has something to add. "You'd tell him all that, IN DETAILS. And if you refuse to tell him, I will."
The rest of the group gives him a shocked expression. On the other hand, I don't. My blank reaction remains looking at Tresh whose face is plastered with a demonic smile.
Though my mind is in a haze, I still tried to weigh my options.
Hmm. Sure, the second challenge would spare me the hassle of being Ike's girlfriend for 24 bloody hours. But it sure isn't easier. I mean, telling Ike how much I cried for him in details? Heck. I did too many humiliating things that day and I can still remember each of them all too well.
I shrugged.
"Save that challenge for yourself, Tresh. I'm up for the first one."
The sides of his lips stretched upwards.
He drank from his glass of whiskey before fishing out his phone from his pocket. May pinindot siya roon at inilapit niya agad ang phone sa akin.
I gave him a puzzled look.
"Ulitin mo yung sinabi mo. I'm recording it. Just in case you change your mind tomorrow."
Oh, okay.
Nagsalita ako gamit ang malakas na boses. Hindi man lang ako nagdalawang isip. Wow. Alcohol does fuel your confidence.
"I said, I'm doing the fucking challenge! Magiging girlfriend ako ni Ike Sonja Claveria sa loob ng isang araw! I'm going to be Ike's girlfriend. You hear that? You hear that, Ike?" sigaw ko na parang nandito si Ike at naririnig niya lahat ng sinasabi ko.
Tresh laughed as he took the phone away from me.
"Nice one, Gal." sabi niya.
Tiningnan ko naman sina Cam at parang hindi nila kami pinaniniwalaan ni Tresh.
Oh, you'll see. Makikita niyo kung gaano ako kaseryoso kapag nagawa ko na ang challenge na 'to.
I paused for a second when a question popped in my head. My lips protruded.
"Wait..." I looked at Tresh. "Paano kung hindi pumayag si Ike?"
He just gave me a smirk.
"He'd agree. Trust me," That's all he said.
-----------------
Namilog ang mga mata ko.
Oh, my God.
"I... I said yes..." sabi ko, natutulala. Ni hindi mapagpatuloy ang sasabihin.
"Uh-huh! Your dumbass said yes!" bulalas ni Bee. I still look shocked and defeated. Kahit anong pilit ko sa sarili na hindi 'yon totoo, hindi talaga tumatalab.
"We didn't take it seriously but you and Tresh seemed so serious about it," sabi naman ni Cam. Hindi ako sumagot. I don't have the strength to do so. Ito yung mga pagkakataong nawawalan ka na lang ng lakas at napapatahimik sa sobrang gulat.
I heard Care sigh.
"I'm sorry for this, Gal. But the thing is, you know Tresh. Hindi siya nagpapapigil sa mga ganito and he's always been serious with this kind of stuff. 'Di uso sa kaniya ang joke time."
I know that. Tresh is.. Tresh. At hindi ako makapaniwalang sinakyan ko ang trip niya!
I covered my face with my hands and groaned in frustration.
"So, ano? Gagawin mo ba, Gal?" tanong nila. Ni ako mismo ay hindi alam kung ano ang isasagot.
Pwede bang mag naked run na lang ako sa kanto namin? Parang mas madali 'yong gawin...
Char.
Cam, Bee, and Care left later that afternoon. Pagkaalis nila ay dumiretso agad ako sa kwarto at humiga sa kama.
I need to rest. I feel so drained. Pero hindi naman ako makatulog. Nakatingin lang ako sa kisame.
Paano ba 'to?
Hindi ko talaga alam kung paano umalis sa sitwasyong 'to. Unless...
Sabihin ko kay Ike na stuck pa ako sa kanya at ikwento ko sa kanya ang mga pinaggagawa ko noong nagpakalasing ako?
I cringed at the idea.
There is no way I'm doing that. Hindi naman sa defensive ako o ano. Let's just say that me getting drunk and crying my eyes out isn't really a good story to tell. Especially to the person who's the main reason why I did it. So dahil mahal ko ang sarili ko, syempre hindi ko hahayaang malunod ako sa isang nakakalokang kahihiyan.
So, what now?
I placed my forefinger on my chin. Mukhang hindi na talaga ako makakahindi kay Tresh. Ang sama nung isang 'yon, e.
E, si Ike kaya?
My eyes widened.
Tama!
Ako lang ang pumayag sa challenge. Hindi kasama si Ike! Kaya pwedeng-pwede siyang humindi kay Tresh!
I took my phone para i-text si Ike. Pero mukhang naunahan na niya ako dahil may isang message na sa inbox ko galing sa kaniya.
> I'll pick you up tomorrow at 8. No but's.
Halos malagutan ako ng hininga dahil sa nabasa.
Oh, no. Am I too late?