"Ferdinand Ravena III!" His mother yelled.
"What?" He asked irritatingly.
"Diba sabi ko sayo na wag ka ng magdadala ng mga babae mo?! Ano to?!" She pointed at the girl on Thirdy's bed, covered only by his sheets.
"Ma, I was drunk last night. Malay ko bang mangyayari to." He answered.
"Aish! I also told you to stop drinking alcohol na diba?! Thirdy, you have a career! You're a basketball player for God's sake!" She exclaimed.
"Good morning po..." The girl was awoken by Mozzy's voice.
"Bumangon ka na dyan, pagtapos pwede ka ng umuwi." Mozzy exited Thirdy's room and then went to help downstairs.
"Sorry about my mom. You should dress up." Thirdy got up as well and dressed up as she went to the bathroom.
•••
Two hours later...
"Bro! Kamusta?" His teammates teasingly asked.
"Pshh... Stop. Nasermonan na nga ako ni mom kanina, babadtripin nyo pa ko." He replied.
"Guys!" Their teammate, Anton shouted to get their attention.
"This is Juliana. She's my cousin." He introduced to the team.
"Her friends left her daw e, so she asked for companion. I brought her here." He explained.
"Boys, let's start!" Their coach said.
•••
"Thirdy, mauna na kami ni Matt."
"Sige, bro. I'll shower lang..." After taking a shower, he put on jeans and a t-shirt. Then he went outside of the locker room, greeted by Juliana.
"Hey..." She greeted with a smile.
"Hey. Wala na sina Anton sa locker—"
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you." She said.
"About what?" Thirdy confusingly asked.
"My gosh. Sa sobrang dami mong babae, di mo na ko naalala?" Juliana laughed.
"Well, pang-one-night lang naman yun e. Are you one of those girls that I took to bed?"
"Funny. Are you sure you pang-one night stand mo lang ako? I don't think so..." Juliana walked closer to Thirdy, and was about to kiss him. But somebody entered the gym's door.
"Shit! I'm sorry!" The girl covered her eyes and left the gym immediately. Making Juliana sigh.
"Yeah. One -night lang, Juliana. Bye." Thirdy left her.
•••
"Kuya!"
"Hey, Dans."
"Can my teammate join daw? Her car's on coding kasi e." Dani explained.
"Sure. Matagal pa ba sya? We'll go na."
"Wait. I'll call her lang." Dani ran towards to her teammate and then they got back a minute later.
"Kuya, this is Ate Bea De Leo—"
"Ikaw ang kuya ni Dani?!" Bea shockingly asked.
"Ikaw yung babaeng nang-distorbo kanina sa gym!" Thirdy exclaimed.
"Not my fault. You should've done it somewhere more private." Bea rolled her eyes.
"Well, regular students should know by now na laging ginagamit yung gym for trainings."
"For your information, I'm a volleyball player, playing for this school. Which makes me a student-athlete, meaning I have trainings also."
Thirdy was studded by her words, so he decided to remain quiet.
"Dans, sasabay na lang ako kina Jules. Thanks for the invite though. Ingat ka." Bea hugged Dani before walking away.
"Grabe, kuya. Para kayong mag LQ ni ate Bea kanina." Dani joked.
"LQ? Di naman kami mag-jowa." Thirdy murmured.
"Parang nga lang eh."
•••
The next day...
"Huy, titig na titig ka dyan ah! Ano yang tinititigan mo?" Anton teased.
"Huy! Si Bea yan ah." Isaac pointed at Thirdy's phone.
"Don't tell me, pati si ate Bea, kuya?" Jolo asked.
"Tsk. Of course not. Sungit-sungit nung babaeng yun." Thirdy answered.
"Edi bakit mo tinititigan yang picture nya?"
•••
"Thirdy, I want you home in an hour. Pag na-late ka, alam mo ng mangyayari sayo."
"Opo. I just went to Isaac's house, mom. I'll be home In thirty."
•••
"What's the rush, ma? Ano meron?" Thirdy asked.
"Me and your father talked, and we decided to find you a wife." Mozzy answered.
"Ma! Ano bang pumapasok sa utak ninyo?! I'm your son! Hindi ako hayop na basta-bastang binebenta!" He exclaimed.
"But Thirdy, you are starting to act like one!" She said.
"Ayoko. Hindi ako magpapakasal sa kung sino-sinong babae!"
"If you could not find a wife in two months, kami mismo hahanap ng mapapangasawa mo." Bong said.
"But—"
His parents left him there without letting him continue.
•••
"Juliana, please..."
"I'm too young to get married, Thirds. Besides, may boyfriend na ko." She replied.
"Then why the hell would you sleep with me?!" He frustratingly asked.
"We got into a tampuhan that time. I'm very sorry, Thirdy. But I can't help you." Juliana said before walking away.
"Tangina naman o!" He frustratingly exclaimed.
"O, what happend to you?" Bea asked.
"Ginagawa mo dito?" He asked.
"I'm a student here, so I can also go to—"
"Oo na. Taga dito ka na." He sighed, making Bea laugh.
"What's your problem ba? Got rejected?" She asked as she sat beside him.
"No. San mo naman nakuha un?" He asked back.
"I saw Juliana walked out. You do know that she has a boyfriend na?" Bea asked.
"Kanina ko lang nalaman..." He rolled his eyes at her as he said that.
"Sungit.." She murmured.
"What?"
"Wala!" Bea answered, making both of them quiet.
After a minute of thinking, Thirdy thought of an idea.
"Ikaw na lang kaya magpanggap bilang girlfriend ko?" He asked.
"What?! Loko ka ba?! Why would I want to have a boyfriend like you?!" She exclaimed.
"Ouch. I'm hurt, Bei. Gwapo naman ako ah—"
"Babaero pa." She continued.
"C'mon. It'll be fun, Bei." He winks at her, making Bea disgusted.
"Wala naman akong mapapala." She said.
"Hmm... Diba crush mo si Isaac?"
"Huy! How did you know about that?" Bea started to blush.
"Pshh... It kinda' obvious actually. Do you want to be close to him?" He teased, making Bea nod.
"Then you'll agree to my offer?"
"Ugh. Fine." Thirdy then gave her a handshake, a proof of Bei accepting his proposal.
•••
"Mom? I'm home!"
"We're in the kitchen, Ferdinand Ravena III." His mother might be mad. She spelled out her son's full name. And those are one of the few may signs that she is mad.
"I b-brought my girlfriend, just like you wanted." He nervously said. Mozzy's face eased a little bit.
"Come, sit my dear?"
"Isabel Beatriz De Leon po. But you can call me 'Bea' na lang, Mrs. De Leon." She smiled at Mozzy confidently.
"Call me 'mommy', anak. Dun din naman papunta yun diba?" Bea smiled at her one more time.
"I'm hoping po." Bei replied. Mozzy drank from the glass and looked at Thirdy whom was busy putting food on Bea's plate.
"I like her, Thirdy. I think you found the perfect match. Umm... Bea, anak? Can I talk to you after dinner? In private?" Mozzy asked. That made Thirdy curious. His mom is up to something bad. And he will not let his mom hurt Bea.
"Sure po, mommy."
•••
After dinner, Bea and Mozzy talked in the office. Bea was not worried nor nervous of what might happen. She came prepared.
Thirdy placed his ear beside the door, where he could hear their conversation.
"Okay, dear. If you just came here to pretend in being Thirdy's girlfriend? Just name the price and I'll pay it, double." Mozzy said right away.
"Ma'am, I am not pretending to be your son's girlfriend. And I don't need your money because I am telling the truth. I am a 'De Leon', ma'am Mozzy. Your company and my family's have been together ever since."
"How can I be so sure na you're not pretending? Bea, hija, kilala ko ang anak ko."
"I love Thirdy, Ma'am. He may be sleeping with different other girls, he must be only playing with me, but I love him. And I know he loves me too." Bea convinced Mozzy. That made Thirdy's mother smile.
"Okay. I believe you. Shall we head back?" Mozzy asked. Bea nodded in response.
•••
"Thirdy's room is upstairs. The first door you will see from the left. I will be just in the kitchen if you need me, hija." She told Bea.
"Thank you po, Mom. I'll go to Thirdy na lang po."
Bei made her way upstairs. She knocked on Thirdy's room before opening it. He was already playing with his games.
"Hey." She called his attention. Thirdy paused what he was playing and he looked at her, giving her a 'Good job' smile.
"Nice acting skills you got, De Leon." He complimented. Bea only laughed.
"Well, you should be thanking me for that, Ravena. Naawa na ako sa mommy mo sa mga pinaggagagawa mo." Bei said.
She sat beside him on his bed and she looked at him.
"Why not find yourself a real girlfriend, Thirds? The one that you really like and love? Your mother is a kind person, she doesn't deserve this." She sincerely said.
"I might be able to have a real girlfriend if you're ready." He joked. Making the both of them chuckle.
"Tara. Laro tayo." He gave Bea another controller and they played the whole night. Until the time came for Bea to go home.
"Mom, hahatid ko lang si Bei-bei sa bahay nila." He told his mom.
"Sige. Ingat kayo ah? I hope to see you soon, Bea." Mozzy said.
"I hope to see you soon too po."
•••
"Dani, Thirdy! Breakfast is ready!" Mozzy shouted. Then came her two children coming from upstairs. Mozzy continued to set up the table as Thirdy and Dani sat on their chairs.
"Invite your girlfriend later, kuya. Will you? Manong and Ly—" His mother's statement was cut when Dani dropped her spoon.
"Woah. May girlfriend si kuya? Who? You did not tell me. Please enlighten me, kuya, mom?" Dani continued to ask.
"Have you not met your kuya's girlfriend? I mean, you do know her really well..." Mozzy said as she finally sat down on her chair beside her husband's and she started to eat.
"Wait. Is she my teammate? Oh my gosh, kuya..." Dani joked.
"She is indeed your teammate, Danielle Theris. Kumain ka na, malalate na kayo for training." Bong told her daughter.
"Who is she, kuya?"
"I'll tell you later sa car." Thirdy answered.
A few minutes later, they finished eating. Thirdy and Dani hopped on the car and Thirdy drove them to the gym.
"Who is she, kuya? You're still not answering me." Dani said.
"Bea—"
"What?! Kuya, if you're playing games with ate Bea, stop it. You will only hurt her." Dani warned. Her teammates and her fell in love with their captain. Their respect for Bea and Maddie is as big as their respect for their coach.
"Look, Dani. You don't understan—"
"Then do make me understand!"
"Me and Bea are only pretending. Okay? We are not really Boyfriend and Girlfriend, we are not officially, official." He explained.
"W-what? Why?"
"Mom and Dad will make me marry a woman I don't even know, that's if I don't introduce them to a girl. You don't want that for your brother, right?" He asked.
"Of course not. Pero, putting Ate Bei into this mess is wrong, kuya."
"Don't worry, Bei already agreed to this. She convinced Mom na she's really my girl."
"Okay, fine. Basta, i'm here for the both of you." Dani said. Thirdy sighed in relief. Just in time, they arrived at their school's gym.