Chapter 3

Chapt 3

"There’s nothing I can do about it now because she doesn’t have the money to give back. We’d just end up fighting, and I don’t want to add to Tatay’s problems." Thinking of Tatay made me cry even more.

"Are you really determined to move to Manila, Lyrica?" he asked.

"Of course. There are more opportunities in Manila, Marco. Aren’t you planning to work there too after finishing your course?" I wiped my tears away.

"Ah, yeah, Lyrica," he replied absentmindedly.

"Just don’t leave money at home anymore, Lyrica. Avoid the problem altogether," Marco suggested.

I nodded, and we continued our journey.

When we arrived outside Krisha’s house, I quickly fixed myself up.

"You already look pretty, Lyrica," Marco teased.

"Idiot! I’m just checking if my eyes are still puffy," I snapped at him, which made him laugh.

"Oh, so the lovebirds are here!" Mildred teased as soon as she saw us. I rolled my eyes at her. It was always like this every time we met up.

"That’s why Lyrica keeps rejecting me—because of all your teasing," Marco laughed.

"And we’ll keep teasing you two until she completely turns you down!" Krisha added.

"Ugh, so stop teasing Mil and me," Wren said, scratching his head. The group burst into laughter. Wren had been courting Mildred for ages, but she hadn’t given him an answer yet, prioritizing her studies first. Mildred was studying Elementary Education, while Wren and Krisha were taking Business Administration. Krisha planned to return to school next year. Marco, on the other hand, was taking Accountancy—the same course I was enrolled in before I stopped.

"You’re such slowpokes when it comes to courting. Look at Ivan; he was so fast, I ended up pregnant," Krisha joked.

"You idiot, girl! I’d never dream of getting pregnant early!" Mildred said, exasperated. I quickly agreed with her.

"Why? Are you planning to become nuns, you and Lyrica?" Krisha teased.

"That might be better!" I quickly said.

"Oh, poor Marco," Mildred laughed.

"Enough already! Every time we meet, you all bring this up!" I scolded.

"Where’s Mimi, by the way?" I asked Krisha, referring to her almost one-year-old daughter.

"She’s probably asleep already. I left her with Ivan earlier."

"Let’s just go home then; the person we came to visit is sleeping," Mildred joked.

"What about me, huh?" Krisha said in mock annoyance.

"We don’t care about you," Wren teased.

"Rude! As if I didn’t help you before!" Krisha retorted with a glare.

"Stop it already! I’ll go buy gin. You’re all so noisy. We came here to relax!" Marco said.

"Oh, it’s a drinking session, then! Go buy it, and we’ll shut up. I’m so stressed with school!" Mildred exclaimed.

"I’ll go with you, bro," Wren said to Marco, and the two left.

"You guys have a drinking session every week! You’re so sneaky! You only visit here to drink," Krisha complained.

It was true. I only learned to drink because of them. Back when Krisha wasn’t pregnant, she’d invite us for drinks almost every night. But even so, I knew my limits when it came to alcohol. It’s not so bad to enjoy once in a while, is it?

I sighed deeply.

"That’s a heavy sigh, Lyrica. Is something bothering you?" Mildred asked, catching Krisha’s attention as well.

"I’m just thinking about moving to Manila."

"Are you really set on moving to Manila?" Krisha asked.

"Yes, I am. I just haven’t told Nanay Lucing yet," I sighed again.

"I really need to earn a bigger income now. I want Tatay to stop working," I added.

"You should accept my offer, Lyrica. My cousin works for a company in Manila, and I’m sure she can help you," Mildred suggested.

"I feel embarrassed, Mil... Besides, my savings are gone," I said, sighing once more.

"I’ll lend you money, Lyrica. And you should take Mil’s offer. Even though we don’t want you to leave, maybe you’ll find better opportunities there. The pay in Manila is much higher," Krisha encouraged.

"Hey, what’s this? Why aren’t we part of this gossip session?" Marco suddenly said as he and Wren returned from the store.

"Do you even know what ‘girl talk’ is, Marco?" Mildred retorted.

"Oh, who knows what you’ve been talking about," Wren chimed in, walking closer to Mildred.

"Stay away from me, Wren, or I might punch you," Mildred threatened.

"Wow, feisty! Fighting before you even get together," Krisha teased, making us all laugh.

"You’re changing the subject, hmm?" Marco said, eyeing us suspiciously.

" If leaving is what you truly want, Lyrica, we’ll support you. It’s for the betterment of your family’s future." Wren said gently after I finally told them about my plans of going to Manila.

"That’s right, especially since you’ll have someone to stay with there," Krisha added.

"I’m sure Ate Jessie will take good care of you," Mildred said with a reassuring smile.

"But isn’t it dangerous? Manila can be tough. There are a lot of con artists there, and it’s risky, especially since you’re a woman," Marco said, his forehead creased with worry.

"Marco, my friend, do you think Lyrica won’t take care of herself? For all we know, her luck might be waiting for her in Manila. Her family needs her more than ever now," Wren said seriously, patting Marco on the shoulder. Marco drank his glass of alcohol in silence, his emotions unreadable.

It wasn’t a secret to our group—or even to me—that Marco had feelings for me. He had tried courting me several times before, but I had always turned him down. I didn’t want to ruin the friendship we had built over the years, and besides, I wasn’t interested in relationships. Marco understood, but there were times when he became overprotective. Thankfully, we always managed to resolve it through calm conversations.