“So, should we go down to business now?”
Laura’s eyes rolled heavenwards, akala ni Awa ay nagkukumbulsyon na ang kausap sa harap niya. Muntik na siyang tumawag ng ambulansya, sakto naman na nagsalita na ulit si Laura.
“I would like to invest in your company.”
Gusto niyang matawa sa narinig. Based on what she heard, wala ito’ng alam pagdating sa pera at negosyo. Ang alam niya, umaasa lang din ang babae sa pera ng mga magulang nito. Ni hindi nga niya alam kung ano’ng trabaho nito o kung may trabaho nga ba.
“What makes you think I would actually say yes to what you&rsq
âEh ready ka ba talagaâng maka-trabaho si Troy, Ate?â Ewan ba niya sa mga pinsan at ganyan ang mga tanong. Ember heard from Mia and Rara about what happened the other day, of course Ember had relayed the words to the other Voltes Five kaya ito silang lima, magkakasama sa isang boutique para bumili ng maisusuot niya sa party sa Biyernes. For all she knows, kaya lang namana sumama ang mga ito ay gusto lang talaga maki-chismis nitoâng apat sa kung anoâng nangyari. Ember was right outside the door of the changing room, while she was busy tucking herself inside one of the cocktail dresses Aye chose for her. âYea, of course. Bakit naman hindi?â âUh,â sabat ni Last, âbecause heâs your
Friday came by like the speed of light. White, Mia and Rara were with her, sila raw ang magiging 'fairy godmother' niya for tonight’s party; in short, sila ang mag-aayos sa kanya. “You know full well I can take care of myself, right?” Naka-upo na siya sa harap ng vanity niya, she was looking at the three through the mirror. Nakaligo na rin siya at lahat, aayusan nalang siya at maghihintay sa pagdating ni Raf para sunduin siya. “What are you three planning?” pinanliitan niya ng mga mata ang tatlo, there’s an inkling feeling inside that tells her they’re up to something that would either humiliate her or make people be more wary of her. “Out with it.”&n
Sinundot niya ng table fork ang pagkain na inihain sa kanila. Sumimangot siya. “Napaka-konti talaga ng serving sa ganito’ng events.” Raf, who just came back from his adventure, chuckled, placing another plate full of goodies in front of her. “Hindi ka pa nasanay.” Sigurado siya, her eyes are twinkling upon seeing the food Raf brought over. “Paano ka naman naka-remedyo niyan?” “You have too little faith in me, dear cousin.” Nagpa-pogi bigla ang pinsan niya; at kung hindi lang siya nito kinuhanan ng extra’ng pagkain, she would’ve barfed. “I simply asked one of the kitchen staffs.”
Asia has decided long ago, she wouldnât be using her connections to climb up the social ladder. Kaya kahit pa dala niya ang apelyidoâng Acosta, she would often answer, when asked if she has any connections to the Acostaâs, that her family name is just a random, nameless Acosta, na nagkataon lang na parehoâng apelyido, pero hindi talaga magkadugo. She wanted to be successful with her own hard work. And sheâs actually doing it already. Her family knows this, of course, they support her fully and if they wanted to help, they would do it discreetly. Pero ang kapatid niya, absent ata nung pinaalam niya ang bagay na âyun sa buong pamilya. Because her brother was walking towards their direction, not minding the eyes that were following him around. Gus
“Where have you been?” Ang tanong ng magaling niyang pinsan na prenteng naka-upo sa pwesto nila kanina, he had a bottle of whiskey sitting in one side and an almost empty glass on his hand. She took four long strides to where he sat and immediately landed a forceful smack on his arm, making her idiot cousin flinch a little. She should’ve hit him even harder. “Where have you been, my ass!” padabog siyang sumalpak ng upo sa katabing bakante’ng upuan, she made a grab for the whiskey bottle, taking the empty glass from Raf and pouring herself some. She made a face after chugging the whiskey down. “I should be the one asking you that, you idiot!” 
Awa lazily picked her phone up, nakadapa siyang nakahiga sa king-sized bed sa kwarto niya sa family house nila sa metro; the said family house was what they used to live with her parents and siblings when they were younger. Wala kasi ang Papa niya rito, he’s overseas for a business trip; the Voltes Five decided to celebrate Ember’s birthday at her family house for a change. At ang mga magagaling, iniwan siya ng mga ito mag-isa, ni hindi man lang nag-abala’ng gisingin man lang siya bago sila umalis. It was a Sunday morning, and Sundays mean family time, which means she— and the rest of the Acosta’s available and nearby— would be coming home to their ancestral house at the compound to spend the whole day with the whole clan.
âItâs really surprising to see you here,â she told Drew for the nth time. The doctor just chuckled. âI mean, donât get me wrong, itâs not that I donât want you here, but itâs just weird.â A beat. âAnd rare.â Nilingon siya ng binata, brows furrowed. âWhat is?â âThat theyâre letting others join us when this is supposedly a family-exclusive get-together.â âI could leave.â There was sincerity in Drewâs words that made her feel bad for even blurting those nonsense and irrelevant shit out. âI hate to impose.â  
Turns out, there wouldn’t be any counselling sesh to happen, naalala niyang this week na pala ang alis niya para sa project nila ni Troy na ishu-shoot sa Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao. Kung alam niya lang, sana nung nasa mansion si Drew ay nag-demand na siya ng sesh. “I’m really sorry, Drew,” she told him over the phone, “Maybe after this project.” “It’s really okay, Awa.” Drew chuckled from the other line. “I understand but if anything, you can call me any time, okay?” “Okay, Doc. Copy that.” napabuntong-hininga siya’t ngumiti kahit hindi naman nakikita ng kausap. “I must be holding you from work, I gotta hang up.”&nb
Kanina pa pa-ikot-ikot si Awa sa higaan, samantalang âyung tatloâng katabi niya ay ang hihimbing na ng tulog. Slowly and carefully, she slipped out of the bed and tiptoed her way out of the room.Naabutan niya si Europe, naka-upo sa high stool sa may kitchen island, may hawak na isang can ng beer. Hindi pa ba lasing âtong lalakiâng âto?Tumikhim siya to announce her arrival. Lumingon si Europe sa direksyon niya, nginitian niya muna ito bago siya dumeretso sa fridge, buti nalang at may stock ng gatas sa fridge ni Europe. She grabbed the carton and poured herself some before making her way to the island and sat comfortably at the other stool. There was a moment of silence between them, hindi niya na makayanan ang katahimikan, so Asia decided to break the ice.âDo you think it was my cousin, Raf, that Rafa was talking to earlieâââDid you mean it?ââMean what?ââWhat you said earlier,â Europe answered. âDid you mean it?ââI said a lot earlier, Europe, alin sa mga âyun ang tinut
The game went on for a few rounds, the questions and dares got a little harder than she expected. Questions such as: ilan na ang naging boyfriend niya, to which she answered three, na hindi sila gaanoâng convinced so she drank two shots of alcohol. Also questions like: who was her first love and how she moved on from her exes, and with whom was her longest relationship with and if she ever had sex before. âThe longest relationshipâŠâ she mumbled. âIâd say⊠Troy? Probably Troy, yea.â âTroy? As in, Troy Cruz?â gulat na gulat ulit na tanong ni Kian sa kanya. âMm-hmm.â âYou were exes?!â âYep.â sinamahan niya pa ng tango. âBut heâs married now so⊠and werâe still friends, too, so everythingâs well.â âDiba you did a project together just recently?â âWe did, yea, special request kasi ng photographer friend ko from New York, di ko matanggihan. He was basically the reason why I survived living independently abroad.â âYou lived abroad?â âYep, my whole career as a CEO basically start
After maka-ikot at makabalik na ulit sa kanya ang tanong, Kian excitedly asked, na mukhaâng kanina pa talaga nito hinihintay. âSo, Awa, which entertainment company do you own?âShaking her head and smiling, she replied, âYou take a guess.âThere was excitement in Kianâs eyes at the thought. âImposibleâng Joy kasi hindi mo aura âyung ganun. OT?âStill smiling knowingly with her lips slightly pursed, she kept herself quiet. Rafa at the other end was chuckling quietly to herself. Lumipad ang tingin ni Kian sa kaibigan at nanungot ang noo nito.âYou know something, donât you?âEveryone looked over at Rafa who just kept herself quiet. âYou do know something, Rafa.ââI might but itâs not my question to answer, Kian.ââWA.â she suddenly blurted out. Agad-agad lumingon si Kian sa kanya, nanlalaki ang mga mata. Kahit si Niel ay nilingon siya, unblinking, shocked, speechless. Mahina siyaâng napatawa dahil sa reaksyon ng mga kasama. âFor real?â halos panabay na sigaw ni Kian at
The answer to that was to be expected, but of course, hindi pa rin nila mapigilan hintayin ang magiging sagot ni Izza sa tanong na iyon. So when Izza finally replied, âOf course, Rence, I will.â with such glee, they all cheered for them, umulan bigla ng throw pillows. âWow,â Richard muttered under his breath, a little shocked. âHoly shit!â natatawaâng sabi nalang ni Greg. For a few moments, the whole living area was filled with clapping and cheering, of Congratulations and Thank youâs. âGagi, hindi kami ready sa proposal mo, Rence!â na-iiling na bulalas ni Kian. âPero, potek na âyan, bakit ang romantic pa rin?!â âGirl, inggit ka lang, iinom mo muna âyan.â tukso ni Niel. âCongratulations ulit sa inyoâng dalawa,â bati ni Awa sa dalawa. To which they both replied in unison with, âthank you.â âSiya, weâll celebrate it again later, for nowâŠâ nakangitiâng anunsiyo ni Niel at tumingin sa dereksyon niya. âitâs finally Awaâs turn to ask.âSince si Rence ang huling nagtanong, ito na
After dinner, she tried staying away from Europe. Emphasis on tried. Dahil after nila mag-dinner, they decided to watch a movie, totally random picked, at talagaâng sinadya silang pagtabihin ng mga kasama nila. The movie was⊠not entertaining enough to them. Laging kinu-kontra ni Niel at Kian ang mga scenes althroughout the movie. âBakit pa ba natin kasi pinanuod?â maktol ni Greg. âLalaitin niyo lang naman pala.â âConstructive criticism ang tawag dun.â depensa ni Kian. âAling banda doon ang constructive, ha?â âLahat, duh!â Actually, talagaâng nilait lang nila âyung movie. Minsan tinatama pa nga kasi hindi naman daw âyun ang nangyar sa libro. And she completely understand; nabasa na rin niya kasi âyung libro, in fact one of her favourites, and they totally ruined the whole story. After watching, since maaga pa sa kanila ang ten oâclock, they moved the table to the side and they formed a circle in the carpet. Niel decided for them to play: truth or dare. They have this rule:
Nakakunot ang noo ni Awa nang magtanong siya. âWhy? Arenât they friends with her?â Iling ang naisagot ng binata sa kanya. âNot really.â âCan I ask why?â âFor reasons that are: one) weâre more like an arranged couple.. or something like that, two) they didnât entirely like her personality.. and to quote Niel, âsheâs a bitch.â âAnd three) because she took us for granted.â âWaitâŠâ she paused, her hand hanging halfway out of the ecobag, âwhat do you mean arranged couple?â âYou know how in corporate families, arranged marraige is a common thing.. to further expand the company and the connections, right? So both our parents wanted the same but since we were still in high school then,they settled for us to become a couple.. for the time being. âI was friends with Rence, Enzo and Greg, then. So they know all about that deal. Aya was, then, my first and only girlfriend. I admit, I didnât like her at first but eventually I came around. âHimala nga at natagalan namin ang isaât isa at
âWait,â Last urgently said, she could swear sheâs making this sniffing sound. And knowing Last, kinakabahan na siya dahil sa talas ng memorya at amoy nito. Sigurado si Awa na may ideya na ito kung sino at kaninoâng amoy iyon. âI know this smellâŠâ âWhat?â naguguluhaâng tanong ni White. âThis smell is familiar,â âBaka si Raf lang,â dinig niyaâng sagot ni Ember sa background. âNandito siya, e.â âNo,â mabilis na sagot ni Last, âI know how Kuya Raf smellsâŠâ âThe fuck?â natatawang sabi ni Raf, âAnd how exactly do I smell, Last Alaine?â âAmoy malandi at playboy.â mabilis na sagot ng nakababatang pinsan, na tinawanan nilang lahat. âTotoo kaya!â âThat was rather harsh, Huli.â âTruth hurts, Kuya, suck it up.â âParaâng hindi tayo mag-pinsan, ah, need I remind, you that weâre all basically carved from the same wood.â âTrue, but you were carved first, so there might be slight differences here and there.â Last retorted back quickly. âAnyway, as I was saying, Ate Awa⊠sinong nagnakaw sa
Chapter Sixty Eight âYou, guys, are always heavy on food,â Asia commented as she swallowed a spoonful of baked potato casserole she ordered. âAnd alcohol.â She added before chewing her food, to which her eyes bulged and darted down her food. âHoly Hera!â she softly exclaimed. âThis is delicious!â That earned a laugh from her friends, probably starting to get weirded out with her. Sue her, it was her first time eating a baked potato casserole and it automatically hit her top fave food. She fished her phone from her bag and took a snap before she continued to savour heaven in a form of potato. Nasa isang food park sila malapit sa, as usual, bahay ni Europe. Hindi ba niya alam baât trip ng mga âto lagi tumambay sa bahay ng binata. At, oo, mag-o-overnight na naman sila mamaya. According to Kian, libre raw ng manliligaw ni Rafa ang lunch nila ngayon. They actually got to meet them earlier, kaso may biglaang lakad ito kaya umalis
âSan taâyo?â was Kianâs question after the event. May iilan paâng libroâng tinatapos na pirmahan ni Rafa, kaya hinihintay nila ito sa may tabi. âNag-aya si Rafa, e. Libre niya raw.â âTapos deretso overnight?â umaasaâng tanong ni Greg. âOo yata.â âSaan tayo mag-o-overnight?â asked Niel and everyoneâs eyes flew over where Awa and Europe were standing. Mukhaâng napansin ito ng binata kaya agad itoâng lumingon sa kanila at pinagkunutan ng noo. âWhat?â âOvernight daw,â âGeh,â was his only reply. Binalik ng binata ang tingin niya kay Asia. âCoffee?â Asia turned to face Europe, a wicked, teasing smile on her lips. âIkaw, ha, are you low-key trying to ask me out on a coffee date?â Europe shrugged and looked at her straight in the eyes, âMaybe.â For a brief moment, they held each otherâs gazes, as if they were in their own little bubble, like everything around them turned into a blur. âAbsolutely,â Asia beamed, âpero pwede baâng iba puntahan natin? I know a place.â Tumango lang n