“You’re Late, I snapped at C as he approached. Not ten seconds ago. I watched a Tanya, a girl from somewhere, passed him by as he walked in our direction. She chatted him up for a good minute, and then touched his arm before saying goodbye, flashing him her most winning smile. He watched her walk away before approaching us, taking his sweet time.
But he was 1 hour and 15 minutes late, and we had missed the Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo (KKK) movie we had wanted to see. Chaye and I were excited to see this movie, and C and his friend Alien had reluctantly agreed to come watch with us if we treated them to Fiesta San Miguel.
“Really sorry,” C said, apologetic. We called your LG KE800 , you were asleep.” I was trying to remember whether C thought Tanya was cute.” Don’t you have clocks?” I said dryly.
Chaye looked at me sharply “It’s no problem, hehehe! We’re good, we’re okay. We’re watching KKK,” she declared as she steered all of us towards the ticket booth.
“Dude, you’re gonna be the end of me,” Alien complained to C behind me. “Juday and Ryan film?! I wanted a no-brainer afternoon!”
I turned to him and laughed. Alien was rather cute, in a slacker – rebel-devil-may-care sort of way. “I know! I wanted to pick up hip lingo and ogle at pretty clothes,” I confessed.
C looked at Alien and then at me and glowered, “What are you talking about? You live for stupid culture! You couldn’t forgive me for sleeping through lost in translation!”
I gave him a fake smile. “Well, that’s not the only time you got in trouble for napping, now is it?” I said, sarcastic.
C gave me a deep bored look before ignoring me. “Tanya was looking awfully cute, wasn’t she?” he asked Alien.
Alien shrugged. “So R, do you like Sharon Cuneta?” he asked me, ignoring him. I was really beginning to like this Alien.
I sat down next to him in the theater only to have C plop down beside me to my right. I leaned back in a huff and squished C’s arm behind me as he was passing Alien some potato chips.
“Oww!” he cried out.” If you wanted to get back at me for something, assault is not the way to go, you know?” he whispered in my ear.
“Well, witty, sarcastic, and dry dialogue might not work either” cause I’m not sure you won’t sleep through that,” I whispered back.
For the rest of the movie, Alien was chatty, which I enjoyed. I laughed and agreed with all of his observations, conscious of the fact that C was sulking beside me, stuffing his face with potato chips.
When the movie ended, it was drizzling out. We’d had merienda, and we were ready to head home. Alien’s dad’s car swung by, and we bid him goodbye. “Had a really fun time,” I called out after him. C rolled his eyes.
Chaye was going to take me home, and C was staying behind to have dinner at the mall with his boss. I’ll go look for the driver; he might be sleeping in the car. We’ll swing by for you!” she advised, already out in the pavement, with the mall guard holding out an umbrella for her.
I looked at C, the image of him checking out Tanya as she walked away, all but erased from my memory.” I’m going after her, I know where we’re parked,” I said stepping out into the rain.
Behind me, I head him groan in frustration. The next thing I knew, he was walking beside me, stripping off his jacket and holding it up over my head so I wouldn’t get wet.
“You’ll get sick,” he explained quietly.
“Get in here with me,” I said.
“It’s not big enough, you’ll get wet.”
“Please,” I pleaded. We’ll fit.”
And we did. And we walked in silence, his arm around me , his hand over my head , and my heart in my throat.
