Twenty-Nine

"Morning," Peachy greeted me when she saw me turn to face her. Zette was on my right side, still fast asleep, facing away from me.

"Morning," I replied with a smile. We silently agreed to get up and heat the food.

Peachy and I were busy in the kitchen when the boys started waking up one by one, clearly still feeling the effects of last night's drinking.

We all laughed at each other's faces—we all still looked hungover.

Our brunch was filled with teasing because, apparently, my birthday had turned into a two-day celebration with all the food still left. They joked that instead of coffee or soft drinks, we should be having another round of drinks for "Day Two" Crazy guys!

An hour later, they all said their goodbyes, worried their families might start looking for them. They only asked permission to stay overnight, not for three days and two nights.

I got teased a lot because of what happened, but honestly, I was just happy to have spent time with them.

Even though we were still feeling off, Kim, Mitch, and I started cleaning up. I volunteered for the kitchen since there were a lot of dishes and messes to take care of.

The two of them cleaned the living room and terrace. By the time we finished, we all collapsed from exhaustion.

"By the way, grades will be released on Monday. We need to go early so we can get our schedules too," Kim reminded us.

"You're the only one who needs a schedule—we don't have minors anymore," Mitch replied.

"Really? No more minor subjects?"

I nodded, while Mitch added, "Yeah! All we need to enroll in now is our OJT. Thanks to Lui, I got rid of all my minors before OJT."

"That's unfair! I still have a bunch of minors left," Kim grumbled.

"That's because you're a transferee. Don't worry, I'll teach you how to plan your subjects so you can finish your minors before OJT and avoid the stress," Mitch said sweetly.

"So unfair! Not only can I not join you for OJT, but I'll also be left behind in January for another month," Kim said, looking disheartened.

"Sorry! But it's not like we knew you'd transfer here from Manila. Hello?"

We all burst into laughter at Mitch's comment.

Monday morning came, and we left the house a little past seven.

I got my grades and was on my way to meet Mitch at the Registrar's Office when I ran into VM and his classmates. I thought he wouldn't acknowledge me.

"Lui!"

"Hi!"

She hugged me and greeted me with a belated happy birthday.

"Thank you! Are you free later? Is Nika here too? Let's go out—my treat!" I invited her, suddenly feeling lighter.

"Sure! We missed you, you crazy girl!"

"Alright, let's meet at the lounge. If you see Nika, let her know. I'll tell her too if I see her," I said with a smile.

"Got it. I'm heading to the Registrar now. Did you get all your grades?" she asked.

"Just one more to pick up, then we're heading there. See you later. Take care!"

"You too!"

When I got to the Registrar's Office, there were only about four people in line, so I quickly queued up to get my schedule and enroll.

"Zette!"

"Good thing you lined up already. Where's Mitch? I thought she was here?"

"She's not here yet. I thought you guys came together?"

"Maybe she's still helping Kim get her grades."

"Yeah, she was really emotional about it," I said, shaking my head.

Zette high-fived me, and we both laughed, remembering Kim's mini breakdown.

The night before, when we were talking about it, Zette happened to call, so we told her all about it.

Not long after, Mitch and Kim arrived, but I had just finished at the Registrar and was heading to the cashier. I waited for Zette since she was next in line after me.

We left Mitch and Kim at the Registrar's Office and went straight to the cashier to pay. Luckily, just like at the Registrar, the line was still short.

It was only the first day, and it was still early. Most students were probably still collecting their grades. By noon, it would definitely be crowded.

By lunchtime, we were done. We hung out at the lounge while waiting for our groupmates—none of whom we had run into yet.

"Mitch, Zette, Kim, I won't be going home with you guys later. I'm meeting VM and Nika—we have a dinner date," I informed them.

"Sure!" "Okay!" Thumbs up—those were the responses I got from all three of them.

We had lunch with our groupmates at a spot across from the school since they still needed to go to the Registrar afterward. They hadn't gone early and struggled to find their professors, so they ended up stuck in long lines.

"Nika!"

"Lui!"

We immediately hugged, and she whispered to me, "Belated Happy Birthday! I missed you!"

"Thank you! I missed you too!"

VM just watched us calmly as he sat down.

"Let's go!" I urged them.

VM immediately stood up and walked over to us, and the three of us headed toward the gate together.

"Where do you guys want to eat? Hurry, think of something! I still have some extra cash left after paying earlier. I don't have to worry about anything anymore—I've already covered the whole semester," I boasted.

"Hmm, what sounds good to eat right now?" They both fell into thought.

We decided to walk to the mall since it had a lot of food options.

"I missed this. It's a shame it's just the three of us now since the others have already graduated," VM said wistfully, holding onto my arm as we walked.

"Yeah, and now it's our turn to be busy. We'll each have our own OJT," I added.

"I'm feeling a mix of excitement and sadness—excited to finally graduate, but sad that we'll be going our separate ways," Nika said.

"Ugh, we're being way too dramatic. We just enrolled! Classes and the internship orientation don't even start until next week," I joked.

We all burst into laughter.

They picked a Filipino restaurant because they were craving kare-kare and native desserts. After eating, we watched a movie, making the most of the day since we didn't know when we'd get another chance to hang out like this again. It had been a long time since the last time we were together.

The date was fun, but before leaving the mall, we grabbed some takeout since we had eaten dinner early. That way, we could just have burgers and fries when we got back to the apartment.

After changing into comfortable clothes, we gathered in the living room to watch TV. But instead, I decided to tell them everything that had happened—everything except about Georje.

"First of all, I'm sorry it took me so long to come back and spend time with you guys. I know I owe you both a lot, and I know you're upset with me. I'm really sorry. Second, I have something important to tell you, because one day, someone you don't know might suddenly show up here, and you'll have no idea what's going on. A few days before my birthday, a bomb dropped in my life," I said. They exchanged glances before both turning their eyes to me.

"You're thinking the wrong thing! If you're assuming I'm pregnant—no, I'm not. But I promise, what I'm about to tell you is even more shocking. Even I still can't believe things like this actually happen in real life. You guys are the only ones I have the courage to share this with. That perfect family you thought I had? It's all a big lie!" They stayed silent, just listening as I continued.

"When I went home, I woke up to my parents shouting and the sound of things breaking downstairs. That's when I found out—my dad has another woman. The weird part? The day after I learned everything, I actually met her. She's beautiful, young—probably in her late twenties—sophisticated, rich, and a total spoiled brat," I said, looking down.

I wasn't sure what they were thinking, but they remained quiet, letting me continue my story.

"The ironic thing is, she was polite when she spoke to my mom. She even brought fresh fruits and medicine for my dad since he's on leave. She told us to just let her take care of him while my dad was at our work, and she promised not to interfere during weekends as long as my dad was home. She even said she'd cover my dad's maintenance meds and offered my mom 20,000 pesos every month. She said she wasn't trying to take my dad away, that she knew her place in his life. She didn't want to cause trouble between my parents or make them separate because of her," I continued. Nika and VM just sat there, completely stunned, not even trying to ask questions.

I took a deep breath before going on.

"On my way back here, she insisted on giving me a ride. Then she asked me to accompany her to the mall because she had something to buy. Turns out, she just wanted to take me shopping—buying me all sorts of things she picked out with the help of the saleslady. She's not someone you can say 'no' to—she's terrifying. Her brothers once kidnapped my dad just to threaten him, warning that if he ever left her, he'd never see me or my sibling again. My mom and my sibling even met her brothers once when she invited them to a restaurant in a hotel. They were completely blindsided by what happened and the things they heard about my dad and her, but they couldn't do anything because they knew they had no power against them," I added.

"That's why I'm telling you this now—so you won't be surprised if she suddenly shows up here, looking for me or dropping off a bunch of groceries and other stuff. That's also why she dragged me to those luxury boutiques and picked out clothes for me. She's the kind of person who won't take 'no' for an answer," I finished. None of us spoke right away. We just sat there, stunned, our mouths shut tight.

Finally, Nika broke the silence.

"How are you?" she asked softly.

"I don't know how to answer that question. My mind is a mess—completely chaotic. I've been carrying this heavy feeling for days, unable to cry no matter what I do. Even though I know I'm deeply hurt, for some reason, the tears just wouldn't fall. But when I entered the church on my birthday, that's when I finally broke down and let it all out," I said, finishing my story.

"Sorry, Lui. I don't know what to say. My mind just went completely blank," VM said apologetically.

"It's okay. Even I felt blank for a long time. Maybe that's why I couldn't cry immediately after finding out," I explained.

The next thing I knew, they both hugged me tightly, and that was when I finally broke down. I hadn't planned to cry—I really thought I wouldn't. I had managed to tell my story without shedding a single tear. But as soon as I felt their embrace, the tears just started pouring out.

After the emotional moment, we ate together. But as I lay down later that night, my thoughts drifted to Georje again. He still hadn't reached out, and I had no idea why.

I woke up feeling lighter, probably because I had finally opened up to someone.

"Morning," Nika greeted me when I arrived in the kitchen.

"Morning," I greeted back.

"We're having pandesal for now—we haven't done groceries yet," Nika said.

"Yeah, let's just do it later," I agreed.

"Morning," VM greeted as she entered from outside.

"Morning. Where have you been?" I asked.

"I called David to let him know I finished enrolling, so he wouldn't end up waiting for me," she explained.

"Are you coming with us? We're going grocery shopping later," I asked while grabbing a pandesal, having just finished making my coffee.

"Of course, I am!"

"I thought you were meeting up with David today," Nika chimed in, already eating, while VM prepared her hot chocolate—she was the only one among us who didn't drink coffee.

"He's just picking up his grades and enrolling today," VM replied.

"I think the apartment's clean enough, so we don't need to do a full general cleaning," Nika remarked.

"That's because I already cleaned a few days ago," I said.

"Thanks!" they both said in unison, to which I just smiled.

After breakfast, we all went about our own tasks so we could leave for the grocery store. As we stepped out of the apartment gate...

"Lui!" I heard a familiar voice calling me. I quickly looked around, searching for the source of the voice.

"Hold on, I'll just talk to someone really quick," I told the two, and they nodded in response. I walked towards a car parked a few meters away from the gate.

"Hi, Lui! How are you? So, you're here! I called your friend's house, but they said you weren't there, so I decided to come find you."

"Hello, I'm okay."

"Looks like you and your friends are headed somewhere."

"Ah, yes. We're just going to the mall—we need to buy a few things."

"Let me take you there!" she offered cheerfully.

"Oh no, it's okay. There's really no need," I politely declined.

"Come on, just call them over. That way, you won't have to take public transport, and you won't have to deal with the heat," she insisted.

"Tsk! He really won't take no for an answer!"

"Alright, I'll call them," I finally agreed, knowing he wouldn't stop until I said yes.

"Come on, she's offering us a ride to the mall. Save your questions for later—just go along with whatever I say," I briefed them quickly, seeing the surprise on their faces.

Once we got into the SUV, I introduced them to each other. She got close to them right away, just like she did with me.

She shared that she had never experienced going to the mall with friends because she wasn't allowed to leave the house unless she was with her mom or her older brothers—plus a bodyguard. She never got to hang out freely with friends. No one asked her anything, but she just kept talking, and we quietly listened.

I had a feeling this would happen—she didn't leave our side when we got to the mall. She tagged along for grocery shopping, picking up random items while continuing to chat with us. The three of us kept exchanging glances because we noticed that whatever we put in the cart, she would add more of the same item. I knew VM and Nika were getting uneasy since we had a strict budget for the week.

And, just as I suspected, she volunteered to pay again. We couldn't do anything because she was quick to hand over the money at the counter before we could. It was as if she didn't care about the amount—pulling out crisp, whole bills like they meant nothing to her.

I couldn't even imagine how rich they were. It made me wonder why she was so carefree about spending money. Her face showed no hesitation or regret. And then, just like last time, she handed me the change from the cashier. I still had all the change from our previous shopping trip because she kept giving it to me.

Just like before, she treated me to a meal—except this time, VM and Nika were with us. She took us to a Chinese restaurant. Afterward, we stopped by a bookstore because VM and Nika needed to buy something. I didn't have any classes to attend anymore, so I just browsed through novels.

As expected, Amal paid for the novel I picked. Then, she dropped us off at our apartment. I tried to invite her inside, but she said she had to head home since they had a long drive ahead.

I knew that the moment we stepped inside, VM and Nika would bombard me with their thoughts.

"Wow! She's gorgeous—you can totally tell she's from a rich family. And the way she spends money? Crazy!" Nika exclaimed.

"Exactly! It's insane! Look at all the groceries—we have enough for a month! We usually just buy what we need for a week because we budget our allowance," VM added.

"Now you see how persistent she is when she wants something. The first time we went shopping together, she gave me such a headache," I shared.

"She's right—money isn't what she's after from your dad. I've never met anyone like her before. I was speechless the whole time," VM admitted.

"Yeah! And look, we even took home leftovers because she ordered so much food," Nika agreed.

"By the way, where are those clothes and shoes she bought for you?" VM asked.

"They're at Mitch's place. I had her drop me off there since I was alone here. But this is one of the two pairs of shoes she bought me," I said, lifting my foot to show them.

"Lucky you!"

"She really goes all out. Honestly, she doesn't even seem like a stepmother," VM commented.

"You're right. I mean, just look at us—there's such a huge difference! She has that rich-girl glow, while I... never mind," I said, making us all burst into laughter.

"It's pretty ironic, isn't it?" Nika muttered as she started unpacking the groceries, organizing the items in the cupboard and putting the frozen foods in the freezer.

"Lui! Phone call for you!" Manang called out.

"Coming!" I shouted back.

"I'll be right back. You guys can keep organizing," I said before stepping away. They just nodded in response as I walked out.

"Thank you, Manang," I said as I reached her outside Lola's house, the owner of our apartment unit.

"It's nothing, Lui," she replied with a smile.

Me: Hello?

Ali: Hello, Lui! Ugh, it's such a hassle when someone has multiple houses. It took me forever to track you down—I had to dial so many landline numbers before finally reaching you!

Me: Ugh, did you call just to complain?

Ali: Not really! I'm just stating facts. Anyway, before I forget why I called—are you free? Let's go out for your post-birthday celebration! I know classes start next week.

Me: Huh? Why are you only calling me now?

Ali: Well, we were busy with school stuff earlier. You know, enrollment and all that.

Me: Oh, right!

Ali: So, what do you say? It's still early! Want me to pick you up?

Me: No need. I'll just get dressed. Where are we going?

Ali: I'll swing by your apartment to pick you up. I'm nearby anyway—I just dropped off my cousin at their boarding house, and I know it's close to your place. Then, we'll meet the others at the bar.

Me: Okay, I'll be quick. I'll tell my housemates to let you in when you get here. Bye, see you!

Ali: Bye!

As soon as I got back inside the unit, I told VM and Nika that my childhood friend was picking me up for a post-birthday celebration.

I took another shower since I felt sticky, then quickly got dressed. I only brought my sling bag, where I kept my wallet—I didn't want to carry just my wallet because I might forget where I put it down.

Better safe than sorry. I'm always extra careful with my belongings, especially the important ones. That's why they always tease me for being too OC. But to me, I'm not obsessive—I'm just organized. I like keeping my things neat, from my clothes to my books and school supplies.