Thirty-Two

"Thanks," I said to Ali before opening the car door to get out.

"No problem. Anytime, Lui, as long as it's you."

"Alright, drive safely." I blew him a flying kiss before finally stepping through the apartment gate.

"Hey! Why are you only getting home now? Where have you been? Your stepmother called earlier, but I just told her you were with your high school classmates," Nika greeted me the moment I walked in. She was heading to her room from the kitchen.

"I was just hanging out at Ali's place for a few days. We had such a good time bonding since we haven't seen each other in a while, and we're not sure when we'll get to go out again," I lied. The truth was, I hadn't gone home for two days because I was sick with a fever.

"Oh, I see. Have you eaten? If not, there's food in the fridge—just heat it up. VM isn't here. The lovebirds went on a date; they left before lunchtime."

"I'll eat later. I'm not hungry yet. What have you been up to?"

"Just doing some advanced studying. I just finished, actually. I was heading to the kitchen to get some water."

"Okay, I'll just go change."

"Alright, I'll be in my room. Knock if you need anything." After changing, I lay down on my bed, turned on my CD player, and put on my earphones.

"Nika? Nika!" I heard Manang calling for her. I didn't catch what they were talking about when Nika stepped out of her room.

"Lui! Are you awake?" She knocked three times before opening my door.

"No, I'm just listening to music. Why?"

"Manang said you have a call. She called me because she wanted to check if you were home. Maybe it's your ever-generous stepmother," she teased with a smirk.

"Oh, alright. Thanks. I'll take it."

Me: Hello?

Amal: Lui, how are you? I called yesterday, but they said you weren't home because you were with your friends.

Me: Yes. Why did you call?

Amal: Just checking in on you. Your father was asking how you've been.

Me: Oh, I see. Please tell him I'm doing fine. I'll be busy again starting Monday since classes are resuming.

Amal: That's good. You should cut down on your drinking.

I froze at her words, my heart pounding.

Me: O-Okay.

Amal: Alright, take care. Bye.

She hung up before I could even respond.

Who does she think she is, telling me what to do? What does it matter to her if I drink every day? She thinks everything is fine just because I'm being civil with her?

The truth is, I don't know when I'll ever accept this new family setup. To be honest, I'm not okay. I don't accept her. But since I have no choice, I have to tolerate her. It's not like fighting back would do me any good.

I was in a bad mood because of what she said. Even after lying back down and turning up the music, I couldn't get her words out of my head. It was like her voice kept replaying over and over, carving itself into my mind.

"Hey! Are you okay?" Nika nudged me.

"Huh?"

"You seem really lost in thought. I knocked, but you didn't even hear me."

"Sorry, I had my earphones on."

"Yeah, right. I know you—you can still hear things even with those earphones glued to your ears. You didn't even notice when your door opened."

"I just got annoyed at Amal," I said, sitting up on the edge of my bed and patting the space beside me for Nika to sit.

"Why? What happened?"

"At first, she was just checking on me, but before ending the call, she started lecturing me about drinking. Does she think that just because I can be civil with her, I've accepted our situation? Does she think I'm not hurting from all of this? I'm even worried about my siblings calling me any time now. I don't even know what to do if they do. I don't know whether to tell them or not."

"Sorry, Lui. I really don't know what to say about all this. I wish I could help," she said sadly.

"It's okay. Even if you were in my place, you wouldn't know what to say either," I sighed.

"Let's eat dinner first? Come on!"

Monday came—back to being a college student.

But honestly, we were probably the most chill college students, hanging around campus like we had nothing better to do. Today, we were finally finding out where we'd be assigned for our internships. Our group was split into teams of three, and we'd have to draw lots to determine our first assignment—TV, print, or radio. After that, our professor would assign us to specific TV stations, publishing houses, or radio stations.

For the rest of the day, we just hung out. In the end, we went on a food trip with our groupmates. Our OJT (on-the-job training) wouldn't start until next Monday, so we were basically free this week. Still, we had to be on campus for attendance.

"You guys are being too loud. There's a class inside! We're dead if the professor comes out," Blue warned.

We had just come back from lunch, and now we were hanging out in the MC Center. It was too hot in the lounge, so we stayed here where there was air conditioning.

"So, what's the plan? This is so boring—we're just sitting around doing nothing," I complained.

"Ugh, I've been wanting to leave for a while now," Zette added.

"Should we ask if we can leave early? We're not doing anything anyway," Blue suggested.

"You should ask. You're the team leader! Some of our classmates are outside chilling—we have no idea what they're even up to. And here we are, playing heroes by suffering through boredom," Mitch grumbled.

"Oh, really? You're bored? Because just a while ago, you and Kim were flirting like we weren't even here," Zette teased.

"Come on, Blue, ask already before these two-start bickering again," I interjected, hoping to avoid another round of playful banter escalating into an argument.

"Hey, don't forget! When you were with your ex, we never said anything—even when you two were practically making out in front of us. We didn't complain," Mitch shot back at Zette.

"Alright, enough! Cut it out. Let's be real—every single one of us here has a playful side, so this is totally normal."

"Oh, really?"

"Wow! Did you two really have to say the same thing at the same time?" We all burst out laughing.

"Mitch, ahem! Looks like our dear friend here has something to share. You're glowing! And that smile—so different!"

"Oh, I should've just let you guys keep arguing. Now I'm the one getting grilled," I grumbled.

"Oh, come on! How about we grab some drinks for a long, juicy conversation?" They both laughed, and I ended up laughing with them.

"Alright, let's go! We're free to leave now," someone announced cheerfully after coming from the professor's office.

"Where's Roy?" Zette asked.

"He went downstairs. Said we should just meet him at the lounge—he went with Mel," I answered.

When we got to the lounge, most of our classmates were there—not just our groupmates.

"Lui! I have something to show you. My cousin gave it to me," Roy called out excitedly.

"Oh, you got one too? Nice! You're really hooked on his music now!" He showed me his new Kenny G album, and we started talking about other artists and albums.

Meanwhile, we had no idea what our other groupmates were talking about.

"Hey, let's go!" Mitch suddenly called out.

"Huh?" Roy and I both asked in confusion.

"We're heading out! Are you guys staying behind?" Zette asked.

Roy and I continued chatting as we followed the others. He had his CD player with him this time, so we shared his earphones.

"What's going on?" Roy asked Blue, who was busy grabbing chips. We were now in the grocery section of the mall, even though it was only past two in the afternoon.

"Nothing special. This is what you call 'when boredom strikes!'" Blue grinned.

"It's way too early for this!" Roy complained.

"So what? Why does it matter if it's early? We have nothing to do at school—we're just sitting around like idiots."

"It's fine. If we start early, we'll end early," I added.

After paying for everything, Roy and I chipped in and then stepped outside to wait for the others.

"Really?"

"Yeah, seriously!"

We were happily chatting while watching the fish in the aquarium outside the pet shop near the grocery store.

"Lui?" I turned around immediately when I heard someone call my name.

"Oh, hey!" I was surprised to see him.

"Hi. No classes today?" Georje greeted me.

"Hi! Nope, our OJT doesn't start until next week. What about you?"

"Same," he replied shortly.

"What are you up to?"

"Nothing much. Just passing by—I was looking for a payphone to call Ali," he explained.

"If you don't have plans, wanna join us? We're heading to Mitch's place. Actually, the rest of the group is over there at the counter," I said, pointing at Mitch, Blue, and Zette.

"Nah, I don't want to intrude. You guys probably have schoolwork to do."

"Nah, man, we're just drinking. The group decided on it last minute because we were too bored at school," Roy explained.

"So, you coming?" I asked.

"Sure," he agreed.

Minutes later...

"Guys! Just a heads-up—I invited Georje to come with us."

"Hi, Georje!" Mitch and Zette greeted him in unison.

"Yeah, no problem! Now we can get to know you better," it's Blue.

Not everyone in our group was here since some had one or two minor subjects to attend—Peachy, Mel, and a few others.

When we got to the house, we decided to cook food instead of ordering since there was plenty left in the fridge from Amal's grocery run.

The guys immediately started drinking while Mitch and I cooked. Zette joined them after helping us for a bit.

"How are you?" Georje whispered once we were sitting next to each other.

"I'm okay. My fever didn't come back last night. I took the last of the pain relievers and paracetamol you guys gave me," I replied.

"Good. But you're drinking again... and how many cigarettes have you had since we got here?" He glanced at the cigarette in my hand.

"Oh no, Lui! You're in trouble!" Zette teased. She was sitting on Georje's other side, so she obviously overheard. Everyone burst out laughing and turned to look at me and Georje.

"It's fine. I can handle it!" I boasted.

"Oh, Lui, I feel like you're not telling us everything," Zette added, while Mitch, Roy, and Blue laughed along.

"Alright, here's the deal. I got ridiculously drunk a few days ago because Ali threw a post-birthday celebration. He picked me up from the apartment. Jed and his best friend Jerome were with us too. I passed out, and the next day, I had a fever," I admitted.

Then they all teased me, saying I was weak for not being able to hold my liquor.

Of course, I couldn't just say that my fever wasn't because of the alcohol.

"And yet, here you are drinking again! What a champ!" Roy teased, making everyone laugh.

We kept the fun going, filled with teasing and jokes. Georje only spoke when asked, but he was still drinking, even if just a little.

Around six in the evening, Kim arrived, but by then, we were all already feeling the effects of the alcohol.

By ten in the evening, Roy and Blue decided to call it a night. They also took responsibility for taking Zette home since she insisted on leaving—she hadn't told anyone she wouldn't be coming home.

In the end, it was just the four of us left. Kim stayed behind since no one else could take care of Mitch, who was completely wasted.

As for Georje and me, we ended up sleeping together. He wasn't used to drinking, but he had too much after getting egged on. I guess he took the teasing to heart—someone had joked that I could hold my liquor better than him, and he clearly wanted to prove them wrong. That backfired, though, and he ended up completely drunk.

For the second time, something happened that shouldn't have. But this time, it was fair—we were both drunk. It wasn't planned. We just gave in to the moment.

We forgot all sense of shame, and for a while, it felt like we were the only two people in the world.

The next day, we didn't talk about it. We just acted normal, like nothing had changed. He said he was heading home since he had no classes yet, and I didn't ask any further. After saying our goodbyes, Mitch and I went straight to school, while Kim went home first to shower and change before her afternoon class. And just like that, Mitch and Zette started teasing me again.

"No need to say anything, Lui. We don't even have to guess anymore. We already know," they said, laughing.

"Wow, Lui's all grown up now!" They kept repeating it, cracking up every time.

Like the day before, we were just hanging out. Out of boredom, we went on a street food binge, coming up with random ways to kill time.

"The OJT polo shirts will be available for pickup tomorrow morning," Blue announced when he caught up with us at the fish ball stand. He had just come from a meeting with the group leaders.

"That's good, so we won't be in a rush. I still need to wash mine," Peachy said.

"Yeah, it's just right since tomorrow's only Friday," I added.

"Excuse me, Ma'am Lui?" a familiar voice called out.

I turned to see a guy I recognized.

"Yes?" I asked as the group suddenly went quiet. Just moments ago, they were all chattering away while eating.

"Where is your car parked? I'll follow after I finish eating. You should grab a bite first," I offered.

"No need, Ma'am. The car's just over there," he said, pointing to the right. I immediately spotted the black SUV parked by the roadside.

He quickly walked back to it.

"Just a sec, guys. I'll go check it out," I told them after popping the last piece of kwek-kwek into my mouth, followed by a fish ball. They just nodded, still busy eating.

When I reached the car, I knocked on the window. We talked inside for a few minutes—he just wanted to check up on me.

"Lui, is something wrong? Do you need someone to talk to? Just in case," Mitch asked gently when we got home. After my conversation with Amal, I was back with Zette and Mitch at their place.

"Actually, yeah. There's something I wanted to tell you both, but I just couldn't find the right time! So much has happened in just a few days. Honestly, everything is happening so fast. I never thought I'd experience something like this," I admitted, lighting a cigarette as we sat on the terrace.

"What do you mean?"

"It's really hard to explain. Even I don't understand how all of this happened to me," I added, before telling her everything from the beginning.

"Wow, things like that actually happen in real life?" Mitch asked in disbelief.

"Exactly! That's what I said, too," I replied, shaking my head with a small laugh.

"I'm speechless. Sorry, I don't even know what to say."

"No, Mitch. Stop saying sorry. There's nothing to be sorry for."

"That's a tough situation… Was that why you got so drunk when you were with Georje and Ali?" she asked. I just nodded.

"Thank God I was able to open up to Ali. But not to Georje—because something happened!"

"What? Something else happened?" she asked, eyes wide.

So, to complete the story, I told her what had happened that night. But I didn't go into detail—partly because I didn't even remember everything myself. I just told her the main points, and I knew she would get what I meant.

"Seriously? No way! What the hell, Lui? So many shocking revelations! I don't think I can handle all of this!" Mitch exclaimed dramatically.

"I'm serious. Whether you believe me or not is up to you. Honestly, I had the same reaction when I found out. I was flabbergasted with myself! I was like, 'Did I really do that?!' It didn't sink in right away, especially since I couldn't remember anything no matter how hard I tried. But then, I moved—and it really hurt down there," I said, shaking my head.

That was when I told myself, "Wow, I was really reckless! My gosh!"

People used to say I looked tough and unbothered, but that image of me was completely erased after what happened. It turns out, I wasn't that tough—I was just as vulnerable as anyone else.

Mitch and I burst into laughter at that.

At least, the weight I was carrying felt a little lighter. But I still wasn't okay. Accepting everything wasn't that easy. My mind was still full of questions, but I knew that not everything had an immediate answer.

We continued our serious yet lighthearted conversation until it was time for dinner. Moments like these were rare, especially when the whole group was together. Most of the time, we were just messing around, teasing each other non-stop.

We always chose to joke around instead of dwelling on stress. It helped keep us from losing our tempers and arguing. Because back when we first started hanging out, we actually had a few fights! Eventually, we learned to change how we handled things, so our group wouldn't fall apart.