Strange Compatibility

Chapter Ten

Debby

After eating our breakfast, we decided to split our friends up to hatid them sa bahay nila. I am with Hugo, Rafa, and Mandi. Sasha was with Kate and Aikah. Yohan—well, he's all by himself. He offered to take Mandi home but I shushed him off by throwing him out of the house.

  It's been ten minutes since we got on the road pero ngayon lang sila nagtanong sa akin, “Deb, jowa mo ba 'yung poging katitigan mo kanina?”

  I almost laugh at the thought of me and Yohan being mag jowa. I shook my head, eyes focused on the road. “Nah. We are just good friends.”

  “Bagay pa naman kayo. Pag kayo nagkatuluyan, kabog ang mga babies ninyo teh!” Hugo added but I shook my head.

  “It won't happen naman, I'm not interested in him. Sometimes we flirt but friends flirt with each other naman diba?” I didn't mean to glance at Mandi's way when I was saying that. I saw her squirmed on her seat and cleared her throat. Did I make her uncomfortable?

  “Ayos ka lang, Mands?” her friend ask.

  I can see her nod in the mirror, but her face screams the opposite.

  “Mukha kang natatae 'teh. Ayos ka lang ba?”

  She nods again. Weird. Baka she's not feeling well. “Do you want us to stop over a comfort room, M?” I ask, giving her a side glance.

  “Ayos lang ako. May iniisip lang ako, don't mind me, guys.”

   I decided to drop it nalang. Hugo was the first one to be dropped off and Rafa was next. When the guys got out, we are again filled with awkward silence.

  I don't know where that awkwardness came from but none of us decided to speak so I guess we don't want to talk about it. I turned the music on and almost laugh when Sleeping With The Siren's If I'm James Dean You're Audrey Hepburn played.

  Mandi kind of jumped out of her seat sa intro. “Geez, wala namang gulatan.”

  “Sorry, didn't know it's going to play." I shoot her a glace, "Are you really alright, M?”

  “Oo naman, may iniisip lang ako.”

  “What is it ba?” I asked.

  She stayed silent for a few minutes before she asked, “Naniniwala ka ba na may sumpa ang kantang ito?”

  I frown at her. Sumpa? How come? “What sumpa?”

  “Marami kasi ang nagsasabi na kapag ito raw ang ginawa nilang love song sa love story nila, maghihiwalay raw sila.”

  I snorted at the silliness of the though. “There's no such thing as that. If they made this as their couple song and they broke up, it's their fault. It's not like the song has anything to do with how they make their relationship work.”

  She nods at me and smile. “True, ang ganda neto para maging sumpa eh.”

  I nod in agreement. The awkward silence was replaced with the comforting music and us commenting to it, which made me feel at ease again. Thank heavens the thick clouds is gone.