CUPID ON VACATION (FRANDEESAL)

Chapter 23

Amy's POV

Habang naglalakad pauwi dahil nasira ang sasakyan ni Kuya Pido kaya walang makakapagsundo samin. Wala din kasi ang Daddy ni Laney ngayon para sunduin siya kasi may out of town business trip.

"Oh ngayon masaya ka nang di okay si Frances at Jaydee?. Tsk. Bakit ba di mo nalang kasi sila hayaang maging masaya?." Sabi ni Laney.

"Seriously? Masaya habang nagdudusa si Madie?."

"Dapat lang sa kanya dahil sinaktan nya si Jaydee."

"Di mo sya kilala."

"Bakit?. Kilala mo ba si Frances?. Diba hindi rin?. So stop judging her." 

"Judging her?. I'm not judging her. Sinasabi ko lang ang totoo that she's too self-centered to even love someone like Jaydee for real."

"Bakit? Perfect ba yang si Madie?. Kapag nawala ang spell malamang babalik yan sa pangongolekta ng lalaki like she used to, tapos anong mangyayari kay Jaydee?. Nganga?. Mabuti pa kay Frances dahil at least sa kanya may pag-asa pa at di nya pa kailangang makipagkumpitensya sa kahit sinong lalaki. Jaydee is good for Frances kasi kapag minahal siya ni Frances matututo itong magkaroon ng paki sa ibang tao."

"That's the point, impossible syang mahalin ni Frances dahil wala syang paki sa ibang tao."

Pano ko nga ba nasasabi lahat ng to about Frances?.

FLASHBACK

Before the camp.

She only pretends to like or support something just because it makes people like her. Sumali siya sa against pride parade protest not because she really cared about civil rights or morality but because it was relevant during that time. She offered the protesters food and water pa pero narinig ko siya talking to Coleen sa isang gilid at ang sabi nya,

"Haaayst kahit kailan talaga mga patay gutom yang mga yan tsk. But feeding them makes me a good person so I don't mind." Galing mismo sa bibig ni Frances.

Table tennis.

Kakatapos lang ng tournament nila. Maraming lumapit sa kaniya magbigay ng gifts, flowers and chocolates. At kitang kita namin ni Laney kung pano nya tinapon lahat ng yun sa may basurahan sa di lang kalayuan sa school.

"Cheap gifts, cheap chocolates, stupid flowers tsk. Ano pa bang dapat iexpect?." Reklamo lang nito at naglakad na pabalik sa school. Yeah, mata pobre talaga sya.

Isang umaga, pinatid nya si Ice sa hallway at nadapa ito at nang nakita nyang papalapit ang Daddy nya ay nagkunwari itong tinutulungan si Ice. 

Sa isang meeting ng club officers ng music club, magkasama kami.

"Ako?. Mangongolekta ng solicitation?. Seryoso ka ba?. Ako?. Who do you think you are? Tsk. I don't even want to be in this club anyway." Walk out lang nito. Pinili kasi sya ng club President naming si Ate Andi. Si Frances kasi yung business manager namin, tapos kaisa isang trabahong inatas sa kanya ayaw pa nyang gawin.

At majority na ng pakikitungo nya after nun ay puro nalang kaplastikan, sa tingin ko ang totoo lang dun ay nung natamaan ko na sya ng pana.

EOFB

..

Jaydee's POV

6pm sa pabrika.

"Baka naman nagseselos lang yun." Sabi ni Karla.

"Selos?. Eh wala naman syang dapat pagselosan kasi--" 

"Wala ba talaga?. Naku naku, kilala ko yang mukhang yan. Sabihin mo nga meron pa no?. I'm sure kay Terrence wala na pero kay Madie--naku patay tayo dyan."

"I don't know okay?. Maybe namimiss ko lang sya. Walang ibang ibig sabihin yun."

"Yeah keep telling yourself that tsk. Jaydee, you're better than this."

"Namimiss ko lang si Madie, as a friend. Si Frances ang mahal ko, siya lang. At walang makakapagbago ng nararamdaman ko for her, not even Madie." 

..

Frances' POV

9pm. Sa kwarto. 

"Okay, basta wag mo nang uulitin ah. Lalong lalo na sa harap ko. Kasi ewan ko nalang talaga kung anong magagawa ko sa dalawang yun. Love you." She fixed my hair and smile.

"Love you." Sabi nya, kissing me. Hard, really really really hard. I feel like I'm gonna moan. Kidding. 

Tuloy parin kami sa rehearsals. 

BIG NIGHT. Hindi parin nagsisink in sakin na nasa pageant ako. I've always wanted to do this since I was 3 at ngayon nangyayari na talaga siya.

..

Coleen's POV

I heard this pageant gives the winner a full college scholarship. Andito ngayon ako sa back stage with Klaire. Pinatay na ang mga ilaw for the production number.

Gosh, they're all hot. Para kasing pang festival yung theme. So may 5 pairs of candidates. Frances and Prince is number 4 and Ate Jen or Jaydee and Kuya Terrence is number 5. Frances looks stunning because of my make up job, Jaydee naman stands out because of what Klaire did to her dress. Jaydee is literally glowing. Pinakilala narin nila ang kanilang mga sarili.

Nice production number.

Tinulungan naman namin sila dito sa backstage sa pag-aayos at pagbibihis. Dapat gawin naman ng mabilisan ang lahat. May nagperform ng intermission number sa labas para may enough time kami.

Kumanta si Frances and Prince sa talent portion, si Jaydee naman and Kuya Terrence is sumayaw. Sorry Frances but I honestly think that Jaydee's hot and attractive. Tonight lang naman.

Sa back stage, habang nagpeperform pa ang iba sa labas.

Halatang kabado si Frances.

"Girl chill, you can do this okay?. Tiwala lang." Sabi ko habang nagreretouch ng make up nya. 

Si Jaydee naman kasama ni Klaire sa kabila. Seryoso din silang nag-uusap.

"P-pano kung magkamali ako?. Pano kung makalimutan ko yung sagot? Worse is di ko talaga alam ang sagot.." Sabi ni Frances. Question and Answer portion na kasi ang susunod, kahit sino naman talagang matatakot sa part nato. 

"..what if umarte nalang akong nahimatay?."

"Sira. Don't do that. Ano ka ba?. You're Francese Therese Pinlac, kahit anong sabihin mo I know they would still love you. Come on, cheer up." 

"Bakit kasi di nalang given yung question just like other highschool pageants? Tsk."

"Because our motto stands for honesty and truth. Adam International Christian Highschool is the beginning of a good generation. Saka you never fail to make us proud anyway. So why let your fear overcome you now?."

"Thank you. The best ka talaga. Pakiss nga." Biro pa nya.

"Sige, subukan mo itutusok ko to sa mata mo."Tutok ko sa kanya ng make up brush. 

"To naman di mabiro." 

"Let me call the candidates for the Question and answer portion." 

Well, this is it. This is their moment. Pinanood lang namin sila ni Klaire dito sa may gilid ng stage. Pinasuot na sa kanila ang headphones para di nila marinig ang questions. Inuna lahat ang boys from candidates number 5 to 1. Their question is about their perception about toxic masculinity.

Ang nakikita kong may magandang sagot among them is Kuya Terrence. What I really like about his answer is when he said, "I see no problem in not being man enough in society's standards just because someone is not into sports or fighting, for being a lil' feminine per se because I don't think being described as a woman is offensive at all."