A Very Good Place To Start

Diez

2000

The grin on her face is something which tells him she got something she wanted. But then he knows his best friend and she always gets what she wants.

"Ano yan, Leedja?" he asks as he deposits the chicken bucket he bought on their table. "You look like you won the lottery."

She rolls her eyes at him but grabs a chicken anyway. "Eh diba nga your prom is next week?"

"Hmm."

"Guess what," she says and turns towards him excitedly.

"What?" he replies with faux boredom that has her pushing him.

"Umayos ka!"

"Fine! Ano nga?"

"You know Kevin?"

It is his turn to roll his eyes. "Your crush na puro lang naman bola ang alam?"

"Hay nako! You're so judgemental. But anyway, he asked me to your prom so I'm going to see you there!"

While they went to the same grade school, high school was different. Ian is enrolled in La Salle Green Hills while Lea is sequestered in Assumption. That doesn't mean they have been far too removed from each other's lives. In fact, their lives are so intertwined that Lea is now invited to Ian's prom with her newest crush as date, while he is going with one of her acquaintances that he found pretty.

Tito Javier probably wouldn't have allowed Lea to go but then Mama Yans told him and Mama Bel that Ian will be there anyway which worked. As it always has for the both of them because apparently, where one goes, the other follows.

That's how they find themselves on a double date. Lea got picked up by Kevin who got the rightful disapproving side eye from Tito Javier while Ian drove to the venue with Carla. They met up there and huddled in one table, which proved beneficial for both Ian and Lea for whom it only took 30 minutes to decide that they are both bored out of their minds.

"Look at that guy over there. He looks like he's going to a carnival," Ian whispers as he leans over to Lea which has her pinching him.

"Your mouth!"

"It's true! Tingnan mo yung ruffles nung polo niya, parang clown."

"Gago ka talaga."

"Bakit? 'Di mo ba naisip yan?"

Lea, of course, refuses to answer because obviously, saying what she thinks is different than just thinking it. It doesn't take long before Ian's date asks him to dance. He sends a pleading look towards Lea as if asking her to intervene but all she does is grin and raise a glass while watching the boy get pulled into the dancefloor. Kevin, tries to talk to her and she tries soooo hard to keep up with the conversation but Ian was right, all he knew was ball and ball and ball, and all he wanted to talk about is ball. He even invited her to his tournament the following week but the thought of actually going makes her want to shoot herself so she comes up with a palusot, the palusot being Ian and her family heading to Tagaytay. That shuts Kevin up while she... well she continues to watch Ian get his toes stepped on repeatedly.

By the time the song was over, he was practically limping his way back to the table.

"Lei! Ian is a good dancer!" Carla exclaims happily which has Lea scoffing.

He's not. He's really not. She thinks to herself. Kevin gets pulled away by some of his team mates while Clara went to get some drinks and found some girls she knows which leaves the two by themselves.