A Rock Star's Guide To Getting The Promdi (A Girl's Guidebook #1.5)

Tip No. 6 - Keep That Connection Going

It's official. Ben was the best wingman any guy could ask for.

He scored me more time with Yumi nang pinilit niya na kami na lang ang maging magkakagrupo para sa project sa Philippine History. It's school-related but it involved taking pictures together while going on a road trip and that just made me stoked as fuck.

The girls, Yumi, Sharmaine Cruz and Katarina Hizon, wanted to meet at the library to discuss what we were going to do pero gusto ni Ben na dito sa cafe malapit sa school na lang namin gawin. Ayos lang sa akin kahit saan, actually, as long as she would be there pero my best friend was getting hungry and he wanted me to pay up dahil gumawa siya ng paraan para makasama ko si Yumi.

Sabi niya sa kanila, ililibre niya raw sila. Pero, ang totoo, ako ang pagbabayarin niya sa lahat. May palusot pa siya na, the best way to get into Yumi's pants was through her stomach. Hindi ko na lang sinabi sa harap niya dahil I owe him pero, in my opinion, he's full of shit.

I'm not complaining or anything, I don't really mind forking up some money. I have a lot of it, anyway, from the trust fund my parents set up for me and from what I make as a member of Heroes Not Zeroes. Ayoko lang sana bigyan si Yumi ng impression na I was out of her league dahil lang sa magkaibang status namin sa buhay.

Yumi didn't have a phone because she couldn't afford one. She told me habang wala pa ang prof sa Philippine History, ang pangalawang subject namin kanina.

I wanted to punch myself then for being insensitive. I shouldn't have asked for her phone pero, in my defense, I didn't consider the possibility na hindi niya kayang bumili dahil sa University of St. Lorenzo Ruiz din siya nag-aaral at mahal ang tuition doon.

Ngayon na alam ko na, I desperately wanted to give her a phone. It wasn't just so we could be in touch, although that was something I crave, para rin sana may magamit siya kung sakaling may emergency. Necessity na ang cell phone ngayon, lalo na sa katulad niya na nakaka-attract ng perverted foreigners, at hindi ako papayag na matatapos ang araw na ito nang wala pa rin siyang magagamit.

Pinag-iisipan ko pa nang mabuti kung paano ko siya mabibigyan nang pinutol bigla ni Ben ang train of thought ko.

"Nate, you're out of it again," sabi niya sa harap ko habang binababa sa mesa ang cup na hawak. "Are you okay, man?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking about something."

"Is it Yumi? Are you anxious 'cause you're about to see her again?" panunukso niya.

"Like I'd get anxious about that," I replied in a dismissive tone but, in all honesty, my nerves were pretty fucking shot and it had nothing to do with the coffee in front me.

I wanted to see Yumi. So. Fucking. Bad.

I wanted to make sure that she's safe, lalo na ngayong wala pala siyang means to call anyone in case she gets into trouble. Nakakapag-alala rin dahil mawawala ako ng dalawang linggo, kami nina Ben, Jay at Ken, para sa Asian tour ng HNZ. Bukod sa takot na baka may mangyari sa kanya while I'm away, I was, somehow, starting to miss her already.

I know it's crazy, missing someone you barely know. We've only spent a few moments together but she had already gotten under my skin. all I wanted, initially, at least, was to do her pero bumigat na lang bigla ang timbang niya sa akin.

I have never done drugs before pero parang may idea na ako kung bakit mahirap para sa addicts ang tumigil sa paggamit. Yumi was my drug. And, now that she's in my system, it was hard for me to just leave her be.

Bigla na lang tumawa nang malakas si Ben as if he could see right through me. "Shit. You really are anxious to see her, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not."