Champorado

2

A TTH 9:30-11:00 schedule is enough for Jiya to want to pull her hair out.

Tapos si Migo Salas pa ang una niyang makikita, sitting front row, left side, malapit sa door. It's a good thing she already has her coffee.

Migo raises his hand in a wave, smiling, eyes behind her head. "Good morning, Van."

Siya lang? 'Ge.

"Aga mo ah," Van says from behind her, grinning.

Jiya ignores him too and moves past rows, finding two vacant chairs at the very back. She dumps her things on the floor and rests her head on her arms. Inaantok pa siya.

Tumabi sa kanya si Van. "Ano 'yon? Balik na naman kayo to sworn enemies after ka niyang sinundo?"

Jiya merely plugs in her Airpods and closes her eyes. Anong pake niya kung hindi siya g-in-reet, after he made such a fuss getting into the same Theo class as her?

When their prof comes, Jiya sips her coffee, glancing at the back of Migo's head. Hindi pa rin siya tinitingnan since kanina.

First time 'yon ah. Since high school, all he ever did when they were in the same class together, was to glance at her every once in a while, wink, and mouth, "pogi ko" or "panget mo"—depending on his mood.

Wala siya sa mood today. It makes Jiya smile. Tama 'yan.

But her happiness is short-lived, because by the end of Sir Seguerra's discussion of the syllabus, he says, "Choose your partner for your wedding vows assignment, and submit a one-fourth sheet of yellow pad with your names before you leave. Remember that this is twenty percent of your grade."

Jiya grabs Van's hand. "Pasabi kay Isco ako pakakasalan mo."

Van snickers and reaches for her bag. "Set na 'ko. Perfect na tayo dito, babe."

Jiya doubts it, but like all things—she'll reach for perfect.

"Van," Migo's voice says, and Jiya looks up to find him standing in front of them with a grin. "Switch tayo partners."

"Van, don't you dare," Jiya says, glaring at Migo and tightening her hand on her friend's.

He finally meets her eyes. Still wearing his shit-eating grin, he tells Van, "Van, alam mo ba na before Valle left for Korea—"

"Tangina," Jiya cuts him off through gritted teeth, letting go. "Sorry, Vannie."

Van raises an eyebrow and stands up. "What happened before she left for Korea?"

Migo takes her seat and spreads his legs, turning his head around to look at Jiya, a lazy half-smile on his lips. "She told me she was going to miss me."

"Ulol," Jiya says.

"As if," Van scoffs. "'Ge, bahala kayo."

Once her friend is gone, he says, "Hello, wife."

"Fuck you."

"Game ako, your place?"

Jiya scoffs and rolls her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

Migo shifts his body around to face her, leaning forward. He stares at her and says, "Bakit 'di ka nagpaalam sa 'kin last night? You came with me, you should've left with me. Ako dapat naghatid sa 'yo."

So that was his problem? Jiya raises an eyebrow and takes her coffee in her hands. Kailangan niya kung kakausapin niya 'to. "So after a whole night of pretending the other doesn't exist, I should've gone up to you and said, 'Hoy, Migo. Ikaw nagsundo sa 'kin, ikaw mag-uwi sa 'kin.' Gano'n ba?"