Champorado

3

JIYA thought her days enduring Migo Salas were over in high school.

Ang saya niya pang pumasok sa Ateneo no'n. She's not the best with new environments and new people, but it's college and her dream school, and most importantly: no Migo. Bahala na if she's going to make friends or not—ang mahalaga is she graduates Summa.

During OrSem, she got to meet her blockmates, pero 'yon lang. Hanggang meeting lang. Hindi marunong si Jiya mag-carry ng conversation, and her blockmates didn't try to get anything more than her one-worded replies.

And then Vanessa Andres from St. Paul Pasig sits beside her, first day, first period, and says, "Lunch tayo together kasi ayokong magmukhang loser na freshie, g ka ba? Ah, also, hi, I'm Van."

Tapos nakiupo sa table nila si Addison Zacarias from Poveda. "OMG, hello blockmates! Is this seat free?"

Addie has a lot of other friends in their block—actually, in their batch. Pati sa mga orgs, she's very popular, but her circle lang talaga is Jiya and Van, and 'yong dagdag na bobo na si Francisco Cuenca II.

Van dragged him to Starbs one day for breakfast. Jiya looked at him and said, "Ano ka?"

Isco scowled.

Jiya turned to Van, chewing her gum, and said again, "Ano siya?"

Addie laughed. Van rolled her eyes and said, "Isco, Jiya, Addie. AB PSY siya, friend na natin. Ji, don't scare him away, please."

Hindi naman niya ginawa. Much. And okay na si Jiya ro'n. Okay na siya kahit kasama si Isco na walang ginawa other than to be Van's puppy. Mabait (minsan), nanlilibre. Goods na kahit annoying ipis.

And then Addie met Castillo Fuentes in one of their orgs together, BS Chem. Naging sila after two months, tapos: "Guys, I want you to formally meet Cas later, let's have dinner at Yellow Cab. It's our treat, and he's gonna bring his friends din."

Jiya wasn't even supposed to come. They had a test for Filipino on Friday, pero Addie pouted and sulked all throughout the day, muttering, "Sige. Be that way."

So pumunta na si Jiya begrudgingly. Unang pumasok sa Yellow Cab si Cas, na pinuntahan agad ni Addie with a squeal, tackling him with a hug.

Jiya and Van nodded.

"Cute naman like the pictures," Van commented.

"K na," Jiya said.

Tapos sumunod si fuckboy Domingo de Paz, tapos si charming Anton Buencamino, tapos—

"Tangina," Jiya hissed, turning away and grabbing her things.

"Valle?!" Miguel Salas gasped, pointing at her, jaw dropping before his mouth spread to the widest grin. "You followed me to Ateneo, 'no?"

Both Jiya and Migo passed UP Diliman and DLSU.

She knew na sa UPD siya pupunta. Akala niya nasa UPD na siya.

"You guys know each other na?" Van asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Addie, sorry," Jiya said, standing up. "Nice to meet you Inggo, Anton, Cas. Pero I'm out of here."

Migo put a firm hand on her shoulder as she moved past him, squeezing it, and he leaned toward her to whisper, "Let's leave high school in the past, Valle. 'Wag ka nang bitter nataasan kita ng .01 sa final GPA natin."

Jiya clenched her jaw and glared at him. Bwisit na .01 'yan. "Baka ako sinundan mo sa Ateneo."

"Bakit pa? E ang panget mo." He pushed her forehead harshly with two fingers and grabbed her bag, dumping it again sa seat niya. "Upo. Hello, I'm Migo. Van and Isco, right?"