Champorado

6

"SO I'm meeting Cas's parents tomorrow," Addie says, sitting down beside Van sa Zen Garden, halatang kabado na. "And I need your help, free ba kayo to come over?"

"Ads, don't be nervous!" Van slings an arm around her shoulder and grins. "Tagal na ninyo ni Cas, ngayon ka pa kakabahan."

"Of course!" she frowns, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "What if they don't like me?"

"Impossible," Jiya mutters, focused on her laptop on her lap. She bites the straw of her coffee and says, "Where's Isco pala?"

Instantly, Van's face sours. "Puta. Bahala siya."

Addie bumps her shoulder and wags her eyebrows. "LQ?"

"As if." Van rolls her eyes. "'Di niya ako nire-reply-an kanina pa. And then he said he's with Wendy raw, 'yong orgmate niya."

Jiya raises her eyebrow. "So selos ka?"

"Hindi nga!" Van snaps. "Baliw si Isco sa 'kin, there's no way."

Addie laughs, hugging her. "Oh, my sweet, sweet girl. 'Pag iba na tinitingnan ni Isco, do'n ka lang magre-regret. Ba't ba ayaw mo pa siyang sagutin?"

"Change subject!" Van shouts, standing up frustratedly. "I call change subject. Oo, Addison, free ako tomorrow for your shit. Jiya?"

"Alam n'yo namang wala akong input," Jiya mutters, not taking her eyes off her laptop.

"Still!" Addie says. "I need you there for moral support, Jiya babes."

"'Ge," she says. "Wala naman akong plans. Pero tonight, pass muna ako sa inom, I'm going to Jeremy's dance compet sa Irwin."

"Oh!" Van points at her. "'Yong gwapo! The one who had a crush on you!"

"Bobo," Jiya snaps, raising her head.

Addie laughs. "Oo, babe. Gusto ka n'on."

"Basta, oo, siya."

"Your dance compet last year! Sama ako, may extra ticket ka?" Van asks.

"G. Also no, but you can buy there sa doghouse." Jiya tilts her chin. "300 lang."

Van grabs her wallet and skips away.

Addie's fiddling with her fingers and chewing her lip when Jiya looks up after a few moments of silence. She says, "Hoy. Cas's parents will love you. Sino bang hindi?"

Addie smiles at her. "I really hope so."

"'Wag kang kabahan, Ads," Migo's voice says, and he swings his long legs over the bench and sits down beside Jiya. "I'm sure everything will go well."

"Aw!" Addie grins at him. "Thanks, Migo. You don't have class?"

Wala na. "Wala na," Migo answers, shoving his hands inside his pockets and bumping Jiya's shoulder. "Valle. Punta kang inom later?"

"No," Jiya says, not looking at him.

Migo waits for her to expound. She doesn't.

Jiya stands up and closes her laptop. "Addie, see you later sa Film Lit. Van, tara na, we have class!"

Van snatches her bag and waves at Migo. "Hi!"

Migo grabs her wrist and stands. Jiya faces him, face blank, and stares at the hand on her skin.

He swallows thickly and lets go. "Why not?"

"I have plans," Jiya says, turning around. "Bye!"

She hooks her arm around Van's and walks away.