The Girl in the End

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XX

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'Hi.' Bati ni Zoey matapos pagbuksan ng pinto ni Stanley.

'Akala ko mas gusto mo dun sa kabila.' Said Stanley as his welcome to her.

'Baka kasi may dumating. Halika na para makarami.' And Zoey pulled Stanley inside his unit as if she owns the place. She plopped into his couch, tattered and oversized shirt over her hot pants, naked feet and all.

Stanley followed suit and sat across her. Wala pang isang minuto, tumayo sya muli para pumunta sa kusina. Pagbalik nya ay hawak na nya ang isang bote ng Jack at isang shot glass.

'May tequila pa sa loob. Eto muna unahin natin.' He grins, settling the bottle and the jigger on the coffee table.

'Talagang pinag-iba mo pa a. Balak mo ba talaga akong lasingin?' Zoey knowingly asked.

'Depende kung marami kang mahulaan.'

'Huh?' Her forehead wrinkled, eyebrows furrowed.

'Syempre alangan namang mag-inuman lang tayo habang nagkkwentuhan diba? Lagyan natin ng konting spice.'

'Body shot, strip drinking, ano pa?'

'2 truths 1 lie.' And he wiggled his eyebrows at her.

'That's like a walk in the park.' Zoey sat up, flexing her arms forward moving her neck as if warming up. 'I'm an expert at bluffing.' She smirked at him.

'Then let's start.' He unscrewed the cap of the drink and poured a good amount in the jigger. 'So sino mauuna?'

'Ako na.' Zoey willingly volunteered. 'My favorite color is yellow. I love pizza. My favorite pizza topping is pepperoni.'

'Napaka-trivial!' Stanley complained.

'Wag ka nang ano, that's how I start. Alin dun yung lie?'

'The yellow one. I always thought you're a classic black and white girl. Or a rockstar. Pero black and white pa rin.'

'Shot!' Zoey laughed.

'What the? Your favorite color is yellow? Tangina, alin ang kasinungalingan don?' Sunod sunod na tanong ni Stanley before downing the first shot.

'The pepperoni thing. My fave pizza topping is cheese. Cheese is life.' Zoey smiled. 'Okay, your turn.'

'Hmmm... My favorite ice cream flavor is Ube. Ayoko ng cheese. My ideal marrying age is 28.'

'That's easy. That has to be the cheese one. I mean, c'mon? Who hates cheese?'

'Apparently, me. Haha! Shot!'

'Fuck! Are you seriously kidding me?!' Di makapaniwalang tanong ni Kathryn bago tinungga ang pangalawang tagay. 'So your ideal marrying age is 28. Funny. Not a lot of guys have that ideal marrying age.' At muli syang nagsalin sa baso bago muling tinungga ito.

'Hoy, bakit tumagay ka uli?'

'Fuck this game, this is boring.' At muling tumungga si Kathryn bago pinitik palayo sa kanya ang jigger.

It fell on the carpeted floor with a thud.

'Ayaw mo na?' Dinampot ni Stanley ang pumatak na maliit na baso saka nakitang tinutungga na ni Kathryn ang bote ng Jack Daniel's. 'Okay ka lang ba?'

Zoey stopped with what she was doing. Tumingin sya kay STanley saka tumango.

'I'm always ok.' Sabi nito pagkatapos. 'I have no other choice but be ok.' And she looked distantly.