AMACon 4 Serendipitous: Drabbles

02: "Of Hearts and Reptiles"

"You're 21 years old!" Her bestfriend exclaims.

Maine side-eyes her friend of too many years and buries herself back to the book she's been reading for the past hour. Tricia sighs in resignation at her friend. "Huy, kayong dalawa...kala ko ba aalis kayo?" Maine's mother says as she peeks into her daughter's room.

"Dito na lang kami 'nay, tamad ako."

Her best friend groans "Titaaa! Pwede ba pakisabihan nitong anak ninyo? Ngayon lang..."

"Maine, enjoy." Her mom tells her.

"Nay, akala ko ba magdidinner tayo?"

"Bukas pa yung dinner para at least complete so umalis muna kayo"

Maine shakes her head at her and follows her friend who is dragging her out.

"Enjoy, children. Oh, wag masyadong magpakalasing ah?" Maine's mother tells them which makes Tricia laugh.

Nights out aren't usually what Maine enjoys, she would rather curl herself up with a good book and hibernate till the sun comes up but Tricia is such a bundle of energy, a stark contrast of what she is. Sometimes she wonders how they even became friends only to remember that maybe because they've known each other since they were children, they seem to be stuck with each other.

"Where the hell are we?" Maine exclaims

"Uh...bar? Ateng naman, labas labas din sa kumbento....there are a lot of yummy hotties dito. Jusko, gusto mo ba mag madre?"

She shakes her head at her and sits at the table her friend got for them as she watches her order drinks.

"I don't drink, Trish. Ang baba ng tolerance ko sa ganyan."

"Just one night, Meng. For one night, tanggalin mo pagka madre mo at ilabas ang red lingerie, metaphorically of course. Pero pwede din"

"Just one okay?" Maine says and her bestfriend smiles.

Tricia then smiles at the bartender and says "Tequila please, make that 2."

"So....you've been with what, 3 men? Whore." Maine says struggling with hiccups.

Tricia looks at her and laughs, "You really can't hold your alcohol no? Dalawang shot lang yan lasing ka na girl." She slaps her friend. "And no...I'm not a whore. I have been with only 2 men in my life....well 3 if you count the first I've seen."

Maine gasps even in her drunken state. "You mean you've seen....."

"You mean, you haven't???" Her friend laughs and says "I categorize them as such: the first time I've seen one, friend parang uod...friend. Nung aroused siya, pwede na uod na busog, walang nangyari samin...Hallelujah" she laughs and continues "Si first time naman, pwede na coral snake ganun...it hit the spot pwede na din. Pero girl, si last ko...Jeric, King Cobra girl! Nangangagat." She sighs and says "Sa tingin mo ba magkakabalikan pa kami? It's Valentine's tomorrow, kahit last hurrah lang..."

Maine looks at her friend, dumbfounded. She has read lots because of her books but nothing ever prepared her for this. "What the hell, Trish? TMI!"

"Judgemental ganun? Wait till you see yours."

Maine shakes her head and stands up "I think I'm gonna hurl. Asan yung CR?" Tricia points at the direction as Maine wobbles her way through.

"Ghad, dapat di ako nakinig kay Trish" she says as she vomits the contents of her stomach. "I hate alcohol."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

Maine snaps and looks at the direction of the voice and gasps. She sees a guy standing before a urinal suprised at seeing her. She is about to retort when she sees that she's at the wrong comfort room "Oh my ghad!" She looks at him "OH MY GHAD!" She runs out hearing him call her when she bumps into her friend who is waiting for her outside

"Where the hell did you go?"

"Basilisk...." she whispers and all is black.

Maine wakes up the next day and groans at the impending hangover.

"Buti gising ka na" she hears her friend and sees Tricia smirking at her. Maine looks around and sees she's back home.

"What happened?"

"You were drunk, Maine. I had to get you home...buti someone was kind enough to help me, he's downstairs kausap ng Nanay mo."

Maine groggily stands up and goes down seeing her mother talking to someone.

"Thanks for bringing them home ah! My regards to your mother." Maine's mom sees her and says "Maine, gising ka na pala...Si RJ oh. Coincidentally he's the son of my college bestfriend that I haven't seen for years! Maine?"

Maine looks at a smirking RJ and she obviously is as white as a sheet. "Basilisk..."

Tricia laughs from behind her and whispers. "Kaya pala nag pa-Parseltongue ka while you were out. Swerte mo girl, pagkakataon mo na tumakas sa kumbento. Happy Valentine's"

Maine wanted to faint right then and there seeing her friend's playful grin, her mother's matchmaking smile and RJ smiling at her.