Player of the Game

Track 32: Away from the Current (Keiko Necessario, Kim Trinidad)

"What are you fighting for?"

The question hangs in the air.

The night was rather existential. The two of them finished late for the rehearsals. Before that, Bea had to attend to some student government meetings and did some workshop for this statement they had to write. Apparently, the whole student body was too careless about their deadlines that they didn't notice it was almost September 21. They needed to keep their morals running all over the place. The place needed some wakeup call.

Bea had been drafting sentences since the night before. Her mind was tireless and her reasons kept going uninhibited. But she's running out of time. Just like always. Just like when everything is sounding semantically beautiful.

Deadlines. Sometimes we just need someone to tell us. Game over. Something she heard from one of her brother's favorite movies.

[A little earlier]

Bea totally forgot about the rehearsal so the moment she realized about it, she ran as fast as she could, to the limits her lungs had not been really pliant with. Four...five...six plight of stairs--her brain was too muddled to wrack up enough rationality to use the elevator.

With almost no breath to spare, she finally made it to their classroom and found her waiting.

When Bea walked in, someone handed her a bottle of water.

"Umalis na 'yung ibang actors. Nainip na sila kakahintay." Fel looked stunning in her Filipiniana costume. Bea heard the actress designed it herself.

"I, uh, I'm sorry." She couldn't look away from the sight of Fel. Bea felt uncertain about the cause of her breathlessness. "The dress looks nice."

"You think so? Thank you!" Fel's eyes, the ones she can't seem to get herself out of these days especially during rehearsal, looked like dancing mirth. They're smiling. Her lips are smiling. And for some reason, Bea can't stop staring at her cupid's bow.

"Though I haven't decided on which shoes to pair this dress with," Fel, still wearing her stupidly narcotic smile, said. She brought up two pairs of rather old Edon Manor's. Bea noticed an array of footwears lining up the side of the room. There are at least 8 boxes of Zara, Topshop and, quite interestingly, Coclico. Expensive stuff.

"What about those?" Bea wanted to laugh. Are all these hers? How can a girl her age have this number of shoes? And if she has this many shoes why is she only choosing between those two shabby choices? "Sa'yo din 'yon lahat?"

Fel didn't speak for a while. She nodded then began biting her lip nervously. Bea can't stop looking at her lips.

Bea had to stifle a groan as she looked away and walked towards the shoes at the far end of the room. There were names taped on some of the boxes. Some were tied on the sandals themselves.

"Why not choose from them?"

A pregnant pause before she spoke again.

"I actually sold them to some of our classmates. I just finished labeling them when you came in."

"Oh. Okay."

"Hindi mo ba ako tatanungin para saan?"

Bea just shrugged. But of course she wanted to know. She just knew Fel actually didn't need her to ask.