"Wendy Lustre?!" 

 

Hindi na napigilan ni Irene ang pagsigaw nang matantong ang taong nasa harap niya ay walang iba kung hindi ang heir sa yaman ng mga Lustre. Sa puntong iyon ay hindi niya alam kung ano ang dapat maramdaman niya; galit ba? Kahihiyan? Kilig?

 

Teka, bakit kilig?

 

She shook her head at the thought. Magsasalita na kaagad siya nang may sumigaw naman sa likod niya na tuluyan niyang ikinagulat. 

 

"Asan?! Where?! Wendy Lustre?!"

 

Agad siya napatingin sa likod para makita ang pinanggalingan ng sigaw.

 

Teka, pamilyar siya ah.

 

---

 

Ay pota, sinabi ko nang keep a low profile eh.

 

Seulgi quickly devised a plan to save her bestfriend. Wendy is smart, she knows that. But sometimes the smaller girl just doesn't know when to quit.

 

Hay, she'll probably end up getting discovered. Nalingat lang ako saglit para-- erm-- magcheck out ng… scenery, nakaalis na agad ang gaga.

 

She stood behind Irene in order to catch the girl's attention, at the same time giving a window for Wendy to quickly make her escape. She then yelled, which startled Irene.

 

"Wendy Lustre? Where is she?" Seulgi continued her act when she caught the girl's attention.

 

"Eto siya oh--" Irene turned around just to find an empty space where  "Wendy Lustre" stood.

 

"Huh, san nagpunta yon?" Seulgi saw Irene's face contorted into confusion. Despite the change of  mood,  she still found the girl beautiful. 

 

Anyway, back to the plan. Pero siyempre may kasamang landi hehe.

 

"You might be mistaken din siguro? That's why when I heard you shouting her name, I quickly approached you. Last time I checked, she was in Canada, right?" Seulgi reasoned. 

 

It's actually quite easy to sell a lie, especially if it has its basis from the truth. It's a well-known fact that the Lustres have been doing business overseas lately. And of course, it goes without saying that Wendy was forced to manage the subsidiary there, under supervision of a senior board member. Seulgi knows that Wendy will be leaving for Canada tomorrow, and will go back here in the Philippines after 5 days. 

 

"Paano mo naman nalaman na wala siya? Kaibigan mo ba siya?" Irene asked, confusion evident in her eyes. 

 

Without thinking, Seulgi replied with the dumbest excuse ever.

 

"She's my ex."

 

In the distance, the notorious Wendy Lustre facepalmed at her best friend's answer.

 

---

 

"! You could've said na you saw sa social media! Or sa news!"

 

They're now back in the car. The teasing from before turned into bickering, all thanks to Seulgi's dumb move.

 

"You were doing fine na! Were you not thinking?! What if she outs me? Us? You heard what she said back there! We're the enemies, and she and her cronies will do EVERYTHING to see us crumble like !"

 

Wendy might sound like she's mad, but she isn't. Well, not 100% mad. It's a mixture of anxiety, anger, and guilt. Anxiety, because she doesn't know what will happen in the future. She hates not being in control of things. She doesn't know what the Iska girl will do with that information. Anger, not entirely at her bestfriend, but also with herself. How can she slip up? Why did that girl's opinion of their family riled her up?

 

'Maybe it's different when you hear the accusations in person', Wendy rationalized.

 

And guilt.

 

The guilt is the cherry on top of this disastrous situation she's in. It's all coming back to her. The internalized homophobia she experienced when she was still far from coming into terms with her uality. The guilt of loving someone of the same . The guilt of looking at a woman for a second longer than what is socially acceptable. 

 

Of course, the guilt of bringing shame to the family name.

 

Her whole life, all she heard from her parents are “always be the best” and “A Lustre can’t afford to make a mistake, we should be perfect from head to toe” 

 

She never thought that having a surname would be a blessing and a curse at the same time. Should she be crucified for wanting to be a normal teenager and commit mistakes here and there?

 

A couple of seconds passed when she heard Seulgi speak.

 

"I'm sorry, Wannie..." Seulgi said, regret noticeable in her tone.

 

Seulgi only uses that nickname of hers when she needs something from Wendy, or if she's truly sorry for something she's done. Wendy looked at her and saw that it's for the latter. Maybe that eased her anger a bit, but the anxiety and guilt was still there. 

 

Wendy softly sighed. This prompted Seulgi to continue speaking.

 

"Yeah, I know na di ako nag-isip. I'm sorry for that. Pero alam kong di ka niya ia-out." 

 

Wendy immediately raised an eyebrow at Seulgi's last remark. Without missing a beat, Seulgi continued her explanation. 

 

"I know because she's socially aware, okay? Sige, medyo wala rin akong alam sa mga stuff about politics and , pero any decent person na "woke"? They don't do like outing people, man." 

 

If there's a god out there, please help me.

 

"Seul, are you EVEN listening to what I've said kanina? They'll do anything just to bring our family down! Even at the expense of outing someone! Oh gods, I can already see the headlines tomorrow: Wendy Lustre, gay and disowned! Click the link for more info, but of course they'll play an ad first before letting me read the article because that's how things wor--"

 

Seulgi gently squeezed Wendy's shoulder.

 

"Bro, you're rambling," Seulgi stared at her. "You're overthinking. And okay, that's… understandable considering your point of view. Pero you trust me, right?"

 

Wendy fixed her gaze at Seulgi. She isn't sure how to respond.

 

"Seungwan , you trust me, right?" 

 

Wendy nodded, unable to form any verbal response. If her nickname Wannie meant affection, then the opposite goes for her other name. Seungwan, when coming from Seulgi's mouth, meant serious business. The times that she heard that being spoken out loud by her bestfriend are so few that it can be counted on one hand.

 

"Good. Now, I have a plan." 

 

"And that is?"

 

"I kinda… joinedtheorg, eh"

 

Wendy didn't catch what Seulgi said. 

 

"What? You joined an ? What does that have to do with a plan? And  why am I not even surprised," Wendy rolled her eyes at the thought. 

 

"Ay gago naman. Hindi, yuck! Tangina naman Wends, why would I join an ? I've read horror stories about group so no thank you." Seulgi scoffed.

 

"Eh ano nga? What were you saying? Just spit it out!"

 

"I said, I joined the org," Seulgi deadpanned. 

 

It's now Wendy's turn of having eyes as wide as the Great Wall of China. Seulgi stifled her laughter at the site of her bestfriend's disbelief. 

 

"You what?!" Wendy always try to control her emotions. However, it seems like everything, and everyone, is testing her capability of being in control today.

 

"Please, magchill ka nga muna. Not really a member pa, I'm just… interested. The way she said those things kanina, it kinda stirred something in me."

 

"Oh please, you weren't even paying attention! I saw your eyes checking all the girls out within the vicinity." 

 

", have you heard of multi-tasking? I can pay attention to two girls at a time; isa sa speaker, tapos yung isa naman sa kung sino dumadaan," Seulgi retorted.

 

"Okay, fine. So, what? What will you gain from that? Oh, don't bother answering, I know na you only wanna get close to that speaker girl." 

 

"Ay, kasasabi lang na it kinda stirred something in me. Bonus na lang yung may babae. Anyway, I have a plan. They have this online community, right? She said na naalala niya ko from before, and she invited me to the online group. Her reason was that if I'm interested in coming back, then I might as well join."

 

"Oof, another victim of Kang Seulgi. A classic," Wendy chuckled. 

 

Seulgi ignored her bestfriend's teasing. "So, because of that, I now have her discord username."

 

Wendy urged Seulgi to continue by nodding her head.

 

"So, I'll try to bond with her through our mutual hatred of you and your family. Perks ng pagiging ex, right?" Seulgi flashed a nervous smile.

 

Wendy could only open in disbelief. 

 

My gods, why have you forsaken me.

 

---

 

It’s pretty amazing how much patience she has for her of a best friend. I mean, she doesn’t really have any choice other than to keep Seulgi in her life because she’s the only one who knows her from inside and out. 

 

“Okay, my stop’s here. Thanks sa hatid bro,” they fist-bumped then Seulgi stepped out of her car.

 

Now that she’s alone, she finally lets out the heavy sigh she’s been holding. If Seulgi gets too close with that Irene girl then there’s a huge chance that she’ll find out who Wendy is, but that’s not even the scariest part-- it’s the aftermath of the reveal. She can already imagine the consequences she’ll face once her parents find out. She's almost certain that her father will send her on a deserted island just to avoid the press from interrogating her (which will incriminate her family even further).

 

---

 

“Ah Seungwan, you’re home. How was school?” her father spoke as soon as she entered the dining hall

 

“School’s fine Pa, nothing’s new."

 

“And that student council position you were eyeing, what’s the update on that?” Her father can be a little bit...pushy when it comes to staying on top of everyone. His motto is “go big or go home”; not the most original motto but it keeps him sane.

 

“ You were eyeing it Pa but it’s going well, I have the trust of each and every student in my department," she deadpanned.

 

“Be grateful too, anak, because you can achieve all these things since you’re a Lustre," and there goes a peaceful dinner for her and her parents.

 

Is it too much to ask for a day without getting reminded that she only got what she has now because of her last name? Even if she’s not a Lustre, she can still achieve a lot of things, right? 

 

That’s just wishful thinking, Wendy. You are what you are now because you’re a Lustre and you can’t escape that.

 

Every second she spends with her family feels like an hour; all they talk about is business and her future as a CEO of their companies. She’s tired of it-- what if she wants to talk about the recently released album of her favorite band? Or the fact that she was recruited by the Ateneo Chamber Singers? For once, she wants to feel like her parents cared about the things that she enjoys and not the things that she’s forced to do.

 

“Wendy, anak, you haven’t touched your food yet. Is something wrong?” her mother asked.

 

Everything is wrong, Ma.

 

“Wala po. I’m just full, I guess," she reasoned out, deciding not to tell her mother the truth. It’s not like she’s the most honest daughter in the whole world plus her blood’s pure Lustre, they’re the best in lying and deceit.

 

“My kumpadres will be coming over here tomorrow. Invite Seulgi if you want to. Tell me in advance if you need anything like the latest playstation or whatever you kids are into nowadays so I can ask my secretary to buy it for you.” 

 

Ah yes, the solution for every problem they have, material things. The hilariousness of her situation is she doesn’t even need any material thing; what she needs right now is her parents to act like human beings with a heart and bond with her like a real family. 

 

She treats Seulgi’s family like her own, unlike these two strangers who only pay for her education and provide a roof over her head, buy her unnecessary things and think that love is equal to the newest BMW that money can buy. Seulgi’s family is different, they’re cozy, warm, and inviting. Truth be told, if she ever finds herself held at gunpoint and she has to call someone to save her, then it’s Seulgi’s family she'll choose.

 

That’s the burden of being a Lustre. 

 

She wonders if other prominent children feel the same way. 

 

---

 

Beep!

[New Discord Private Message]

[Aseul]

Hi

 

Napakunot ang noo ni Irene sa nabasa. Sino ba 'tong Aseul na 'to? Imbes na makafocus siya sa readings niya ay nabulabog pa siya ng ingay ng phone niya.

 

Bakit mo kasi hindi isinet to silent. Boba. Saway niya sa sarili niya. Napailing na lang siya habang iniisip kung anong irereply sa nagmessage sa kaniya.

 

[Irenehyun]

Yes?

[Aseul]

Hi! You're the speaker kanina, di ba? From UP?

 

[Irenehyun]

Yes. I'm guessing na ni-recruit kita, that's why you have my discord un? 😊

 

Hindi naman talaga masungit si Irene, lalo na sa mga bagong recruits. Dalawa lang naman kasi ang mga sinusungitan niya: ang mga lalaki at mga elitistang hambog.

 

Tulad nung babae kanina. 

 

"AAaAaAaA!" napadaing si Irene na ikinagulat ng roommate niya. Napabangon ito sa pagkakahiga dahil sa sigaw ni Irene.

 

"Sis okay ka lang?" tanong sa kaniya ni Wheein, ang roommate niya sa dalawang taong pagstay niya sa Maynila. Aktibista rin ang kasamahan niyang si Wheein, pero sa ibang mass org nga lang siya kasapi. Mas focused ang org ni Wheein sa larangan ng sining (nagproprotesta sila gamit ang art), samantalang ang kina Irene naman ay mas general in terms of protesting.

 

"Wala, may naisip lang na nakakabwisit, okay lang ako," sagot niya kay Wheein, na tinanguan na lang siya. Bumalik na ulit sa pagkakahiga si Wheein. Naglalaro ata ang roommate niya ng Animal Crossing dahil sa occasional na panggigigil nito sa isa niyang villager na si Flurry.

 

" Ang cute cute niya talaga! " wika ni Wheein noong isang araw nang suotin ni Flurry ang ibinigay niyang custom designed shirt sa maliit na hamster.

 

Natigil ang pagmumuni-muni niya nang marinig ang pagtunog ng kaniyang phone.

 

[Aseul]

Yeah. Actually, I just wanna thank you for inviting me to join the org. 

Dami ko narealize dahil sa mga sinabi mo non. :D

 

Na-flatter naman si Irene sa sinabi ng ka-chat. Tuwing may nagsasabi sa kaniya na may natulungan siyang maging bukas sa mga isyu ng bayan ay kinikilig siya. Tinitigan niya ang message at may narealize siya.

 

Teka, Aseul? 

 

---

"I'm Seulgi, by the way," pakilala ng babaeng ex daw ni Wendy Lustre.  Nilahad din nito ang kanang kamay na tinanggap naman ni Irene. Malambot ito, parang wala pang hirap na dinanas sa buhay.

 

"Irene. I remember you from last time. Either kasapi ka na o sobrang interesado sa pagsali sa amin," sabi ni Irene, na siya namang ikinagulat ng babae sa harap niya.

 

"Oh, you remember me pala. And, no, I'm not part of the org. Not yet, anyway," tugon ni Seulgi sabay ngiti.

 

"May discord app ka ba?" tanong ni Irene. Halata namang may kaya ang kausap niya ngayon, kaya hindi na rin malayong may kung anu-anong app na hindi gumagamit ng free data lang si Seulgi.

 

"Yes, why?" halata sa mukha ni Seulgi ang pagkalito. Sino ba naman kasi ang magtatanong kung may Discord ang kakikilala mo lang? Di ba dapat number o Facebook name ang hinihingi? Yan siguro ang tanong ng karaniwang tao. Pero dahil kasama siya sa isang mass org, ang pagkakaroon ng Discord app ang pinakamabuting gawin ngayon dahil sa nakabinbing Anti-Terror Bill. Ang Discord daw ang pinaka-safe na messaging app sa ngayon.

 

"May channel kami doon. Usually, may online educational discussions din kami at mass orye. I-invite sana kita, kung gusto mo lang." offer ni Irene.

 

"Yeah, sure!" nagningning naman ang mata ni Seulgi sa sinabi ni Irene. 

 

"Anong e-mail mo? Send ko yung link doon," sabi ni Irene habang kinakalikot na ang kaniyang phone.

 

"Um… [email protected] ," nahihiyang sabi ni Seulgi.

 

Napatawa nang mahina si Irene sa narinig. "Seryoso?"

 

"Dalawa lang e-mail ko for now, eh. One for school and one for social media. Hehe," napakamot ni Seulgi sa batok.

 

"Sent na. See you online, Seulgay." 

***

 

[Irenehyun]

Wait, ikaw pala yung kanina?

Seulgay?

 

[Aseul]

OMG SHXHXH 

Yes ako nga 😅

 

[Irenehyun]

Alright, welcome to the Discord channel of AB

Anong mapaglilingkod ko sa 'yo?

 

[Aseul]

Actually… I need to ask a favor

 

Tumaas ang kilay ni Irene sa nabasa. Di na lang muna siya magrereact at baka mali ang nasa isip niya.

 

[Aseul]

Remember when I said that Wendy's my ex?

 

Ah, that. Di inexpect ni Irene na Wendy swings that way. Sa pagkakaalam niya, ay wala pang nade-date in public ang notorious na Lustre. Hindi niya sure kung ito ay dahil sa malakas na kapit sa media ng pamilya, o sadyang magaling lang magtago ng lihim ang babae.

 

Baka naman nagsisinungaling 'to?

 

[Aseul]

Can we keep that in private? 

As much as I dislike my… ex, I wouldn't want to out her like that

 

Nagulat naman si Irene sa pagkakataong ito. Kung titingnan siya sa malayo ay para siguro siyang tanga sa maya't mayang pagbabago ng expression niya sa mukha.

 

Agad naman niyang tinype ang sagot.

 

[Irenehyun]

If there's one thing you need to know about me, yun yung pagiging bukas ko sa lgbt+. 

Hinding-hindi ko gagawin ang pag-out sa tao,  kahit pa elitista yang ex mo.

So, rest assured, your secret's safe with me, Seulgi 😊

 

Hinding-hindi talaga magagawa ni Irene 'yon. 

 

Because I can imagine how hard it must be to have that opportunity taken away from you

 

Beep!

 

[Aseul]

Thank you, I appreciate it :)

By the way, is it okay to ask if you're free tomorrow?

I kinda wanna ask some stuff about the org, and how it works

 

Iniisip pa ni Irene kung o-oo ba siya nang may matanggap ulit siyang message galing kay Seulgi.

 

[Aseul]

And… I kinda wanna get to know you better? As friends

My treat naman 😊

 

Hay. Wala naman sigurong mawawala.

 

[Irenehyun]

Sure. I'm free at 3 pm onwards. Saan tayo? 

 

Meanwhile, a certain scream was heard inside Kang's residences.

 

---

 

“Magandang umaga klase!” bati ng professor ni Irene sa kanila, “Alam niyo naman na ang tatalakayin natin ngayong araw, hindi ba? Binigay ko ang mga readings nung nakaraang linggo at sana ay nabasa niyo na ang mga ito.”

 

Hinanda niya ang kaniyang mga isinulat na notes, mga kaunting points lang para maalala niya kung ano ba ang binasa niya at kung ano ba ang mga importanteng detalye na dapat tandaan. Siya ay isang girl scout, laging handa-- maging sa pag-aaral man yan o sa pananapak ng mga mayayabang na elitista. Naalala niya na naman ang nakasagutan niya kahapon. Biglang kumulo ang dugo niya sa Atenistang iyon at masyado atang bulag sa katotohanan dahil hindi na niya kailangan mag trabaho at mag-hirap para lang mabuhay sa araw-araw.

 

Nakita niyang shinushuffle na ng professor niya ang index cards kung saan nakasulat ang mga pangalan nila. Sa tuwing ginagawa niya ito ay nakakaramdam ng kaba si Irene. Prepared naman siya pero nandoon pa rin ang takot na baka mali ang maisagot niya at mapahiya siya sa mga kaklase niya.

 

“Irene Reymundo, buena mano ka hija,” sambit ng kanyang professor, “E-easyhan lang natin dahil una kang nabunot, magbigay ng isang makapangyarihang tao ngayon at rason kung bakit sila ay nakaka-apekto sa pamumuhay ng mga Pilipino.”

 

Hanggang dito ba naman susundan pa rin ako ng mga punyetang angkan ng Lustre na yan

 

“Sir, ang pamilya Lustre po ang pinakamayaman ngayon sa Pilipinas at lagi rin po silang nakakapasok sa Forbes’ list of Billionaires every year. Ang hindi po alam ng marami ay kaya po sila naging ganoon kayaman ay dahil sa pag eexploit ng kanilang employees at marami rito ay underpaid o not properly compensated despite the extremities of their job. Isa po silang makapangyarihang pamilya kaya hindi po sila napaparusahan ngunit ang mga ganitong trato sa employees ay covered ng Labor Code of the Philippines.” 

 

Mukhang namangha ang professor ni Irene sa sagot nito dahil sa expression na pinakita niya.

 

“Very well said, Ms. Reymundo. Okay next student naman tayo.”

 

Hindi pa rin maalis sa isip niya yung Lustre apologist sa kanilang ED at Mass orye kahapon. Nakakainsulto sa sambayanang Pilipino na may mga taong nirarason ang mga ginagawa ng pamilya Lustre. Nagtataka siya kung ano pa ba ang kulang para magising ang lahat sa kanilang kabulagan. Gago na nga ang presidente, eh tinotolerate pa ang mga blood money makers. 

 

Privilege nga naman, baka business partner nila mga Lustre.

 

---

 

Wendy forces herself to listen to her super dull professor.  He was talking about the branches of the Philippines. Or was it the passing of the law process? She slumped in her seat and took a deep breath, this subject is going to be the death of her. 

 

“Just last week, I saw a group of kids protesting outside of UP Diliman. Grabe, they’re the scholars of this nation and they’re wasting our money. Instead of staying in school and studying like what normal students do, they cause traffic and inconvenience.” 

 

She wasn’t supposed to be listening,  but when she heard the word protesting, she immediately thought of the girl from Seulgi’s orientation. The nerve of that girl to call her family evil, does she even know how businesses work? All the time and effort exerted to build an empire and make a name for themselves. But of course, she doesn’t know that because all she does is tear businessmen down and scream nonsense stuff into the void. No one from the office pays attention to them so why do they waste their time complaining?

 

“But Sir, aren’t they helping the voiceless Filipinos since they are bringing attention to the issues that are usually thrown to the side?” one student from her class asked her super-duper humble-looking professor.

 

“Psh, there’s no such thing as a voiceless Filipino. We all have our rights and we are free to exercise those, right? Look at you, you’re studying at a prestigious school because that is your right. They can also study, not in a well-known school but it’s still a school where they can learn. So, no, they are just attention seekers who are not content with the attention given to them by a lot of people, and now they’re craving for more. Waste of tax money talaga.” He arrogantly said to the whole class and Wendy agreed.

 

It is a waste of taxpayers’ money. Her professor’s right, they’re a bunch of attention seekers. She still can’t believe Seulgi’s thinking about joining these types of organizations for a girl.

 

Typical Kang Seulgi. She just shook her head while chuckling at the thought of Seulgi joining a protest. I mean, Seulgi shouting "ang bayan, lumalaban!" ? That's some alternate universe , right?

 

She wants to convince Seulgi to not push through with joining the org, but it seems like more than half of her bestfriend's heart is already with Anakbayan  (more like Irene). Wendy just hopes nothing bad will happen to her.

 

---

 

[Seul 🐻🐯]:

Pst bro!

Ano oras tapos ng klase mo?

 

[Wendy the conyo 🐿🦅]:

Are you going to use me as a pawn for your failed ways to flirt with that Irene girl?

My class ends at 2pm

 

[Seul 🐻🐯]:

Maka-failed ka naman

Hater ka lang kasi wala kang jowa

 

[Wendy the conyo 🐿🦅]:

And you have one?

Anyways I’m glad you decided to message me because I want to invite you to my house tonight.

 

[Seul 🐻🐯]:

Bro please, di tayo talo 😔

Bakit ngayon pa na nakahanap na ko ng isang dalagang dyosa dyosa dyosa ng buhay ko? 😔

 

[Wendy the conyo 🐿🦅]:

You sound so ing stupid.

I’m inviting you over because my dad’s kumpadres and other business partners will be there

And you know how much I hate social gatherings where I’m forced to jump in conversations about business matters.

So can you please just come over later?

 

[Seul 🐻🐯]:

Sige in one condition 😌

 

[Wendy the conyo 🐿🦅]:

Ah

What is it?

 

[Seul 🐻🐯]:

Samahan mo ko sa UP mamayang 3pm, aakyat ako ligaw 😎

 

[Wendy the conyo 🐿🦅]:

Gago don’t you remember what happened yesterday? I almost got caught .

Plus I know you’re only inviting me because I bring cars to school but come on Seulgi, if she makes patol to you then she might just come for your money!

 

[Seul 🐻🐯]:

Pre, not everyone’s interested in money

She’s not like that, I swear

So can you please fetch me and drop me off nalang tas tumambay ka sa starbucks or whatever

 

[Wendy the conyo 🐿🦅]:

Fine, you better make sure she’s worth it Seulgi.

I’ll message you when I’m on the way

Pnoval gate okay?

I’ll change cars lang so I won’t attract bystanders.

 

---

 

The thing about Wendy is she’s skeptical whenever someone from below her class is trying to get in her social circle. Her first thought will be “they’re only in it for the money”, but that’s only because it’s instilled in her mind that everyone can’t be trusted. Well, everyone but the Kang family. Her father made sure she’s reminded of this lesson every day, he may be ruthless but at least he’s smart.

 

She checked her watch and saw that it’s nearing 2 PM. She has enough time to go home and switch cars then pick up her womanizer best friend. She’s just stating a fact-- Seulgi’s known for having a lot of girls and dating all of them at once.

 

So much for studying in a Catholic university. 

 

She sent a quick text to her bestfriend and proceeded to drive off the JSEC parking lot. She’s lucky enough to find a parking spot, it wasn’t as hectic as the other days.

 

Wendy arrived at her house after exactly 25 minutes. She changed her clothes from business casual to casual and then called her driver since she’s not in the mood to drive today.

 

A few more trips from Katipunan to España and she’ll definitely memorize the road like the back of her hand. Seulgi at driving and she’s the laziest person known to mankind; it doesn’t surprise her that she’s using the “bestfriend card” to make Wendy do anything that she wants. 

 

It’s basically taking advantage of the friendship that they built since they were in diapers but I won’t complain because she’s my bro for life.

 

The traffic made it impossible for her to reach PNoval at 3 pm on the dot. She arrived at 3:05 pm, an irritated Seulgi waiting for her at the gate.

 

“You’re late, never ka nalalate," Seulgi grumbled as she climbed in the car.

 

“Traffic was bad, cut me some slack will you?” Wendy replied monotonously.

 

Seulgi scoffed and said, “Ako dapat yung galit ah! Bakit ikaw umaattitude dyan?”, earning an eyeroll from Wendy.

 

“You’re acting like a kid. Is that the image you want to have when you’re on your way to make ligaw?”

 

“Wow ha! Ikaw nga tong nagsimulang umattitude dyan tas ako pa yung acting like a kid?!” Seulgi retorted, crossing her arms to make a statement.

 

“Shut up man, I’ll take a nap. Wake me up when you decide to back out and see that she’s no good for you.”

 

Wendy didn’t bother giving Seulgi’s reaction any attention. She’s just tired. Of everything. All she wants right now is to sleep and rest her mind, to be free from the burden of having a last name like hers.

 

---

 

“Bro gising na,” Seulgi kept on shaking Wendy’s right arm, “hindi ako nagbaback out pero ginigising na kita kasi bababa na ko.”

 

“Can’t you wake me up by tapping my arm?! You didn’t have to shake me that hard!” Wendy’s face was painted with annoyance.

 

“Binubuhusan mo nga ko tubig pag natutulog ako eh! Reklamo ka dyan,” Seulgi clapped back while fixing her hair in the mirror.

 

“I’m not making buhos water to you today, did I? Whatever, just get out of the car and text me when you’re done.” She said while pushing Seulgi towards the car door, which caught her bestfriend in surprise. Seulgi quickly composed herself, however. 

 

“Wish me luck,” Seulgi winked and closed the car door, strutting her way to the infamous Mang Larry’s isawan.

 

“Kuya sa nearest SB po please,” Wendy said as soon as Seulgi was out of her sight, praying to whatever god there is that she doesn’t humiliate her family name while flirting with the poor (literally) girl.

 

---

 

While waiting for Seulgi’s message, Wendy opened her twitter app and scrolled through her timeline. Nothing’s new; everyone’s complaining about the simplest stuff, like how one of her classmate's pissed because her white Gucci shoes are dirty (and she's buying a new one). That, and some people are being hyped about Apple releasing a new iPhone and they’re expressing their excitement over having a new phone. 

 

One tweet caught her eye, it’s from user @wtfjason and it says “IBAGSAK ANG KAPITALISMO! IPAGLABAN ANG MGA PILIPINO! #ParaSaBayan #ParaSaPilipino!”

 

Oh God, they’re doing it on social media too? They’re like a ing virus.

 

“Pathetic people are all over the internet too," she mumbled as she sips her second iced coffee of the day.

 

Feeling a little nervous, either from the coffee or from the thought of meeting her dad’s business partners while having to put up a front to impress them all, she decided to stay in the car instead. She might attract attention from other people. And of course, the news of her being around the UP area will definitely spread through social media, if given the chance.

 

She shook her head at the thought-- what a nightmare.

 

Everything that’s in UP is a nightmare and it’s true; the students here are a waste of tax money.

 

At least that’s what her dad believes.

 

And what her dad believes, she must believe in it too.

 

ing Lustre life.