‘What happened ba?’

‘I think mas okay if you ask Ning, not me’ she dodged my question. I can’t get mad and I won’t be.

     There’s a reason I’m the eldest between us three kaya I need to be the responsible one.

‘Hindi ko na nga alam hindi mo pa sasabihin’ ‘Let’s just wait for them’ she wiped her tears off before sniffing while still not looking at me. I’m still holding Gi by her shoulder while her arm is around my waist. Sayang lang yung fishball malamig na pero they’re still edible. ‘Sige’ I accepted my defeat.

     I never knew Gi would be crying this much over Ning since first time ata niya umiyak over a fight between us friends and it somehow amazes me how much it affects her. Well, it affects me too but now that I have set aside my tears and because I still don’t know what’s the reason for this, I may be a little bit behind on where she and Ning is.

‘Hay nako, only girl na bunso, sa kaibigan lang umiiyak’ pang-aasar ko. Gi never cried, even when the scenes on a movie are too heartbreaking, she’ll always be the one laughing at me and Ning. ‘Stop it’ she retorted.

‘You love us that much, don’t you?’

‘Sa tingin mo?’ pagmamaldita niya. ‘Mag-isa na nga ako dito sa Manila, pati ba naman kayo iiwan ako’

Oh saan naman nanggaling yun Gi? You think me and Ning could ever leave you?

     Debale hindi niya lang alam na kaya hindi namin siya nasasabihan kapag may biglaang gala kasi she lives far away from us and we easily get scared when she goes home late at night alone. Hindi kasi uso dito mag-update when she’s in a public transportation tapos masyado naman kaming OA ni Ning at gusto eh kada minuto we know what’s happening with her.

‘We’ll never leave Gi, kahit Attorney ka na.’ I leaned on her shoulder. Gi’s the least touchy one but I know that she loves letting us lean on her. ‘Kukulitin ka pa rin nun si Ning then I’ll be the mediator all over again’

I heard a small giggle from her. ‘That’s a nice thought’

‘It is.’ Pagsang-ayon ko.

‘Si Mads’ I looked up and saw my Gal. She’s smiling at us while walking but Ning’s without her. Did she really go? ‘Musta?’ I softly asked. She started picking up the random things beside Gi including the half-cold fishballs na I craved for.

‘Nandun si Ning sa’min’ that’s good to know.

‘Dun nalang muna tayo’ we both nodded at Rid before standing up and fixing ourselves. Gi’s eyes are already a little bit puffy but you can’t notice it from a far, I hope. ‘Okay ka lang naman with seeing her diba?’ Gal asked Gi. She just nodded at her before grabbing some of the stuff from Gal’s hand, I kept my hold on Gi while she kept her arm around me.

Gal’s just walking on my other side, the one nearer the passing cars and it’s so hard to fight off the urge to exchange places with her since I’m holding Gi with my other arm. I settled with holding her free hand loosely and she immediately held back to me. ‘Anong nangyari ba kasi? May nabanggit na sa’kin yun’ pagalit niyang sabi.

‘It’s about her, not me’ Gal looked over me to Gi, it's like they’re talking to each other but using their eyes only. Definitely not weird. ‘uality?’ ‘Yep, it’s a short story’ I tried my best to hide my confused face and to keep my queries to myself and it somehow worked.

It’s just making me more furious now to know what’s the root of all of this and Ning better tell me o ako mismo ang magpipilit sa kaniya kung ayaw niya. Alam na alam ko how she hates me randomly sitting on her lap and hindi ganun kahirap gawin yun.

‘May iba pa siyang sini-set aside na hindi niyo alam’ paglilinaw ni Gi. Tignan mo!

Andami nilang secrets from me! Nakakatampo. ‘Alam mo?’ you could tell that I was stunned because of my tone but I don’t really care. They should know that I am kasi I’m missing out on so many things and I’m not liking it. It’s about them and knowing that I don’t know about it. It’s making me feel worse than before.

‘I found out accidentally’ we’re getting near Rid’s house, tanaw ko na yung gate nila.

It somehow made me happy that Ning didn’t tell Gi about it and she just knew it on her own, ang weird, no? Wala eh, feel ko at least hindi ako naleleft out between us three kasi if ganun nga yung case. Ayoko naman magalit sa kanila kasi there must be a valid reason for them to do things like it.

I might get upset but I won’t be mad. I could never be mad at these two. Paano ako magagalit eh sila lang nakakaintindi sa’kin?

‘It’s just a fight. We’ve been thru this a lot’ I assured Giselle before we crossed the road, I think I saw Ning sitting outside Rid’s house.

‘This can affect you, the both of you’ mahinang bulong ni Gi. The three of us stopped in front of their gate where we could all see Ning and she could also see us. It doesn’t feel that vexatious anymore now that we’re all in the same proximity again.

Ning looked at Gi before Gi could even look at her, they looked at each other but they we’re both a millisecond fast to not look at each other at the same time. ‘If it’s about the two of you,’

‘Okay lang sa’min’ Rid completed my sentence before opening their gate. Here goes nothing.
 

     We said our hello’s to Tita Rica before going up to Rid’s room and since we were all in a small space, wala nang nagawa yung dalawa at magkatabi silang umupo sa kama ni Gal. I sat on her swivel chair and she got left behind sa baba at kukuha niya daw ng tubig yung dalawa, para daw ready ang vocal cords nila in case na magbangayan sila.

I told her na masyado siyang OA at bilisan nalang kumuha ng pitcher and some cups.

     I’m just munching on my fishball habang tinitignan tignan yung dalawa sa harap ko, they’re sitting at different sides of the bed but they are nearer to each other than the other times we’ve all be together for today. I think I ate a chili slice pa nga at ang init bigla ng tongue ko, nasan na ba si Gal? Ambagal naman niya kumuha ng tubig.

The door opened, charot lang ayan na pala siya. Gal was carrying a large pitcher and three glass cups, dapat pala tinulungan ko kaso I thought about these two kasi, ayoko iwan baka kung ano mangyari.

She set the cups down on her desk behind me before fishing something out of her pocket. A yellow-colored bill. ‘Oh, pinabibigay nina Mama, happy birthday daw’ she handed it to Ning who’s now currently shocked at what she’s seeing.

‘Hala dapat tinanggihan mo nalang’

‘Tinanggihan ko nga, mapilit eh’ nilapit niya lalo yung 500 kay Ning pero tinitignan lang siya nito. Ayaw pa ata kunin, hiya ka na nyan Ning?

‘Ayaw mo ba? Sa’kin nalang’ agad namang hinablot ni Ning yung 500. ‘Pang gala din to’ the three of us giggled at her. Kukunin din pala.

She quickly stuffed it inside her wallet while I watch Gal fill up the glasses with water. ‘Penge’ paalam ko bago kumuha ng isa. She gave the other two to Ning and Gi before sitting between them.

‘Ang tahimik niyo naman’ bulaslas niya habang nakahiga at nakapikit. Her hands behind her head while she swings her legs like a little kid. ‘Nakakapanibago’ I agree. Hindi ako sanay na natatahimik yung closest friends ko. I feel like I’m with aliens all of a sudden and I’m definitely missing the casual talk we always have when we all meet.

     Sabi pa naman ni Ning we were going to talk about the guy looking at Gal kanina, playboy daw kasi yun. Sinamaan ko nga ng tingin bago kami umalis, he’s always looking at Gal and I didn’t like it, 100% sure.

‘Gal wag ka dyan’ she stretched her neck out to look at me. ‘Baka madamay ka’

‘Ay oo nga dyan ako sayo’ mabilis naman siyang tumayo at uupo na sana sa lap ko when we saw Ning sending glares on our way. Gi’s still silent though but she’s been smiling ever since we went in sa kwarto. Abot naman kaming lahat ng electric fan kaya it doesn’t feel that hot, hapon na din kasi.

‘Oh, violent reaction?’ Ning nodded a no. I held Gal by her waist before placing my chin by her shoulder. I’m still chewing din yung last piece ng fishball ko kaya I’m trying my best to chew gently kasi baka masakit sa shoulder niya yung chin ko. ‘Start na kasi’

‘Eto na’ ‘Ang sweet niyo nakakainis’ d