We walked towards the back of the school campus, following a narrow path. But at the end of the alley, it surprisingly opened up to a wider space with rows of small wooden houses.
We entered a tiny store with tables inside—it was clearly a small eatery. There were a few students drinking, some familiar faces, but most of them I didn't know. It seemed safe enough, though. Zette wouldn't have brought us here if it wasn't.
"Well, here we go. Zette's about to drink and spill whatever's bothering her."
"Damn, looks like I'm in for another drinking session! And it's still the afternoon! There's no way we'll make it to the awards night now—there's no way we can enter campus reeking of alcohol and cigarettes."
I stayed quiet, not wanting to push Zette. I just observed her as she opened a bottle of Red Horse, poured it into three glasses, and immediately downed hers in one go. She poured herself another and drank again. She finally looked at me and Mitch as she placed her glass back on the table.
"Sorry, I'm bothering you guys, but I really just needed someone to be with me right now. It hurts so much..." she started, her voice cracking as she let out quiet sobs. Large tears spilled down her cheeks, streaming from eyes filled with pain.
None of us spoke. We just let her continue.
"He played me! He made me believe he loved me so much! That asshole! Turns out there were two of us all along! He's a complete jerk, right?! But what's even worse is that the other girl is pregnant… and their wedding is already set for next month!"
Zette's crying intensified.
"I just wasted two years of taking care of him, thinking he was the one. What a damn life!" Zette grabbed her own hair in frustration as she said those words.
I was shocked by what I heard. I never expected to see Zette in such a broken state. I felt bad for her, but I didn't know what to say. I just took a sip of my drink because I never imagined she was going through something this heavy.
I had always known Zette as cheerful and playful, someone who loved to sing. She had a bubbly personality, and her talent made her popular on campus—her voice was beautiful, and she was an amazing dancer too. That was how the three of us—me, Mitch, and Zette—became so close. Aside from being classmates, we were also part of the dance troupe.
I felt sorry for Zette, but there was nothing I could do except listen and be there for her. She needed a friend who would understand and listen without judgment.
"That's right, Zette. Let it all out, so you'll feel lighter. Mitch and I are here for you," I finally said.
"Let's drink! My treat! Just don't leave me, okay? I feel safe with you two, that's why I want to share this with you," she said in between sobs.
"We haven't been spending much time together lately because we've both been busy. I understood that, though, because being the SSG President isn't easy. Plus, he's graduating, so I let his reasons slide. And we've been busy too. He never demanded time from me, and I never did from him either. Whenever we had free time, we made sure to make it up to each other," she continued.
We remained silent, letting her speak, hoping it would ease the burden in her heart.
"But lately, I started noticing something different about him. We weren't together as often, and even our phone calls became rare. Whenever I called, he was either still in school or had left early. I got suspicious because I could never catch him at home.
So, I decided to visit him at the SSG office, even though I didn't want to because I knew it would stir up gossip. But when I got there, they told me he hadn't been coming around as much—unlike before, when he was always there.
One time, he called me and said we couldn't meet because the SSG officers had a meeting. I thought of dropping by, even for a moment, just to see him. But when I got to the office, they told me the Vice President was the one leading the meeting because Jude had called to say he couldn't make it. That made me think—maybe I should just go to his house to find out what was really going on.
Then, one of his classmates bumped into me and asked what was going on with Jude. He had apparently been absent from class for days. And you know what? I couldn't even answer. I, his girlfriend, had no idea what was happening to him."
She paused, wiping away her tears before continuing.
"Earlier today, I finally decided to visit his house before heading to school. We didn't need to be there early anyway. But then, out of nowhere, we got called in because of Prof. Cruz. So, when I suddenly excused myself earlier, I didn't say where I was going.
When I got to their house, I didn't even get to talk to him. His mom was the one who spoke to me… She begged me to leave Jude alone, to forget whatever we had. Because Jude is getting married soon—to his childhood friend. And she's pregnant.
Jude ran away from home after fighting with his father. His dad was so furious that he got someone pregnant and refused to take responsibility. He even punched him. But his mom told me that a few days ago, Jude was brought back home by his uncle—he had no choice."
She took a deep breath, her sobs growing heavier.
"I never thought our two years together would end like this. I really believed we'd last because we had plans. I thought his dreams included me… but it turns out they weren't meant for me at all," she said, tears streaming down her face.
She stopped talking for a moment, then poured more beer into her glass—and into mine and Mitch's as well. We all took a drink.
Second bottle, third bottle, fourth bottle… damn. I lost count after that. All I knew was that I was definitely feeling it, and Zette? She was way past tipsy—she was drinking like beer was just water. The empty snack wrappers scattered around the table only added to the mess.
"Thank you for coming with me hic… You guys are real friends… hic I knew I could count on you when it really mattered… hic Let's drink more! I'll pay! hic You know, to be honest, I don't know how to start over… hic How do I even begin again without him? hic I have so many questions, but he won't even face me hic… What does he want me to think? hic That we're still okay just because he hasn't told me otherwise? hic Does he think I'm stupid? hic He's a damn idiot! hic He started all this but doesn't even have the guts to take responsibility! hic He gave me the highest level of false hope! hic Was I really that blind not to see he was lying to me all along? hic"
Her words slurred as she spoke, her movements becoming more uncontrolled. She was leaning against the table, her eyes barely open, and bottles and glasses nearly toppled over as she lost coordination.
I had no idea how many bottles we emptied, but in the end, we had to get a taxi for Zette. Mitch said she'd take her home for a sleepover. As for me, I got into my own cab and headed back to the apartment.
I didn't even bother checking the time when I arrived—I was alone, so they were probably still at school for the awarding. I barely noticed when they got home. I was so drunk that I passed out without even changing my clothes.
The following morning.
It was six-thirty a.m. when I woke up to the noise. I didn't know why there were unfamiliar voices in the living room. I closed my eyes again after checking the time on my alarm clock. I didn't set an alarm—I just checked the time because there was no reason for me to wake up early. Besides, I wanted to catch up on sleep. First, because I had been extremely exhausted for the past few days, and second, because of my hangover.
I was just wondering why the people in this house were already awake so early. There were no classes today since it was Saturday.
They're so loud. Don't they realize they're disturbing me? My head is throbbing in pain—shit, it's definitely a hangover!
Suddenly, I thought of Zette. How is she? I hope her asshole ex gets karma for what he did. My poor friend. I just wish Zette gets over him quickly because I can see and feel how much she's hurting from what happened between them. She loved him so much, and that's why she was so shattered when he suddenly let her go.
My head hurts so bad, and I'm thirsty. But exhaustion won over me, so I closed my eyes again when—
"Lui! Lui! Hey, wake up!" VM called out to me.
"This girl is so annoying!"
"VM! Please let me have more sleep, for Pete's sake! I feel so tired, and I have a hangover!" I complained, pulling my pillow over my face.
"Wow, and you're even speaking in English now! And why did you even get drunk? Also, why weren't you at the awarding last night? Your dance troupe was so happy when they accepted the trophy, but we noticed that you, Zette, and Mitch weren't there."
Here we go again. Grandma VM is nagging me. She's worse than my own mom when it comes to questioning me.
"I was just with Zette and Mitch. Why?" I snapped, still covering my face with my pillow.
"Lui! Sorry, but you can't go back to sleep. You have a visitor waiting for you in the living room," she said while trying to yank the pillow away from my face.
"Tell whoever it is that I have a bad headache from my hangover. They should come back later. For heaven's sake, I just want to sleep because my body is finally feeling all the exhaustion from practices and sleepless nights. I hope you understand," I ranted.
"Lui! Oh wow! Let me just remind you—you made a deal that night, remember? Have you forgotten already?" she asked.
"What???" My eyes widened as I realized what VM was talking about.
"Shit, shit, shit! I'm trapped now, am I?" I suddenly sat up, staring at VM, who stood in front of me with her arms crossed, nodding.
"Damn it!"
"Sis, does this mean we lost the championship?" I asked, making sure.
"Yep," she said, popping the "p" sound. I ran my hands down my face in frustration.
"Why? How?" I asked.
"Well, even though we won in the Literary competition, it wasn't enough to catch up to their department's lead. We lost in sepak takraw and volleyball," VM explained.
"Shit! This can't be! I was confident when I made that deal. Damn it!" I pulled at my hair in frustration.
"Well, sorry, sis, you have to accept reality. If I were you, I'd get up, fix myself, and face them. They've been waiting outside for a while now—with David."
And with that, she left the room.
I groaned in frustration, got up, and roughly fixed my bed. Then I ran my fingers through my hair. I rarely used a comb—I only brushed my hair properly when I just got out of the shower. I changed into shorts and a loose shirt—that's just how I normally dress.
I headed to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. I was sure I still smelled like alcohol.
"Damn it, why so early?"
After finishing my morning routine, I walked past them straight to the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee before facing them.
"So?" I said, carrying my mug of hot coffee.
I remained standing. I had no intention of sitting down, let alone getting close to any of them.
Silence filled the room now that I was in front of them. Unlike earlier, when they were so loud while I was still inside my room.
I took a sip of my coffee, waiting for someone to speak, but they all just stared at me.
"What? Have you seen a ghost?" I asked them sarcastically.
"Come on. I woke up from my deep sleep because of your noise, and now that I'm here in front of you, I'm getting no answers? Just a heads-up, guys—I'm in bad shape. I have a hangover," I snapped.
With that, AC tried to speak, but he stammered.
"B-because, Lui… uhm…" he said while glancing at James, who was sitting beside David.
"Okay, I get it! You're here for the deal, right?" I looked straight into James' eyes while he avoided mine. I noticed he was holding a bouquet of roses. Impressive—where did he even buy that this early in the morning?
"Well? Why are you here in the first place if you don't want to speak?!"
My voice slightly rose, obviously annoyed.
"Hey! Chill, it's still early, sis!" VM said as she stood up, walked over to me, and threw an arm around my shoulder.
"James, what now? Why are you suddenly speechless? You were so talkative earlier!" VM teased.
"Can you please leave us?" I thought of talking to him alone since I wanted to clarify something. Fortunately, they all left immediately. VM said they'd go out to buy breakfast, so I asked her to get something for me as well.
The whole house fell silent after they closed the door, with only the sound of the electric fan filling the space.
I decided to initiate the conversation to get this over with. I really got myself into trouble with this stupid deal—why did I even think of this? It's like I picked up a rock and smashed it on my own head.
I took a sip of my coffee and finished it. Then, I put the mug down on the table and looked at him.
"James, right?" He nodded.
"Look, we both know this is just a deal, okay? I know how to keep my word, and I'll stick to it. But please take note—don't expect me to treat you like other lovers because we are not. In the first place, I'm waiting for someone I actually like. I hope everything is clear now between us."
I knew I was being rude, but I was just being honest, alright? It's better this way than pretending to be someone I'm not. I didn't want him to expect anything from me.
"So…" I extended my hand toward him for a handshake. He looked startled—I knew it caught him off guard.
"I just want to be formal. I know you probably think I'm rude right now, but I keep my word. I'm Lui, and I accept that you won. Let's just be casual, okay? Is that fine with you?"
He nodded again.
With that, I left him and headed to the kitchen to get some water. Not long after, I heard the apartment door open and close. Then, I saw VM and the others walking in, carrying the breakfast they had bought.
Once the food was set up, we all ate together. The mood was light again, and we joked around like nothing had happened earlier. Thankfully, I felt a bit better after taking medicine for my hangover headache.
VM and her loyal sidekick volunteered to do the dishes and clean the kitchen. After that, we all sat in front of the TV, doing nothing, when AC suddenly suggested watching a movie. Everyone agreed.
AC and Nika were on good terms this time since they weren't assigned to kitchen duty.
The boys lined up to buy tickets for Saving Private Ryan—we girls lost in rock-paper-scissors, so we had no choice but to watch what they picked. I handed James my payment, but he insisted on paying for me, which made me uncomfortable. I wasn't used to that. He didn't have to— I could pay for myself. And since we were both students, I really didn't want him to spend on me. But he was persistent.
Since we had time before the movie started, we went downstairs to buy some chips and drinks. This time, I insisted that we split the cost, or else I wouldn't eat anything he bought and would just get my own instead. He had no choice but to agree.
To be fair, he had loosened up a bit and was now more talkative. He actually had a good conversation flow—just a little bit of a bully. No wonder he and AC got along. AC's whole friend group was a bunch of bullies. But to be fair, he was easy to talk to.
He told me that the first time he saw me, I looked tough—like I was always ready to beat someone up. I just laughed at him. He said I was different from all the other girls he had met and hung out with. He also mentioned that he had never seen me wearing a school uniform, which made me seem even more badass in his eyes.
"What a shallow reason—just because he hasn't seen me in uniform, I'm suddenly 'badass'?"
Everything went well. We had an early dinner before heading home. James and David were persistent—they insisted on walking us back.
The next day, I woke up feeling awful because my migraine attacked me. It must have been from all the stress I had been under lately.
Whenever this happens, I become completely useless—I can't talk properly because the pain is unbearable. I also hate any form of light, so I prefer covering my eyes. Worst of all, I end up vomiting from the intensity of the pain. I also lose my appetite completely.
It was almost lunchtime when I heard unfamiliar voices in the living room. I had just come out of my room after throwing up again—even though there was barely anything left to throw up.
I had been going back and forth to the bathroom all morning, and my body felt weak. I had already taken my last Advil, but it hadn't kicked in yet. Maybe because I kept vomiting, and I hadn't eaten anything.
VM entered our room and saw Nika sitting beside my bed. I knew they were both worried about me, even though this wasn't the first time they had seen me like this.
VM informed us that James and David had arrived, planning to invite us to church. In the end, only they went, as they understood my situation.
But James and Nika stayed behind to keep me company.
I was grateful that Nika stayed because when the landlady's helper called about a phone call for me, I had her answer instead.
Surprisingly, it was Ali—he was inviting me to go out with him and Georje. Nika told them about my condition and that I couldn't go. They wanted to visit me, but Nika knew I didn't like talking to anyone when I was in this state.
Thankfully, they didn't insist.
Monday came, back to regular classes. As usual, I woke up at six a.m. because my first class was at seven-fifteen. I was the first to leave on MWFs, but on TTHs, I left with Nika.
"Thank God!"
I was feeling fine again, so everything went back to normal, and I attended my morning classes.
During lunchtime, we had new company—David and James had started joining us for lunch. The news about me had already spread like wildfire within our mountaineering org. Of course, many of them had heard what I said that night when we had drinks after dinner.
I just ignored it, acting as if I hadn't heard anything—otherwise, I'd be the one who'd lose. It wouldn't be good if I got irritated, so it was better to just let them tease me. They'd eventually get tired of it.
James and I didn't go home together in the afternoon because his classes ended late. His classes started after lunch, which was fine with me since I could still go about my usual routine.
It was past six p.m. when I left campus. I was about to cross the street when someone called my name.
There, I saw my friends—no other than Ali and Jed, along with Georje, the three musketeers. They walked up to me, asked how I was, and invited me to have dinner with them—it was their treat. They said it was to make up for lost time since I had been too busy lately and hadn't reached out to them.
I found it odd since they weren't usually like this. Actually, they had only started reaching out constantly after I met Georje. What's up with that?
Well, I'll admit—I felt a little giddy. Even though Georje was stiff, cold, emotionless, and a bit boastful, I had a crush on him for a long time.
And why not? He's exactly my type—tall, dark, handsome, and intelligent. And as a bonus, he's a great dancer.
I once saw his group perform as backup dancers for a famous singer. That's when I found out it was their side hustle. Apparently, the pay was good, and they got to work with celebrities. Their manager was gay.
But to be fair, all of them were still studying. Yes, they had already introduced me to some of their other friends. They were fun to be around, and whenever I was with them, I'd see Georje laugh and joke around.
But even when he smiled, I could still see a hint of sadness in his eyes.
After dinner, my two goofy friends said their goodbyes—they had to head back to our hometown. Meanwhile, Georje and I decided to take a walk since he wanted to talk about something.
"Lui, I have something to ask you. I hope you won't get mad," he asked hesitantly.
"K, fire away!" I answered shortly.
"Do you have a boyfriend? Was that guy we saw with you at the movies your boyfriend?"
"Huh? Wait—how did you know?" My eyes widened at what I heard.
"Shit! He actually saw that?! Ugh, so annoying! Does he have some kind of detective skills or what?"