Roy and I continued our conversation about different types of music I listen to, and he also shared his own music preferences.
I noticed Zette and Mitch whispering to each other while Roy and I kept talking. He had his arm around me to keep me close so the earphone wire wouldn't stretch too much. But I chose to ignore them—I was already used to those two acting like that.
"Lui, do you think they have this album at Music Zone?" Roy asked, still talking about Kenny G's albums—he seemed completely hooked.
"Yup, I've seen Kenny G albums there before. The last time I bought one, I noticed a display of other albums I didn't have yet, so I ended up buying another one," I told him.
"Do you think it'll still be open after we eat?" he asked again.
"Let's give it a try!" I replied.
"Alright, let me come with you after we eat," he said happily.
"This is where they have the Kenny G albums," I said, pulling Roy toward a stall after we finished eating.
"Which one was playing on your CD player earlier?" he asked as he browsed the CDs on the rack.
"This one—'Heart & Soul,'" I said, picking up the CD and handing it to him.
"Alright. I'll get this one first, then I'll buy the others later. This is all my budget can handle right now. Let me know when you're buying more so we can go together again," he said excitedly.
"Okay," I replied, smiling at him.
We headed to the counter so he could pay, then walked out of the mall to return to school.
"Lui!" a familiar voice called out to me.
I didn't look back. Instead, I pretended to be focused on listening to Roy's stories while we shared my earphones, continuing our music session.
"Lui? I think someone's calling you," he said hesitantly. Luckily, he couldn't turn around because it would pull the earphone wire.
"I-I didn't hear anything. You're just imagining it," I said, making an excuse. We both laughed, and he scratched his head in confusion.
We kept talking about different artists and music genres until we finally arrived back at school.
"Where are Zette and Mitch?" I asked as soon as we reached our table, where our things were placed.
"Didn't you see them? They're still outside. They said they'll follow in a bit—they just need to buy something at the convenience store," Peachy answered before walking over to help put up the idiot boards written on Manila paper.
FYI, an idiot board is what hosts read from when speaking in front of the camera, aside from their ad-libs. The Manila paper sheets are connected per segment, so they're often long and rolled up to make them easier to scroll while the host reads. But nowadays, these aren't used anymore since teleprompters have taken over.
We stuck the ends of the Manila paper sheets—where the hosts' complete script was written—onto a wooden board so the crew could hold it easily. One person was also assigned to pull the bottom part so the paper would keep moving smoothly, allowing the hosts to read their lines continuously.
"Ah, Lui, since you're the floor director, you can go ahead and call the performers for their final briefing," Blue, who would be the cameraman for the shoot, instructed me.
I immediately followed our group leader's request. While waiting for the performers, I sat cross-legged against the wall beside the stage, listening to Side A since I had already finished Kenny G earlier. My backpack was always heavy because it was filled with CDs and an extra battery for my CD player.
I had my eyes closed, leaning back against the wall, when someone suddenly tapped me. I quickly opened my eyes.
"Lui, are you okay?" Mitch asked.
"Of course. Why?" I replied.
"Why are you sitting here? There are so many chairs over there, yet you're sitting alone in the corner again," she scolded me.
"I just got bored since everyone's busy doing their own thing. Plus, I'm just waiting for the participants for the final briefing—I already told Peachy to call them. I don't even know if they're all still here. Blue just suddenly decided that I should give them the briefing now. I was actually planning to do it tomorrow morning so they could go home early. They must be exhausted from today's practice," I complained.
"You know how Peachy and Mona are—they're perfectionists. That's why they're so stressed about this," she added.
"Wait, I'll go talk to Blue and tell him I'll just brief the participants tomorrow if they're not complete," I said, standing up and heading toward where Blue was discussing the lighting setup with one of the crew members.
"Excuse me, Blue, I think it'd be better if I brief the participants tomorrow instead. Some of them might have already gone home, and they're probably tired from practice. It'd be unfair to make them stay late. I planned to do the briefing tomorrow anyway, including their blocking," I explained.
"Oh, sure. No problem," he replied before continuing his conversation with the guy he was talking to earlier.
Before I could return to my previous spot, Mitch and Zette called me over. Instead of going back to the side, I walked toward them at the table where our things were placed.
"Lui, do you have anything else to do?" Mitch asked as I approached.
"Ah, not really. I'm just waiting for Peachy to come back. Why?" I asked.
"These two are acting weird," I thought.
"We just need to tell you something," Zette chimed in.
"Alright, go ahead. Peachy's not back yet anyway," I said, sitting between them—realizing they had left a space for me on purpose.
"What did you guys buy at the convenience store? Blue told me that when Roy and I arrived, you two went there," I asked as I adjusted my sling bag, where my CD player was.
"That's actually what we wanted to talk to you about," Mitch said.
"Why do you both look so serious? Is something wrong?" I asked, suddenly worried.
"There's no problem, really. But, Lui, earlier, when we were heading to the mall, we saw Georje with some of your friends. They were about to call you, but I signaled them not to. You didn't notice because you and Roy were so deep in conversation. Then, they actually followed us to the mall. When we left and were heading back here, we saw them waiting near the jeepney stop. They were asking why you weren't with us, so I just told them you were helping Roy buy something," Mitch started explaining.
"One of your friends, Ali, asked us to talk for a bit, so we went to the convenience store to have the conversation there. We discussed what happened between you and Georje—even Georje himself talked about your last conversation at your house," Mitch added.
"Oh? And then?" was all I could say.
"We found out everything that happened. That's why he didn't show up," Zette answered.
"I already know. It was one of their friends' birthdays too, so he celebrated with their whole group," I said coldly. "Why didn't I even notice they were there earlier?"
"That's the thing—you two should talk again. A calm conversation, so you can understand each other better. There's a lot you still need to hear," Mitch said.
"Oh, come on! Who wouldn't—" I stopped mid-sentence when Peachy suddenly appeared and walked toward me.
"Lui, what now? A lot of people already left. Are you still pushing through with the meeting? I only saw a few of them left, look," she said, pointing at the remaining participants.
"Alright, thanks, Peach. Have a seat; I'll handle it," I said, standing up to approach and talk to the participants.
Peachy was in charge of the performers since she was assigned as our group's Talent Coordinator. It was her responsibility to find talents, communicate with them, and handle everything related to performances.
After briefing the participants about our shoot scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, I returned to where I had left Mitch, Zette, and Peachy—just as Blue walked up to us.
"Guys! Where is everyone?" he asked.
"Mel and Roy are outside smoking, and the others are hanging out by the entrance, just chatting since they're done with their tasks. Why? Can we go home now?" Peachy asked.
"Yeah, we're done. The lighting installation is complete, and we've tested everything. Tomorrow, we'll have a meeting before the shoot, so please come early," Blue requested.
"Alright. Let's go? We'll head out first and tell the others to grab their stuff," I said while grabbing my backpack. Zette and Mitch stood up with me.
"Bye! Take care!" I said, waving as we walked away.
"Lui, so what now? Are you going to talk to Georje?" Mitch asked, returning to the conversation we had earlier.
"Okay. I do want us to have a proper conversation and clear things up. But you can't blame me for why we didn't resolve things last time. He didn't say anything. All I heard from him were sighs. You know that feeling when you're expecting him to explain, apologize, and make it up to you—but it never happens? Why? What am I to him, really? I asked myself that because it felt like he didn't care at all. It's hard, and it hurts," I cried, finally letting out my frustration.
I couldn't hold back my tears anymore. "Why did it feel like I was the only one in love? Why couldn't I feel anything from him? If he wasn't denying me, then he was just ignoring all the effort I put in."
"Lui, hey! Stop crying, or people might think we're bullying you," Zette comforted me, putting an arm around my shoulder and pulling me into a side hug.
"Thanks, you guys. I'll talk to him after we finish our filming project," I said, looking at Mitch, who was silently holding my hand.
"What is this? We look like a bunch of fools out here! Let's go already!" I changed the subject because people passing by were starting to stare at us.
"Damn! Why do I always have these dramatic moments in the street? Lui, you've reached your quota—enough with the drama! Your life is already like an episode of MMK!"
The three of us just laughed as I pulled them away from where we were standing.
"Thank you, everyone! Standby and get ready for take. Okay?" I concluded my final briefing with the participants. My groupmates and I got even busier preparing for our shoot today for the variety show.
"Roy! We're good to go! Ready for take," I told him, giving him a pat on the shoulder. He was the director, while Blue and Mel were the cameramen. He just gave me a thumbs-up since the three of them were still discussing the setup.
I sat at the side, waiting for everything to start. Some students were also seated in the chairs we had set up in case there were onlookers for the shoot. As usual, I wasn't Lui if I didn't have my CD player and my go-to music.
I saw VM passing by with his classmates, heading toward the other building, but I pretended not to notice them to avoid any embarrassment. I already knew she wouldn't greet me. She had this way of holding grudges—she takes forever to get over things. You just have to wait for her to come to you because if you try to approach her first, you'll only end up embarrassing yourself if she's not ready to make up yet.
"Guys! Let's pray before we start," Blue called out. Our whole group gathered, holding hands in a circle. Right after praying for guidance, wisdom, and giving thanks, we all moved into our designated positions.
"Standby, everyone! We'll start in a minute!" I shouted, waiting for the countdown to begin.
"Ready for take! Camera rolling in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!" I called out again, signaling that we were about to begin. Everything I said came from the director—he was the one feeding me instructions on what to do.
***
"Thank God! It's finally over," I muttered to myself after the hosts, Zette and two other groupmates, wrapped up their closing spiels.
"Great job, guys!" Blue said as we all sat down to discuss how the shoot went. Meanwhile, the participants were eating in another section of the lounge. They weren't getting paid—since we didn't have the budget, no sponsors, and this was just a group project—but they understood because they were our schoolmates. The least we could do was make sure they weren't hungry or thirsty, so we provided snacks and a heavy meal for them.
"After we finish cleaning up here, you can either rest or head home. We'll meet tomorrow for editing," Blue announced.
Since everyone was eager to leave, we quickly worked together to tidy up. The school's maintenance team was in charge of dismantling the stage—we had set aside a budget for them to handle both setup and takedown. They were also removing the lighting equipment. Meanwhile, we focused on clearing the backdrops, other decorations, and chairs. We even helped sweep the area.
"Well, I guess we'll head out now. See you all tomorrow," I said, grabbing my bag and getting ready to leave with Mitch and Zette.
"Let's eat first so that when we get home, we can just crash. Today was exhausting—quizzes in the morning, then all this craziness in the afternoon," Mitch complained.
"Good idea. I don't think I even have the energy to cook later," I replied. Zette, meanwhile, stayed quiet, walking between us with her arms looped around both Mitch and me.
"Lui! Lui, wait up!"
A voice I knew all too well called out to me. I didn't even have to see who it was.
The three of us immediately exchanged glances because I knew we were all thinking the same thing.
We had just reached the entrance of the mall, so instead of going inside, we stepped to the side to accommodate whoever was calling me.
"Hey! Long time no see! How have you been?" I greeted as they got closer.
Even though things weren't okay between me and Georje, our friends had nothing to do with it. There was no reason not to treat them properly.
"I really missed you! I don't have anyone to tease anymore!" Ali said, pulling me into a tight hug. Sometimes, I swear Ali is more boyfriend material than most guys—at least he always makes sure I feel what he wants to say.
"You're such an idiot!" I said, playfully punching him. That's just how we greet each other—always mixed with teasing, but we both know we mean a lot to each other.
"Ali, do you always have to hog Lui's time with your dramatic moments? They look exhausted," Jed quipped, trying to subtly pull Ali away from me. Zette and Mitch just laughed. I knew they were all familiar with each other based on what Zette and Mitch had mentioned before—they had already talked in the past. Meanwhile, Georje stayed quiet, just listening to the conversation beside Jed.
"Are you guys heading home?" Jed asked.
"Not yet. We're grabbing something to eat first," Mitch replied.
"Perfect! We're about to eat too! Where were you guys planning to go?" Ali asked excitedly.
We all exchanged looks—none of us had actually decided where to eat yet.
"How about this—if you guys are okay with it, let's eat at the Chinese restaurant. I have a gift certificate, and it would be a waste not to use it. What do you say?" Ali grinned.
"Hey! Why didn't you tell us you had a gift certificate? You're such a cheapskate when it comes to us, but the moment there are girls around, you start showing off!" Jed complained, pouting.
"My sister gave it to me before I left the house. Since she's leaving soon, she figured I might as well use it rather than let it go to waste," Ali explained.
"Shall we go?" Ali invited, and we all headed inside.
"Where is Kitchie going?" I asked Ali as he casually draped an arm over my shoulders while we made our way to the escalator.
"She's going to Hong Kong, to our mom," he shrugged.
"She's moving there for work," he added, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"So, you'll be living alone now?" I asked.
"It's fine. I'm used to it. Even when Kitch was here, I was mostly alone anyway. If she wasn't staying at our aunt's because of Sugar, she was out with her friends. At least now, she'll be with Mom, and Mom will finally see what she's really up to. Let's see if she changes," he said.
"She probably won't be as much of a party girl there—it's a different country, after all. She'll need time to adjust," I said.
We continued chatting as if it were just the two of us, looking more like a couple than just friends. I was already used to Ali casually throwing his arm around me like this.
To be fair, Ali is handsome—he's half-Emirati since his dad was an Emirates national. But when Ali and his older sister, Kitchie, were still kids, their father passed away due to heart disease. Their mom decided to return to the Philippines and raise them here. When we were in high school, she remarried a Hong Kong national, which is why they now live in Hong Kong.
"Here we go!" Ali announced as we entered the Chinese restaurant.
"Table for six," he immediately told the waiter who greeted us.
"Ali, are you sure this is your treat?" I whispered as we walked toward the table the waiter pointed out.
"Of course! Why? Wow, Lui, that hurts. You're wounding my fragile heart," he said dramatically, clutching his chest.
"Hey! That's not what I meant. I was just asking because I don't know how much your gift certificate is worth. I haven't withdrawn cash yet, so I only have a little on me. And besides, all of us are pretty much broke after spending so much on our group project," I explained at length.
"Shhh... just sit down. When I say I've got this, I got this. Okay?" He pulled out a chair for me and made me sit before taking the seat right beside me.
Once we were all seated, the waiter handed each of us a menu and waited to take our orders. After placing our orders, we all started chatting, as if there wasn't any lingering tension between me and Georje.
The dinner went well. Zette and Mitch left first—I let them go since I knew they were just as exhausted as I was. But I had no choice. I had to stay and finally face my unresolved issue with Georje.