Tilting the Hourglass

Prologue

"Seri, It's your turn" Milo reached out to give me my shot. I am at the Bistro with my friends. We went for dinner pero natuloy sa pag-inom. These hoodlums! Hindi talaga mapagkakatiwalaan.

I scrunched my nose at him and drank the liquor from the glass in one gulp. I grimaced when I felt the sickening feeling of the whiskey. "Taksil talaga ang JD." I said then glared at my friends "Pero mas taksil kayo."

"Pati ako?" Amy said so innocently as she point at herself. She looked distraught.

I immediately shook my head and put an arm on her shoulder. "Of course not. All of them." I looked around, with betrayal written on my face then I saw my friends' amused faces. "Except you."

Amy nodded and adjusted her glasses. Milo clutched his hand on his chest and acted like I hurt him. Lynne laughed loudly and Trey just smirked and drank his beer.

"Kasi naman gurl, Bihira ka nalang sumama sa amin kaya susulitin na namin. Uuwi ka tuloy ng lasing." Lynne admitted after munching the nachos.

"Busy nga ako! May tinatapos akong unit!" I protested then pouted.

"Busy din kami pero hindi kami pa-VIP" Pang-aasar ni Trey sa akin.

I threw fries at him then glared. "Hoy Joselito Carlos! Ang sakit mo magsalita ah!"

He chuckled but grimaced when he heard what I called him. "Trey nga! Trey!" Pangungumbinsi niya sa akin.

We all laughed on how he reacted. He hates it when we call him by his first and second name. Eh pangalan niya Joselito Carlos Alvarez III! Kaya lang naman naging Trey dahil The third siya! Sobrang-arte!

"Edi Trey!" I rolled my eyes at him. He shook his head in disbelief.

"Pero pupunta ka ba sa housewarming party namin, Seri?" Amy asked all of a sudden.

"Sa Saturday na iyon." Milo chimed in.

These two got married last month and they just got back from their honeymoon. Sakto na natapos na din iyong bahay na pinapagawa nilang Mag-asawa. Hence, The Housewarming.

I furrowed my brows on how nervous they look. "Nag confirm na ako diba? Eh bakit tinatanong ulit?"

The couple looked at each other then Amy faced me. "Nandoon si Aron." Her lips twitched a bit, A sign that she's nervous.

They must have seen my expression because Milo immediately explained, "Eh kasi siya yung Engineer nung bahay. Syempre kailangan imbitahan."

I waved my hand at them. "Mga baliw! Okay na no! Limang taon na ang nakalipas. Okay na. Okay na ako." I smiled at them, brushing the feeling of betrayal that is building inside me.

It's not their fault na magaling siyang Engineer. It's not their fault na kaibigan din nila siya. It's not their fault na minahal ko siya tapos sinaktan sa huli.

Lynne looked at them accusingly, "Sabi ko kasi, sabihin niyo agad eh."

"I'm sorry, Seri. We didn't see the need anymore since tinataguan mo din naman siya." Amy looked really guilty while speaking.

"Okay lang nga!" I faked a laugh and held Amy's hand. "I've moved on na! Tsaka it's not like I'll see him at the party sa dami ng kakilala ninyo." Then I sipped through the shot glass.

"Are you sure?" Trey stared at me closely, Mukhang naninimbang. "Kaya mo na ba talaga?" He raised a brow. "If not, You shouldn't attend and these two can understand if I coulnd't go too."

Milo and Amy nodded aggressively with what Trey has said.

"Ano ba kayo!" I protested. "Protective much? Kaya ko nga! Wala na!" I gave all of them a glare.