There's Something About Thursdays

Prologue

"Brooooo! It's like ano kasi, you knoooow. What was I going to say ngaaaa?" Hinila ko siya palapit sa akin. Baka mabangga siya ng mga mabibilis na magpatakbo ng sasakyan. Twelve-thirty AM na at nandito kaming tatlong magbe-best friends sa tapat ng highway ngayon, nag-aabang ng dadaang FX pabalik ng Diliman.

"Woah. Take it easy, Justine. Agang-aga, lasing ka na kaya 'wag kang masyadong magulo," sabi ni Eric habang inaakay si Justine palapit sa kanya.

"Denise, I'm so sorry kung nahihirapan ka na kay Tin. Unting pasensya na lang, makakabalik na tayo."

"It's okay. It's not like it's the first time I've been with her while she's drunk." I winked at him as he chuckled.

"Oo. Mga walwal kasi kayo. Mga underage na umiinom halos linggo-linggo," he laughingly told me.

"You're just bitter na you only started letting loose now that you're graduating. 'Di tulad namin ni Tin na we're freshies and we're having the time of our lives!"

"Okay fine. Ako na ang uptight before. Jesus, you don't have to rub it in," sabi ni Eric sa akin bilang pagsuko.

"Hey bitches! Don't ignore meeeee," biglang pagsingit ni Tin sa usapan namin. Tumawa na lang kami ni Eric.

It's funny how the three of us became best friends. Eric was broken at the time when Tin and I found him. He just broke up with his girlfriend. We knew he needed someone to lean on kaya we let him lean on us. Figuratively and literally. Don't ask. Kaya ayon. Ever since then, hindi na kami mapaghiwalay sa isa't isa. From strangers to best friends, ika nga.

"Eriiiiic. I need a kiiiiiiss."

"Later, when we're not in a public place anymore."

"Okay!"

The only difference now is that there's something going on between Eric and Justine. Ang labas tuloy, ako lagi ang third wheel nila. Ubod sa PDA kasi at sa ka-sweetan. Minsan nga, nandidiri na ako sa kanila. Imagine yourself walking down the street when you realize that your two companions are not beside you anymore. You look back to see if they're still there and what comes into your sight is your two best friends making out. Guh-ross.

"Eriiiiiic. Why so tagaaaaaaal."

"Wala masyadong dumadaan na FX ngayon. Madaling araw na eh. Just wait a little more, baby."

"Eh why didn't you bring your car kasi," biglaan kong pagsabat.

"Kasi nga po, ginamit ng Tito ko."

"Tanginuh you, Titoooo!" sabi ni Tin habang naka-raise ang isang fist niya sa ere.

Hindi na namin napigilang tumawa ng malakas ni Eric dahil sa mga katangahan ni Justine ngayon. Hindi kasi 'yan madaling malasing. May mga times lang, like today, na pagod siya at walang tulog kaya nalalasing kaagad. It's always fun to see her like this-me having the upper hand. Low kasi ang tolerance ko sa alcohol. I admit, I'm drunk right now pero not to the point of me doing reckless shit. At least that's what I think.

Napatigil ako sa pagtawa nang may dumaang lalaki sa kanan ko. He stopped two feet away from me and resumed walking. He was wearing a tux-a very hot tux, might I add. His left hand was inside his pocket and his right hand was sexily hanging as he walked. Hindi ko makita ang mukha niya kasi his back was facing us. Pero nang lumingon siya sa bandang kaliwa para tingnan ang mga dumadaan na sasakyan, I got a glimpse of half of his face.

Shit. Gwapo.

Bago ko pa mapigilan ang sarili ko, naglakad ako palapit sa kanya, hinila ang kanyang braso, at hinawakan ang kanyang mukha gamit ang aking mga palad. His eyes turned to look at mine and that was when I suddenly got back to my senses.

What are you doing, Denise? Nalasing ka lang, nanunuggab ka na ng gwapo.

Aalisin ko na sana ang mga kamay ko nang makita ko ang mga mata niya. I don't know what triggered it but I just found myself hugging him in the middle of the highway as cars ran past us. Was it something in his eyes? Was it something I recognized? Did I recognize it because I had the exact same look in my eyes? At the time, I didn't know. All I knew was it was just the two of us in the world. No one else, just us.

I felt the warmth where our bodies touched. His hands were still at his sides. Here I was, a stupid girl, one-sidedly hugging a stranger I have just seen for the first time. My fingers were crinkling the suit of the guy because of how tight I was hugging him. I didn't know why I did it. I was just doing what my instincts were telling me to.

Just when I was about to release him, I felt his breath beside my left ear-he laid his head on my left shoulder. Slowly, a set of two arms were encircling me-one around my shoulder, the other one around my waist. We stayed like that for God knows how long. It was one of the warmest feelings I have ever felt.

Natigil 'yung moment namin nang naparinig ko si Eric na tinatawag ang pangalan ko. Kumalas ako sa pagkakayakap namin at nilingon ang aking mga kasama. Nakita ko na may FX na sa tabi ng daan. Doon ko lang na-realize na nasa gitna pala kami ng highway at madaming driver ng mga sasakyan na ang nagagalit sa amin. Tatakbo na sana ako pabalik nang may humawak sa siko ko. Nagulat ako at napalingon muli sa kanya.

"Stay," he said.

I looked at him intently for a few seconds before I told him, "I need to go." I was starting to leave-reluctantly and begrudgingly-when I heard the three words that made my heart and feet stop entirely.

"Be my girlfriend."

To be continued...