Play Pretend

C.02

Yesterday was a fun day for Arin and Nicx, the latter woman needed that fun in her life after having too much to think about.

Literal na stress si Nicx sa trabaho niya, both as an engineer and a writer. But she got no one to blame but herself, gusto niya maging engineer eh and at the same time, gusto niya din maging writer, so she pursued both. Now that life's catching on to her, sobrang namo-mroblema na siya. And despite Arin being mad at her yesterday when the woman came looking for her, the outcome of the whole conversation made her day better. Nag enjoy siya ng sobra sa gala nila.

And she actually found herself writing a new ending for Unforeseen. She actually understands Arin's frustrations about it, she herself is frustrated and mad sa sarili niya dahil sa ending na sinulat niya. Kaya despite it being almost a decade old story, she decided Narda and Regina deserves this new ending.

But of course, hindi niya pa sinasabi sa best friend niya ang ginagawa niya ngayon. It's a surprise. That and the fact na hindi pa tapos.

Also, she decides not to mind the person that's been calling her for a while now. Simula nung nagising siya, it was that same person bothering her.

She groaned upon reading his message.

Ben:

Nic! Hi! I guess you're asleep pa, pero I'm actually wondering if you'd like to go eat dinner with me mamaya? Pick you up at 6? 😊

Gigil na siya sa totoo lang. Ilang beses pa ba niyang kailangan e-basted si Ben for him to really understand that there's just no way she'd feel the same for him.

Of course, she knows the guy is a catch, but who cares? Hindi niya type eh. No feelings more than friendship. None. Nada.

And sino namang tao na kasing busy niya ang tulog pa at 2 in the afternoon? It should be as clear as the day, which is by the way, super ganda, na hindi niya talaga gustong sagutin ang tawag or kausapin ang kaibigan or manliligaw niyang binasted niya for countless times na.

Ben calling.....

"arrrghhhhh!!!!" she yelled as she tried to calm herself, counting to 5 bago niya sinagot ang tawag.

"Nic!" isa pa yan, everyone calls her NICX! why on earth will he even call her Nic?! She obviously prefers Nicx pero mapilit si Ben, saying na mas maganda daw na iba tawag niya. She just lets him be. Nothing will change even when she told him countless times na mas gusto niyang tinatawag siyang Nicx.

"hey Ben, what's up?" she says, obviously changing the topic.

"ano ka ba naman Nic. I told you to call me Benj.. meant yung nickname ko na yan para sa'yo." he said that made her roll her eyes.

She honestly does not care, but he's been bugging her about that nickname for awhile now. So annoying.

"well, what do you need?" she asks, changing the topic.

"dinner mamaya, sunduin kita by 6? you in?" he asked as she once again rolled her eyes.

"may lakad kami mamaya ni Arin..I won't be available." she says, lying and she heard Ben sighing.

"sige, next time nalang. keep in touch tayo ha?" he said, still with voice full of sadness.

"depende. anyways, gotta go." she said and ended the call right away.

Another call came and it made her patience completely vanish.

"Ben, I told you may lakad ako mamaya with Arin! wag kang makulit!" she yells pagkasagot niya ng tawag. She is now really really pissed.

"woahh! chill Nicx, it's me." she heard Arin's voice and she immediately calmed down.

"sorry Arin, I didn't mean to yell at you. what's up?" she asked as she finally stands from her office chair heading to her actual room.

Her room is actually a huge one kung ikukumpara sa ibang kwarto sa bahay nila. She technically owns three rooms. Her original room na may own bathroom and cr and walk-in closet and then may pinto sa right side that's connected to her own movie room and isa na namang pinto kung san 'yung home office niya. Two tables present, one for her engineering related work and the other one for her writing.

Given na naman talaga na mayaman sila hence the amount of space she takes up sa buong bahay nila. But then, syempre, their family is not the only one na mayaman, sa barkada nila, pangalawa lang ang pamilyang Villareal. Arin's family is at the top.

"mga dahon." sagot nito sa kanya while laughing, obviously nagiging pilosopo na naman.

She rolled her eyes sabay umupo sa kama niya bago magsalita ulit.

"where are you ba? bakit may dahon?" she asked sabay humiga sa kama niya.

"nasa may park ako, dito sa pwesto natin..I called kasi may proposal ako." sabi nito sa kanya that made her go back sa pag-upo.

"hmm? tungkol saan?" she curiously asked.

"I'll tell you later, come meet me?" base sa boses ni Arin, she knows that whatever it is na gusto nitong sabihin, it's important.

"sige, be there in 30." she said sabay nagpaalam na sila sa isa't-isa bago siya tumayo at naghanda.

+++++

Arin rarely calls her with that kind of voice. Usually kasi ay puro ito biro at pagpapa cute na puntahan siya or samahan siya kung saan. But the woman's voice nung kausap niya ito sounded sad. And she does not like that sound.

It sounded like may problema ito.

After awhile ay nakarating na siya sa kung nasan si Arin, she immediately went out of her car and walked to where her best friend is.

"Arin." she calls as soon as she saw her.

"Nicx." Arin answers back, smiling at her pero kita niya agad panong hindi abot sa mata ang ngiti nito.

"what's wrong?" she asked sabay umupo siya sa tabi nito.

"my proposal.. I have to tell you about it." sagot nito sa kanya. She's unsure kung iniiwasan ni Arin ang tanong niya o may kinalaman ang proposal nito sa problema nito.

"what is it about?" she asked, holding Arin's hand in hers. Her way of comfort that right away made her best friend smile at her, sabay humigpit ang hawak nito sa kanya.

Pinagmasdan niya ang paghinga ni Arin ng malalim, tightening her grip on her hand even more bago magsalita.

"be my girlfriend." sabi nito and she felt her world spin.

"what?"