Black Out

Chapter 1

"Well, kasi you know.. I'm kinda jealous." Risa said. "Yes, I know I'm a good public official rin naman pero not when I compare myself to others, especially you."

"Seryoso ka ba, Ris?" I had to laugh and I too, turned my stomach on the bed now, my arms propping me up to face her. "Iniisip mo talaga na mas magaling ako kaysa sa'yo? Eh ikaw 'tong bata pa lang, active na sa pagmamahal sa bayan."

"Kasi Lens, I feel like you have something that I don't. You have this kind of charisma when you talk to people na kahit sino, nakikinig sa'yo. Remember that time when you were speaking in Dagupan? 'Diba, kahit 'yung mga pumunta para manggulo sana sa mini rally, biglang natahimik nung ikaw na nagsalita?" she fidgeted with the corner of her pillow and I snorted in response. "Para kasing it's so natural lang kapag ikaw and then there's me who needs to put so much effort. Tapos ang ganda mo pa. Crush ng bayan."

We're at my place tonight. Nagkayayaan 'yung team na mag gathering ulit after a long time. Catch up, kumbaga. Risa and I decided to stay at my place after since mas malapit rin naman 'to sa restaurant na kinainan namin. We had a few drinks rin.

Risa was not the type of person that complains a lot. If there's something wrong, if she didn't like what she's seeing, she would act immediately. To me, she's open on talking about a lot of things, especially when she's drunk. And definitely, she's drunk tonight. Oh, scratch that. We're both drunk tonight.

"Ano ka ba, Ris, lahat naman ng tao may weak points. Wala namang perpektong tao. Kaya sana 'wag mong isipin 'yan na ikaw lang 'yung may kulang." She was staring at her pillow now, "Dapat alam mo na 'yun. Matagal ka na kayang senadora. Wait, sino ba 'yan?" Her phone vibrated and I saw she received a message.

Risa quickly opened it and ran through the message with her eyes, then she tucked the phone under her pillow. "Wala, hindi naman importante," she shrugged.

"Sa'n nga ako nahinto?" I lost track for a moment, Leni lutang talaga siguro. As Risa was just about to open her mouth, I remembered. "Ah, ayun. Pangalawa, bakit ba you're trying to be something you're not?"

Her soft brown black eyes quickly darted at me, eyebrows raised high. "Hindi ah?"

"Sandali. Hindi pa kasi ako tapos magsalita," I continued, knowing Risa, she would misunderstand if hindi ko itutuloy. "Ewan ko ha, pero kasi for me naman.. May kakaiba kang charisma. Natural na sa'yo 'yung pakikipag-usap sa mga tao, nakikinig rin naman sila sa'yo. Tingnan mo nga, 'yung mga kasamahan mo sa senado, napapirma mo nung SOGIE Bill." I looked into her eyes, trying to show my sincerity the way I look at her. "I swear, iba ka sakanila. Mas madami kang kayang gawin kaysa sa akin. At saka, maganda ka."
Risa's thin lips slowly spread into a beaming smile, her eyes disappearing into their usual crescent shapes that everyone envied so much.

I stared back at her.

"Ano?" I asked.

"Napansin mo bang sinabi mong maganda ako?" she wiggled her eyebrows at me.

"Ikaw rin naman, sinabi mong maganda ako!"

"You do realize na sinabihan natin 'yung isa't isa na maganda?" she said, grinning. "Matutuwa nanaman 'yung LenRisa fans kapag nalaman 'to," she laughed.

"Wow, 'yun talaga mas inisip mo? Hindi mo manlang pinansin 'yung speech ko?" I sighed and shook my head. Actually, narealize kong talent ko na siguro 'yung pagsasalita nang maayos kahit sobrang lasing na ako ngayon compared sa ibang times na nalasing ako sa iilang shot ng soju.

"No, papansinin ko naman. 'Yung speech mo.." I looked at her from the corner of my eyes as she faked thinking about the right words, "maganda! Parang ika–"