When We Happened

Chapter 29: Catching Up

Chapter 29

Catching Up

"Anyway, tutuloy ka ba sa party ni Benjie?" Jeric asked as he continued running beside me, on his own threadmill. I don't know how he could talk steadily while running like it's nothing. While I'm here, struggling with this fucking cardio workout.

Yeah, we're running again for our buddy-workouts. I'm finally settling to a routine I can live with and do everyday while I'm here in New York.

"Baka hindi," matipid kong sagot. Ang hirap kayang sumagot habang tumatakbo at hinihingal—like I'm about to get an asthma attack.

"What? Why?" gulat na tanong ng kaibigan ko. "I got invited, too, you know. Because of Fortune and you, of course."

I rolled my eyes at him. "I have to come with Sir Felix."

Jeric scoffed. "Oh, ano naman? What's wrong with him?"

"It's fucking awkward!" I yelled at him in frustration, hopping on the threadmill's sides so I could stop running. 'Tang ina, hindi ko kaya makipagtalo habang tumatakbo.

Natawa ito sa pagsigaw ko. "Why? Do you like him?"

"Yuck, no," I shotback immediately, gagging a little. "Tsaka hindi ba awkward um-attend ng party na ang date mo ay boss mo?"

"Well, wala kang choice. First of all, you have to do damage control because of the scene you made at the show."

I frowned at him. Mali-mali naman chismis na napulot nito. Pero mas naiinis ako na meron siyang point. And if I'm being honest with myself, he's actually fucking right.

"It was at the backstage. Hindi sa mismong show, okay?"

Hindi niya pinansin ang sinabi ko. Tuluy-tuloy siya sa pangangaral sa akin. "Just treat it as a worktrip. I'll be there naman, I can rescue you from him and then we network with other fashion people there." He stopped running and offered me a hopeful smile. "So what do you say?"

I flashed him a grateful smile for talking sense into me and not giving up on my grumpy ass. "I know there was a reason why I befriended you."

Jeric lighlt punched me in the arm, laughing his ass off. "You ass."

"Okay, fine! I'll go," I said, relenting to his request. "Just save me from my grumpy boss."

"You got it," he said with a wink. "Libre mo lang ako pizza after."

"Okay. Deal." I sighed once again before jumping back on the continuously working threadmill and started running again.

Akala ko matatahimik na kami sa pag-wo-workout pero syempre marami pang baon 'tong si Jeric na topic para mapag-usapan namin.

"I realized something last night when Leona and I were Facetiming." I just looked at him, wala ng energy para mag-respond. I still have ten minutes to burn at the threadmill.

"I just don't get your haters and the industry bullies you had interactionwith," he started. "Hindi ba nila naiisip na the more they make you angry, the more your eyes gets animated? I swear to God, Asher, I know you hate it when they tell you you have feral eyes—but that's literally it."

"And Leona agreed with you?" I asked between pants.

He nodded. "Yup, she's actually the one who said that. And yes, your eyes look wild and alive." He flashed me one of his annoying pang-asar smiles. "Wildly alive."

"Are you saying I only got famous for my crazy eyes?"

He rolled his eyes at me, para bang ang stupid kong kausap. "Iba 'yung crazy eyes sa feral eyes, and you know it," he said pointing at me. "It's your asset... it's what makes you stand out."