90210 (BINI Series #3)

Chapter 6: How Does it Feel?

Maloi's POV

Before, we would always look forward to talking to each other. As soon as we wake up in the morning, we would call each other, or if we were in a rush, at least send each other a good morning message.

Whenever we would have a common free time during the night, we would make sure to at least call each other to catch up with the events of our day.

This is how our phone calls have usually been the past weeks.

Recently, I've felt as if Stacey was just going through the motions, that she was just being too polite and answering my calls.

Our conversations that used to last for
more than three hours has now become more of me talking about my day, while she just goes "my day was okay" and the occasional
"right" and "uhm" just to let me know she's still listening.

Well, that is unless she gushes and awes over Colet, in which case she could talk my ear off for the whole night. I don't have a problem about it though because they're both my friends pero sana hindi niya ako sinanay na palagi siyang kausap. Sana hindi niya ako sinanay na palagi siyang andyan whenever I need saving.

I woke up the next day on the wrong side of the bed, probably still from the pain. The phone rings and mom picks it up--

"Hello?" my mom greeted.

"Hi Tita, this is Stacey, may I please speak with  Maloi?" she politely asked.

Mom looked at me, mumbling it was Stacey on the line. I shook my head to signal that I wasn't going to take the call.

"Stacey, I think she's still sleeping. I'll let her know that you called." mom gave me a warm smile.

She sat with me at the breakfast table. I tried to avoid her gaze as I didn't feel like talking about Stacey now.

"Maloi, did the 2 of you have a fight?" she gently asked.

"No," I said, playing with my food and looking down at my plate. I didn't want to look at her for fear on an onslaught of my tears.

"I know you, anak. The two of you will talk all the time and I even need to scold you to go to sleep when you stay too long on the phone." she laughs.

"I'm just not in the mood to talk to her, coz every time it's Colet this, Colet that. Blah blah blah" I started stabbing the hotdog on my plate.

"And?.."

"We just don't have anything in common any more."

"So, Colet is her girlfriend now? Hindi ba you guys are friends?" mommy asked.

"Well it's obvious she likes her." I was surprised when my tears started falling.

"Anak, when we are young, we tend to hold on to our friends too tight, in the same way we try to hold on to our childhood, too afraid to grow up. Both of you are changing, and you have to accept that." Mommy gently said and hugged me.

"I just miss her, mom. The Stacey that was my best friend who'll walk with me in the park just to talk random stuffs. Not the Stacey who has a crush on Colet or the girl wonder. Just us, Stacey and Maloi" I wiped my tears, too ashamed to look at mom.

"If you two are special, then you will always find your way to each other." mommy's still hugging me. Kahit papaano ay huminahon ako.

But then, days, then weeks, until months, have passed and our conversations became less and less. I don't exactly recall when or how it stopped, it just did. Parang sobrang lapit niya pag kasama namin ang mga kaibigan namin. Pero pakiramdam ko sobrang layo na niya sa akin.