If This Was A Movie

Chapter 2 - Love, Rosie

For the first time in three years, the bus ride back to Manila didn't feel like an eternity because this time Carmela was traveling with her best friend, Jamee. They spent six hours gossiping about the schoolmates they hated, reminisced about their beach trips, and daydreaming about the year Jamee was spending in Manila. But not without any worries though. On the moments they would get quiet, Carmela would naturally start thinking about how everything could go wrong in this brand new venture.

You see, Carmela was the worrier in this duo. She liked planning everything and going over it a hundred times. She was the type to think about the problems she could face so she could start thinking of a solution for every single one. Jamee on the other hand was a free spirit. She did things whenever she felt like it without worrying about her basic needs like food or shelter. She was carefree and courageous and Carmela always admired that about her. And then she would get worried. But as years went by, Carmela learned that Jamee can handle any situation with ease. She could find a job and be excellent at it. Once, she even lived by the beach working as a barista for an entire summer.

Carmela could never imagine herself living the way Jamee does but she did like how Jamee would occasionally include her in her adventures. Like the one time Jamee and another friend was planning a short trip to Cebu. She immediately called Carmela and asked if she wanted to come. "Yna and I are going to Cebu. Sama ka." she said in such a normal tone. Carmela worried that she wouldn't get along with Jamee's new friend, but she booked the flight that day anyway whispering, "You need some adventure too, Carmela." under her breath. Knowing Jamee was gonna be there made her feel secure. The trip did end up being one of their most memorable ones.

After six hours, they finally made it to Carmela's apartment. It was an old house her aunt had bought in the 90s. Luckily, her aunt was living in the States now so she let her live in it for now. It was a small, two-bedroom apartment with a tiny living area and an even tinier open kitchen. Carmela probably wouldn't have left Baguio if she had to live in a dorm along with three other roommates. Growing up as an only child, there was one thing she always needed: her own personal space.

Carmela leads Jamee to her room, "We're gonna have to fix it up, I've been using it as storage for the longest time." she explains, "Sa kwarto ka muna matulog while we clean it up." The next day, Jamee wakes up and she's all alone in the apartment. She checks her phone to see a message from Carmela, "Went out for groceries." She goes downstairs to find packets of instant coffee and some pan de sal. She goes to the kitchen counter to fill up the electric kettle and lets it boil. She examines the living area and sees a desk filled with different art supplies. Clear jars filled with paint brushes, pencils, and spatulas. Shelves with rows of film cameras, film rolls, and a label maker. Post cards and paintings are neatly arranged in the blank white wall. Art was Carmela's thing. It has always been her thing.

Jamee has only been to this apartment twice. Once when Carmela first moved in and she dragged Jamee along to send her off to college. And the other one was the night before their Cebu trip. The squeaky sound of the door cuts off Jamee's reminiscing as Carmela says, "Luto ka Sinigang" as she drops off bags of grocery on the kitchen counter. Jamee examines the her purchase and notices she bought way more ingredients than she needed, "Um, are we cooking for an entire family?" seeing a kilo of pork belly for the Sinigang. "Oh, Yoongi and Seokjin are coming over for lunch."

Around 11:30, the door opens and two tall young men walk in. Yoongi is wearing an oversized black shirt, black baggy jeans and black vans while Seokjin is in a white tee tucked into his fitted blue jeans and white low cut converse.

Jamee is startled by them letting themselves in, as Seokjin immediately says, "Oh shit, maling bahay ata to" but Jamee recognizes them from Carmela's Instagram stories and asks, "Yoongi and Seokjin?"