Fight or Flight

Chapter 5: Oh, close friends

"Oh my goodness, what am i looking at?!?" Sigaw ni Reah when we entered the private room of the restaurant, with Adie just behind me. All my friends are sat down in a long table that exactly has two vacant chairs. I guess they didn't know Adie would come here.

I turned to look at Adie, curious to how she would react having all of my friends' attention turned to her now: she smiled sweetly to all of them. Cute, charming, warm.

Does she know all of my friends? Is this okay with her? Baka mailang siya.

"Uy, guys! Si Adie oh. Fresh from flight pa yan." Sean announced.

"Hi Adie" Deon greeted and smiled. "Hey gggiirll!" Hannah waved. "Yoo! What the hell?? Ginagawa mo dito?" Reah asked. While Sean and Avery just smirked.

"Mang paparty crash lang talaga ako dito. Hi, guys!" Adie laughed.

Tumingin naman sila sakin. I realized they're analyzing the reason why Adie is here suddenly. And i saw how quickly they come to the conclusion that she's here because I am here. They all smiled a knowing smile to me.

"Tara, upo na tayo." We walked closer to the group and sat beside each other.

May mga drinks and food sa table. I grabbed a cup and poured some coke. Adie took it as a cue and took another cup and placed it down beside mine, silently asking for some as well.

"Are you drinking tonight?" She whispered to me as my friends have started to get busy talking with each other. Then she pointed to the alcoholics.

I nodded as an answer. "Yeah, might as well." In return she smiled and nodded once too.

My friends started to engage with and ask Adie a lot of questions. Questions about her for the past year since hindi daw nila anong ganap sa buhay niya kasi she's a very private person.

Doon ko lang rin narealize na kilala niya pala mga friends ko. Close siya kay Sean and Avery, both obviously being updated with Adie. Halos lagi daw nila nakakausap si Adie through chats.

Meanwhile kila Hannah, Reah, and Deon, she has not spoken to them for a while pero mutuals on social media- katulad ko.

Ako lang pala sa group na ito ang hindi niya pa nakasama or naging friend nung high school.

After a while, my friends have hyped up as they always are. Nagkukulitan and nagisisigawan, all up and out of their seats.

Hindi ako masyado nag aalalang may madidistorbo kami sa restuarant dahil very private ang rooms.

Adie is just on her seat, well behaved. Too behaved to be in a group celebrating Christmas with food and booze. Lumapit na ulit ako sakaniya kasi i had to leave her earlier to talk with Deon and Reah. "Okay ka lang? Are you comfortable? Naiilang ka ba sa friends ko?" I asked her.

She looked up to me and smiled. Agaainn that smileee, GOOOOOOOD! She reached for my hand and didn't break eye contact. "I'm okay. Don't worry. I'm just saving up some energy for later." She answered softly.

"Ay are you introverted, Adie?" Hannah asked her. Lumapit naman sila Avery to us. I think she heard what Adie said about saving up her energy.

"Oo eh" Adie answered, still holding my hand, but now looking at Hannah.

"Ay oo? Anong MBTI mo?" Avery asked.

"I'm an INTJ" She answered in a beat. Umupo na ulit ako sa tabi niya and she pulled my chair close to hers.

"OH MY GOD! INTJ" Bigla namang singit ni Sean. "Yung lumandi sakin INTJ rin. Pinaasa ako." He said bitterly.

Adie placed our hands on top her lap then laughed at Sean. "Dasurv" She said, still laughing.

Nagulat naman si Sean and faked offence. Biglang kinuwento ni Sean kay Adie yung situationship niya na. The supposedly 'saving up energy' moment ni Adie ay naging therapy session ni Sean.

Adie speaks so eloquently and is very articulate. She's so gentle but intimidating. Like a smart person would actually talk. I know because I am one, duh.

I realized Adie and I have opposing personalities. Introverted si Adie, I am not. She speaks so gently that when she speaks, the room quiets down and people listen intently to her na para bang after niya mag salita, may surprise quiz about sa sinabi niya. She doesn't like attention but people are compelled to give it to her.

I take up space, magulo akong kasama, makulit- she is well behaved, very still, legs crossed with a healthy posture.

I like watching her like this. Talking to my friends freely. She talks to them differently to how she talks to me.

"Adie huwag mo akong titigan nang ganyan, naging crush kita nung high school." Inis na sabi ni Avery na nagkuwanri pang nag dabog.

Napatingin naman ako kay Avery and then to Adie.

Tumawa naman si Adie and nagkunwaring napuwing eyes niya.

"Uy nag iba ung timpla nung isa oh." Hannah commented. Napatingin naman silang lahat sakin.

"Huh? Bakit?" I asked confused. This earned a stifled laugh from Adie.

"Bakit?" I asked her. She looked me straight in the eyes and nang mapansin niyang genuinely confused ako, she answered honestly.

"You're frowning, Joey." Said Adie.

"Oo, kasi you're all looking at me and I have no idea why." I countered at inikot ang tingin ko sa friends ko.

"Sus dine-deny pa. First time mong maging in denial ha, infairness. First time yan" Avery Added and laughed.

"By the way, pupunta daw dito si Ken ha." Sean changed the topic.

Adie squeezed my hand but she beamed up at Sean. "Ken's coming?" She asked excitedly.

Sean nodded at her. "You know him?" I asked her.

"Yup. I'm closest to Ken, Avery, and Sean sa friends mo." She answered.

We spend the next hour talking to each other, getting too engrossed and invested. Ang saya niyang kausap. Lalo na this close. I could see the color of her eyes. She blinks faster every time she smiles, and she smiles a lot.

She's so attentive. Pours me a glass of water every now and then. Grabs me a slice of pizza or a piece of donut when my plate empties. Grabs me tissues every time i place my fork down and i use my hand to pick the food up.

She's so adorable..