I blinked, Oo nga no?
"Potato." I tugged at her arm, pulling her closer as Jane and the others approached us. The moment they saw me, they couldn't hold back their laughter.
"Hay nakong disguise yan." Jane said, still giggling as she playfully adjusted the edge of my bandana.
We formed a circle under the shaded roof to shield ourselves from the sun's unrelenting heat. The sound of trucks unloading filled the air, a steady rhythm of progress.
The boys took charge of the heavy lifting, their strong frames working in unison as they offloaded the trucks and sorted the materials. Meanwhile, the girls—well, some of them—had gathered in a corner, chatting away as though the world outside didn't exist.
I took a deep breath, glanced around at everyone's expectant faces, and decided it was time to drop the bombshell.
"Okay..." I started, drawing out the suspense as their eager faces turned toward me. "So... boyfriend ko na si J—"
"HA?!"
I hadn't even finished my sentence when the outburst hit me like a tidal wave.
"I come back to Morocco, and this is the shit I hear?!" Franchesca shrieked, her hand losing its grip on Maxim's leash. The little dog darted off, chasing after the boys, while Franchesca remained frozen in disbelief.
"Also—" I began again, but Franchesca cut me off, her eyes sharp with concern.
"Tell me if my brother makes you cry, ha?!" She stared at me with such intensity that I could only smile weakly. Kung alam mo lang... pinaiyak niya ako kagabi lang.
"Kailan naman naging kayo?!" Potato demanded, her stance so stern she looked like a strict dad, arms crossed and legs wide apart.
"Kagabi," I admitted with a sheepish grin.
"After the fight?" Potato asked, leaning closer with curiosity.
"What fight?" Franchesca's head whipped toward Potato, her face now a picture of confusion.
"Si Heart at Jazz, naglaban sa colosseum-like arena," Potato replied nonchalantly.
"Huh?! When?!" Franchesca's jaw dropped.
"Kagabi lang din," Jane added, her tone matter-of-fact.
"Oh my God. Inaantay niyo lang ba ako umalis?!" Franchesca threw her hands up in the air, her gestures frantic. "Punitin ko yung blueprint ng Alas-Kopi, eh!"
"Wag!" I exclaimed, half-laughing and half-panicking. Franchesca was dead serious, switching to Tagalog in her exasperation.
Potato took the opportunity to steal the spotlight, raising her left hand with a coy smile. "To sum it up, Heart won, she's now the Shadow, and me and Eugene are engaged na."
Our collective gasp echoed through the air, our eyes zeroing in on the ruby ring adorning her delicate finger. The platinum band, meticulously carved, seemed to sparkle brighter in the sunlight.
"WHAT?!" We screamed in unison, our excitement uncontainable. Potato, ever the cool one, just giggled, letting us admire her hand like it was a priceless artifact.
"Putangina! Parang last week lang kayo pinag-tapat, ah?!" I teased, remembering how I had played matchmaker for the two.
"Potato..." Franchesca was mesmerized, her gaze lingering on her friend's glowing face. If you ignored the quirky nickname, Miyuki Westwood truly suited Potato's refined beauty.
