My Thirty Day Plan (COMPLETED)

Day 1

"When life gives you lemons, make a lemon meringue pie."

--

Out of the five of us, I'm the least interesting. Ako si Jasmine na plain at walang personality. My friends all have their lovable quirks in them. Si Toby, he's this kind and intelligent guy na minsan suplado but girls dig that about him. He also happens to be my best friend and my ex-boyfriend. Long story short, we tried to be in a relationship because we were pressured by our families and in the end, I called it quits kasi hindi ko talaga sya gusto. I only like him as a friend. Gale, she's this feisty woman who doesn't take shit from anyone. Saksakan nang sungit at suplada pero magandang-maganda. Her stubbornness attracted Rico, this charming and funny guy who became Toby's friend and later became my friend as well. Femi is the quietest out of the five of us. Noong college, naging magkaibigan sila ni Gale. She helped Gale with school works and Gale taught her how to dress and act her age. Femi is kinda like me but weirder. Ang kaibahan nga lang namin, sya ay may character development na. Ako, wala pa.

Siguro iyon yung dahilan kung bakit bagsak na naman ako sa interview. I resigned from my job as an architect because it was suffocating for me. Unang-una, hindi ko naman talaga gusto ang trabaho ko. Hindi ko gusto ang kursong arkitekto. Napilitan lamang akong kunin iyon dahil iyon ang course ni Toby. Whatever Toby gets, I get. Wherever Toby goes, I go.

I grew up thinking that I want what Toby wants because that's what my parents instilled in me.

Mag-best friend ang mga nanay namin. When they got married, they decided to live next to each other. Before they had kids, they made a pact that they would marry them off. The Legaspi and Damian families would have a long history of togetherness.

At dahil kami ni Toby ang magkalapit ang edad, kami ang itinakdang magkatuluyan.

Ever since elementary, kailangang iisa lang kami ng section palagi. I remember falling behind with my grades in 3rd grade at napalipat ako ng section. My mother had to beg the teacher to put me to the first section where Toby's at, kapalit ang pangakong hindi bababa ng 85 ang grade ko sa lahat ng subject. Ilang beses akong umiyak noong mga panahong pinipilit nila akong mag-aral tuwing weekends kahit gustong-gusto ko nang maglaro.

Toby had been with me ever since I can remember. And for a while, I thought we'd end up together because the people around us kept pushing us to be with each other. May time na akala ko ganoon nga. I also believed that I fell in love with him.

He was the best boyfriend anyone could ever ask for. Mabait, maalaga, malambing, loyal... taps gwapo pa at matalino. Pasadong-pasado pa sa parents ko. Kagaya nga sa kanta, nasa kanya na ang lahat.

That is, until Rico came into the picture.

Rico is cute too. Very funny and friendly, masayahin, at ubod nang kulit. I instantly felt attraction towards him, something that was new to me, given na si Toby lang 'yong exposure ko to romance dahil wala namang ibang lalaking pinalalapit sa 'kin ang parents ko pati sina Kuya.

Falling for Rico made me realize so many things about myself. Na-realize ko na most of the feelings I felt growing up weren't my own. That I was just conditioned to feel those things. Na-realize ko na sa buong buhay ko pala, madalas na ginagawa ko lang ang mga bagay na alam kong magpapasaya ng ibang tao. But I have disregarded my own feelings.

When I realized those things, I broke it off with Toby.

We remained friends after that. I guess everyone thought that I was just confused, that I'd get over Rico and then, Toby and I would be together again.

Medyo napaisip sina tatay nang sabihin kong magri-resign na ako sa trabaho ko. Pinagalitan pa ako. I live with them so I had to take it all in.

"Bakit ka magri-resign e ang ganda-ganda ng trabaho mo?" naalala kong tanong ni tatay noong minsan. Ang sagot ko, hindi ko gusto 'yong ginagawa ko. Na hindi ko nakikita ang sarili kong tatanda na ginagawa ang ganoong trabaho. He didn't think it was a valid excuse so he asked if I was being mistreated and if I want Toby to talk to my manager.