Hanap-hanap

Chapter 8

"So ... you forgave him?"

She shrugged before snagging another handful of mixed chips from the bowl. "Something like that."

"Ay, naku," her friend exclaimed, crossing her arms as she leaned back onto the headboard and looking extremely put out, "What's wrong with you, Nadz? He kisses you once –"

"Twice, actually, Yas," her other friend interjected from where he sat, holding up two of his fingers and inspecting the nails on them as he did so. "Yung first, yung binigla sya ..."

"Fine, twice, since you're such a stickler for details, Jhel," Yassi rolled her eyes at him for what felt like the umpteenth time that evening. "Twice. But Nadz, seriously ... that's it?"

Nadine sighed. "Nag-explain naman na sya, Yas. That the post wasn't what I – what we – thought it was. He was addressing something that Miss Veron had said ..."

"I know. You already told us this. But girl, what you aren't hearing is my question." Yassi leaned forward, savagely grabbing a pretzel from the bowl and jabbing it at her. "My question was, that's it? That's all it took for you to forgive him? He gave a few explanations, then kissed you ... and you let him?"

"Binigla nga sya, Yas, ano ba," Jhelo interjected again, reaching over and grabbing a potato chip as he winked at Nadine. "Palibhasa kasi, ikaw, ni biglain ng kiss, hindi magawa ng labidoods mo."

Yassi flipped Jhelo the bird. "Shut up. I'm not the topic of conversation here."

"Oh, hindi ba? Ay sorry, ha, kasi your biases are showing, sweetheart," he shot back, fluttering his eyelashes. "You know, when someone's needs and wants are not met ..."

Shaking her head, Nadine held up two hands and waved them vigorously between her friends, making her bounce up and down on the bed where they all sat. She had thought it a stroke of genius for her to invite two of her most opposite-minded friends to this trip, thinking they would be able to give her the most objective of viewpoints, but she was beginning to seriously doubt whether it was a sane move after all. "Uy, guys, ano ba. Pwede focus muna? Saka na 'yan. I need to pick your brains for this, please!"

Jhelo and Yassi exchanged glares, both still looking slightly mutinous, but subsided.

"Okay, so tell me your opinion. One at a time." Nadine looked at Jhelo. "You go first, Jhel. Do you think I should give this thing with James a chance?"

"Of course, ano ba!" he replied, throwing up his hands in the air. "Ang yummy kaya ni Papa James. What's not to like?"

"Except for the fact that he can be a careless asshole," Yassi muttered, crossing her arms again.

"Oy, oy, one at a time daw, sabi ni Nadz. Later ka na. Mamaya na sa cross examination tayo mag-debate." Jhelo turned away from Yassi to face Nadine. "At girl, hindi naman ako pro-Papa just because yummy sya. Alam mo yan."

Nadine nodded slowly. Jhelo had brought into the discussion the invaluable viewpoint of someone who was biologically male, and while he had other inclinations, he still understood what it was like to be a guy. "So ... you think because he was honest about his being confused about this, like I am ... ibig sabihin he's just as uncertain? As scared?"

"Scaredy-cat ang lolo mo, but that's not the most important point," her friend shook his head. "Like I said, Nadz, he's a one-woman man. Tingnan mo na lang his other past relationships. Lahat, long term. Lahat ng girls, willing to take him back kung gusto nya. O, what does that tell you?"

"But that was before, Jhel. Before we became famous and every girl began running after him. You guys know how I can get – yung pagka-selosa ko, baka makasira sa amin. And, by extension, sa career namin."