Chapter One
Nagtatawanan kami't nag-iinuman sa isang mesa sa Giligan's. Kami nina Hazeam, Prince, Royce, at Miley. Wala si Chad Lored dela Rama. He will be singing with his band tonight. Dito sa Giligan's, kaya't dito namin piniling kumain.
Mukhang problemado si Hazeam, kaya't naisipan niyang yayain kami ngayon.
Dumating na ang bucket ng beer na in-order niya.
"Royce." Tawag niya.
Lumingon kaming dalawa ni Royce.
"Shit." Tinuro niya ako. "I meant Royce, not Royce the Second." At umirap siya.
"Eh puta ka pala eh.." Umiling si Second at uminom na galing sa bote niya.
Nagtawanan kami dahil sa nangyari. Kaya't napapasulyap ang ibang kumakain sa amin. Like we care about their glares.
Second and I have the same name. Ang difference nga lang ay ang gender. Lalaki siya, ako babae. Tinatawag pa nga kaming twins minsan dahil lang sa pangalan. At dahil medyo close kami.
Nang sumali ako sa grupo nila this year, iniba na nila ang mga pangalan namin. Kapag tinawag na 'Royce', ako yun. Kapag 'Second', siya.
But we just can't avoid forgetting the labels.
I decided to take a break from schooling in Australia. Nang nakapagbakasyon na ako nung summer dito para lang ma-maintain ang dual citizenship ko in both countries, ay gumaan ang pakiramdam ko sa Pilipinas.
Just seeing people with the same hair color, skin color, and speaks the same language as you, it embraced the folds of my heart, and made me love my own country even more.
Kapag kasi nasa ibang bansa ka, makakapag-adjust ka naman. Pero minsan, mararamdaman mong iba talaga. Lalo na kapag may pinaniniwalaan ka.
My friends in Australia are mostly westernized. I meant house parties, shots, casual sex, and the likes. No Sunday masses, no corny courtships.
Nakakailang.
Kaya't nung nakauwi ako, it's like the first time na nakangiti ako nang totoo. Because I belong. That's the most important thing.
Nung first day of class, I tried so hard to fit in. At nung nakasama ko na sina Miley, I tried really hard to maintain my relationship with them. And with that, we follow rules.
"Where's Chad?" Tanong ni Haz. Naubos kaagad ang isang bote niya. I can't believe him.
Hindi ko pa ginagalaw ang boteng nasa harapan ko. I don't drink. Even sa Australia, I don't. I only tasted red wine sa wedding ng pinsan ko. And that's it.
I shrugged. Who knows where Lored is at the moment. "Baka nagpre-prepare pa with his bandmates."
They call Lored as Chad. I call him Lored. Ever since he started talking to me about a girl he's crushing on, who is Stephanie Jane Premacio, we got real close. Real close na iba ang tawagan namin sa grupo. We call each other by our second names instead of the first dahil yun na ang tawag sa amin ng grupo.
Chad Lored G. dela Rama.
Royce Maybleu D. Amisola.
Bleu and Red.
