"Sa hindi inaasahang pagtatagpo ng mga mundo
May minsan lang na nagdugtong, damang-dama na ang ugong nito..."
CHAPTER ONE
"SIGE na naman, Miks... come to my party. Please, please... I'm begging you," pagmamakaawa ni Jeron kay Mika sa telepono.
"Brad, you're so kulit!" napipikong sabi niya sa kaibigan. Brad ang tawagan nilang dalawa, short for 'brader'. "I'm not in the mood to party nga. Red days nga kasi," sinimangutan niya ito kahit alam naman niyang hindi siya nito nakikita.
"You can just sit in one corner and eat and drink all the food you like. Promise, no one's gonna bother you there. I just need you to come," patuloy pa rin nito.
Man, this chinito is relentless!
She rolled her eyes in frustration. Hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit sobra sobra ang effort nito mapapunta lang siya sa birthday party nito. They're friends, alright. Very good friends pa nga kapag wala siyang topak but they were never the clingy kind. Kahit pareho silang sikat na student athletes sa school nila, may ibang set of friends pa rin naman sila dahil magkaiba naman ang sports na nilalaro nila. Jeron is the Team Captain of the basketball team while she plays volleyball. They hang-out when they feel like it, walang pilitan. So the fact na kinukulit siya nito ngayon eh hindi niya mapigilang magduda.
"Alam mo, I can smell something fishy na diyan sa level ng kakulitan mo, Je," nanghuhuling sabi niya. "There's something you're not telling me, no?"
"Ahm... well..." pagdadalawang-isip nito.
"Well?" nakaangat ang isang kilay na tanong niya.
"Well, I invited Jeanine." She could imagine him giving her a cheeky grin.
"Ayown! Lumabas din ang totoo," napapalatak na sabi niya. "You're just gonna use me as a cover up."
"Ouch, that hurts, brad! I'm just being a thoughtful friend here that's why I'm inviting you to my birthday party. Tapos ako pa 'tong pagbibintangan mo na manggagamit. Some friend you are!" kunwari ay nagtatampong sabi nito bagama't halata sa tono na nakangiti ito. Ni hindi man lang ito apektado sa pagkapikon niya. Palibhasa ay kilala na nito ang ugali niya. He knows that her bark is usually worse than her bite. Bully lang siya madalas pero bihira siyang magalit o magtampo.
"Ay naku, don't me! 'Wag ako, Teng. Kilala na kita. We've been friends for years, brad. You want me to be there so you can protect Jeanine from the bashers. Kasi nga naman, 'pag andun ako, our shippers would get so thrilled about us being together in an event. The focus of the media will be on me, saving your precious girl from the hit of the bashers. Am I right or what?" sarcastic na sabi niya. For whatever reason, their fans decided to ship them kahit na alam naman ng mga ito na magkaibigan lang sila. Marami ang kinikilig sa 'chemistry' daw nila and she thinks Jeron is capitalizing on that now.
"Okay, I admit that's one of the reasons," pag-amin nito.
"Langhiya ka! So okay lang sa 'yo na akong kaibigan mo ang mabash ng haters mo, gano'n?"
"Hindi naman sa ganu'n, Ye," depensa nito sa naglalambing na tono gamit ang pet name niya na bigay ng mga teammates niya. Her teammates and coaches call her 'Yeye' to differentiate her from another Mika in the team. "I just know that you can handle them well compared to Jeanine. You're not the Crowd Darling for nothing. Sanay ka na sa ganu'n, 'di ba, brad?"
Being both part-time models and product endorsers, hindi sila ligtas ni Jeron sa mga panghuhusga ng mga tao. They may have fans outside of their school but they have their fair share of bashers and haters, too. At hindi ligtas sa mga ito ang mga mahal nila sa buhay. Kaya somehow ay naiintindihan niya si Jeron kung bakit gano'n ito kaprotective sa girlfriend nito.
