"Hello? James?"
It was Yassi.
"Sup?" He all but shouted at his phone. The blaring speakers and his already wasted friends made it difficult for him to hear even his own voice.
They were at the PPC tonight. Nothing short of the usual. Like what Bret said, "Booze, bros, and babes."
He heard Yassi say something unintelligble on the other line.
"What? Wait a sec," he said while separating himself from the group, opportunely passing a round of shots orchestrated none other than by his best friend. He shook his head ruefully. He had zero plans of getting smashed tonight. Early call time and all that.
(Of course, he already knew that that's a poor ass excuse. Work never stopped him from letting it up before. He supposes he just didn't feel like it tonight.)
So, thank you, Yassi Pressman.
"Are you with Nadz?" Yassi asked.
"Uhh, no. Why?"
There was a pregnant pause.
It wasn't like Yassi to call him in the first place, much less ask him for Nadine. So cautiously, he pressed on.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Umm... Wala naman. Just asking." She replied.
"C'mon, Yas. You never call me, what is this?"
He heard her sigh. He can almost imagine Yassi debating with herself on whether or not she should tell him whatever this is. He was getting annoyed, actually. (And worried).
"Yass," he said. Firmer this time.
"Fine. Kasi... Uhh... Pa'no ko ba 'to sasabihin?"
"Just get on with it already."
"It's not my place to tell, okay! So just... Nag-aalala lang ako. She's not answering my calls. And that's so not Nadine, James - not answering calls. I already called Tita My pero wala rin. I don't know if she knows na nga, eh. I can't go to Nadine's place naman. I'm still at work," she explains.
Okay, now he was worried.
"Tell me what happened."
He was already grabbing his keys from the table. His friends were hollering at him for being such a partypooper and a killjoy and a sourpuss and a whatfuckingever.
He didn't care. His mind was chanting 'Nadine, Nadine, Nadine'.
Screw them. He can explain later.
Bret tried to catch him by the elbow, but he was practically jogging towards the exit by now.
"I have to go," he told Bret in a tone that left no room for argument.
"They broke up, James. JC and Nadine broke up."
That made him falter in his step.
Oh.
This was... different.
Sure, he'd been friends with Nadine for some time now. They've talked about a lot of things - seemingly unimportant things - and, sure, he doesn't know if he'll ever need them. But he kept them anyway because they're all Nadine.
Every single one of them.
This wasn't one of them though.
This wasn't of the things he had the right or the opportunity to keep.
