"Ri, tama na nga 'yan! Nakailang bottles ka na oh!" I could hear the concern with a mix of irritation in her voice as she tried taking the beer bottle away from me. Ever since before, she doesn't like seeing me get drunk.
"Kaya ko pa.. Ano ka ba? Hik. Hik. Hehe." I burped and burped then puked. What a combination! My head was already spinning but I am well aware that I am not yet home, that I'm with this pretty stick who loves to dress up and look beautiful.. For someone else.
"RIA!" Alarmed about me suddenly puking, she rubbed my back gently until I have finally thrown up all of the beef steak I ate awhile ago. I don't want to go into detail on that one.. Kayo na nga lang ang kausap ko tapos ganito-ganyan pa ang ikukuwento ko at nakakadiri pa! Hay nako.. May tama na nga siguro ako, malalang-malala na tama.
I stayed silent as we walked out from the rest room at the club we were partying at. We both went back to our VIP booth so that she could bid her goodbyes to our company; the OG as we'd like to call it - Mika, Kim, Ara and ate Mela.
"Pauwiin mo na 'yan, Jess. Mukhang malalim na nga ang tama niyan." Ate Mela chimed in as the rest of the group scolded me all at once. My head throbbed like crazy hearing their muffled voices as they all spoke in unison.
"Matagal nang malalim ang tama niyan. Ayaw lang aminin eh." Ara commented. I saw the look in her eyes; a mixture of pity and sadness. I know, I know. I should've made a better choice in the past but what can I do? It has all passed and I missed my chance.
"Bf, doon mo na lang kaya patuluyin si Riri sa condo mo? Walang kasama 'yan sa bahay nila. Sabi ni Kim eh umalis daw sina tito at tita para samahan si Nikki sa Bacolod." My system's all slowed down so I really couldn't process everything quickly and protest. If I was in the right state of mind, I would've just excused myself to the bathroom and disappear. Pero ngayon, wala akong kawala dahil hawak-hawak ako ni Jessey sa baywang.
Just in time, Kim was back from the bar with two drinks in hand. She settled it down at the table quickly and eyed me up and down.
"Oh? Knock out na? Eh magra-round five pa kami!" Everybody looked at Kim in anger. Yeah, she talked me into drinking ten rounds tonight. She knows what hell of a pain I've been going through.
"Joke lang naman! Sabi ko naman talaga, ako lang ang magte-ten rounds! Siya kaya ang nagpumilit!" She lied at her own convenience. What's funny is that Kim slowly turns pale when she's lying. Malalaman at malalaman mo kung nagsisinungaling siya dahil.. Well, she's got a darker skin color than the rest of us - to sugar-coat it.
"Nako, Jessey. Ako na lang siguro ang maghahatid kay Ria. Doon na muna siya sa bahay ko." Kim offered. Everybody protested because they know Kim's also a bit tipsy already and, believe me, you do not want her driving when she's intoxicated. Kahit roadsmart 'yang si Kim, nako! Mamamatay ka sa kaba kapag nakahawak 'yan sa manibela nang nakainom!
"Ako na, Kim. It's okay. Sa condo ko na siya patutuluyin." Jessey gave them a timid smile and I was just there, staring blankly at the dance floor which was jam-packed with people grinding, flirting, bouncing up and down.
Sa buong population kaya ng mga taong nasa club na 'to, ilan kaya ang heartbroken? Ilan kaya ang forever single? Ilan kaya ang dating virgin? Ilan kaya ang lonely? Because I can't help but feel sad for these people who might have felt the same pain that I have gone through - I have searched for a different kind of love in every nook and cranny, in every face from the endless crowd but there was none.. There was no one who could ultimately change my mind and the beating of my heart that has long been yearning for Jessey Laine Maglonzo de Leon.
But she does not know that and she would never know it, simply because I was afraid to let her know how I feel. I keep thinking that she's beyond my reach, that I am not good enough for her. I keep thinking that she's like a far flung star that I would always look at and wish on but she'd never fall for me because she has already fallen for someone else.
