The Damned Chase

-1-

Chapter One

"Okay Trish, you can stop laughing now" I told her. Useless. She's still flipping over the couch, clutching her stomach while violently tapping the pillow on her lap. Kaka-kwento pa lang sa kanya ni Reign nung nangyari kanina sa cafe. Ni hindi pa nga tapos yung kwento eh, she already started laughing out like a lunatic.

"Hmf-sorry." After a few good seconds, she responded. Attempt at suppressing giggles failed. "So ano na nga? How did you shrug him off? Any flowery words para di siya masaktan? Like, 'It's not you, It's me. Wala pa kasi sa isip ko yan eh. I'm really sorry'" I stared at her giving her a where-the-hell-did-you-get-that-are-you-crazy kind of look. "Right. So not you" She retorted almost too quick, realizing how ridiculous of an idea that was. Never would I imagine saying words like those to anyone. Ever.

"She handed him the flowers and the card and then gracefully walked away. Simple as that" Reign answered at my expense.

"You're heartless." She stared at me wide-eyed while I'm staring at her with one eyebrow arched. Like what she heard is the most obvious thing in the world. Seriously though, what does she expect me to do?

We're currently at our condo unit. Well, mine and Reign's because we live here together and Trish is our bestfriend so she's practically a common entity here. It's a saturday so it's a day off from school but we're too lazy to go anywhere else so we decided to just stay in and watch movies. But it turns out, they're more interested to talk about me. Mindlessly discarding the poor movie.

"Aren't you really interested in any of them? I mean, look. Some of them are really fine. Good-looking, came from well-off families, and I think they're decent enough naman. Bakit di mo bigyan ng chance? Just try." Trish said. All humor gone. And I think she has said this before. Just different choice of words, but the exact same sense. Probably a gazillion times already, I lost count.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I don't have time" A half-lie. We all know I have all the time in the world pero sadyang ayoko lang. Alam kong concerned lang sila pero wala talaga eh. I would rather busy myself doing other sorts of things kesa atupagin yang mga ganyang bagay. I won't even let the idea itself enter my head.

I just stared at the TV screen, pretending to watch the movie. Clearly stating that I don't want to discuss the subject further. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Reign and Trish look at each other, shake their heads, sighed and started to talk about other things.

__

"So, magkano mo ibebenta yan?" Reign said over my shoulder. I'm painting something for my mom because she requested me to. Something like a gift for a friend who's being re-married to her husband for their 50th year anniversary.

"Not gonna sell it. It's for mom" I said while biting my paint brush and mixing colors on my palette. My mom has this habit of giving away my paintings as a gift to her friends. Saying 'It's my way of showcasing how talented my daughter is, honey' Hanggang sa nasanay na ko. And she doesn't even pay for it. Everytime I ask her to pay all she says was 'I'm your mom!' and we'll just laugh it off.

"Swerte ni Tita ah." Reign says

"Bakit di mo subukang i-try maging swerte ng mommy mo?"

"Psh. Tama na yung ako magha-handle ng business. Isn't that being a luck for a daughter already?" She said while checking on my paint bottles. "Siya nga pala, birthday ni Lance bukas ah. We're invited. Nabasa mo na text niya?" I told her I haven't checked my phone yet since this morning. "Basta pupunta tayo ah." She said.

"Saan ba?" I asked. Of course pupunta ako. Lance is like my second brother.

"Sa bar ni Jethro" Jethro is my older brother. Well obviously, that will be the venue. It's the only place where me and my friends celebrate happenings.

"No wonder gusto mong pumunta" I said. It's a common knowledge between me and Trish that Reign likes my brother even without her announcing it. We've known her for years and we can read her even with just one glance.

"Ano ba Jet. I don't like your brother. Really, he's not my type." She said defensively."

"You don't have to deny it. It's no use. di rin naman namin ipagsasabi eh." I'm fighting the urge to laugh because I remember how everytime my brother is within a 10-meter radius, Reign goes mute. And stiff.

"Drop it. I don't. I swear to God" She even raises her right hand and does that 'I swear' gesture.

"Yeah, whatever intsik"

"Stop calling me intsik. I'm Ko-re-an" Reign giggles. It's kinda an old joke. I've been calling her intsik since forever because she has two horizintal slits as eyes and super white skin complexion.

"I know. What's the difference anyway"

I finished the painting within a couple of hours. Before the sun sets, I already drove from my mom's home in QC. She wasn't there yet so I left it with the house maids and just sent her a message saying all's done while driving on my way back.

I decided to stop by at a coffee shop half-way near the condo. I ordered my favorite frappe and sat on my favorite spot at the corner of the shop. I was scrolling through my phone browsing unread messages when I heard the waitress pass by my side giggling. She just served at a table not far from mine.

I automatically glanced at that table where a man is seated wearing a white button down shirt over black pants. He's cute. I thought. Although it was a bit of an understatement. How can you describe a man looking so crisp and casual as cute?

He was talking to someone over the phone with a crease in between his brows. I thought maybe they're having an argument. When suddenly he sighed, placed the phone at his table and looked at my way.

Shit. He caught me staring at him.

I was dumbfounded for a moment  and before I looked away,

He raised one corner of his mouth. Forming the most dazzling smirk I've probably ever seen.