ALYDEN

Stuck (Fin)

"Meeting you was like listening to a song for the first time and knowing it would be my favorite."

***

Have you ever experienced that thing when you badly wanted to escape a scene you suddenly try to remember every single thing that happened before you got there — thinking you should just have let that impatient driver overtake you on the road; or maybe you should have not snoozed your alarm for another 5 minutes; or you should have just left the watch you forgot at the sink — 'cause maybe even with the tiniest fraction of time difference you could have avoided the situation.

I should have went along with Ella when she asked me to watch a movie tonight. 'Cause of all days, why did I spend a Monday night here? Gosh, I'm not ready to see her yet.

"Coach! She's the one I'm talking about. Dennise is the name."

The voice of Bang got me back to the present. Thank God. That's when I realized Alyssa's still holding up my phone for me. Instantly, I grabbed my phone from her and said my thanks a little too quickly out of embarassment before looking away.

"Your Friday Girl."

I suddenly looked at Alyssa. Her voice is now back to normal yet there's an edge on it. She's still staring at me — a straight look on her face. It's making me nervous.

"Yes! That's her." Bang laughed oblivious to the awkward atmosphere between me and Ly. "Sayang nga eh. May nauna na sakin." She added.

The fuck.

"May nauna na?" Alyssa now looked at Bang with furrowed brows. While Bang just nodded with a grin.

"Unfortunately and fortunately, yes."

I looked at Bang confused and Alyssa did the same. Bang might have noticed the questioning looks of ours that she elaborated her answer. Unfortunately.

"Unfortunately, kasi obviously hindi ako yung nauna. Pero fortunately, kasi it's a SHE! So Den here has all the chance of liking women."

Then and there my jaw literally dropped. I can feel all my blood rose to my head. As if seeing Alyssa here wasn't already a misery, Bang says those things. Embarassing is an understatement. So before anyone can speak I already excused myself.

"Excuse me."

I hurried myself towards the bathroom and went to the farthest cubicle locking myself.

"Lagot ka talaga sa 'kin Pineda. Crap!"

It's your fault, Den. Sino bang nagkwento kay Bang nang tungkol kay Alyssa?

I sighed. Then the memory flashed back.

Flashback ..

I was gathering my things ready to go when Bang for the nth time today asked me again.

"Baby, please? Just this one lang. My friend ditched me eh. Ang lungkot kayang mag-isa." She pouted trying to look cute but it didn't affect me at all.

"Stop calling me endearments, please? And I told you before, Friday nights are off limits. Understood?"

"Eh Friday nights lang naman kita nakikita. Pano pako makakayaya sayo sa ibang araw? You don't even give me your number."