Archetype

Chapter 14: BEST FRIEND

"Hey, Jho! Earth to!" Jia's laugh echoed around the dorm's library.

"Pano mo nagagawa yan?" My query got her confused.

"Which one? Reviewing?"

I shook my head then I looked at her, trying to read her reaction. "Yung parang ang gaan ng dinadala mo. Seems like no one's pressuring you."

"Kasi wala naman talaga. Kung meron man, it's myself lang." She's now serious- her normal expression everytime she's in the court trying to think of some game plan.

She laughed when my face turned confused as well. I really don't know kung bakit sa mga psych people ng team talaga ako napalapit. The fact that they can analyze me well is too dangerous. Good thing I trust them enough.

"My parents just want us to take life easy, enjoy it. No one's pressuring me unlike most of our teammates."

"I never dream of having big name nor big companies. Having a stable happy life is all I want. I got a brother who's so willing to take over the business that's why me and my sisters can decide what we want. Hindi katulad nila Mads, ate Den, ate Mae. Even Bettina and Ria and ow! Bea also."

"Pero may kuya si Bea, di ba?" Kuya Loel. I met him few times. He's nice, it's obvious that he loves Bea. Minsan nga nagiging driver pa siya ni Bei, eh.

"That's another case." She looked at the ceiling, maybe trying to remember things. "He's not the type of person who's into business. Highschool palang, he's determined of being a chef, cooking is his passion. While Bea, she was very much confused. She wanna be a doctor yet she's afraid na baka hindi niya makayanan. She's afraid of failing. Being lost, she accepted the responsibility of handling their business anytime soon. In that way, she thought he'll make his dad proud and mababalik yung dating relationship nila."

"Parang ang unfair naman ata. Bea's too young to decide about things like that."

"Bea's a certified daddy's girl, Jho. She will do everything just to make him proud." Bakit parang ang daming alam nila Jia and Gi about her? "They're like partners in crime before. Tito always tolerates Bea. They are each other's buddy and go to person. Not until things didn't go as planned."

I wonder if everyone in this team knows about it.

"Never bang naapektuhan ang friendship nila ni ate Den? "

"Oh! You know pala. No naman. Even when their parents are around, they still act close." She played with the shapener in front of her. "Akala ko nga because of their friendship maayos yung issue, eh. But then, it never happened. Ate Den graduated already, wala pa ring progress. "

"Super close ba kayo ni Bea? Its like you know her too well." She laughed at me as if I cracked some joke.

"Bea's my ex. Di mo alam?" I literally dropped my jaw. What the fuck?! Seryoso ba siya?

"Hella serious, Jho. We were in high school that time. Some things just never works out."

I'm like in a rollercoaster. Di ko pa nga naaabsorb yung kanina may bagong twist na naman.

"You two seems cool."

"Coz we're best friends. We were so attached with each other, we thought it was love. Yun pala, it's not. It was a mutual decision to settle things like what we used to have. We are better off best friends, hanggang dun lang. And no one left behind."