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Ly's sitting at the dining table, waiting for her friends to come sa salubong niya for her birthday. She's been doing this since 2016, in Kiefer's house to be exact.
Her phone beeped and she immediately looked at the message, she sighed loudly when she read the text, she’s so close to crying.
“Ly? Bakit?” Kiefer asked.
“Hindi raw makakapunta sila Ella,” Ly just said, closed her eyes to calm herself.
“What? Bakit last minute na nagsabi? Bakit daw?”
“I don’t know, emergency raw. Uhm, maybe let’s just start this? Wala naman na pala tayong hinihintay,” Ly said, trying to hide her sadness but the people around her noticed it.
Her visitors went in the dining to start the party when the doorbell rang.
Napatingin silang lahat sa labas, then kay Alyssa.
“Go, baka bisita mo, Ate Ly,” Thirdy said, smiling at Alyssa.
Ly bit her lip as she suddenly felt nervous. She went out to open the gate and…
“SURPRISE!!!” there was Bea T, Synjin, Ella and Kiwi. Ly squealed when she saw her friends.
Ly immediately hugged Bea as the other three enter the gate.
“Si Den?” Ly asked, her voice on a high pitch, looking at Ella and Kiwi na pumapasok lang, “andito si Den?” she asked again, looking outside.
Ella looked at Synjin.
“Wala,” Synjin tried to answered in a very light way possible by laughing.
For a moment, Ly’s smile disappeared but she got it back quickly seeing her friends.
“Mga bwisit kayo, sabi niyo di kayo pupunta!”
“Besh, surprise nga?” Ella asked.
Ly laughed, “tara sa loob!”
“Mabuti pa nga, kanina pa ko gutom,” Ella said, na nauna pang makapasok kaysa kay Alyssa.
10 minutes before June 29, everyone’s just minding their own businesses, may kumakain, may naglalaro ng playstation, and there’s Alyssa na hindi mapakali.
Ella looked at Ly na nakatingin sa phone niya.
"Umaasa ka ba?" Ella asked, giving Ly a sly smile.
Ly rolled her eyes, "ano na naman?"
"Sus, wag ako besh, kilala na kita. Di yun pupunta."
“Alam mo besh, parang gusto na kitang pauwiin.”
Ella laughed, “nagsasabi lang naman ako ng totoo! Besides, she’s from a game, and..uhm… you know she will not come if here’s the celebration. May special angry button ata siya kay Kiefer, map-press agad pag nakita niya jowa mo,” Ella said then laughed out loud.
Natawa rin si Ly, “Den and her grudges.”
Ella shook her head, “you know her, when someone hurts her loved ones, forever blacklist na sa kanya ‘yun.”
Ly sighed, “I just thought this time she’ll come.”
“Obvious nga, ramdam na ramdam ko yung pag asa mo kanina, para ngang gusto kong maiyak.”
“Napaka mo, besh,” Ly just said.
“Besh, bagay sayo yung in a sea of people, I’d still look for you na quote.”
