João felt extremely sad today.
Probably because the sisig his aunt promised for lunch wasn't served.
Or because of the bad weather; all grey skies and strong winds on Christmas day, of all days.
Or maybe it was because Starbucks didn't have extra raspberry syrup for his caramel macchiato.
João wasn't sure which of those made up his official worst day but he is most certainly sure that it wasn't because of Ford's absence on the day of his birthday.
Nope. Not a chance.
João shook his head in annoyance. He had a good day on his birthday despite his other bandmate's absence, right?
They prepared a large cake, some drinks, and he got a lot of presents. It was a success.
But as many good things as he can enumerate, his heart doesn't seem too satisfied without Ford. It didn't sit quite right.
All of his cousins are out. They were all practically kids, and he wouldn't be able to relate so much, so he passed.
His birthday was three days ago, yet there's still something unsettling with the way he was feeling right now. He knows exactly what it could be, but he refuses to acknowledge it.
"João! Bakit tulala ka diyan? Pulutin mo na yang tinapay sa harap mo. May peanut butter din diyan oh," his train of thoughts was interrupted by his aunt.
Did he unknowingly just drop the bread?
Shaking his head to snap out of the trance, he eventually took the slice, gave it a small pat, and spread peanut butter all over it.
After finishing the bread, he walked directly to his room and slumped into his bed. He tried to shut his eyes, but images from his recent birthday celebration kept bugging him. Sure it was fun, he had a great time, but he still isn't convinced that it was enough to make him 100% happy.
On second thought, Russell was smashed on the cake. That made him smile a little bit.
Realizing that nothing's going to randomly pop in his head if he sleeps, he decided to call it a night and burrowed his entire body back in the covers.
It's close to 9 PM, and João thinks it might be a little early to sleep but let's be real, there isn't anything much left to do.
/
The buzzing beside his head made him open his eyes groggily. The phone was blowing up, and even though the sound can't wake him up because it's on silent, the vibration did all the work anyways.
Not bothering to look at whoever was calling him in the middle of the night, he slid his finger over to the screen.
"Hello?" A raspy groan escaped his lips as his eyebrows furrowed in anticipation.
"Happy birthday!" An obnoxiously loud voice made him retract the device from his ears. "Magbihis ka. May regalo ako sa'yo."
Wait. He knows that voice.
"Ford?" João sat up, now fully aware of the surroundings. "Ang aga-aga bakit ka naninigaw?"
He heard him laugh over the line. "Mamaya na 'yan. Bihis na, bilis! Naghihintay ako sa labas."
João wasn't sure how he ended up on Ford's convertible but he was sure there was a lot of tip-toeing from the stairs and careful door opening on his way out.
"Sorry hindi ako nakapunta sa birthday mo ha," his bandmate broke the silence, both eyes still focused on the road.
João looked beside him and wondered if this was a dream.
"Babawi ako sa'yo ngayon."
"Okay lang naman," João murmured quietly. "Pero bakit ang aga-aga?"
"Gusto ko lang na tahimik at walang tao," Ford shrugged nonchalantly. He rounded the car on another curve.
"Saan ba tayo pupunta?" João asked. "Hindi mo naman ako kini-kidnap, diba?" He added jokingly.
"Mag enjoy ka na lang," the other boy chuckled. "Malapit na tayo."
After 10 minutes, Ford pulled over the side of the road and shut off the engine.
"Baba na," his left eyebrow raised at João's seemingly frozen state.
João immediately followed. Ford outstretched his right hand and motioned João to take it.
Is it hot in here? No, the breeze is kind of chilly and it's early morning so no, the weather has nothing to do with it.
João and Ford's intertwined hands have nothing to do with it, either.
Ford led the both of them through a clearing and João's jaw dropped at the sight.
A beach. Ford led them to the beach.
The horizon was glistening as the sun was starting to make its presence known.
"Paano mo-"
"Nag ikot-ikot ako dito para makahanap ng lugar para sa birthday mo," Ford cut him off before he can even say anything.
João was silent for a few moments and Ford grew anxious beside him.
"Pangit ba? Ang tahimik mo eh."
João can hear the disappointment in his voice.
"Hindi ah!" He replied in haste. "No one has ever done this for me before, kaya thank you."
João looked beside him and found an easy smile on Ford's face.
João thinks the beach has nothing to do with the hot weather.
The older guy offered him a bottle of vodka, to which João scrunched his eyebrows at.
"Ikaw ha. Napapadalas yang pag-iinom mo."
Ford just giggled and draped his arm around João.
"Hindi naman. May mga iniisip lang," Ford bobbed his eyebrows up and down, and João decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.
What could he be possibly thinking about that requires the company of alcohol?
/
João thought the surprise ends at 4am, but he thought wrong. Just when his heart was ready to say goodbye to Ford, he was informed that Ford had no plans of taking him back home just yet.
"Doon tayo sa lugar na palagi mong bukambibig. Breakfast na tayo doon tapos saktong overlooking, masisilayan natin ang sunrise," Ford said as he and João made their way back inside the car.
When they arrived, their table was already set. The staff was just waiting for them before they could serve the food.
"Pumili ka pa diyan kung may gusto ka pa," Ford handed João the menu.
The younger guy was busy biting his lips and playing with his lip ring, a mannerism his bandmates know so well.
"Ang galante mo talaga. Yung tatlo nagpalibre pa sa'kin eh," he chuckled.
Ford just waved his hand in the air.
"Wala yun. Masaya ka naman ba?" he smiled.
Both of them felt the sun starting to rise and it was getting hotter than when they went out to the beach earlier.
João watched the sun's half make Ford's skin glow a little. He turned to look at the celestial body in front of them and smiled as well.
"Sobra."
