Pakwan Shots

Beach House

[A/N: heavily inspired by the summer i turned pretty series by jenny han! pls read it if u have time cos it's a good summer read hehe]

When I finally see the Reyes family, I run to them like a little kid.

"Ara, hija! Tumangkad ka, ha! Finally!" Tita Betchay cups my cheeks and pinches it.

I roll my eyes. "Tita, oo na ho, kayo na matangkad." I joke. They all laugh.

My mom and Tita Betchay do the gesture of a beso-beso as I fist bump Miko and embrace Mikole. I've missed them, as I always do every year. For as long as I can remember, we've all been coming to the beach house that the Reyes family owns. We spend majority of summer there. It's become a Reyes-Galang tradition. I've known the Reyes family my whole life, too, because my mom and Tita Betchay are best friends. In short, they're like my second family.

Finally I see Mika, taller than ever, with her hair undone--as usual. I've missed her the most.

"Daks," I say as I tiptoe to hug her. I always have to tiptoe when I hug her.

"Na-miss kita, ha!" She says as she pulls away. She studies my face. "Parang... parang glowing ka ata?"

I rush to cover my face. "Hindi ah!"

"In love ka, 'no? Aba, hindi ka na nag-k'kwento, ha!"

"Hindi!"

"Hay nako!"

"Hindi talaga, promise--"

"Kids!" Tita Betchay is standing in the doorway. "Kain na tayo ng dinner sa loob!"

Mika and I run back inside to munch on Tita Betchay's infamous bulalo.

---

"So, sino nga?" Mika asks as she brushes her foot against the warm sand.

It's almost midnight and we're walking along the shore, with nothing but the crescent moon and the lights of the nearby houses lighting our way. We always do this on our first night here, just so we can catch up with each other's lives; given that Mika lives at Bulacan and I'm all the way from Pampanga. Basically, it means that summer is almost the only time we ever meet.

"Wala nga," I say. "Walang ganap sa love life ko ngayon." I look at her. "Ikaw?"

"Hmm. Wala rin."

"Eh... paano 'yung Jerome?" I try not to seem too curious. "'Yung kinwento mo sakin last time?"

"Wala na 'yun!" She replies. We find a place to sit on the dry sand with our feet barely touching the ocean water. "'Di naman kami naging official."

"Hala? Eh, in love na in love ka nga dun! Sinabi mo pa sa'kin nun, 'Daksh, he'sh the one for me na!'"

Mika laughs at my impersonation. "Hoy, grabe ka sa'kin! Hindi ako ganyan magsalita!" She covers her face with the palms her hands. "Nakakahiyaaaa!"

"Wow ah, ngayon ka pa nahiya sa'kin!"

She punches me playfully.

"Aray!" I exclaim.

She laughs and gets so close to me, I find it hard to breathe.

Suddenly it feels like the right moment. The right moment to tell her everything-to tell her that ever since we were kids, I've always felt something for her that I've never felt with anyone else. To tell her that for years I've been suppressing these feelings, silently hoping and wishing that she feels the same way too.

I wanted to tell her. But I know it could mean the end of all of this. The end of our late night strolls on the beach, our senseless chats, and most of all-our friendship. I don't want to lose any of that.