Girls called Alessandra

CHAPTER 09 - LAUGHTERS

So another inanimate object must hold significance. This time it was this table in the middle of the fast food resto, flanked by six chairs but only four persons.

"I'm sorry that they're such a bunch of pigs. I'm really sorry that they had to take advantage of you like this."

"Alie, it's not a problem at all."

On this table was a feast. Alie should have stopped them when she could. Now Bebay and Rudy had ordered a lot.

"He says it's not a problem, so stop apologizing Babe." Bebay was not even looking at her as she said it. Her attention focused solely on the tray of spaghetti and box of fried chicken and the generous plate of gravy. They were shameless they each had to order two sundaes.

Jude told them to order anything they wanted. Incredulous, they had asked, Anything we wanted? He had answered, Yeah, anything.

Rudy who was initially at odds with Jude's presence was now too uncharacteristically kind to him. "Where have you been all my life, brother?"

Pigs. Pigs. Pigs.

Alie was turning red from shame.

She shouldn't have provoked him. She shouldn't have tried to intimidate him. Who would have expected for it to turn out this way?

Alie kept scratching the back of his head. "How do we finish all this? We'll be late for History."

"Who cares about History," Jude said, joyous, "Dig in!"

He appeared so genuinely happy about it. He was unbelievable.

It was said that when people eat together, they grow closer. The walls grow shorter. The veils unveil. It is when they do something together so instinctive that they let down their guards.

"I met Bebay and Rudy in elementary. That time, she was still so grumpy and fat. This Rudy, it is only around this time that he started to look like a human being."

"I'll kill you Alie, I swear after I'm done with this chicken."

"It's not like you were so slim. You were uglier than me, remember? And mind you, you used to envy my pigtails!"

Bebay was harsher at storytelling. "There was that one time when Rudy was punished to carry all our teacher's textbooks but on his way he dropped it in a puddle of water. He was so afraid of being scolded that he literally disappeared. The coward ran away!"

It wasn't exaggerated. It was just exactly the truth and that made it stab deeper into Rudy's heart.

All the while as they narrated their childhood and adventures, Alie began to notice the shifting gamut of expressions on Jude's face.

Jude had been laughing along with them, unabashed even if his laugh cracked unceremoniously.

Now it was a mix of amusement and admiration and envy. Mostly envy. It was written on his face.

Alie was curious yet fearful to ask because she might just worsen it. She was afraid that he would have no answer. It's better if he lied. So she kept on telling her tales unti it was Rudy who dropped the bomb.

"So Jude, how about you? You're a transferee right? How were your friends in Manila? I bet you've been to bars there, eh."

Alie pursed her lips. It was inevitable. It was meant to go there.

And just as she feared, Jude found it hard to answer. "I've never been to a bar, bro.  My mom would kill me."

Bebay soon followed up, "Do you have a girlfriend? Back at Manila, did you have one?"

"Woah, were they cute?"

Jude arched up her lips. "I didn't have a girlfriend there. It's embarassing, but I've never had one actually."

Walls. Walls. Walls. Walls.

In Alie's view, she could see Jude putting them back up again hurriedly.

Rudy wouldn't let him off. "What about a friend who is a girl?"

"Of course, I had one."

A person came up to their table, drawing their focus away from Jude.

But right at that moment, Alie heard Jude say in almost a whisper. "She was twenty years older than me."

Only Alie heard it. Maybe Jude never meant it to be heard by anyone because he almost whispered it. So Alie turned a deaf ear to it.

The person who arrived was Luke and along with him were his girlfriend Trish and their friends. They were all Alie's classmates.

Luke interjected, "Ooh, it's Alie. Hey, Jude."

Jude casually saluted, "Yo."

Warren asked, "What's the occasion?"

It was at moments like this where you realize that honesty was a double-edged sword. It was harmful.

Jude did not ask to be save yet Alie acted on her own. She replied so flawlessly, "It's my friend's birthday. This is Christine, she's just turned fifteen."

Bebay understood immediately. She waved to them, "Hi. You can take a chicken if you want."

"You said it." Warren casually picked up a drumstick. "Thanks, Happy Birthday Christine."

"Can I take a sundae?"

Alie said, "Sure."

Rudy watched in horror as someone picked up his chocolate sundae. He was reserving it for last because he knew it would be most satisfying.

"Happy Birthday Christine." Saying their greetings, they left.

Rudy wept. "That's my sundae."

"Zip it, Rudy," Alie scoffed at him.

Jude suddeny said, "You didn't tell me it's your birthday. Happy Birthday! It's such a great time then that-"

Bebay had burst into chuckles. So did Rudy. Alie barely held in her laughs.

"What?" Jude seemed utterly puzzled.

How thick could he get?