Eleanor Mendrez

16 Eleanor

"Tita, can I help you with something?"

Sinadya kong pumunta nang maaga sa mga Dy para makatulong ako sa birthday ni Tatiana. I didn't know that it would be grand because I saw people setting up the yard when I arrived.

"Puntahan mo nalang si Tati sa kwarto n'ya dahil ilang araw na s'yang hindi mapakali sa susuotin n'ya. Dati ay puro church friends lang iniimbita n'ya pero ngayon ay nagpagdesisyunan n'yang papuntahin ang mga kaibigan sa school."

Really?

Nagpaalam ako sa kanya at dumiretso na sa kwarto ni Tatiana. Nadatnan ko s'yang nakahiga sa carpet na parang pagod na pagod s'ya. Different kinds of clothing were splayed all over her bed. I grimaced and threw my bag and the gift that I bought for her in the single couch near her window. Nang lapitan ko s'ya ay bigla nalang s'yang napasimangot habang mangiyak-ngiyak na tumingin sa akin.

"What's wrong with you? Are you stoned?"

She angrily wiped her tears and sat up. Ano bang problema nito? Birthday na birthday n'ya ay para s'yang nabudol.

"I shouldn't be stressing about what to wear." mangiyak-ngiyak n'yang saad.

The heck?

"Yeah, you shouldn't. Your fashion sense is decent naman." I rolled my eyes at her and went to the bed with full of clothes. Inisa-isa ko 'yung mga palda na nakalagay doon.

"But I'm kinda sensitive about it right now. Your friends are coming."

Napatigil ako. I let out a frustrated sigh and sat on her bed to face her. I knew it. She was worried of what my friends would think of her. Karyl even joked around about Tati was having a slumber party for her birthday. She played along but I knew she took it in her heart.

"You shouldn't have invited them if you're gonna act like this."

Suminghot s'ya. "That's rude."

Don't tell me she made this party a little extravagant so she wouldn't get bad comments from my friends? Goodness, Tatiana Dy.

"Nagawa mo na. Tulungan nalang kita. Let me do your make-up, too." pang-aalo ko. Wala naman akong maiiambag dito dahil may mga tao na silang kinuha para mag-ayos.

I chose a red dress for her so she'd be the center of the party. Knowing that she invited people from our school, alam kong magd-dress up sila. I couldn't let her be overshadowed in her own party. Karyl and Lia were thirsty of attention kaya alam kong aangat sila sa crowd.

I started fixing her make-up when the sun was already setting.

"Okay lang ba sa parents mo 'to?" I asked and double checked her thick eyeliner. She was still on her pink robe. Ang musika ay nagsimula na sa labas. Anytime soon, her visitors would be arriving. Sinadya ko talagang late s'ya ayusan para kapag lumabas s'ya ay marami ng tao. That way, all of the attention would be on her.

"Yeah, I guess so. Kinausap ko naman na sila. I said that this party would be different. They're understanding naman since they bought alcoholic drinks for tonight. There's even a DJ."

I chuckled. "If they're understanding, why can't you go to the bars, then?"

"It's not that they don't trust me or anything like that. They're just worried that something will happen. Since nasa bahay naman ako this time, they allowed me to."

I nodded and continued fixing her eye make up. "Are you gonna drink, though?"

"Since you're here, I bet I will."

Para namang pinaparating nito na bad influence ako!

I raised my eyebrow at her. "Tusukin ko 'yang eyeballs mo, eh."