Dear Katharine

October 11, 20xx

TRIGGER WARNING:  This entry could suggests alcohol abuse. If you feel like your mental health could be affected, I advise you to read no further.

October 11, 20xx
8:25 P.M.

Dear Kath,

                   I've been to Alexa's birthday celebration, that's why I didn't write yesterday. I know and I'm sorry. But she is so cool, and you knew it. I mean, you were friends with her too. In fact, I remember you always ditched me for her, but I never how hurt I was because of that. I'm not doing this to get back at you. I'm just trying to live my life which you told me to do.

                   The party was so fun. It was my first time to get drunk. Don't worry, I didn't do anything silly. I don't recall most of what happened last night. I think I was dancing and singing, but I believe there wasn't any karaoke there. But I'm sure Rob was there, and he walked me home because I was puking all over.

                    Oh God, I had to bathe myself in perfume so that my mother won't smell the alcohol on me. But before we reached home, we came across Kuya Chard. He was meters away from me, but he could already tell that I was drunk. He scolded me, which is very predictable of him. By that time, I was desperate to go to sleep because I was super dizzy and it was almost curfew, so barangay officers are roaming around. So I went in the house to avoid getting caught even though Chard and Rob were both trying to stop me, but I overcame them and jumped straight to bed.

                   When I opened my eyes the next morning, I did not wake up in my bed. Instead, I woke up in your room. Turns out the house I entered last night was yours, which is a few steps away from my humble home. 

                    Kuya Chard made up a reason to tell Tita Car that I got drunk because I missed you so much that's why they allowed me to sleep in your place. He also told Mama the same reason, so I wouldn't have a problem the following day. But I still had a problem.

                     I woke up sad and not because of the hangover. Bitterness overcame me when I saw our old playing space empty. Nothing has remained in your room, except for the bed because your parents have given away most of your stuff. And most of all, you weren't there.

                    Memories that I tried to suppress flooded in again. I remember when we used to imagine we were princesses when we were children. We would drape bedsheets over our small bodies and pretend they were our gowns. One day, you told me I was too dark for a princess, so I had to be your alila*. And when I argued that Jasmine is also a princess, you answered by saying that Jasmine doesn't wear dress, and that I was darker than Jasmine. So when The Princess and the Frog was released, I was so glad because I'm no longer your slave.

                   But the game that we loved the most was playing with our barbie dolls. You had this beautiful doll house, which I was so jealous of. But you shared them with me under one condition: you always had to be the bida* while I play the kontrabida*. I was pleased with your proposition, so I agreed. But one day, I got fed off being the bad guy, so we fought. You won, of course.

                     But all of them are gone now. They were all taken away with you, and you left nothing behind but sadness and pain to us.

                     I talked to your kuya when he saw that I was awake. It wasn't an amusing talk because we were both sad about staying in there. So we went out and tried to cheer ourselves by eating kwek-kwek, kikiam and calamares. Food is always comforting.

                   He invited me to watch a movie, but I told him some other time because I had to accompany Mama to church. He walked me home, but as we parted, we looked at each other and smiled. It was when we realized something changed with how we see one other. It was then when I knew we're in love.

*
Alila - slave      
Bida - protagonist
Kontrabida - antagonist
Kwek-kwek, Kikiam and Calamares - Filipino street foods made from quail eggs, pork and squid, respectively.