After the Knockouts scheme, Julie finally decided to leave the studio and didn't bother talking to Elmo since he's still busy. She left a text message to Elmo saying that she's leaving 'cause she didn't feel well after her performance. Well, Julie didn't leave at once. She had to deal with several interviews, asking how she felt during her performance and what made her performance shine. She answered all of those questions honestly, without being a bragger.
She was about to get inside her car when Elmo called.
"Hey. Okay ka lang? Where are you? Kababasa ko lang ng text mo. Are you still around?" Tuloy tuloy na sabi nito.
"Shh chill lang okay? Napagod lang din siguro ako and the adrenaline's washing off so yeah. But I'm fine. Rest lang siguro talaga." She responded, trying to sound fine.
Apparently she's not. After her first personal encounter with Ella, everything began to seem off. She's not sure what to feel. Buti na lang at naitawid pa niya yung performance niya na 'yon at naligtas pa siya from the Knockouts. Pero after her performance, parang nawalan siya ng gana to continue. Parang may kung ano'ng force na pumipigil sa kanya to push through. It's like something bad is going to happen.
She's currently driving pauwi, and she keeps on thinking how beautiful Ella is, how she's soft-spoken, how her skin's the brightest she has ever seen, how calm and reserved she is, everything's coming back to her.
She's in the middle of her overthinking when her phone rang.
Maqui calling
"Baklaaaaaaaaaa! Ano? Kumustaa? Baka naman bet mo akong bigyan ng update ganern." Maqui's high-spirited energy made Julie smile. After a long day, this is what she's been looking for.
"I got the spot." She said while smiling. Napahiyaw naman si Maqui sa narinig, making Julie stifled a giggle.
"Kaloka ka gurl! Malapit lapit ka na sa finals! I-push mo na yaaan!"
"Sana Maq. Sana umabot pa ako sa finals." Malamya niyang tugon. Hindi ito nakaligtas kay Maqui with her inquisitive self.
"O ano'ng drama 'yan?"
"Ha? Wala to uy."
"Saan ka ba? Pauwi ka na ba?"
"Yep."
"Okay I'll meet you sa inyo okay?" Then Maqui ended the call.
Julie took a deep breath and continued her driving.
After almost 30 minutes of drive, nakarating na rin siya sa bahay nila. No one's around pero nagtaka siya bakit bukas yung gate. Then it hit her, nandito pala si Maq. She fixed a smile para hindi masyadong mag-alala si Maqui.
She entered their house and found Maqui sitting on one of their couches, playing with her phone.
"Okay girl, chika na." She quickly said.
Julie began crying. Maqui was shocked at what she witnessed. Even Julie herself was dumbfounded at the turn of the events.
"Huy okay ka lang? Heyyyy." Maqui pulled Julie into a hug and patted her back.
"Maq *hik* 'di ko alam." She said, trying to talk.
"Hey what happened? Teka kuhanan muna kita ng tubig." Maqui said and quickly went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Agad niya itong inabot kay Julie who's still crying. Julie got the glass and quickly drank it, calming her nerves.
After few minutes of silence, Julie began talking.
"Hindi ko alam Maq how to start. Siguro nagsabay-sabay yung frustrations ko. You guys weren't there, although hindi ko naman kayo sinisisi, pero I really felt alone. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit. Then what triggered my emotions was when I met Ella."
"Ella? Yung ex ni Elmo?" Tumango lang si Julie. "Oh tapos?"
"Sobrang ganda niya, sobrang soft-spoken, sobrang sophisticated, at sobrang bagay sila ni Elmo. Bigla akong nakaramdam ng panliliit sa sarili ko Maq. Feeling ko hindi ako enough for Elmo."
Agad siyang binatukan ni Maqui sa mga sinabi niya.
"Aray naman! Nageemote yung tao oh."
"Gaga ka kasi ee. Girl first of all, wala na sila ni Elmo. Ikaw na ang nag-wagi oh? Tsaka patay na patay si Moks sa'yo no? Kulang na lang siya magbantay sa'yo 24/7. Nagets ko naman yung nararamdaman mo. We all feel insecurities dahil tao lang naman tayo. Pero huwag naman nating sayaning yung oras natin sa mga nonsense stuff. Jules, Elmo loves you okay? Huwag mong isipin na you are not enough dahil unfair yun sa kanya who treats you as more than enough."
Julie fell silent at Maqui's words. Bigla na lang siyang napangiti, thinking how crazy she is because she thought of that.
"Oh matapos umiyak, ngingiti? Girl sabi na ee baliw ka talaga. Bakit pa ba kita naging friend?"
"Gaga kumokopya ka sa akin noon, fc ka lang dati."
"Ay wow naman! Ikaw na brainy." Maqui rolled her eyes making Julie giggle.
Julie immediately pulled Maqui into a tight hug.
"Thanks Maq. Thanks for always knocking off my stupid brain."
"Sure thing te girl. Ikaw pa ba?" She smiled.
"Nagugutom ako. Tara somewhere? Kain tayo." Aya ni Julie.
"Saan naman?"
"Try natin sa Ninyo?"
"Gaga mahal doon. Majirapi lang akes."
"Sagot ko na. Ang daming arte. Libre ko na since pasok naman ako sa Knockouts. Tsaka dahil nakinig ka sa mga rants ko."
"Wow so sa tingin mo bayarang friend na lang ako ngayon? Pokpok friend ganoin?"
"So ayaw mo i-libre kita?"
"Ay wala namang ganyanan, tara na oh gora na."
"Wait palit lang ako damit tas freshen up." Julie hurried to her room para maghilamos at mag palit ng damit. She really had a tiring day and all she wants is good food and great chitchats with Maqui.
She's in the middle of her changing when Maqui quickly knocked at Julie's door.
"Jules! Julie Anne buksan mo 'tong pinto. Julieee!!!" Tuloy tuloy na katok ni Maqui. Biglang nakaramdam si Julie ng bigat sa pakiramdam.
"Oh ano ba kasi 'yon?" She irritatingly asked.
"Julie please huwag kang mabibigla. I know you had a rough one, at ayaw ko nang dagdagan 'yon. Please tell me hindi ka magpapanic, mabibigla, or worst maaatake sa puso."
"Okay mas pinapakaba mo na ako."
"Promise me!" Maqui shouted. This is a different Mauqi. For the first time in many years, nakita ulit ni Julie yung ganitong image ni Maq. Tensed, takot, kabado, all in one. Maqui has been the super extro sa kanilang magkaibigan, being the life of the conversation and rarely will you see Maqui being so tensed like this.
Maqui slowly showed her phone to Julie. Nanginginig sa kaba, na parang anytime soon either sasabog yung phone, or something bad's really going to happen.
"Shit." Julie swore.
"It's all over the internet Jules. I first saw it sa Twitter. Some new account tweeted it. Pagkatapos ayan na."
"What the fuck."
"Hey Jules are you alright? Huyy Julie!"
Maqui kept shaking Julie dahil natulala na lang si Julie sa tabi. Julie began to cry again, na parang hindi pa naubusan from a while back. It's out. Everything's out and everyone didn't accept the truth. No one said good words, puro hateful messages. She knew this would come, pero masyado pang maaga. Now everything's exposed and everyone's mad, thinking she's a whore, a slut, malandi, mangaagaw, bitch.
