please wait
Tatlong katok…
Colet heard three sad knocks on her door.
Huminto siya sa paghuhugas ng baso niya while she stares curiously at the door.
Syempre, alam niya kung sino 'yun.
Wala namang ibang gumagawa nun ng alas onse ng gabi.
Colet rinse her hands first as she dries it up with a towel tapos naglakad siya papunta sa pinto and opens it.
She was faced with a pouting Jhoanna. Hair tied up with her laptop on her hand and a bag of chips on the other.
"Col."
"Pasok."
Jhoanna's face lit up as she instantly made her way inside.
Pagtapos ni Colet isara ang pinto, sumunod siya kay Jhoanna—only to see na wala ito sa couch na usual nitong inuupuan.
"Jho?"
"Nasa kwarto~" sagot ni Jhoanna.
Colet eventually headed to her room.
The door was left open, and Jhoanna was already on her bed—laptop on her lap, chips resting on the side.
Colet leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.
"Anong problema?"
Jhoanna, busy with whatever was on her screen, spared her a quick glance before looking back.
"Maupo ka na muna dito, dali. May napili na akong magandang panoorin," she replied, tapping the empty space beside her.
Colet could only sigh before walking over, settling herself beside Jhoanna on the bed.
My Best Friend’s Wedding.
‘Yan ang napili ni Jhoanna na panoorin.
Colet’s brows furrowed as she caught sight of the title on Jhoanna’s laptop screen.
"Romcom na naman?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yup." Jhoanna popped the p sound exaggeratedly before shuffling further into the pillows, making herself comfortable.
Colet huffed. "Nubayan, ba’t di na lang horror?"
"Eh kung di ka ba naman baliw," Jhoanna shot her a look, "alas onse ng gabi, manonood ka pa ng horror. Paano ako makakatulog, ha?"
Colet rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Ikaw ‘tong bigla-bigla na lang—"
"Shhh!" Jhoanna cut her off, eyes already fixed on the screen. "Mag-uumpisa na."
And just like that, Colet couldn't protest anymore.
The movie started, and despite her initial resistance, she eventually found herself surprisingly focused on it.
She wouldn’t admit it to Jhoanna, pero gandang-ganda din talaga siya kay Julia Roberts.
A span of almost fifteen minutes passed, both of them absorbed in the film, when Jhoanna finally spoke.
"Wala pa akong jowa," she muttered softly, almost to herself.
Colet, immersed in the movie, barely caught it.
"Ano?" she asked absentmindedly, glancing briefly at Jhoanna before looking back at the screen.
"Sabi ko, wala pa rin akong jowa," Jhoanna repeated, this time a little louder.
Colet blinked, her attention pulled away from the movie.
"Yan ang pinoproblema mo? Eh ang bata-bata mo pa."
"You're 25, and I'm 24. Pero olats pa rin," Jhoanna sighed, crunching down on a chip for emphasis.
Colet scoffed. "Hindi ko naman kasalanan 'yun, eh."
Hindi na nakarinig ng sagot si Colet, pero when she glanced at Jhoanna, she was met by a sharp glare from the woman—the kind of glare na parang nagsasabing "Your fault."
Eventually, Jhoanna looked away and continued watching.
Colet was left baffled by that.
The two continued watching silently—more of Colet being quiet while Jhoanna occasionally gave side comments.
And when the movie cast its final scene and eventually ended, the two stretched their bodies, with Jhoanna fully leaning on the bed.
It was Colet who fetched the laptop from Jhoanna’s lap and placed the chips aside.
It was something Colet was used to doing.
After that, she found Jhoanna staring at the ceiling, as if she were seeing something there that Colet couldn’t.
"What do you think about the movie?" Jhoanna asked.
"Maganda. Nakakatawa," Colet replied shortly as she walked to the side of the bed.
"And the characters?" Jhoanna added.
"I'm not rooting for Julia's character. Ikaw?"
Colet slowly lay down beside Jhoanna, who was still staring at the ceiling.
"I'm not, also..." Jhoanna paused, then murmured, "pero what Julianne did, it might be something that I could do."
Colet chuckled at the silly thought. "Ikaw? Breaking somebody else's relationship for your sake, you can't do that Jho. That's a lie."
"At paano mo nasabi?"
"Kasi I know you enough na hindi mo is'set aside ang values and morals mo dahil lang may gusto ka sa isang tao."
Colet was confident in that.
She knew Jhoanna very well.
Isa siyang ma-prinsipyong tao. She firmly upheld her values and morals.
She would always stand her ground on something she believed was right.
"It's a different thing 'pag sinabi mong 'gusto ko.' Eh paano 'pag mahal ko na? You think hindi ko magagawa?"
Colet was taken aback by that.
She turned to glance at Jhoanna. The woman’s face was serious.
In the six years of their friendship, she had never seen Jhoanna actually fall in love.
Panay crushes lang naman siya, a few casual dates here and there, but never anything serious.
And for the first time, Colet wondered—what would Jhoanna be like if she really, truly fell for someone?
"Ano ba talaga ang problema?"
Jhoanna sighed upon hearing Colet's questions. She took a good five seconds before she finally spoke.
"I fell for someone, Col."
What?
Surprise flickered across Colet’s face.
She was speechless. Jhoanna… falling in love?
The thought had never truly crossed her mind before.
Sure, Jhoanna had her fair share of crushes, playful flirtations, and casual dates—but falling? Actually falling?
Colet’s mind raced, trying to figure out who could have possibly made Jhoanna feel this way.
Someone from work? A past fling? Someone she hadn’t mentioned before?
She wanted to ask who.
Wanted to know how.
Wanted to understand why.
But for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to say any of it.
"Tapos?" was all she managed, her voice quieter than she expected.
She glanced away, staring at nowhere in particular.
She was just sitting on the bed while Jhoanna remained lying down beside her.
However, Colet remained unaware that the woman beside her had already stolen a glance at her.
"Pero baka that person doesn't feel the same way."
Colet chuckled again. "Tanga ka."
"Ba’t na naman?"
"Tinatanong pa ba 'yun, Robles? Sinong 'di magkakagusto sa’yo?"
Jhoanna laughed. "Ang confident mo naman sa'kin."
"Totoo naman kasi."
And indeed, Colet was that confident in Jhoanna.
Because Jhoanna—Colet knew better than anyone—was the kind of person who naturally stood out.
While Colet was shy and nervous around many people, Jhoanna was the opposite.
She was confident—sometimes too confident, to the point that Colet would feel embarrass just by standing next to her.
Jhoanna had this way of attracting attention without even trying, and it was something Colet could never quite relate to.
"Ano ba dapat kong gawin, Col?"
"Ba't ako tinatanong mo?"
Jhoanna rolled her eyes. "Sinong tatanungin ko? Eh ikaw lang ‘yung nandito ngayon. Alangan naman tanungin ko ‘tong ceiling mo? Sasagot ba 'to sa'kin?"
"Ba't 'di mo i-try? Since kanina ka pa nakatitig diyan, baka nga mamaya diyan ka na na-fall." Colet teased, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Colet! Isa ka talaga!"
Jhoanna huffed and, in one swift move, tugged at Colet’s shirt, making her slightly lose her balance.
"Ay, ay! Ano ba!" Colet protested, trying to pry Jhoanna’s hand away, but Jhoanna only held on tighter, refusing to let go.
"Ano ba kasi 'yun?"
"Hindi ka kasi makausap ng maayos eh, seryoso akong nagtatanong."
"Eh ano bang isasagot ko sa'yo, eh wala pa naman akong experience diyan."
Jhoanna let out an exasperated sigh before finally sitting up on the bed, facing Colet.
"Anong walang experience? Anong tawag mo dun sa one year relationship mo?"
Colet sighed, leaning back slightly. "Hindi naman ako na-in love dun, eh."
Jhoanna gasped—exaggeratedly, of course—and Colet instantly looked so done.
"Oa din talaga 'to," Colet muttered under her breath.
She barely had time to react before Jhoanna smacked her shoulder.
“Ang sama talaga neto! Pero seryoso nga, hindi talaga? Eh isang taon ‘yun? So you mean never ka nagsabi ng I love you?”
Colet sighed for the nth time that night. “Jho kasi… love is a big and heavy word. You don’t just get to say it just because nasa isang relasyon ka.”
Jhoanna tilted her head, lips pressing into a thin line as she took that in.
“So ba’t ka pumasok sa relasyon na ‘yun?”
Colet glanced away, staring at her hands for a moment before answering.
“Kasi I wanted to try. And I wanted to give that person a chance. Isa pa, I wasn’t in a clear headspace during that time…” She trailed off before adding, “Di ba nga, may tampuhan tayo nun? We weren’t talking to each other.”
Colet recalled that one year of not talking to Jhoanna.
It was one of the worst times in her life. They had a bad fight—one that escalated quickly—turning them both cold, distant, and unwilling to speak to each other.
Colet had been down, lost in the weight of their silence.
And then that person came along.
At the time, Colet had wanted a distraction—anything to keep her from sulking over Jhoanna’s absence.
She thought that maybe, just maybe, if she put her energy into someone else, the ache in her chest would fade.
To be fair, she really did try her best to be a good partner.
She listened, showed up, did everything that a girlfriend was supposed to do.
But no matter how hard she tried, things just didn’t click for her. Something was missing—something she couldn’t quite name.
So after a year, she finally broke it off.
She was just glad that the person she had been with was mature enough to understand.
There were no hard feelings, no dramatic fallout—just an acceptance that what they had was never meant to last.
"Sorry about that, Col." Jhoanna apologized, looking at Colet softly.
"Wala na 'yun. Pareho naman tayong mali that time eh. Parehong mga immature."
Jhoanna chuckled. "Oo nga."
Now, both of them leaned comfortably on the bed.
Colet reached over to turn on her bed lamp, casting soft, shifting colors around the room—like a galaxy stretching across the walls and ceiling.
"So, anong plano mo?" Colet asked, her voice calm in the dim light.
"Hindi ko din alam. Ikaw ba? Anong gagawin mo if you're in my situation?" Jhoanna glanced at Colet, her face reflecting the different shades of color from the lamp.
"Aamin siguro?"
"Talaga?"
"Kung mahal ko na, ibig sabihin I'm in deep na talaga. Eh wala naman sigurong mawawala kung sasabihin ko, 'di ba? Tsaka somehow, nakakagaan din ng loob 'yun."
"Kaya mo 'yun?"
Colet thought about the question for a moment.
"Mahiyain akong tao, alam mo 'yan, Jho. Pero siguro, para sa taong mahal ko, handa kong kapalan 'yung mukha ko. Kasi nga, 'di ba, hirap akong mag-identify ng feelings ko? And falling in love is such a rare occurrence for me, so... I might as well seize the moment."
Jhoanna stared at her, something unreadable in her eyes. Then, after a beat, she let out a small, almost amused hum.
"Seize the moment, huh?"
"Oumm." Colet nods.
"Eh pa'no kung may mawawala pag ginawa ko 'yun?" Jhoanna muttered softly.
"Ano naman?" Colet asked curiously, turning to glance at Jhoanna—only to find the woman already staring at her.
Colet swallowed hard. There was something about the way Jhoanna looked at her—intense, unreadable. And then—
A smirk.
"Virginity ko."
3... 2... 1...
"BALIW KA!"
Colet shoved Jhoanna away, her face instantly heating up as the other woman burst into laughter.
Colet fumbled with her keys, balancing the weight of her grocery bags in one hand.
Pagkabukas ng pinto, she let out a tired sigh—ginabi na siya sa pag-uwi, but at least she had everything she needed.
Maybe she'd cook something special as a reward for surviving the day.
Pagkalapag ng mga pinamili sa kusina, dumiretso siya sa kwarto to change into something more comfortable.
When she returned, her hair was already tied up, ready to move.
She started unpacking her groceries, placing each item in its proper place, when her phone suddenly rang.
Jhoanna calling…
Without hesitation, Colet answered.
"Hello?"
"Nasa condo ka na?"
"Oumm."
"Punta ako diyan pagdating ko."
"Lagi naman."
"Guess what? May dala akong cookies~"
Colet rolled her eyes, already sensing the smugness in Jhoanna’s voice.
"Wala akong pera, naubos na sa grocery. Hindi ako bibili." she replied nonchalantly, arranging the last few items in her fridge.
"Hindi ko naman ‘to binibenta! I bought this for you!"
That made Colet chuckle—ang bilis talaga maasar ni Jhoanna.
"Oo na. Sige na, mag-focus ka na sa pagd'drive."
"Tss... sige na, bye." Jhoanna huffed, but oddly enough, she didn't end the call.
"Bye, Jho. Mag-ingat ka."
There was a pause, and Colet could’ve sworn she heard the faintest smile in Jhoanna’s silence.
But that would be ridiculous.
Shaking her head, she was the one who ended the call first.
Colet finally finished cooking sinigang—Jhoanna’s favorite.
Originally, she had planned to cook something else, pero since alam niyang darating si Jhoanna, she opted for this instead.
She was carefully scooping the soup into a bowl when the door suddenly swung open.
"Honey, I’m home~"
Colet didn’t even spare Jhoanna a glance, too focused on plating their food.
"Hmmm… ang bango naman ng niluto mo, darling~" Jhoanna teased, stepping closer.
Without missing a beat, Colet shot back, "At masarap din ‘to, kaya pakihanda na ng mga plato natin, yaya."
Jhoanna’s smug grin instantly vanished, replaced by a dramatic scowl.
"Bwiset ka talaga. Wala man lang kalambing-lambing sa katawan."
Colet chuckled, glancing at Jhoanna, who was now sulking as she set up their utensils.
"Mamaya na kita lalambingin. Gutom na ‘ko."
"Oo na, oo na," Jhoanna huffed, clanking the plates a little louder than necessary
As expected, dinner was filled with Jhoanna’s endless chatter and Colet’s quiet listening.
It was always like this—Jhoanna talking a mile a minute about anything and everything, while Colet absorbed it all.
But what Colet secretly liked most was how, in between her nonstop rambling, Jhoanna never forgot to ask about her day.
It was something small, but it made all the difference.
After eating, Jhoanna took charge of washing the dishes while Colet cleaned up the table.
That’s when she noticed the box of cookies Jhoanna had brought.
"Honesty cookies?" Colet raised an eyebrow as she picked up the box.
"Uh-huh. Cute, no?" Jhoanna replied proudly, wiping her hands dry.
"Badoy."
"Aba! Kailan pa naging badoy ang pagiging honest, aber?"
Colet laughed. "Kalmahan mo nga, high blood ka na naman."
"Ikaw kasi eh!" Jhoanna huffed, crossing her arms dramatically.
Still chuckling, Colet opened the box.
"Buksan ko ah."
Jhoanna hummed in response, leaning against the counter.
Colet took out a cookie and took a bite, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she chewed.
"Good?" Jhoanna asked.
Colet simply nodded and gave a thumbs-up.
Satisfied, Jhoanna stepped closer and picked up a cookie of her own.
She took a bite, then smirked. "Once you take a bite of this cookie, hindi ka na puwedeng magsinungaling."
Colet raised an eyebrow. "Eh? Pauso ka na naman, Jho."
Beside the cookies, Jhoanna picked up a stack of small cards.
"It’s a game. We ask questions from these cards, tapos dapat honest tayo sa pagsagot."
Colet squinted at her suspiciously. "Saan mo nabili ‘to? Ngayon ko lang narinig ‘yan ah."
"Sshh! Manahimik ka na." Jhoanna waved her off dramatically. "Since you took a bite already, you answer the first question."
Colet watched Jhoanna held the first card.
"If there was no such thing as money, what would you do with your life?"
Jhoanna chuckled. "Ang seryoso naman nito… sige sagot na!"
Colet furrowed her brows, thinking for a few seconds before finally replying, "Matulog."
Jhoanna’s playful grin faltered for a second as she listened to Colet’s answer.
"Beh, nag-isip ka pa sa lagay na 'yan."
Colet shrugged. "Eh sa gusto ko na lang matulog, eh."
Jhoanna tilted her head. "Bakit?"
Colet exhaled, leaning back slightly.
"Kasi I wanted to rest. Life right now has been all about earning para sa lifestyle ko, and sometimes it’s tiring. I’m sleep-deprived, so I just want to rest. At least sana managinip ako… Kasi in my dreams, I get to leave my worries behind, kahit sandali lang."
Jhoanna didn't respond immediately. Instead, she stared at Colet for a moment before gently placing the next card down.
"Tara, palit na tayo ng game. Mukhang kailangan mo ng yakap, eh."
Colet sank into Jhoanna’s embrace, feeling the gentle circles the woman traced on her back.
"Dali na… tuloy na natin, sayang naman 'yung cookies."
Jhoanna pulled back slightly from the hug. "Sigurado ka?"
Colet hummed and nodded. "Oo."
The two shifted to the living room, bringing their cookies along.
Jhoanna sat cross-legged, facing Colet, shuffling the cards in her hand, while Colet leaned against the couch cushion, her feet propped up on the coffee table.
"Ikaw naman." Colet picked up a card and read the question aloud.
"Worst date you've ever been on?"
"Had a date with someone who had hygiene issues." Jhoanna answered without hesitation.
"Hygiene?" Colet raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, here..." Jhoanna pointed at her armpit, making Colet grimace.
"Kadiri. Paano ka naman nauwi sa ganung date?"
Jhoanna simply shrugged.
"Ikaw naman!" Jhoanna picked another card and grinned as she showed it to Colet.
"Who's your first kiss?"
Colet instantly flushed and averted her gaze. Jhoanna, catching on, smirked mischievously.
"Ooh, interesting! Sagot, Maem!"
"Ayoko."
"Dali naaa..."
Colet stayed silent for a moment.
"Wala ka pang first kiss, no?" Jhoanna teased further.
"Hindi totoo 'yan."
"Eh sino nga?"
Jhoanna nudged her, "Uy."
"Uy!"
"Uyyy!"
Colet let out a frustrated sigh before finally muttering, "Ikaw!"
Jhoanna froze, her grin slowly fading as her brain processed Colet’s words.
"Ha?" she blurted out, blinking rapidly.
Colet, now completely red, grabbed a cookie and stuffed it into her mouth as if that would somehow undo what she just said.
Meanwhile, Jhoanna was still staring at her, dumbfounded.
"Ako?" she repeated, pointing to herself.
Colet, refusing to meet her gaze, mumbled through the cookie, "Mmhm."
Glancing at Jhoanna’s stunned expression, Colet added, "September 14. Birthday ko. Lasing ka..."
Jhoanna gasped.
"Sabi mo wala akong ginawa, diba?!"
"It doesn’t matter, Jho. Alam ko namang kalasingan lang 'yun. It’s okay," Colet reassured her.
But Jhoanna continued staring, her brows furrowed as if trying to recall something buried in the haze of that night.
Colet cleared her throat, picked another card, and flipped it toward Jhoanna.
"What’s a secret you’ve never told anyone?"
Colet read the question, then scoffed lightly.
"Meron ba? Eh, parang alam ko naman lahat."
"Meron," Jhoanna softly admitted.
Colet stilled. Slowly, she turned to look at Jhoanna, who sat there, visibly contemplating whether to say it out loud.
"You don't need to answer this, Jho. May dahilan kung bakit secret ang isang bagay," Colet said gently.
Jhoanna nodded, her expression unreadable.
After a brief silence, Colet glanced at her.
"Dito ka ba matutulog? O babalik ka sa condo mo?" she asked, casually gathering the cards and closing the box of cookies.
"I'll stay," Jhoanna replied without hesitation.
Colet simply nodded, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Colet pushed the cart, trailing behind Jhoanna, who was focused on the grocery list on her phone.
"Jho? Fudgee Barr?" Colet asked, glancing at the shelves.
"Hmm." Jhoanna nodded absentmindedly, still scrolling through her phone to check what else they needed.
Colet grabbed a pack of Fudgee Barr and placed it in the cart before continuing to follow her.
Luckily, both Colet and Jhoanna’s day off fell on the same day, giving Colet the chance to accompany her.
As they walked through the store, Colet found herself staring at Jhoanna.
She looked so casual today—wearing an oversized hoodie, her hair down, and those thick glasses resting on her nose.
Si Jhoanna talaga 'yung everybody's type. Matalino, mabait, talented at sobrang lakas ng dating.
Kahit saan mo man siya ilagay, o kahit ano pa ang suot niya, she would still stand out.
Pero para kay Colet, ito—itong ngayon—ang pinakapaborito niya. Jhoanna in her simplest beauty.
Walang kaarte-arte, no fancy clothes, no makeup.
Just Jhoanna. Just her.
And for some reason, that was more than enough.
"COLET!" Jhoanna snapped her fingers in front of Colet.
The latter eventually turned to look at her, shaking off her thoughts.
"Okay ka lang? Kanina pa kita tinatawag, nakatulala ka lang," Jhoanna asked, looking concerned.
"Okay lang ako. Medyo inaantok lang. Pagkatapos nito, bilhan mo 'ko ng kape ha," Colet said as she pushed the cart and left Jhoanna behind.
"Grabe ka! Kapag ikaw nga nag-grocery, wala naman akong hinihinging kapalit eh."
"Syempre, ganun talaga."
"Anong ganun talaga?"
Colet smirked as she spoke again while Jhoanna trailed behind her, "Mahal mo 'ko eh."
Silence.
Colet didn’t hear anything after that.
She expects for Jhoanna to throw a snarky remark or at least protest—but there was nothing.
Just silence.
She turned her head slightly, catching a glimpse of Jhoanna.
“Uy?” Colet called out, her voice softer now.
Jhoanna blinked, as if snapping out of a trance.
Then, with a forced chuckle, she said, “Ang feeling mo!”
But there was something different in the way she said it—less teasing, more hesitant.
Jhoanna rushed forward, this time leaving Colet behind.
Colet didn’t push. Instead, she just smiled, brushing off the moment as she continued down the aisle.
Nasa counter na sila ngayon.
Colet leaned on the side as she watched the cashier na i'scan lahat ng pinamili nila.
Paminsan-minsan, sumusulyap siya kay Jhoanna.
Tahimik lang si Jho, though tingin ni Colet baka na-focus lang talaga si Jho sa mga pinamili nila.
Then, out of nowhere, someone came.
"Jho?"
Napalingon si Colet sa tumawag kay Jhoanna and saw a ginger-haired girl with bangs.
She's wearing cute glasses, and looking at her fit, Colet will admit—ang ganda ng fashion sense ng babaeng nasa harap nila.
"Lucky!" Jhoanna greeted the woman in a cheerful tone.
Colet watched their interaction closely.
"Namimili ka din pala?" the woman named Lucky asked.
"Oo, need ko na din kasi mag-restock," Jhoanna replied.
The girl glanced at Colet, and Jhoanna caught it.
"Ah, Lucky, si Colet nga pala," Jhoanna introduced.
Lucky's smile widened as she looked at Colet.
"Oohh. Ikaw pala si Colet!"
Colet gave a small nod, offering a polite smile.
"Hi."
Then she caught something—Jhoanna was blushing.
She knew her friend so well. At alam niyang ganito si Jhoanna kapag nahihiya… o kinikilig.
Colet glanced at the woman in front of them again.
This Lucky.
She remembered Jhoanna's last confession.
And it hit her—this woman might be the person Jhoanna was talking about.
And Colet didn’t understand why, pero biglang nanikip ang dibdib niya at the idea.
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to stay composed. Wala naman siyang dahilan para maapektuhan, diba?
Jhoanna was still chatting animatedly with Lucky, her usual energetic self—except now, may bahagyang pamumula sa pisngi niya, something Colet couldn't ignore.
Colet shifted her weight, her fingers gripping the cart's handle a little tighter.
Ano ba 'to? She took a deep breath, trying to shake off the strange feeling creeping up her chest.
"Colet, okay ka lang?" Jhoanna suddenly turned to her, her brows slightly furrowed.
Colet blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. "Huh? Oo naman, bakit?"
"Parang ang tahimik mo bigla," Jhoanna noted.
"Need ko lang talaga ng kape, Jho," Colet answered.
She wanted to divert Jhoanna's attention.
Ayaw niyang ipahalata—whatever she was feeling right now, hindi niya alam kung paano 'to ipaliwanag kay Jhoanna.
And so, she chose not to entertain it.
Jhoanna rolled her eyes. "Oo na, bibilhan na kita pagkatapos natin dito."
The ride in the car was silent.
Colet hadn’t spoken at all since they left the store.
She badly wanted to ask—si Lucky ba 'yung tinutukoy ni Jhoanna?
She wanted to know. Pero hindi niya kaya ang ideya kung sakaling tama ang iniisip niya.
So, she chose to stay quiet, hoping na pag-uwi niya, malulunod nalang niya sa tulog ang sarili niya.
But Jhoanna had other plans.
"Okay ka lang ba talaga?" Jhoanna asked.
Colet only hummed as she stared out the car window.
"Beh, ang tahimik mo."
"Hindi naman ako madaldal talaga, Jho."
"Alam ko, pero hindi ka rin naman ganyan katahimik. Ano ba, may nagawa ba 'ko?"
"Wala."
"Bibilhan naman kita ng kape eh. Papunta na nga tayo doon."
Colet shook her head.
"It's not about that."
"Eh ano?" Jhoanna asked, glancing at her.
Colet hesitated for a second before finally asking, "Matagal mo na bang kakilala 'yung Lucky?"
Jhoanna hummed. "Oo. Friend ko siya from work."
Colet now turned her head to look at Jhoanna.
"Close kayo?"
Jhoanna nodded. "Para sa'kin, oo."
"Rate mo nga kung gaano kayo ka-close, 1 to 10."
"Aba, ayos ah!" Jhoanna chuckled. "May pa-rating talaga! Seryoso ka—" But she stopped as she saw the serious look on Colet's face.
"8.5," Jhoanna eventually answered.
"Ba't kayo naging close?" Colet asked again.
Jhoanna thought about it. "Hmm... siya kasi ang isa sa mga nakakasundo ko talaga sa office. Same kami ng humor, tapos madalas din kami magkwentuhan, kaya ayun."
"Ah," Colet answered coldly. Then she added, "Single ba siya?"
Jhoanna’s brows knit together as she glanced at Colet, who was now looking straight ahead.
"Oo. Single si Lucky. Ba't mo ba natanong? Crush mo ba siya?"
"Paano kung oo?" Colet answered.
Mas lalong nagkunot ang noo ni Jhoanna.
"Hindi pwede."
Napataas ang kilay ni Colet as she looked at Jhoanna. "At bakit hindi?"
"Basta hindi."
Colet huffed, crossing her arms as she turned to look out the window again.
Somehow, the idea forming in her head felt confirmed—based on Jhoanna’s behavior right now.
However, the truth was, Jhoanna was feeling something else.