Iya kept on checking her phone. Nakakapagtaka lang kasi. Kung kailan birthday ni Hanson, saka naman ito nananahimik. Ni isang message, wala. On the normal days, he's very demanding. So why not be like that on his birthday? She thinks that it's more reasonable that he will be so, because it's easy to make his birthday an excuse for his lack of courtesy.

But today, Hanson's eerily quiet. Hindi naman sa nagrereklamo siya. Hindi lang siya sanay.

Patingin-tingin lang sa kanya si Aubrey. By lunch ay inaya siya nitong sumabay dito. Libre raw nito.

"Na-greet mo na sya?" Aubrey asked.

Umiling sya.

"Why not?" kunot-noong tanong nito. "Baka kanina pa nya hinihintay ang pagbati mo."

"Kung gusto nyang i-greet ko sya, I'm sure he'll let me know."

"Don't you think that just for this day, gugustuhin nyang mag-initiate ka naman?" Aubrey sighed. Tumigil ito sa pagkain at tumingin sa kanya ng mataman. Nailang naman siya kaya tumigil na rin siya sa pagkain. "Iya, I know that Hanson's demanding. And it's annoying and immature, yes. But every year, during his birthday, ganito sya. Nananahimik. Alam mo ba kung bakit?"

Iya shook her head. Of course, she doesn't know. Ano ba naman ang alam niya kay Hanson bukod sa pagiging rude at heartbroken nito?

"Because for just one day, he wanted people to give him something from the heart. Yung hindi niya pinilit. Yung hindi niya hiningi."

"And how did you know all these?"

Aubrey smiled tightly. "Because we don't just make out randomly, Iya. I'm his friend. We were bandmates in high school."

She felt her stomach tighten into a knot. She just couldn't wrap herself around the idea na parang wala lang kay Aubrey na nakikipag-makeout ito kay Hanson when they aren't even an item. And for God's sake, friends? She could never do that with Zanjo, JL or Mikey. It's like incest already.

Just hearing about it made her feel disgusted.

Napangiwi si Aubrey nang mabasa ang reaksyon nya. "Hey, please don't judge me."

"Do you love him?"

"What?" Natawa ito sa tanong nya. "God, no!"

"Then why? I mean, don't you value yourself, Aubrey?"

"We've been friends since we were kids. Hanson's been good to me all these years. I satisfy his needs in return."

Lalo siyang pinangilabutan sa sinabi nito.

"What if he gets you pregnant?"

Aubrey laughed louder. "Oh, Iya, you're hilarious! Hans and I make sure na hindi kami aabot sa ganoon. Hanggang make out lang kami."

She blushed at her answer. Mukhang nawalan na siya ng gana pagkain. Hindi maalis sa isip niya yung scene sa CR a few months ago.

"At never kang na-inlove sa kanya?" curious niyang tanong.

"Well... I did," pag-amin nito. "When I told him that I was in love with him, hindi sya nagpakita sa 'kin ng ilang buwan. He didn't love me back because back then, he wasn't capable of loving anyone but himself. Noong una, nagalit ako sa kanya kasi pakiramdam ko, ginamit nya lang ako. But later on, I understood. I wasn't the girl who's meant to change him."

She looked at her intently.

Nag-iwas siya ng tingin. "I'm not that girl either, Aubrey. I'm just another challenge for him."

Aubrey smiled. "Maybe. But you're quite the challenge, Iya. Because of you, nawalan sya ng amor sa 'kin. Ni kiss sa cheeks, hindi sya humihingi. And he quit smoking. Napansin mo ba? Sabi kasi nya, you won't let him kiss you kung amoy-sigarilyo sya."

Naalala niya ang mga sinabi niya kay Hanson dati. Nakakadiri naman talaga ang lasa at amoy ng sigarilyo. It was disgusting for her. And he didn't care. He even expected na matutuwa siya dahil sa ginawa nito.

"Aubrey, magkakilala na kayo dati pa, di ba? Tanong ko lang: totoo ba yung tungkol kay Athena?" tanong niya rito.

"Athena?" Aubrey frowned.

"Yeah. The reason why he's not cutting his hair short."

"Oh." Bigla itong ngumiti. "You still don't know."

"What?"

Umiling ito. "Wala. Itanong mo sa kanya kung gusto mong malaman ang tungkol kay Athena."

--

She was a bit disappointed because Aubrey didn't fill her in with the details. Pero yung isa nilang topic, TMI. Hindi niya alam na may mga tao palang katulad ni Aubrey. Akala niya ay sa books o movies lang merong ganun.

Aubrey's nice, in some ways. Sa una lang parang bitchy but once you get to know her, she's actually really likable. Slutty, yes. But friendly, nonetheless.

Kaya pala ganoon ito sa kanya. Sa una, parang inis at galit. Then lately, naging mabait na ito sa kanya. It's all because of Hanson. Kung tutuusin, naaawa siya sa sitwasyon ni Aubrey. Paano kung magkagusto ulit ito kay Hanson tapos si Hanson naman, hindi kayang i-reciprocate yung feeling?

Aubrey will be devastated for sure.

Hindi pa rin nagparamdam si Hans kahit noong gumabi na. Kagaya ng sinabi ng daddy niya, sinundo siya nito sa school. Right on the dot ito. Kalalabas pa lamang niya ng classroom ay tumawag na ito para sabihin na naghihintay ito sa labas ng school nila.

She didn't talk to him during the ride. Nagsaksak siya ng earphones sa tenga at saka pumikit. It wasn't her fault na inumaga siya ng uwi. Pero hindi niya masabing dahil iyon kay Hanson dahil lalo siyang madidiin.

Pero sobra naman kasi yung isang buwan. And she's old enough to make decisions for herself. But her dad still treats her like a baby. Mabuti pa kay Ken, maluwag ito. To think na magkasintanda lang sila ng kakambal nila.

Advantage talaga ang pagiging lalaki.

--

She did her homeworks and studied for the quiz for the next day. Kumain siya ng hapunan pero hindi pa rin niya kinakausap ang daddy niya. Pagkahugas niya ng pinagkainan ay agad siyang dumiretso sa kwarto niya para magpahinga. She couldn't sleep. Hanson's been quiet for the whole day. Ni isang 'hoy' ay wala siyang natanggap mula rito.

Naalala niya ang sinabi sa kanya ni Aubrey kanina. Once a year, Hans was expecting everyone around him to initiate an act.

Tumingin siya sa orasan. It's still a few hours before the day ends. But she couldn't bring herself to send him a simple greeting.

Sighing, she propped her laptop open and stalked his profile. Nakita niyang maraming bumati rito. Mostly are girls. Hindi na siya nagtaka.

Pero ni isa, wala itong ni-like o pinasalamatan man lang.

It's a good thing na naka-public ang profile nito. Hindi naman kasi sila friends sa Facebook. They're not even friends to begin with.

Nang mag-alas onse y media, bigla syang tinamaan ng konsensya. Hans may be rude and despicable, but he doesn't deserve this cold treatment from her. Lalo na at birthday nito.

By the time na limang minuto na lang bago mag-alas dose, she finally sent him a greeting.

To: Hans

Happy birthday

Halos kakasend pa lang niya noon nang biglang tumunog ang phone niya. Hans was calling. Ayaw sana niyang sagutin iyon. She could pretend to be asleep already, pero masyadong obvious.

She pressed the accept call button and cringed, anticipating him to yell.

But all she heard was a soft "Thank you" and then he ended the call, as abruptly as he started it.

--

Kinabukasan ay pumasok na ng school si Hans. Marami ang bumati rito ng happy birthday, Aubrey included. He just smiled and nodded at them.

Agad siyang nag-iwas ng tingin nang mapatingin ito sa kanya. Pero wala rin naman iyong silbi. He intended to sit with her, like he did these past few days. Kaya naman walang tumatabi sa kanya, because there's always a seat beside her that's meant for Hanson.

Mabilis na tinanggap ng mga kaklase niya ang relasyon nilang dalawa. And so far, hindi pa iyon lumalabas sa klase. Mukhang hawak ni Hans ang mga ito sa leeg.

"I was waiting for your greeting the whole day yesterday," sabi nito sa kanya.

"Sorry, nakalimutan ko kasi."

"It's okay. At least nakahabol ka," nakangiti nitong sagot.

Nagtataka man ay hinayaan na lang niya. At least, mukhang maganda ang mood nito.

During the vacant period, inaya siya nito na kumain. Merienda raw. Hindi naman siya tumanggi. Buong umaga itong mahinahon, which is practically new to her. She wanted to keep his mood that way dahil alam niyang bihira lang iyong mangyari. Mas malala pa ito sa kanyang mag-PMS.

"So, 21 ka na. Ano'ng feeling?" tanong niya rito.

Hans shrugged. "Should I feel any different?"

"Ewan." She took a spoonful of oreo cheesecake and ate it with gusto. Saka sya nagsalita ulit. "Aubrey told me something yesterday."

"About what?"

"The two of you."

He frowned. "Ano naman ang sinabi nya tungkol sa 'min?"

"That you're—err—"

"Friends with benefits?" dugtong nito.

Tumango siya.

"And? What did you feel when she told you?"

"Wala. May dapat ba akong maramdaman?"

Umiling ito. "Wala siguro."

He feel silent for a while, concentrating on his coffee and chocholate cake.

"I asked her about Athena," sabi pa niya.

Mukhang natigilan ito. "What did she say about her?" tanong nito nang makabawi.

"Wala. Ang sabi nya, itanong ko raw sa 'yo."

"Ano naman ang gusto mong malaman tungkol kay Athena?"

"Kung anu-ano lang."

"She's in the past now. There's no need to bring her back."

"Para kasi talagang familiar yung name e."

Bigla itong nasamid. "Common name kasi yung Athena," sagot nito.

She shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"Bilisan mong kumain. Baka ma-late tayo sa next class."

Napakunot ang noo niya. Since when did he care about getting late? Pero hinayaan na lang nya.