Pagkatapos nilang manuod ng movie, nag-aya naman si Troy na pumuntang QC. Inabot tuloy sila ng traffic sa daan dahil uwian na.

"I need to call Vico," she told him. Nasa Buendia pa lang sila. Napakaraming bus sa daan. Halos hindi na sila umuusad.

He gave her his phone.

"Do you have his number?"

"Just search for his full name," sagot nito.

She doesn't memorize phone numbers. Nasa speed dial lang niya si Vico dahil madalas niya itong kailanganin. She searched for Vico's name on Troy's phone like he instructed. And then she called him.

Unang ring pa lang, sumagot na ito.

"Yes, hello?"

"It's me."

"Red? You're with Troy? Oh my God!"

 "Breathe, Vico." She feels like laughing again. But remembering what Troy had said earlier, she tried not to. "Nakauwi ka na?"

"Oo. Nasa'n ka? Kanina ka pa hinahanap ni Vince! He told me to look for you pero pati cellphone mo iniwan mo."

"Papunta kaming Q.C. Bakit niya raw ako hinahanap?"

"Ewan ko rin. Hindi sinabi e. What time ka nga pala uuwi? Ipagluluto pa ba kita ng dinner?"

"I don't know. Hindi na siguro."

There's no way of telling if QC will be their last stop. Kung ibabase sa pakiramdam ang mga desisyon nila ngayong araw, meaning bukas pa ng umaga sila babalik sa pagiging rational.

"Sa'n ka matutulog: sa bahay ni Troy o dito?"

"Gaga, malamang sa bahay ko."

Vico giggled. "Malay mo naman, di ba?"

Rolling her eyes, she said, "I'm hanging up. You're starting to annoy me."

"Sungit," natatawa nitong sabi. "Bye! Enjoy kayo!"

She ended the call and gave Troy his phone back.

Wala silang imikan hanggang sa makarating sila ng Guadalupe. Mag-a-alas otso na pero nasa daan pa rin sila, stuck sa traffic.

"Bumalik na kaya tayo?"

"Malapit na tayo."

"Guadalupe pa lang tayo. We've been stuck here for more than thirty minutes!"

"Gusto mo na bang umuwi?" kunot-noo nitong tanong.

"Nakaka-bore na kasi."

He was saddened for a moment, pero nakabawi rin ito agad at ngumiti. "Mag-usap kasi tayo para hindi boring."

"Ano naman ang pag-uusapan natin?"

"Kung anu-ano lang. Uhm, what's your favorite color?"

"Seriously?" Napataas ang kilay niya sa tanong nito. Then her face went solemn as she remembers something. "Yellow."

He guffawed. "Come on. Seryoso nga kasi."

"Tatanong-tanong ka tapos hindi ka maniniwala."

"Pero seryoso nga kasi. Seryosong tanong yun."

"Parang hindi naman."

Troy chuckled. "Seryoso nga."

"Seryoso nga. Yellow," she said with a straight face.

"You're messing with me."

She looked him in the eye. "I'm not."

"Okay, why yellow?"

"Ayokong mag-explain."

She crossed her arms against her chest and looked out the window again.

"But do you feel like explaining?"

She groaned inwardly. Of course she wants to explain why. Pero iba ang sinasabi ng utak niya.

"Come on. Humor me," pamimilit nito.

"Yellow reminds me of summer," paliwanag niya.

"Do you like summer?"

"I used to," she answered truthfully. "Don't ask why. Please."

Noong bata pa siya, madalas silang magpunta sa iba't ibang beach sa bansa. Her mom loves the beach, the sand, the blue sky and the sun... especially the sun. That's why she likes yellow. Kakulay kasi nito ang araw and it symbolizes hope.

But when her mom died, it's as if the color died with her. Wala nang pag-asa. So she turned to the color red and made it her own. She made it her armor, her name.

"The conversation goes both ways, you know. You can ask me stuff too."

"Okay. Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what? Asking questions?"

Umiling siya. "Why are you being so nice?"

"I am nice."

"Please," she said, rolling her eyes.

"No, really. I am nice. Just not with you. You give off this vibe that makes people want to hate you."

"Then what changed? Why are you being nice to me now?"

Troy shrugged. "May nabasa kasi ako sa Facebook. Wait, I'll show you. Hindi ko na kasi matandaan yung exact words."

He looked for it on his phone and showed it to her. Screenshot iyon ng isang comment sa isang status ng isang sikat na page.

When you judge someone without knowing them, that only speaks of who you are, not who those you judged are. You can assume they did it out of kindness just as easily as you assumed they did it for recognition. You choose the filter you wish to see the world through, don't blame others for the way you look at them. -Florina Mihailov

"I did check your background before actually meeting you, but that doesn't mean that I already know you personally. I know you're a bitch, but you're not always one. So what's the story?"

"You think I'd fall for that? Please. Just mind your own business."

Troy sighed. Ayaw niyang magpaliwanag dito. It will just open up wounds that are no way near healed.

"Okay. My turn to ask."

"Shoot."

"Do you like Vince?"

"No."

"Bilis a!" natatawa nitong sabi. "Do you like me?"

"Yes." Crap. "I meant—"

But it was too late. He was already grinning from ear to ear.

"I meant compared to him, you're the lesser evil."

"Stop explaining. Just admit that you like me. Don't think, remember? You obviously didn't think about that. You simply said what you felt."

"I wasn't feeling anything," tanggi niya.

But they both knew she was lying.

Troy finally realized that it would take them forever to get to QC. So nag-iba sila ng daan at umuwi na lang. They stopped by a nearby coffee house before heading home. Night cap daw.

"Nine o'clock, night cap? Ano ka, bata?" tanong niya pagkababa nila ng sasakyan.

"E ano'ng gusto mo? We can't drink on weekdays. May trabaho pa tayo bukas."

He's right. But she wants a drink. And she also won't be able to sleep kung magkakape sya.

"Just a few drinks."

"No."

She tilted her head a little. "Do you mean that or are you just thinking? Akala ko ba, no thinking?"

Troy tried his best to supress his smile. "Alright," he finally said.

Bumalik sila sa kotse at naghanap ng malapit na bar. They ordered a few drinks and talked about feelings. If she didn't agree to do the experiment, hindi sana niya makikilala si Troy nang mas mabuti. He was right. He's nice. Maybe he's always been nice.

"I don't like getting attached to people," she opened up. "I don't like attachments. I don't like relationships."

"Why not? You can't be happy by yourself. You need people to make you happy."

"I disagree. I'm happy and contented with myself."

"Bullshit." He smiled and drank his scotch. "You don't look happy to me."

 Maybe it was the drink, but she found herself agreeing with him. "Ever heard of the phrase 'fake it till you make it'?"

"I may have heard that. Why? Was that working for you?"

"You tell me."

They each ordered another glass.

"You're trying so hard, Red. Quit trying so hard. You're not a crab, so don't hide inside that red shell of yours."

Tumawa sya. "Let me guess... mahilig ka sa seafood, 'no?"

He simply smiled.

"You're really pretty when you laugh."

Nag-iwas siya ng tingin at saka uminom.

"Quit saying that."

"Why? Because you don't want to blush? Because you don't want to admit that you like hearing that? Why are you so uptight? Geez. Tao ka naman. You're allowed to be vulnerable."

"Change topic." She motioned for the bartender to give her another drink.

"Have you ever been in love?"

She made a face. "Nakakadiri yang mga tanong mo."

"Just answer the goddamn question," he said impatiently.

Fine. "Once," she admitted. "Back in college. I think it was love. I didn't know how else to describe it."

"What happened?"

Nagkibit-balikat siya. "He doesn't want anything to do with me."

"Hindi naman si Vince yan, ano?"

"God, no! Bakit ba palagi na lang isinisingit sa usapan si Vince?"

"I'm just making sure."

"I may have liked Vince before, but not like that."

"E ako?"

She rolled her eyes. "Kailangan bang babalik palagi sa 'yo ang usapan?"

"If you're not thinking right now, what would the answer be?"

Mukhang seryoso ito sa tanong. Inubos niya ang laman ng baso to avoid his gaze.

"I'm sleepy. Let's go home."

Hindi na siya nito pinigilan. Nagbayad na lang ito at sumunod sa kanya. Pagbalik sa sasakyan, laking pasalamat niya at hindi na nito inungkat ang usapan nila kanina sa bar. He just drove silently.

She reminded herself not to do this again. Never again. This was clearly a mistake and she's not ready to face the consequences yet.

Pagkarating sa bahay ay inihatid siya nito hanggang sa pinto.

"I had fun," he told her.

Tumango lamang siya.

She knocked on the door, certain that Vico's still awake. Minsan ay inuumaga ito sa pakikipag-usap kay Mitch sa phone. Those two couldn't get enough of each other.

"Red."

"What?"

Hinawakan siya nito sa tigkabilang balikat.

"I feel like kissing you," he said before stooping down to kiss her.

And she felt like kisssing him back.