When Fresia told Mona to take a leave from work because Felix finally agreed to come, her friend did not believe her. Kaya naman halos malaglag ang panga nito nang magkita-kita sila nang Biyernes ng hapon.

"He's actually here!" Mahigpit ang pagkakakapit ni Mona sa braso niya habang inilalagay nina Mickey at Felix ang gamit sa loob ng Toyota Fortuner ni Bullet.

"Sabi ko naman sa 'yo, di ba? Wala ka kasing tiwala sa 'kin, e." Inilapit niya ang bibig sa tenga ng kaibigan. "Do'n kayo sa pangalawang upuan. I already told Brandi and Aika where to sit."

Bullet was the designated driver for the trip. Siya naman ang pipwesto sa passenger's seat at alternate driver na rin kung kailangan. Brandi was already getting chummy with Mickey. Makakatabi ng dalawa si Aika mamaya sa hulihan, which will leave Mona with Felix, in the middle. And for the first time in a long time, her friend was speechless.

So, how did she do it? What did she do to make Felix come with them?

Nothing. She just apologized and he forgave her like it was no big deal. As it turns out, men don't hold grudges like women do. She simply apologized to him over a tall glass of beer and all's well that ends well na ang drama nila.

--

Gaya ng plano ay sa hulihan hinila ni Brandi si Mickey para maupo. Aika was quietly sitting next to Mickey. Busy sa panunuod ng KDrama. She admires her friend's dedication to finishing all those series, but she also fears for her health. Dire-diretso kasi ito kung manuod. Isang bagsakan. Sixteen hours kung sixteen hours!

Swerte lang nitong hindi na nito kailangang magtrabaho. Aika Yamamura's parents are rich. Hapon ang ama nito at Pilipina naman ang ina. Her parent's separated when she was three. Her father went back to Japan while her mom remarried.

May dalawang panganay na kapatid si Aika sa daddy nito at dalawa pa ulit sa stepfather nito. They all get along well, unlike her family.

Kasal na ang panganay nitong kapatid at pabalik-balik na lang sa Japan para bisitahin ang daddy nito at ang bago nitong pamilya. Ang pangalawa naman nitong kuya ay nagpapayaman sa Davao 5 days a week at umaakyat ng bundok tuwing weekends.

Dahil si Aika ang bunso sa unang kasal ng parents nito, medyo spoiled ang kaibigan niya. Aika doesn't need to work. Pinadadalhan ito ng pera ng mga magulang linggo-linggo. Because of that, Aika was able to pursue her passion freely.

Bumukod ito ng tirahan dahil hindi ito maka-concentrate sa bahay ng stepdad nito. Bata pa kasi ang mga kapatid nito at maraming alagang aso. Doon naninirahan ngayon ang asong bigay ni Richard sa kanya dati. Si Elmo naman ang isinama ni Aika sa bahay nito dahil warfreak ang mahadero nitong pusa.

--

Brandi and Mickey were already hitting it off. Pagkasakay pa lamang sa kotse ay panay na ang kwentuhan ng dalawa. Pero alam niyang wala ring patutunguhan iyon dahil takot makipagrelasyon si Brandi. Fling-fling lang siguro.

Maganda ang kaibigan niyang si Brandi. Sa kanilang apat, aminado silang ito ang pinakamaganda. But what's cool about Brandi is that she knows she's beautiful but she doesn't rub it in, unless nagbibiro ito.

Brandi's the second oldest in their group (next to Mona). Malapit na ring mawala sa kalendaryo ang edad nito pero ayaw pa rin nitong mag-settle down. Mukhang malabo na nga yata 'yong mangyari.

She probably has the most love to give, but she has been too scarred to give it.

The problem with Brandi is that she falls in love with the wrong guy all the time! Pinakamalala na yatang kwento nito ay noong nagkagusto ito sa isang sundalo.

Nakasama ito noon sa isang photoshoot sa isang probinsya na noon ay kasalukuyang may mga nakabantay na sundalo. There wasn't any imminent danger at the place. The soldiers were just there as precaution.

Nakakilala ito roon ng isang gwapong sundalo. Palaging pumupunta ang nasabing sundalo sa locations ng shoot nito para makita ito. Brandi liked the guy so much, bumalik ang kaibigan niya sa lugar para magbakasyon.

Eventually, Brandi fell with in love with him.

Kaso... nalaman ng kaibigan niya mula sa kasamang sundalo ng lalaki na may asawa na ito. Ganoon daw ito talaga. Palaging may babae kung saan man ito madestino. Brandi confronted the guy and was crushed when he didn't deny it.

Heartache after heartache, Brandi slowly lost trust in men.

--

Fresia wasn't sure if it's the worst case, though. Tiningnan niya mula sa rearview mirror ang kaibigang si Mona. Himalang nananahimik ito ngayon.

Mona has been curvy all her life. Galing ito sa lahi ng mga healthy. Her body matured at such an early age. Maaga itong nagdalaga, pero never pumayat. Pero hindi niya maintindihan ang kawalan nito ng kumpyansa sa sarili.

Si Mona ang tipo ng babaeng pini-friendzone na kaagad ang sarili para hindi masaktan kapag nagkataon. Mona is beautiful. Maybe not as much as Brandi, but she's beautiful nevertheless.

Hindi rin kagaya ni Brandi, mahiyain ito pagdating sa mga lalaking gusto nito. Sure, Mona can flirt with Bullet or Mickey, but that's because it meant nothing to her. But ask her to even talk to Felix and she would turn to stone.

--

"Mukhang ang lalim ng iniisip mo, a," puna ni Bullet. "Care to share?"

"I'm just thinking about my family's reaction when they see us."

"Don't worry. I'm sure they'll love me," he said with a smirk.

She didn't want to say anything disheartening dahil ginawan siya nito ng pabor. Kaya ngumiti na lamang siya. If only his looks were enough...

"Can you do me another favor?" she aksed him.

"Dumarami na ang utang mo, a," paalala nito. "Sure. What is it?"

"Kapag tinanong ka nila kung ano'ng trabaho mo, just lie and tell them that you're a doctor."

Kumunot ang noo ni Bullet. "Why?"

"Because they like doctors," she answered.

He grinned. "No."

Sinimangutan niya ito. "Fine, then pretend to be a lawyer instead."

"They like lawyers as well?"

Tumango siya.

Ngumiti itong muli. "Then no."

She huffed. "Please? Just for one night."

"What if they liked me and wanted to keep in touch? E, di magsisinungaling ako palagi?"

"Ako na ang bahala pagkatapos ng wedding. If they still want to keep in touch with you after it, then I'd say that I already broke up with you."

"They won't believe you. Why would you want to break up with me?"

"E, di sasabihin ko na ikaw ang nakipag-break."

"Then won't that make you kind of pathetic?"

"Maybe you'll need to keep the ruse a little longer than one night," narinig niyang sabi ni Mona.

Nilingon niya ang kaibigan na noon ay dikit na dikit sa bintana. Felix has his earphones plugged and was leaning on the other side.

"Maybe for forever," nakangiting dagdag ni Mona.

"Are you subjecting me to eternal misery?" natatawang tanong ni Bullet.

Sinamaan niya ito ng tingin. "Maka-eternal misery ka naman!"

"Oo nga!" pagsang-ayon ni Mona. "Fresia's not that bad! Sure, she can't cook, she doesn't know how to take care of someone other than herself, she has a bad temper, she hates her whole clan, she doesn't like pets, she's heartless sometimes, but... yeah, you're probably right."

"Mona!"

Tinawanan siya ng kaibigan. "Pasensya ka na, friend. Masama kasing i-oversell ka, e. Baka tumaas ang expectations nitong si Bullet. Kapag na-disappoint 'yan, baka ako pa ang masisi!"

"Don't worry, Mona. My expectations, at this time, are already at their lowest," nakangising sabi ni Bullet.

Pinalo niya ito nang malakas sa braso. "That was mean!"

Palagi na lamang siyang pinagtutulungan ng mga ito. It was quickly becoming a habit of theirs. At dahil best friend awardee itong si Mona, siniraan pa siya nito nang siniraan. The two were having a great time talking bad about her on her face. Nakisali pa noon sina Brandi at Aika.

She had to endure four hours of it.

--

Nang sa wakas ay nakarating na rin sila sa bayan niya, inaya niya ang mga ito para maghapunan bago pumunta sa tutuluyan nilang bahay. Since Richard will be staying at her parents' house, ipinagamit na lamang sa kanya ng tiya Simone niya ang bahay nito.

"Mag-grocery na rin tayo. Walang pagkain si Tita sa bahay."

"Why are we staying at her place?" Bullet asked. "Bakit hindi sa inyo?"

"Nando'n 'yong ex ko. Saka magagalit lang ang parents ko kapag marami akong kasama. They won't even bother preparing dinner for you."

"Kahit boyfriend mo 'ko?"

"Especially because of that. Saka hindi pa kita boyfriend ngayon, ano. Bukas pa. 'Wag kang excited."

Sila lamang ni Bullet ang dadalo sa kasal kinabukasan. The rest of the gang will doing whatever they want tomorrow, which would probably be a lot of fun. Sasaglit lamang sila sa reception dahil dadalhin niya ang mga ito sa isang falls. They'll be hiking by night and will be sleeping at the campsite.

"Can we also buy something to drink?" tanong ni Mickey.

"Right. Mickey's used to drinking alcohol every night," paliwanag sa kanya ni Bullet.

"Lasinggero ka pala?"

Mickey shook his head. "Umiinom ako pero pa-shot-shot lang. May mga customer kasing gusto ng kainuman. It would be rude to deny them a toast or two."

Ah, right. The hazards of being a bartender/bar owner.

--

Bullet did Fresia a favor because he thought that it would be fun. But he never imagined that he would pity her this much. Saan ka naman nakakita ng anak na hindi welcome sa sarili nitong bahay? If her parents were alive, they'd probably welcome all of his friends with open arms and treat them like their own children.

But Fresia didn't mind. She's probably used to it.

Kagaya ng napag-usapan ay namili sila ng kakainin at dadalhin sa hiking pagkatapos nilang kumain. They also bought a few bottles of liquor.

Once they're all settled in the house, nagsimula na silang mag-inom. He tried to stop Fresia from drinking too much dahil may lakad sila kinabukasan, but maybe the fact that she's back in her hometown and her ex was staying at her parents' house took a toll on her.

Tuloy, nalasing ito.

"Oh God!"

Napalayo ang tatlo nitong kaibigan nang biglang tumayo si Fresia at pumwesto sa gitna. Biglang nagtago si Brandi sa likod ni Mickey nang akmang lalapit si Fresia dito.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Nanghahalik sya kapag lasing!" sagot ni Mona. Nagtago ito sa likod ng sofa.

Napataas ang kilay niya. Is that such a bad thing?

"Aika! Give me a kiss!"

Fresia cupped Aika's face and puckered her lips. Aika was so terrified that he had to step in. Hinila niya si Fresia papunta sa kanya. Napasubsob ito sa dibdib niya.

When she looked up, he told her, "You want a kiss? Kiss me."

Fresia beamed. Tumayo ito, niyukuan siya at hinawakan sa tigkabilang pisngi. Then she leaned down and kissed him.

Nang ilayo nito ang mukha ay tiningnan niya ang mga kasama. "See? That wasn't so bad."

Wrong! Oh, he was so wrong! He heard someone scream when Fresia emptied her stomach on him.