Nanginginig pa rin si Fresia. But it wasn't fear this time.

Bullet was fully awake now. He looked so angry, and that's kind of understandable. If someone woke her up in the middle of her sleep, she'd be angry too. But this is her house. He's the trespasser. She's the only one who has the right to be angry!

Iwinasiwas niya ang payong sa harap nito. "You're lucky this is not a sledgehammer!"

He exhaled, raised his hands up in surrender, and slumped back to the couch. "All right. I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"This is breaking and entering!"

He gave her a blank stare. "Technically, this is just entering. I didn't break anything," pagtatama nito.

Gusto niya itong hampasin ng payong. Nagdahilan pa talaga? How did he even manage to enter the house without breaking the door? Hindi niya matandaang binigyan niya ito ng susi-

Natigilan siya. Of course! Her key! He made a duplicate of her key! How dare him! Hindi man lang ito nagpaalam sa kanya.

Her eyes widened at the realization. "You..."

"I just came here to sleep," he explained. Inilapag nito ang duplicate sa lamesa. "I didn't mean to scare you. I promise I'll leave early. Just please... let me sleep."

"You have your own place. Bakit hindi ka do'n matulog?"

"Fresia, I've been having nightmares for five years. Last night was the only decent sleep I had... in five years. I don't know what's with this apartment of yours, pero dito lang ako nakatulog ulit nang maayos. All I'm asking is for you to just let me sleep here for a few hours. I'll clean up after myself. I won't bother you. I'll even cook you breakfast."

"I'm not going to let you sleep in my apartment! I don't even know you!"

"What do you want to know?" Inilabas nito ang wallet at ipinakita sa kanya ang iba't iba nitong ID. "I can also give you my social media accounts. I'm not active on Facebook, though."

"I don't want your IDs or accounts!" She pulled him up and pushed him towards the door. "I want you out of my apartment!"

Pinagdaop nito ang mga palad at paulit-ulit na nakiusap sa kanya. But she didn't change her mind. Binuksan niya ang pinto at itinulak ito palabas.

--

She didn't know why she was feeling guilty. He may not mean her any harm, but it's also her right to refuse him. Hindi siya kumportableng magpatulog ng kung sinu-sino sa bahay niya.

Pero sa tuwing maaalala niya ang pagmamakaawa nito ay kinakain siya ng konsensya. Mukha namang wala itong masamang balak sa kanya. Naiwanan nga niya ang susi niya rito pero wala namang nawala sa apartment niya.

Maybe he's just desperate.

Not trusting herself enough, she consulted Mona. Pinuntahan niya ito sa cake shop.

Mona's business is always booming during the weekends. Kaya naman hindi niya ito makausap nang matino. Kasunod siya nito kahit saan ito magpunta. One moment, she's mixing the cake batter. Then she's talking on the phone. Then she's decorating a cake. Nahilo siya sa kaibigan. Hindi ito mapirmi sa isang lugar!

"Do you need any help?"

"Can you pipe the cake?"

She shook her head. Piping takes patience. Alam niyang hindi niya kaya iyon dahil napakaiksi ng pasensya niya.

"Marunong kang gumawa ng cupcakes?"

Umiling siyang muli. She can't bake and she can't cook.

"How about sculptures?"

"No." She smiled apologetically. Wala siyang talent pagdating sa arts and crafts. "But I can help clean the place."

Kukuha na sana siya ng panlinis nang bigla siyang sigawan ni Mona. Sandaling napatigil ang mga empleyado. Kahit siya ay natigilan din. Mona must be under an enormous amount of stress to shout.

"You can't clean until we're all done. Baka may maitapon kang kailangan pa namin," sabi nito sa kanya.

"Okay." Pumwesto siya sa isang tabi. "When you're done, you know where to find me."

Mona bit her lip. Ibinaba nito ang dala-dalang cake at saka siya nilapitan. Hinawakan siya nito sa tigkabilang braso. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm just really, really busy today."

Bumuntong-hininga siya. "I'm sorry for bothering you."

Niyakap siya nito. "Babawi ako sa 'yo, promise. Just not today, honey."

Pilit siyang ngumiti. She doesn't want to add to Mona's stress. Baka bigla itong sumabog, tamaan pa siya.

"All right. Call me when you're free."

--

Since Mona's too busy to accommodate her, she decided to call Brandi. But apparently, Brandi also has no time for her. So she took a shot and called Aika.

Fortunately, Aika's just at home, trying to finish another novel. Kaya hindi na siya nagdalawang-isip na puntahan ito. Sa kanilang apat, ito ang pinakang-idealistic. That makes her unreliable when it comes to judging people. Aika's always trying to see the good in everyone. Anito, may dahilan kung bakit ganito o ganyan ang ugali ng tao. Para raw mga bida at kontrabida sa mga nobelang binabasa o isinusulat niya. Kasi kung wala raw rason kung bakit ganoon ang isang tao, then wala ring depth ang character nito.

Pagdating niya sa bahay nito ay sinalubong siya kaagad ng pusa nitong si Elmo. Elmo's hissing face greeted her at the door.

"Elmo!" saway ni Aika sa alaga. "Sorry for my cat. He really doesn't like you."

She made a face. "Yeah? Well, the feeling's mutual."

Pinatabi ni Aika ang alaga para makapasok siya. Dumiretso sila sa kwarto nito. Of course, Elmo has his own throne in there. Agad na umakyat doon ang pusa habang matalim ang matang nagmamatyag sa bawat galaw niya.

She saw a big box of donuts on the bed. May katabi iyong laptop at tatlong nakabukas na libro. The TV was on. Mukhang nanunuod ng chick flick si Aika.

"Akala ko ba nagsusulat ka?"

Tumango ito. "Yeah. Limang oras na 'kong nagsusulat."

"And you're not yet done?"

"Malayong-malayo pa sa katotohanan."

"Paano ka naman makakatapos nyan kung nagbabasa at nanunuod ka pa?"

Naupo ito sa kama. "I'm multi-tasking," sagot nito.

"How can you even do three things that require thinking at once? Can you even concentrate?"

"Nabablangko ako kapag sa laptop lang ako nakaharap. I need to be distracted at all times."

Her friend is really, really weird. Sometimes, she wants to see inside Aika's head to know what it's like in there. It must be so cluttered and chaotic.

Naupo siya sa tabi nito at sinilip ang sinusulat nitong kwento. Nang mapansin ni Aika na nagbabasa siya ay bigla nitong tiniklop ang laptop.

"Hey! I'm reading!"

"You're invading my privacy."

"Aiks, it's just a story. Ipapabasa mo rin naman sa 'min 'yan pagkatapos, e."

"Pagkatapos," pagdidiin nito. "It's not finished so you can't read it yet."

Elmo, tha tabby cat, purred in approval. Sumandal siya sa headboard ng kama ni Aika at humalukipkip. Aika handed her a donut, which she grudgingly accepted.

"What are you doing here, anyway?"

Kumagat siya sa donut. "I just want to ask you something."

"Okay. Ask."

"What would you do if someone not close to you asked for a favor? 'Yong tipo ng pabor na hinihingi lang kapag close kayo."

"Close ba kayo?"

Umiling siya.

Sandali itong nag-isip. "Hmm... well, I guess it depends on the favor. What is it?"

Hindi niya masabi rito kung ano ang pabor. Aika would surely flip. "It's something personal," she told Aika instead.

Inilapit nito ang mukha sa kanya. "Did Bullet ask you for a favor?"

When she didn't answer, Aika smiled. She knew she was right. "Did he ask you out on a date? No... that's not a favor. If anything, he's the one who'll be doing you a favor," tuloy-tuloy nitong sabi.

"You're getting ahead of yourself."

"No, I think I hit the mark." Hinawakan nito ang mga kamay niya, not minding the donut being cruhed in her hand. "Please tell me more."

"He didn't ask me out. It's... something else."

"Sex?"

Pinandilatan niya ito. "Aika!" She slapped her friend hard on the arm. Elmo jumped on her and threatened her with his claws. Binato niya ito ng donut.

"Elmo! Go back to your tree!"

Nang sumunod si Elmo sa amo ay bumaling sa kanyang muli ang kaibigan.

"So... is it sex?"

"You and your dirty mouth!"

Aika laughed. "Don't act like you're still a virgin!"

"And don't act like you're not!" she retorted.

Aika's the only remaining virgin in the group. Naniniwala kasi itong dapat sa isang tao lang nito ibibigay ang sarili nito. She's waiting to get married before doing the act with the man that she's going to spend the rest of her life with.

But that doesn't mean that Aika's thoughts are pure.

"It's just one word, Fresia. Don't act so offended."

"I wasn't offended with the word. Hindi lang ako makapaniwalang iniisip mong makikipag-sex ako sa kanya agad-agad."

"So... may plano ka?"

"Gaga! Wala!"

"Sabihin mo na kasi sa 'kin kung ano 'yong favor na sinasabi mo para hindi ako nag-iisip ng kung anu-ano."

Bumuntong-hininga siya. "Just promise me that you won't tell Mona and Brandi."

"I promise," mabilis nitong sabi. But the glint in her eyes suggested otherwise. May pakiramdam siyang sasabihin nito kaagad sa dalawa ang kung anumang sasabihin niya rito. That's just how they are with secrets. Ang sikreto ng isa ay sikreto nilang apat.

But she needs to tell someone and she also needs someone's advice.

So she told Aika what happened. Sinabi rin niya rito ang tungkol sa problema ni Bullet na limang taon na nitong dinadala. Aika was very sympathetic.

"He could just ask. Mali rin naman kasing bigla na lang syang pumasok sa apartment mo at do'n natulog nang 'di mo alam," sabi nito pagkatapos niyang magkwento.

"Baka na-feel nyang hindi ako papayag."

"Are you sure that's just what he wants? Baka naman gusto ka lang pormahan pero nahihiyang magsabi sa 'yo?"

Umiling siya. Bullet's straightforward and honest. If he likes her, he'd say so. And he said he doesn't. He wants sleep more than her.

"No, he just wants to sleep and not have nightmares."

"And he can only do that at your apartment?"

She shrugged. "Apparently."

"It sounds fishy."

It does. Kung hindi niya nakita kung paano ito lumaklak ng kape, hindi talaga siya maniniwala rito.

"I really need your advice, Aika."

"Well, my sensible self would tell you to forget about it. He's not your responsibility. But, the writer in me would want you to take a chance."

Kumunot ang noo niya. "And why is that?"

"If your life is a story, Fresia, then this must be the part where you will go against logic for the romance to materialize. Maybe by allowing him to sleep in your apartment, you will get to know each other. Tapos magkakagustuhan kayo. Tapos-"

"Aiks, I'm not a protagonist in your story."

"Everyone's a protagonist in some story," Aika argued. "Besides, you can ask for conditions. Para may fail-safe ka if things go south. If he's really desperate for some good sleep, then he will do anything just to make you say yes."

--

As crazy as it sounds, she considered Aika's advice. But Bullet didn't come to her apartment again until Monday. Halos alas diez na nang gabi nang biglang may kumatok sa pintuan niya.

Binuksan niya ang pintuan nang marinig ang boses nito. He looked pitiful. Maitim ang ilalim ng mga mata nito, mukhang antok na antok. May dala itong isang glass tray na may aluminum foil sa ibabaw. Mukhang lasagna ang nasa loob. He's also holding a venti-sized coffee on one hand.

"I haven't slept in three days," bungad nito. "Can I come in?"

Nilawakan niya ang awang ng pinto at pinapasok ito. Inilapag ni Bullet ang mga dala sa mesa.

"My grandma made it."

Her stomach grumbled when he removed the foil. The lasagna looks so mouth-watering.

"I was there the whole weekend," sabi pa nito.

"Kahit sa bahay ng lola mo, hindi ka makatulog nang maayos?"

Bullet shook his head. "I've tried everything, okay? I've slept in motels, expensive hotel rooms, in my bathtub, in someone else's bed... and I still had nightmares." Naupo ito sa couch. "Dito lang ako nakatulog nang maayos. I'm not sure if you believe me but I'm telling you the truth. I don't know if it's your couch or your apartment."

She sighed. "Look, Bullet..."

Inilabas nito ng wallet at kumuha ng pera. "Do you want me to rent the couch? How much?"

"No. There's no need for that."

"Fresia... please..."

Umiling siya. "You don't have to rent the couch. You can sleep on it for free."

His eyes shone. "Really?"

"But I have some conditions."

"I'll do whatever you want."

Aika's right. He's desparate.

"Can you cook? If you can, then you're in charge of dinner and breakfast. If you can't, you're still in charge. Bahala kang bumili ng pagkain. Bawal ang alimango at hipon. Allergic ako. And no curries. I don't like curry.

You can only come here at night and you'll leave right after breakfast. Bibigyan kita ng duplicate key pero huwag na huwag kang magdadala ng kahit sino rito, okay?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Is that all?"

"Dito ka ba matutulog araw-araw?"

"Not on weekends. Nangako kasi ako sa lola ko na do'n ako tuwing weekends."

"Oh..." She looked at the lasagna and a bright idea came to mind. "Then I have another condition. Dapat may dala kang pagkaing luto ng lola mo kapag pupunta ka rito tuwing Monday."

"Okay."

"May isa lang akong concern. Hanggang kelan 'yon?"

Hindi naman pwedeng habang buhay itong makikitulog sa apartment nya. Pa'no kung magka-boyfriend sya ulit?