From: Pamsy
Message: Ardie, are you avoiding me?


“Yeah, Kuya. Are you avoiding her?” She was looking over my shoulder when she noticed that I had a text message. Could any sister be more probing than her?


“I’m not,” I said defensively while putting my phone away.


“Then why aren’t you answering her calls and messages?”


“Max, there are things in life that are called private.”


“Siblings are always an exception, big brother,” she said rather matter-of-factly. “Come on, spill it. No need to be privy.”


I sighed exasperatedly. “Whatever. You should start moving, lazy bones, or you’ll be late for class.”


“Fine, but I won’t stop bugging you until you tell me what your reason is.” She made a face before closing the door behind her.


It’s been months since she told me that she’s getting married but I still can’t make myself believe it. I don’t mean to shun myself away from her; we were even the best of friends before I started courting her. And as her best friend, I have to empathize with whatever decisions she had made ― but I need more time to see things her way. Loose ends don’t always tie up on their own.

---

Color Label

Twain Abad
Chad Herrera
Seiji Yu
Flynn Leviste

“Wade, have you heard from Drea this morning?”


“Is it true, dude?”


I just got in when my band mates crowded around me by the classroom’s front door. “What are you talking about?” I asked, totally confused over the whole ganging up.


“You mean she didn't tell you anything?”


“Tell me about what?” I demanded impatiently.


“She called Seiji this morning. She said we will be playing as the front act for String Placebo at their school fair.”


“She didn't inform me about anything.”


“I told you she's pulling a prank on us again,” Chad confidently said.


“Thank God she's your cousin, Chad, or I'm going to make her pay for it.”


“I'm giving you my consent to torture her, man.”


As the four of them were planning on how to get back on Andrea, my phone rang. It was an unregistered number.


“Hello?” I answered hesitatingly.


“Hi,” a girl's voice responded. “Is this Wade Mañalac of the band Absolute Zero?”


“Er, yeah...? May I ask who's this?”


Twain suddenly snatched my phone from my hands and placed it on loudspeaker.


“Oh, I'm sorry I forgot to introduce myself, though I believe we've already met before through Andrea's acquaintance.”


“Through Andrea?” Seiji mouthed.


“It's Maxine Sanciongco by the way,” she suddenly uttered.


Even at a 100 meter distance, I wouldn't mistake her name with anyone else's.


“Am I just imagining it or did she really say that she's Maxine Sanciongco?”


“Andrea and I are the program coordinators for Mary Aston Edinburg College's upcoming high school fair. She said she’d already informed you about it, am I right?”


The moment she told me she was Maxine Sanciongco, I started stammering. “A-andrea? Oh, y-yeah, she did.”


“So she’s not lying?” Chad whispered.


“I’m still going to kill her, Chad.”


“Good. Do you have any questions so far?”


“N-none.”


“Okay. If it’s okay with you, we can meet up so we’ll be able to discuss things more easily. You know, the financial arrangements, the stage set-up, the lighting, the instruments and equipments you’ll be needing, and the like.”


“M-meet up? S-sure, sure.” Gahd, I just hope she doesn’t notice that I’m stuttering like hell.


“Okay, just let me know when you’re free.”


“N-no problem.”


“Okay, thanks, Wade,” she said before she clicked off. Even though the call had already ended, I could still hear her voice resonating perfectly in my ears.


“Dude, are you okay?” Chad broke me off from my reverie.


“I just talked to Maxine Sanciongco,” I mumbled to no one in particular.


“Yeah, and you’re as cold as ice. Wake up, man.”


“That was Maxine Sanciongco. I just spoke to Maxine Sanciongco,” I repeated and continued to marvel over the latest phone call from the girl of my dreams.


Flynn rolled his eyes. “He has cracked it, people.”

---

“Hey, Ate Wends, Ate Carrie,” Wade and his band mates greeted. They were hanging out in the family room when Carrie and I got in.


“Hey, isn’t one of Wade’s band mates named Filipino?”


“Oh, you mean Flynn? Yeah, that’s his first name.”


“Who the hell names their child Filipino? Isn’t it enough for them that it’s his citizenship and they have to give it as his first name too?”


“I actually find it charming, Cars. Besides, Flynn doesn’t mind as long as you don’t call him that in public.”


“Pretty clever for him to create a nickname out of that given name,” she muttered as we joined them. “I wonder what the names of his siblings are,” she added.


“Carrie, cut it out,” I hissed before anyone could hear her. “Hey, guys, what’s up?”


“You wouldn’t believe what happened this morning. Come on, you tell them,” Seiji said, elbowing Chad.


“No, you tell them,” Chad urged Twain.


“Nah, you do it,” Twain insisted to Flynn.


“Okay, enough with the pass-it-on game,” Carrie interrupted. “Wade, care to tell the news for us?”


“We’re going to be the front act for String Placebo at the MAEC high school fair.”


“Wow, that’s great!”


“Oh, there’s more, Ate. It’s the best part for Wade,” Chad teased.


Wade glared at him but went on. “It was Maxine Sanciongco who told us about it.”


“Wait,” I held out my hand. “Are we talking about a different Maxine Sanciongco here or the love-of-your-life Maxine Sanciongco?”


“Of course the love of his life, Ate Wends!”

---

I was trying to keep myself occupied when I heard a knock on the door.


“It’s open,” I called out.


It was Mom. “Ardie, someone’s here to see you. She said she’ll wait downstairs.”


“She? Who is it, Mom?”


“It’s Pamela, honey.”

---

I went downstairs and found her talking to my sister. Just great.


“Hey, Kuya, I was just telling Pam that she looks totally gorgeous right now. Don’t you agree?”Knowing my sister, I did see that one coming, but I wasn’t in the mood to turn the tables on her.


“I’ll take it from here, Max,” I told her.


“It was nice seeing you again, Pam. You should come by more often,” she said before she left us.


My parents were on the other room and I know that this conversation would eventually lead to an argument.“Let’s talk outside,” I said and led her to the deck.


“Should I ask ‘how are you’ first or do you want skip past it and go straight to bickering?” she composedly offered when we’re finally outside.


“What are you doing here?” I shot impatiently.


“Okay, I see. Skip it is,” she muttered to herself.


“My family is aware of your infamous engagement, or should I say fixed marriage? What do you think will they say about you suddenly popping in?”


“Your parents know we’ve been friends for the longest time. You’re the one who’s presuming that they’ll deduce something about my visit to my own best friend,” she snapped.


“What else could you possibly want from me, Pam?” I replied jadedly. “You don’t need me anymore as far as I can tell.”


“Ardie, come on. You’re my best friend. Our friendship can’t end just because I’m getting married.”


“Pam, please. Stop doing this to me.”


“Doing what? Does my very presence annoy you now, Gerard? Is that what you’re telling me?”


“No, that’s not what I meant.”


“Then what is it?” She sighed, “You’re not even saying that you’re happy for me now that I’m getting married.”


“Because we both know you’re not. I doubt if you even like him.”


“Ralph’s a nice person, Ardie. I’m expecting you to understand my decision as my best friend. You know you’re my closest guy friend, my only guy friend to be exact. You’re like a brother that I never had.”


“And that’s all I’m going to be, right? Especially now that you have Ralph.”


“I thought we’ve already pushed this thing past us,” she droned and we both remained silent for a while.


“Just tell me what you want so we can get this over with,” I uttered.


“You’re a huge part of my life, Gerard, and I want you to be part of this great milestone that I’m about to take.”


I looked at her, confused with what this conversation is leading to. “Are you trying to ask me to be your maid of honor?”


She chortled, “Male maid of honor, and they’re called as honor attendant now.” She smiled charismatically to win me over. “Please?”


I sighed, “I need to think about it, Pam.”

---

“I think my eardrum just blew up,” Seiji said when Ate Wendy suddenly screamed like she has just seen Orlando Bloom in the flesh.


“Are you done shrieking now? I think you just broke our eardrums out,” I complained.


“My baby brother’s first date,” Ate Wendy exclaimed. “I think I’m going to cry.”


“Stop being so emotional, Ate. It’s not a date date, we’re just going to talk about the things that needs to be settled.”


“You have to let me dress you up on that day.”


“No,” I yelled. “You can’t play dress up with me anymore. I’m an adolescent now, for heaven’s sake.”


“My sisters do that to me all the time. Mind you, even until now.”


“The torture of having female siblings,” Seiji muttered and shook his head.


“Fine, but at least let me give you a ride so we’ll get introduced.”


“Not going to happen,” I refused. “I’m a teenager now, Ate. Just save me from being humiliated, okay? I beg you.”


“Fine,” Ate replied unwillingly.


“The funny thing about it though, it was the girl who asked you. Nice move, Timothy,” Flynn teased.


Out of the blue, Ate Carrie suddenly asked the most unsuitable question, “Flynn, is your sister’s name Filipina or anything like it by any chance?”


Ate Wends gave her a hostile look. “Carina, what the hell?!”


“What? I’m curious, I couldn’t help but ask,” she replied and the rest of us just groaned while Flynn merely laughed it off.