Chapter 31: Knocked out or knocked up?

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“I’m sorry,” he began. “If I’d known earlier, I would have stopped her from joining the team. I know that the chance of bumping into her everyday is already too much for you and now you have to see in the Student Council meetings and in volleyball practice.”


“I think I can handle it,” I muttered. “Besides, who am I to deny her of the opportunity to do the things she enjoys? Starting out in a new school is never easy and I’m not about to make that hard for her.”


“I know I didn’t end things up with you in the proper-est way possible but here you are, still helping me out. I’m lucky you’re even talking to me right now. I don’t think I can ever thank you enough for everything.”


I smiled perfunctorily. “Just promise me that you’ll try to be happy, Ralph. Because I didn’t give you up just to see you throw your life away.”


He nodded and squeezed my hand. “You’re always way too kind than the rest of us, Chi.”


I stood up and gave him a peck on the cheek. “I’ll see you around,” I said to him before I left to meet up with the girls.




“So where do we stand, Katt? Is it too early to claim that we’re dating exclusively?” I asked as I walked her to her car.


“I never said we’re dating again, yet alone exclusively,” she chortled, basically trying to make fun of me.


“Ah, Monson has taught you well,” I commended. “Very well then, allow me to lay something on the table. Take a look inside your dashboard compartment.”


She eyed me warily before she hesitatingly opened the car door then the compartment. “How did you—?” For the second time that day, I’d left her lost for words. She was holding the pink stuffed toy of a pig that Wendy helped me pick out. And I did notice Katt’s addiction to plush toys lately.


“Being good friends with your brother has its perks, don’t you think?” It was my turn to tease this time. “If after seven days you don’t get attached to that cuddly toy, not even close to naming it, then we’ll remain as friends. But if you do, we’re going to try this relationship one more time.”


“Now that’s unfair,” she pouted. She practically names all of the things given to her, living (her snow-haired cat, Yuri) or non-living (her Mazda car, Venus).


“I don’t win in poker just because I play fair,” I winked. “What do you say? Are you in or are you in?”


“We’ll see how it goes from here and then I’ll let you know after a week,” she smiled one last time before she got in her car.




I was dining with the girls for lunch at a Japanese restaurant near my school. Liz will be leaving in two weeks so we’re trying to spend quality time with her with every chance that we have.


“Are we still on for our tennis game this afternoon?” I asked when Wendy finally arrived.


“I can’t,” she sighed dejectedly. “I have an emergency Student Council meeting after my last class.”


“But you promised,” Liz protested. “You have to buy me that Zara dress that I’ve been eyeing on so you can make it up to me.”


“You’re so materialistic. No wonder you’re credit limit goes through off the roof,” Ciara tsk-tsked.


“Oh, don’t be a plaster saint. You’re a shopaholic like me, admit it,” she asserted just like a prosecuting attorney instituting in a court trial.


“Hey, do you girls have any sanitary napkin? I think I just got my period,” Sydney blurted out.


“Subtlety, ladies, please,” Ciara hissed. “Stop using such blatant words in public!”


“Sorry, mom. It will never happen again,” Sydney derided with matching rolling of her eyes.


“Manang Ciara, stop reacting like the word is taboo,” I ribbed as I handed Syd the extra pad that I always carry around with me for emergencies like this.


“Thanks. I’m guessing you have your monthlies too since you always get it a day before me.”


“Uhh… yeah… sure…” I mumbled absentmindedly while trying to mentally count my normal days of menstrual cycle. Sh*t… sh*t… sh*t…


I’m delayed.


Delayed…


Dammit, I’m holy freaking delayed!




I pulled Liz inside the single-cubicle restroom and quickly locked the door. “I thought we’re going outside for a smoke?” she yelped, looking utterly baffled.


“Elizabeth Lara Rodriguez Mauricio, I need to tell you something,” I confided as I looked fixedly at her. “But you have to promise not to say a word to anyone else.”


“Cars, you’re making me nervous. What is this about?” Her voice was a little more than a murmur when she realized the gravity of what I’m about to tell her. Including the fact that I was second and middle naming her.


“Remember when we were at that bridal salon for my sister’s gown fitting? When you all conspired that I slept with someone?”


“So you’re admitting that you did? And with someone we know?”


I hesitated for a moment before I finally said yes. “With Wesley.”


“Carina,” she groaned and I buckled myself for a stark tongue-lashing that’s about to come my way. “Have you lost your mind? With Wendy’s brother of all people! What is wrong with you?!”


“We were both under the influence of alcohol that night, Liz! I would never have the slightest interest in him if I wasn’t extremely drunk!”


“Oh, tomātō, tomätō! Sober or not, you ought to know better than just going to bed with every guy you meet!” Her teeth clenched in anger as she screech.


“It’s about to get worse,” I exhaled deeply.


She slapped her forehead and shook her head sullenly. “Please tell me it’s not the P word.”


I bit my lower lip anxiously. “I’m afraid we need to buy a P kit.”




“Rats!” I testily flung my sports bag over my shoulders and slammed my car door shut when my car still wouldn’t cooperate on my third try to power it up.


I fumbled inside my bag to search for my phone so I could call my dad or my brother, only to dash my hopes upon seeing a blank, unresponsive screen. Our meeting took longer than we expected so not only did I miss dinner, I also have to take a cab home. Sheesh.


“Car won’t start?” a familiar voice behind me spoke.


“Yeah, seems like it,” I grumbled pettily.


“Come on, I’ll give you a ride,” he offered modestly but I immediately declined as I surmised that Pam would be with him. “Don’t worry, she’s driving her own car,” he added as if he just heard my thoughts.


We settle inside his MB CLS550 when the tow truck that he called finally arrived. I remember talking to Carrie about this car but I’d never imagine myself to be occupying the passenger’s seat of the very vehicle. His future in-laws bribe as she had jokingly put it.


“Thanks for this doing this,” I said as we finally drove off, heading to Makati. We both live in the same district so I wasn’t out of his way.


“You’re always putting up with me, it’s the least I could do for you. Not that you’re counting though,” he kidded.


“But honestly, Chi, I know you own a Volvo C70 but that doesn’t mean you have to lay off on having your car checked,” he teased. “Tell me, when was the last time you had your oil changed?”


I chuckled, guilty as charged for ignoring my car’s needs. “Fine, fine, I condemn myself for not looking after my car. But unlike you guys, girls don’t have any natural instincts as grease monkeys so you need to cut me some slack here.”


We both shared a good laugh and I couldn’t stop thinking how much I enjoyed Ralph’s company even before we became a couple. I know it’s an unwritten rule not to be friends with your ex but just this once, couldn’t we be an exemption?




Liz and I practically raced to my condo after buying twenty boxes of home pregnancy test kits and five juice boxes, to make sure that I could pass urine on every kit.


“Are you sure you’re pregnant?” she asked for the umpteenth time after I told her.


“Gee, Liz, do you think we’d buy a score of these just for the hell of it?” I countered sarcastically.


“Well, it’s only been a day! Some periods can get delayed for weeks, you know.”


“I’m not irrational so don’t patronize me,” I told her as I ripped three pregnancy kits open. I went inside my bathroom to do my deed, leaving the door ajar so we could hear each other properly. “You know as much as I do that I’ve had a 28-day cycle ever since my menarche. If there’s one thing that’s constant in my life, it had to be my period.”


I put the three kits on a flat surface near the sink. Liz was chewing on her nails and I was drumming my fingers. I didn’t realize until this very moment that waiting for three minutes is already long enough to drive anyone insane if her life, particularly the state of her uterus, is on the line.


“Oh, God, I don’t think I can look.” I faced the opposite direction ten seconds before the time was up. “What’s the result? Please tell me it’s negative.”


“I think you need to see for yourself, Carina,” Liz uttered in the most serious tone I’ve heard from her.















































With my whole body trembling, I slowly turned around and found myself suppressing a sob when I saw three sets of double red lines.


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