"Aray! Putang ina ka bakla!"
Justine takes away his arms full of scratches, matatapon ang alcohol. "Para kang tanga bakla! Sayang yon! Bayaran mo yan!"
"Sinasadya mo eh!"
"Kung gusto mo lumaki yang mga gasgas mo bahala ka. Ikaw na tong ginagamot eh."
"Kung tumulong ka kanina wala sana akong gasgas galing dyan sa punyetang Patina na yan. Nabarda ko na siya tapos tumitig ka lang!"
"Pinipigilan ko nga kayo!"
Paloma arrives in their hide out, behind the school, may mga dalang softdrinks at tinapay. She too has bandages across her arms and her face. "Oh, libre ko sainyo. Salamat sa resbak mga chingu-yah"
Tataasan siya ng kilay ni Justine. "Oh, edi ano tama ako na hindi magandang idea yang hanapin niyo per section si Ben Zayb" Paloma seats beside Justine and hugs him. "Thank you pa din, Justine"
"Leche kang babae ka."
Tantan finishes cleaning his wounds and sat beside the three of them. Silence covers the area. "Grabe mga beh napadugo niyo ilong ni Pattina. Alam ko na kasunod nito."
"Guidance" sabay-sabay sila. The three of them laughs out loud! My God! What a day!
"Naalala mo beh yung nag-away tayo nung sabayang bigkas din tapos hinagisan mo ako ng gunting pero sa pisngi ni Genevieve Matala tumama!"
"Oo teh, transfer tuloy si bilat ng school. Ako pa aawayin ng nanay niya kasalanan ko bang saluhin ng mukha niya yung gunting?"
"Ano sasabihin natin kay Ma'am Rose? Mga beh gago kayo kinakabahan ako"
"Eh di yung totoo na hinablot ni Pattina buhok ni Paloma kahit wala naman siyang ginagawa. Saka isusumbong ko din siya na member sya ng sorority saka nagyo-yosi siya sa cr ng girls"
"Hindi ba gumanti yang mga yan?" Tantan asks.
"Takot lang niyan samin ni Paloma, di ba teh?"
Paloma nods, she rests her head on Justine's.
"What the fuck happened?" Mapapatingin ang magkaka-ibigan sa likod nila. It was Aki!! They all stand up and ran towards him! ''Buhay ka!" sigaw ni Tantan! Aki receives the hug! Tantan notices that may mga bandages din siya sa wrist area. He suspects that he lacerated himself, so he calls him out. But Aki explains he got into a minor accident. Tantan doesn't believe him and twists his arms. Aki screams in pain! "What was that for?!?!"
"Hindi mo kami maloloko. Itigil mo yan Aki kasi isusumbong kita kay Papa tas isusumbong ka ng Papa ko sa Papa mo."
Aki makes a cute face and slides his arms around Tantan's waist. Like a snake he seduces his way out of the threat. "Please don't do that. Hindi ko na kayo makikita"
"Kung kailangan mo ng kausap lagi naman kami nandito hindi mo kailangan gawin yan!" Tantans scolds him.
"Yes po Tantan." He pouts his face.
"Bakit ka naglalas-las?" Paloma asks.
"It's just a wound, come on. Ako nga dapat magtanong sa inyo. Why do you have those?"
"Hindi ba uso riot sa school niyo?" Justine asks. Iiling si Aki. "Eh kaya pala. Riot tawag diyan Aki. Natalo ng mga Diwata ang mga Hathor"
The three of them went on business as usual. Aki has his small board and they started computing the points for the dare. Mayabang si Justine dahil may dala siyang resibo. He shows all of his texts with Benedict. The two of them are sweet! This leaves Tantan getting jealous all over again. But he conceals it. Justine's points raises and he's now on 70 points. Tantan then shows his sketchpad, yung unfinished sketch ng interior ng simbahan with Benedict on the altar, cleaning.
He was so proud at this moment, but Justine refutes him, saying na hindi naman ito proof na may interaction siya with him. He could've easily drawn this. Still Aki says Tantan gets 20 points for this. It was enough proof and the fact that he also got Benedict's cellphone number and had dinner with him. In total he has now 40 points.
Paloma also has some intense interactions with Benedict. She shows them their exchange of texts which are also sweet. Then on a surprise move they have a picture together dahil nag-date daw sila, in fact Benedict bought her a t-shirt noong nag SM sila one time. Paloma has a total point of 80.
It will all boil down to who gives Benedict the ring and make an official announcement na dyowa siya nito. That person gets 100 points and will win the 500 pesos.
They wait for Aki's interactions with Benedict. Aki breathes in then out and says…. "I am backing out"
This leaves them with all the same reactions. "YEEEEES!!" sigaw ni Justine. "Bakit ayaw mo na bhe?" Tantan asks. "Wala lang. I'm no longer interested in him. I'm more interested being the game master here."
Well that's one opponent eliminated for Tantan. He's more concerned by Justine and Paloma's interactions with Benedict. When their meeting was over. Justine and Paloma excused themselves for a different agenda naman. They still have group projects to finish with their other classmates from other groups, leaving Aki and Tantan alone.
The two spent the rest of the afternoon walking together. Tantan doesn't even know where they're going.
"I like you Tantan" Aki suddenly blurts out of nowhere. Mabibingi si Tantan. "Ano?"
"I said I like you. Pwede ba kitang ligawan?"
Matutulala na lang bigla si Tantan. Is the boy even serious? Is he dreaming? Is he drunk? The questions keep on coming and the answers are nowhere to be found.
"Sorry." Aki says. "You're speechless. Siguro ako din naman, if someone confesses their feelings baka matulala na din lang ako bigla."
Tantan faces him. "Ang weird mo"
"No I'm not kaya!.....So is it a yes or no?"
"Ano kasi bhe, uhm, nagulat ako. Hindi ko alam sasabihin."
"It's fine just think about it. I find you pretty." He says still with that beaming smile! Oh that smile! How can Tantan refuse Aki when he does this?
Aki excuses himself and says na uuwi na siya kasi it's getting awkward na daw. He kisses Tantan on the cheeks again and ran away calling a cab. Tantan is still there watching him disappear.
He then receives a text message. "Pupunta ka ba dito sa simbahan?" It's Ben.
At the church. Tantan does a second version of his sketch. He can't focus from what Aki said. He's clearly distracted. He is confused with his feelings for Aki, how can someone like that even like him? They won't look good together specially with Aki's status.
Ben sits with Tantan. He is still with his pail full of cleaning materials. He inspects Tantan's drawing.
"Oh bat wala na ako sa drawing?"
"Bagong draft" he says with a cold voice.
"Galit ka ba?"
"Ah hindi sorry. Ano lang madami ako iniisip"
Ben doesn't say anything he just sat still beside Tantan.
"May boyfriend ka na?". Manlalaki ang mga mata ni Tantan. What's up with the boys today? Where are these questions coming from?
"Wala. So alam mong bakla ako?"
"Oo naman"
"Eh ikaw bakla ka ba?"
"Hindi"
"Pero may mga nanliligaw sa'yo?" Ben asks again. Oh! this is going somewhere! Tantan thinks of Aki.
"Uhm, parang? Oo? Meron?"
"Pag lalaki ang nililigawan okay lang yun di'ba?"
"Uhm. Oo? Siguro?"
"Anong gagawin mo kapag may babae na gusto kang ligawan? Saka lalaki din?"
Oh!! Tantan thinks that Ben is talking about Paloma and Justine. Mako-konsensya tuloy siya. Parang hindi deserve ni Ben magulo dahil lang sa dare nila. He distances himself a bit. What if magalit ito sa kaniya kapag nalaman nito na he's part of an immature game?
"Hindi ko alam Ben."
Ben smiles at him. His smile is different from Aki's. It was calm and doesn't radiate a physical energy. It's a smile that's assuring, simple but not celebratory. "Alam mo ikaw lang yung pumupunta dito sa simbahan na di magulo. Yung iba kasi gusto lagi akong pini-picturan kahit ayoko, saka tinatawag ako ng kung anu-ano, tapos namimilit na isama ako kung saan-saan, nakukulitan kasi ako sa mga ganun, nakaka-inis. Hindi lang ako makatanggi."
By the end of the day. Tantan finishes a different sketch. Alam niya sa sarili na he only goes to the church for Ben and no one else. Nai-submit na niya sa teacher niya ang sketch niya na a long time ago. So he's technically lying to him. Dagdag pa dun yung dare nilang magkaka-ibigan. He thinks about saying the truth to Ben, di bale nang wala siyang makuhang 500 pesos. Kaso paano kung hindi na niya ito makita? O kung magalit sa kaniya? Just the thought hurts. Can he even handle that?
He also thinks of Aki's confession. What will he say to him? He doesn't want to hurt him if he says no. But does he really want to say no!
Magtatalukbong siya ng kumot as he falls into sleep, dreaming about the the two boys.