Chapter 5:

“Hi! I’m Azalea.” I introduced myself to a mixed group of guys and girls, waving my left hand.

They greeted me back. The guys shook my hand, while the girls only smiled a little, giving me a once-over from head to toe. I didn’t take it personally.

Then, with the bottle in my right hand, I made them chug down their drinks. The guys eagerly agreed, letting me pour alcohol straight into their mouths, while some of the girls took photos and videos, laughing at the scene.

“Oh, my—” I almost stumbled for no reason as I turned to head back to our table.

“Careful,” a low voice murmured near my ear. A firm hand caught my waist, steadying me. The lighting in this part of the club was dim, making it hard to see his face clearly.

“Thanks.” I smiled, straightened my posture, and walked away.

"We need to leave now," Yus said.

He was on my left side, standing beside me with his hands shoved into his pockets.

I sat cross-legged, slowly sipping my cocktail. Bumalik na naman sa isip ko ang curfew kaya bumalik din ang iritasyon ko. My mom never stopped me from doing what I wanted, but because of that ‘prank’...

I let out a heavy sigh and took another sip. Wala pa ring update sa nangyari at sana naman ay matapos na 'yon nilang imbestigahan dahil paniguradong magtutuloy tuloy ang ganitong curfew ko!

"10 more minutes," I said.

He let out a chuckle. "Natutulog ka ba?"

I gave him a sarcastic smile and stared at the table again. The others who came with us were still here, drinking, laughing, and socializing. It would be embarrassing to leave first when I was the one who planned this night out.

"Do you think na buhay pa 'yung girl?" I asked suddenly, glancing at him.

His brows furrowed slightly. He was silent for a few seconds before letting out a heavy sigh and settling into a vacant seat. "I hope so. Kaya mas mabuting mag ingat at baka mapano ka,"

"But they don't know me...hindi nila ako nakita kaya paano nila ako masusundan if ever?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Malay mo. That's why we shouldn't be too complacent. Hindi na ligtas ang mga tao sa panahon ngayon,"

Nagtaasan lahat ang mga balahibo ko dahil sa sinabi niya bago siya sinamaan ng tingin kahit hindi niya naman ako kita nang maayos.

"Omg, you're making me nervous, stop that" I scolded.

"Well, that's the truth. Let's face the reality," his voice laced with sarcasm. He took a second glance at someone who passed by.

I let out a sigh before taking another sip of my drink. Kung sakali nga na nakita niya ako....pero imposible kasi, tinted ang sasakyan ni Manong driver.

Unless they had special eyes, right? I let out a sigh again and shook off the thought.

"Let's go," he said, then stood up.

I finished my drink and got up reluctantly. He placed a hand on my lower back as we made our way outside.

"Oh, ano? Aalis agad kayo? Come on," someone groaned in disbelief.

I nodded at him. "Kaya nga e. Blame this man," then pointed my finger at the person beside me.

"May susunod pa naman. Bawal lang talaga siya ngayon magtagal sa labas," he said.

Then I heard my name being called from the other direction. I turned and saw a group of familiar faces that weren't here earlier. One gay friend, three girls, and two guys.

"Hello," I greeted, waving cutely.

"Uuwi na kayo? How unusual of you ha," biro ng isa at nagtawanan silang lahat.

"I like your outfit, sis" the gay said as she winked at me.

Before coming here, I had changed out of my polo shirt and pleated tennis skirt into a black racerback tank top tucked into a mini leather skirt, paired with a black leather blazer and white high boots.

"Yours too," I winked back.

She was rocking black leather pants, a white crop tank top, and a gold chain necklace.

After some small talk, Yus and I finally got into the car. As we drove home, I glanced at him and noticed him yawning, covering his mouth with one hand. His eyes were heavy with sleep.

Nang makauwi ay agad kong tinanong ang isang kasambahay kung nakauwi na ba si Mommy. And she nodded.

I smiled at her before heading to my bedroom to prepare for a bath. The smell of cocktails and the mingling scents from the club clung to me—I needed to wash it all off before dinner.

Before stepping into the bathroom, I laid out my sleepwear—a silky terno blouse and shorts. They were the most comfortable to sleep in.

In the bathroom, I undressed, placing my clothes in the hamper, then switched on the soft yellow lights. My nightly routine consisted of soaking in a lavender bath bomb-infused tub, then rinsing off with oat milk body wash under the shower.

I didn’t wash my hair every day—I’d read somewhere that it wasn’t good for the scalp. But I used conditioner daily to keep my ends moisturized.

After drying off and slipping into my bathrobe, I applied hair oil while my hair was still damp, then used a scalp massager to stimulate blood flow before blow-drying.

Once my hair was done, I washed my hands and brushed my teeth. I almost forgot—I needed to schedule my dental cleaning this month.

Maintaining a good hygiene costs a fortune, but it was still a good investment. Sino bang gagastos sa'yo para alagaan ang sarili mo kung hindi ang sarili mo 'di ba?

When I was done brushing, I checked my teeth properly if there was still visible dirt or whatever before I rinse my mouth with an alcohol-free mouthwash.

After brushing, I checked my teeth in the mirror for any residue, then rinsed with an alcohol-free mouthwash. Most people overlook oral hygiene, focusing only on their appearance, but it’s just as important as reapplying sunscreen and getting morning exercise.

For my night skincare, I only used four products: a gentle cleanser, hydrating lotion, eye cream, and lip balm. I was lucky to have good genes—breakouts were rare for me.

Then, after wearing my sleepwear, I headed downstairs to eat dinner since my stomach was a bit growling now. Ayaw kasing mag drive thru ni Yus dahil gusto niya nang umuwi talaga.

Mommy followed a few minutes later, and she was also prepared to sleep. I adapted this kind of routine by watching her when I was a kid. I admired how she put on her beauty products and her lifestyle.

She looked younger than her age, with her healthy, plump skin and hair. Even though she was busy working, she still looked not stressed.

As we ate our dinner, she told me she was heading to Zambales this week to check on some land she planned to buy for a new branch.

“So… you’ll be gone for a week?” I asked, chewing on my broccoli.

She shrugged. “Maybe not that long. I’ll send someone to oversee everything so I can come back sooner.”

Kaya kinabukasan ay na kila Yus ako buong araw dahil napagdesisyunan ni Mommy na umalis agad para makabalik din daw dito.

"Are you not bored?" I asked him while I was tired of playing Scrabble.

He was my opponent, but I was winning this time. I think I found my hidden talent because of this.

"May ganyan bang salita?" He asked with a brow furrowed.

I let out a sigh before leaning comfortably on my seat. "Of course! Tignan mo pa sa dictionary,"

We have been playing for an hour and I already want to do something different.

"Ayoko na," he said, then leaned back in his seat too.

Nasa sala nila kami ngayon. Sadya ko talaga dito ay si Auntie Dani pero sabi niya ay nasa mga kaibigan niya raw dahil may party.

"Hay nako, Prius" I sighed breathily as I stared blankly at their long television.

"What? You want to play console games?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes, then shook my head. Nakakasawa na maglaro ng console games dahil paulit ulit lang naman.

"I want to eat strawberry shortcake, Yus" I said.

I was really bored right now. Hindi ako mapakali tila ba gusto kong gumawa ng kung ano ano.

“Then make one,” he said lazily.

Then an idea popped into my mind before looking at him with lips parted, suddenly excited.

"Speaking of strawberry shortcake. I think I can do that na!" I said.

He raised a brow at me. "Nana came to your house, and you didn't tell me?"

I shook my head. "Stupid, I watched tutorials. Nana is too old to travel na,"

Para may matino namang mangyari sa buong araw ko, napagdesisyunan kong mag bake kaya pumunta kami sa malapit na supermarket. Bibilhin lang namin yung mga kulang sa bahay nila.

Afterward, we stopped by a coffee shop. I ordered my usual iced matcha latte with two pumps of strawberry syrup, while he got his hazelnut mocha macchiato.

We were just looking around while sipping our drinks, then I noticed someone who was looking at me for too long.

Inside the store, I noticed a guy staring at me for too long. I smiled at him, making him look away. A medical student, judging by the books beside him.

Back at Yus’ house, I grabbed my baking tools from home since they didn’t have any.

"Nagsimula ka na ba? Sana inayos mo na mga gagamitin," I said as I entered the kitchen.

He was washing his hands before glancing at the paper bag in my hand. The ingredients were already laid out on their island countertop.

We started prepping. He washed the strawberries while I mixed the dry ingredients.

Then I heard him putting down the bowl of washed strawberries near me while now watching me cut the butter.

I glanced at the bowl of strawberries. "Lagyan mo ng sugar after mong tanggalin yung leaves nila,"

He nodded, surprisingly obedient.

After almost half an hour of baking, we were now waiting for the shortcake to be baked. The handmade whipped cream was also done too.

"See, I told you, baking can be a lot of fun" I teased him while I was drinking a cold water.

His face scrunched a bit. "Baking, yeah, but cleaning the tools that we use is not fun"

I let out a chuckle. "Yeah, cleaning those will be a lot of work"

"Kung kelan day off nila Manang tsaka mo naisipan mag ganito," he said, almost glaring at me, making me smile at him playfully.

"My bad. I forgot," I said.

Eating the strawberry shortcake put me in a good mood, and I felt re-energized from all the sugar I had eaten. Biniro ko pa nga na mag negosyo kaming dalawa pero umiling lang siya dahil gagawin ko lang raw siyang taga hugas.

"As if we cannot hire someone to do that," I said.

He opened his mouth to argue, but I silenced him with a look. I wanted to enjoy my masterpiece in peace.

"Yus, can you bring me a glass of water?"I called out, raising my voice slightly so he could hear me.

He had already finished his shortcake in under five minutes, which I hadn’t expected. I didn’t know he was that hungry.

"Yus! What are you doing? Get me a glass of water before coming back in here," I implored when he still hadn’t returned.

"God gave you feet. Get it on your own!" he replied from the kitchen.

My brows furrowed at his response, and I huffed before standing up to go after him. Pagpasok ko sa kusina ay napaawang ang labi ko dahil sa nakita. He was busy putting a lot of whipped cream and strawberries on top of his cake.