today's musical inclination: Sponge Cola - Lunes
-I forgot the words, but I'm seriously considering nabbing myself a Sponge Cola CD. I like this song, and I am pretty sure the other songs on the album are good as well.
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This day kinda sucked. It wasn't just that Pasky skipped lunch (for good reasons anyway), or that CRS was very tedious and annoying (much more so than the first time around), or even that I was still reeling in pain and agony from watching Rainier Castillo's "I Love You Babe" video from beginning to end (I survived Sandara Park's "In or Out," so I was pretty sure I had to live through this one sooner or later).
No no, dear friends, readers and true believers. Today was not the most palatable of days under my belt, which is ironic, since it was supposed to be just that. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me take you back... back... back...
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The day is Sunday. I was walking down Panay Avenue (which happened to be undergoing some heavy construction work mind you) when I got a text from this girl. Now, we weren't at all that close, this girl and I. She was my friend's cousin's friend, and she went clubbing with us once, almost a year ago. She got my cell number from my friend somehow, and she texted and miscalled me about twice each exactly since we met.
So you can only imagine how surprised I was to see her ring me up for no apparent reason. Surprisingly, she asked for my landline. She said it was important so naturally, I gave it to her. I waited a bit when I got home, and then my phone rang. It was her, of course (though for a while I suspected it could have been another moron trying to contact ABS-CBN). She asked where I was studying right now, and I, rather discreetly I might add, replied "UP." "Ows? Talaga? Kapit-bahay lang pala tayo eh!" she said. She asked if I could meet up with her the next day when my classes were over, and I agreed. We would meet at Starbucks Katips at around 4 (with some other people there as well, mind you, like a couple of my friends who went clubbing with us).
However, there was a problem. I had forgotten what this girl looked like. Now, given the context of the situation, I'm sure that is perfectly understandable. The place where we met was dark, the music was pretty loud, and I was introduced to about 15 girls, all my friend's cousin's friends. Besides, it's not like I had enough time to let my encounter with them sink in, much less get all their names right.
Well anyway, I figured it'd be fine. After all, my friends would be there. No problem. I'm gonna take a UP-Katipunan jeep right after Philo 11, look for my friends, and stay there 'til it's go home time for all of us. Good plan!
Oh, except for one thing: plans never do turn out as one would expect.
The first drawback that crossed my mind were my clothes. I'm gonna be chilling in Katipunan, which is in Loyola Heights, which just happens to be the conio capital of QC. So why in my right mind did I opt to wear my thrasher duds today? Well, they weren't hardcore thrasher duds really. The cuffs of my pants were ripped (because they were too long, so I cut them, and yes, I thought it'd look kinda cool) and I was wearing this black shirt. UP's criteria for proper attire have all been, to my knowledge, not applicable, but in the case of an afternoon in Loyola Heights, I must admit I became a tad conscious. For some reason, I couldn't drown out the thought of some arrogant Atenistas mocking me for my average person attire. I knew it was wrong, but the "urban legends" affected me rather heavily at that point in time. But then, I figured that I would just ignore other people. I promised my friend that I would go, so regardless of all else, I would go.
Another thing is the fact that I got there rather early. I usually try to be early for my appointments, but I did not like the idea of hanging out at a coffee shop by myself while trying to live down the piercing stares of the other customers. I had intended for my arrival to be a little later than the said time. Alas, I underestimated the speed at which a jeepney could take me to Katipunan with very light traffic at that. It was exactly 3:30 pm on my watch then, which was the given meeting time. However, I assumed that my friends would not be there until around 4pm, so I must admit I started panicking a bit. Luckily, the girl texted me right as I was about to text her, telling me she was at a certain restaurant, which was, by chance, not far away from where I was standing. I walked over to the place and looked around. I couldn't help but feel a bit lost, as I was in a relatively unfamiliar strip of road looking for a girl, the appearance of whom I could not recall if my life depended on it. It's a good thing my friend's cousin, whom I remember well, was with her at the time. I sat down and was chatting with them in no time.
Although, I must admit, chatting is a relative term. They asked me some stuff about UP, I asked some stuff about Miriam, I flashed my arrogant side a little, and then nothing. Absolutely nothing. Just complete, utter, awkward silence. A guy friend of theirs came by a little while later, and the three of them talked a bit. My friend's cousin and their guy friend stepped out to buy something, which left me alone with the girl.
"You okay?" she asked. People that I don't really know that well always ask me that eventually, on account of how quiet I can get. Sheesh, as if it's my fault that I have nothing to say to them. It's not as if I know enough about them to do so. I wouldn't know where to begin, so why bother? I'm just gonna shut up and be totally fine. "Yeah... hehe. Don't mind me, ganyan lang talaga ko," I said. She had to find out sometime that I'm just a sociopathic little geek I suppose.
"I think I should tell you where we're going," she said. Now this caught my attention. This whole thing seemed so ridiculous to me. My mind played with the many different scenarios but could never settle on a logical one. I was curious. I would have killed to find out. I was more attentive at that one moment than I had ever been for quite a long time. I was hanging on the very next word she'd say.
"We're going to this seminar thing," she said. What? A seminar? On what? Birth control or something? Well I thought it was educational at first, which, of course, caused my inner voice to yell "Lame!" But then, for the sake of hanging out, I guess I could sit through something like that. For a while I was completely distracted by my thoughts; that is, until I heard her say, "...I make about 10,000 a week. This thing starts on the 22nd but I should really have all my friends sign up before that, because the earlier you sign up, the more you'll make."
Oh, all right... excuse me, what? What the--?! You mean to tell me you made me wait for an hour at the sunken garden to get my timing right, get on a jeep to Katipunan, soil my good yet non-existent reputation by showing up in not-so-perfect clothes, sit here and shut up while worrying about my CRS and miss out on some YM conversations just so you can try and con me??!?
Unbelievable. I was stunned. Sure I didn't know her that well but I never figured her for the type. "Ehehehe... We'll see... sige lang, go lang," I said, trying my best to act civil. "Hindi ka naman galit niyan? Parang no reaction ka ata..." she asked. Galit? Not really. Just sinking way, way below my chair. I didn't know how to feel, much less what to say to that. "Of course not! Why would I be?" was all I could manage. "Promise?" she asked, and I gestured towards the affirmative. I thought I'd just wait for my friends, make an excuse and run like hell, but I swear, I was so out of there.
A little while later she told me, "I'm really hoping you'll invest in this..." That was it. I couldn't keep up that charade any longer. I looked her in the eyes and said, "Listen, to tell you the truth, I'm really not interested. It's just, well, I don't know really. I just don't want to I guess. Yeah, let's leave it at that. I can still go with you guys, but I'm telling you, don't count on me shelling out any cash." She looked a tad disappointed. What can I say? Do you think I enjoyed telling her? Of course not. I hate rejecting other people. But I had no choice. Besides, it's better to be honest than to lead her on with some false hopes. "You know, you don't have to go if you don't want to," she told me. I didn't hesitate. I pounced on the opportunity like a leopard on its prey. "Yeah, maybe I should. I have to pre-enlist. You know, CRS and all," I said. I bid them farewell, crossed the overpass, tried to find a jeep for a while, realized it was futile and got in a cab.
After a few minutes, a friend of mine texted me and asked why I left. "Sorry dude, I have to pre-enlist. CRS and stuff. You understand," I replied. Yeah, sure, blame the CRS. They probably figure it's some long process involving lots of lines, paper and pens. Well it will eventually (during enrollment and enlistment), but not just yet.
There was a time in my life when I would have fallen for that. I would have given up exorbitant amounts of cash just to acquire a piece of cardboard with a pokemon on it and some numbers and stats. All of these transactions came through the hands of a friend, my best friend at the time, in fact. It was fun at first. I may have spent a lot, but I had friends, and hey, you can't buy those, right?
Right?
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completely wrong thought of the day:
Today's YM status messages:
-"CRS is a bitch. lines are a bitch. UP is a bitch."
='Nuff said.
-"iya villania i :x j00! =P~"
=:x is the in love emoticon, while =P~ is the drooling emoticon. Dammit, I am addicted to this girl. I remember channel surfing and going past myx, then stopping. "Uy si Iya!" I'd think to myself. Yes, she has flaws. I guess. Whatever. I think I'm allowed at least a couple of irrational obssessions in this life, so let this be one. And oh, by the way, I liked her even when she was just a GJ on that pathetic little Gamechannel. So there. You're the poser. Hahaha.
Oh, and also, I recall I had the same obssession with Michi before, who used to be a myx VJ... hmm... I wonder why I never got obssessed with Heart. Heh. Prolly 'cause I respect Iya and Michi's intellects to a certain degree. I mean, Iya studies in La Salle, which is among the top three colleges in the Philippines (Irwin once saw her eating cup noodles and totally non-conio stuff, which means she's less likely to be an annoying priss bitch), and Michi sounds intelligent enough. Now Heart, on the other hand...
Let's not get into that for now. That is best reserved for another post entirely.
