03. First Date?

MY FACEBOOK ACCOUNT is bombarded with tons of notifications, and my messages are popping as well. Most are from Abegail.

I sigh. I don't really want to talk to them yet. I’ve also purposely avoided all of their calls, especially Kelly's.

"Alexis?"

I hear my mother's footsteps as she comes nearer to my room. A soft knock follows. I toss my phone on the bed and immediately open the door.

"Yes, ma?"

My mother’s kin face emerges. "Can you drop by the grocery store today?" she asks, wiping the perspiration on her forehead, "I need you to buy some goods."

"Sure. Just please list all the things that I need to buy. I always forget them every time, " I reply, crossing my arms, “where you at your garden this morning?"

"Yes, dear. The vegetables are beginning to ripen. Help me sell some of it, will you?"

Of course, I will. I can just take a picture and upload it on the internet. Nowadays, everything is just like magic. One click away and you're good to go.

"By the way, you can also go to your aunt Selma today. She asked for some roses. Remember, today is Sunday."

"Okay, ma."

My mother really loves gardening. She wakes up early in the morning and spends a solid one hour with her plants. It’s her morning routine. My aunt Selma, her sister, often requests her for some roses, especially on Sundays. Most of the time, I just drop them off to their house since she lives in a place near the school where I am working. My aunt is a devoted Catholic and the roses are for her altar which she keeps in her bedroom.

"By the way, Gab called," she says as I follow her towards the kitchen.

"When?" I pour myself a glass of water.

"Last night. You were not returning his calls."

"I was asleep, ma."

"And drunk. Good thing you went home earlier than usual.”

I groan. I just had no choice.

"Gab's just being so paranoid."

Mother chuckles, "Boys are always like that to their girlfriends, dear.”

I watch her back as she washes her hands on the sink.

"Swear, ma. He's fucking possessive!"

"No cursing, Alexis,” she strictly says, her head’s slightly tilted towards me. I sigh.

“Sorry po," I say, grinning.

"He's just being so protective of you. I think the two of you should talk already."

She takes a step and wipes her wet hands with the kitchen towel.

Silence.

"Alexis.”

"What now, mama?" I groan, pouting.

"I like Gab. He's such a sweet boy, and a responsible one and I like the way he cares for you. I really think that you have to call him."

Sigh. "Hmm... maybe later, ma."

"Call him, okay?"

Fine.

**

“You look good, Ma'am Alexis."

I smile at Mr. Teddy, the security guard of the nearby grocery store in our town. He happens to be one of our family friends so naturally, he knows me since I was little.

"I Just need to grab some stuff, Mr. Teddy."

"Here you go," he says, opening the door for me. "Thanks!"

The cold air from the aircon brushes my face as the door closes behind me. I breathe in the familiar scent of the store which mostly smells like laundry soaps. Mother used to bring me here when I was a kid. She often says that being the eldest daughter also takes a little more responsibility, especially in the kitchen and in managing the family expenses.

Yeah, sometimes being the eldest sucks!

I walk through the aisle and start roaming around. To the left are the stocks of laundry and body soaps. I think the owner has purposely put these things near the entrance because it makes the whole place smell like home. I see ten or more people inside the store, including an elderly woman in the cashier and her assistant slash sales lady, a petite high schooler. I walk pass them and smile. The petite girl stares at me and greets me with a high pitched "Good morning, ma'am!" I guess, she also studies in the private school where I am working. I return her morning greetings with a nod.

I immediately go to the list that mama gave me and read through it.

I need 2 kilos of chicken meat, few kilos of vegetables and spices, oil, and some family stuff like tampons, laundry soaps and etcetera. It's a long list actually.

I walk as I read through the list and that really is a bad idea. I accidentally bump into someone in doing so and even knock some canned goods on the shelf. Ugh.

"I'm sorry, I—”

I'm frozen into place when I realized who's the person I bumped into.

“MJ?"

"Alexis?" she says, taking her sunglasses off, "it's really you."

MJ is basically the last person that I really want to see right now and yet, here we are bumping into each other in a grocery store. It's like the universe is totally conspiring against me. how cliché.

The two of us awkwardly put the fallen canned goods back to the shelf. Then she just stares at me like I'm some alien from the outer space. Spell awkward.

"About what happened at the party—”

"Come on, Alexis. Get it over yourself," she says as she puts her arm around me.

I shiver. There it is again, the tension. The weird electricity.

“It was so embarrassing. I'm like the walk out queen of the year," I say, feeling so small.

"More like the runaway queen," she blurts, giggling. I cringe at her. MJ walks over me. "So, what do we got here?" she asks, taking a peek into my list.

"It's mama's list. Why are you here by the way?"

She rolls her eyes as if telling me that she's gonna buy something and that her presence in the store is quite obvious. That makes me laugh. "I mean, what are you gonna buy, silly."

"Secret, babe. See yah,” she replies as she immediately disappears into a corner, thank God!

Once alone, I cannot help but contemplate how MJ makes my heart race for no reason. It feels weird, really. I always feel like I’m about to have a heart attack whenever she’s with me. I didn't feel anything like this with anyone. Not even with Gab.

Am I going crazy?

***

Thirty minutes is all it takes to help me get what I need. I then carefully take my line to the cashier and wait for my turn to be entertained. Then I suddenly feel my phone vibrates. I fish my phone on my hand bag and realize that Gab is calling again. I heave a sigh before picking up.

"Honey."

My heart melts when I hear his voice. It has been three days since we have proper conversation on the phone.

"Yeah," I reply, trying to sound nonchalant. Deep inside, my heart flutters.

"Are you still mad?"

Silence.

"Honey... please talk to me,” he says pleadingly.

"How can I stay mad when you have already called my mother beforehand?"

He must have sighed before chuckling. Gosh, I like it when I make him chuckle.

"I love you."

"I love you too," I reply, grinning, "I'm sorry about my behavior."

"It's fine. I understand that you just miss me that much, hence you keep on pestering on me."

"Duhh. You irritate me, that's why,” I bluntly remark.

I hear him laugh. I notice that the cashier is almost done with the old man before me.

"Hon, I'm in the grocery store. I'll just call you back."

"Oh, okay. Be careful when you drive, alright? Bye."

"I will. Bye."

"Call me back, okay?"

"Yeah,” I say smiling before dropping the call.

I carefully put the items on the desk and watch as the elderly woman expertly punches the amount on her machine. I also look around to search for MJ but she's nowhere to be found.

I guess, she's already gone.

"You purchased 1, 749 pesos. I received 2,000 pesos," the cashier says in a monotonous voice, "your change is 251 pesos. Next, please."

**

Mr. Teddy helps me carry the things I bought and carefully ties them at the back of my Honda motorcycle. "Send my regards to your father, okay?" he says in a kind voice. He's wearing his famous cowboy hat while he's on duty and. I notice that his forehead is beginning to be filled with wrinkles.

"You should drop by to our house Mr. Teddy. Papa will be delighted," I reply as I start the engine.

"Yeah. Soon, dear. But I don't really have a day-off these days," he says, sighing.

"You should also find time to relax, Mr. Teddy."

"Thank you, ma'am Alexis. Take care, okay?"

I smile at him. "You too, sir," I reply as I put on my helmet.

Mr. Teddy goes back to her station.

"Hey, babe!"

I turn around as I hear a familiar voice behind me.

"Hey," taking my helmet off again and turning off the engine. I watch as she parks her motorcycle beside me.

"You, woman, keep on popping everywhere and then you just disappear all of a sudden!" I exclaim.

"I waited for you outside, but it took you so long in there!" she replies, rolling her eyes, “so, I just decided to buy these."

I gasp. I take a peek on the blue cellophane.

“Stalker!” I jokingly say, grinning at the prize she’s holding.

**

We decide to sit in a park near the grocery store.

"Hmmm, I really love this," I say as I greedily chew the soft Siomai meat, "my favorite food in the world."

"I know."

I look at her in disbelief, "I’m starting to believe that you are indeed my stalker. Don't tell me you bought these on purpose," I ask suspiciously.

"Secret," she replies, winking.

Sigh. "That's the second time that you used that word," I say, shoving another meat on my mouth, "you’re really following me. You’re so creepy."

"And you're so assuming, woman."

I laugh. "Fine. But tell me, what were you doing in the store earlier, huh?"

"Aish," she says, rolling her eyes. "I bought napkins, okay. For my period?"

I laugh again.

"Geez. Happy?" she replies, feeling so annoyed.

"What's wrong with buying napkins for your menstrual cycle?" I tease, "it's the most normal thing in the world."

She stops and almost spits her food, "Gosh, stop mentioning napkins and menstrual cycle, babe. Just eat, will you?"

"You're so sensitive!" She mutters something under her breath. Unfortunately, I didn't hear it.

"What did you say?" I ask.

She sighs a reply. "I said, you're annoying."

MJ stands up and walks towards her motorcycle. I look at her as she opens her U-box and reveals two bottles of water. She then goes back to my direction, half-running. She handles me the other bottle. "Thanks," I mumble.

“I keep on thinking about you last night.”

I suddenly choke on my food. “W-what?” I say as I struggle to have a normal breathing. Geez.

“Gotcha,” she replies, laughing out loud.

“That was mean,” I say as I gulp on my water.

She chuckles, pinching my cheeks. The oil from the food gets to my face. “—ewh, your fingers are dirty!”

“Maarte!” she says, laughing again.

We decide to linger a little longer on the park even though we are already done eating. But then I receive a text message from my mother and I know by then that I'm gonna be dead. God! I totally forgot that I still have an errand to accomplish.

"I really need to go now," I hastily say.

"I see," she replies as she collects the wrappers and throws them into a nearby garbage can, "shall I follow you home?"

"Aww, such a gentlewoman."

"Come on, be serious!" she asks, whining.

Laughter. “I’ll be fine.”

We quietly walk towards our motorcycles. It's already 10:30 and the sun has quiet made our vehicles hot. We just stand there for a while, waiting for the seats to cool off a little bit.

"Babe," she says, handling me her phone. I smilingly type my digits on her phone without hesitation.

"Does it mean that I'm gonna see you again?" I ask.

"Well, maybe. Just calm your tits, woman. Consider this as the first date," she replies, winking. I grin at her.

"I'll call you. See yah," she says, waving her hand into a salute and speeding away.

I'm totally caught off-guard. First date, huh? Did she really mean that? I shake my head and smile to myself like an idiot.

Gosh MJ. What the hell are you doing to me?