Natatawa ako na naiinis because Clark looked like the legal boyfriend who caught his girlfriend cheating sa mall. He was glaring at Will na hindi makatingin sa kanya nang deretso. And there was Mathilda cupping his cheeks, telling him, "Clark, look at me. Sorry na . . . huwag ka nang magalit." She was hugging him, explaining him why they were here at kung bakit magkasama sila ni Willian sa mall, and Clark wasn't listening at all!

Pinagtitinginan na nga kami, nakabantay na sa amin yung security guard sa nearest bank malapit sa escalator kasi mukha silang magsasapakan any time!

Tahimik lang si Clark, pero ang talim talaga ng tingin niya kay Will. Dalawang armspan ko ang layo nilang dalawa, kasi kapag lumapit pa roon, for sure, magbabasagan sila ng mukha.

Ako, nasa gilid lang nila. I couldn't blame those na nakakakita sa amin because Clark looked so mabango and jowa material, and Will looked like a guy na ipagtatanggol ka any time sa laki ng mga muscle niya, and Mathilda looked so sexy in her floral off-shoulder bodycon dress. Apart from eyebrows and natural thick lashes, naka-lip tint lang siyang pink! Ang mestiza pa niya! And long-legged pa siya! Ang laki pa ng boobs niya! And her hair is so long and black and no one could condemn the three of them kung mag-away-away man sila because they have all the rights to have a fucking complicated love life kasi ang gaganda nilang creation of nature!

I was freaking confused right now, for real.

"We're just dating," Mat confessed as she held Clark's cheeks. "Clark naman . . ." She hugged him again and rested her right cheek sa balikat ni Clark habang yakap-yakap niya. She should hug him tightly because if not, he would definitely attack Will once he had a chance.

"Dine-date mo 'tong pugo na 'to?" panlalait ni Clark habang dinuduro si Will. "Mat, kadiri ka!"

"He's nice naman!"

"Anong nice-nice ka diyan? Huwag n'yo 'kong uululin, alam ko liko ng bituka ng—hayop ka talaga!" singhal niya kay Will. "Pinahiram pa kita ng tool box ko kahapon, traydor ka! Taksil! Palamara!" Susugurin na sana niya si Will pero humarang agad ako at hatak-hatak na siya si Mat.

"Clark, we're okay!" natatawang depensa ni Mat sa kanya.

"Hindi ako okay, 'tang ina, tutupiin talaga kita sa lima!" sermon niya kay Will. "Pati si Mat, hindi mo na pinalampas!" Naghubad na siya ng sapatos at ibinato kay Will. "Hayop ka. Parang kapatid na'ng turing ko sa 'yo. Pinahiram-hiram pa kita ng brief n'ong nag-swimming tayo, tapos ganito gagawin mo?"

Will was keeping his laugh as he picked Clark's white slip-on at pabatong ibinalik 'yon kay Clark padulas sa sahig.

"Nagde-date lang kami," paliwanag ni Will.

"Pakialam ko! Maghanap ka sa ibang kliyente mo, huwag si Mathilda!" Doon lang siya bumaling kay Mat at super dramatic niyang sinapo ang pisngi nito. "Kapag pinaiyak ka niyan, sabihin mo sa 'kin. Ako magbabaon diyan sa lupa."

I was covering my mouth using my right hand and prevented myself from laughing so hard. Clark hugged Mathilda and pointed his finger to Will to warn him. Kahit gusto kong magseryoso, hindi ko magawa kasi nakakatawa talaga sila.

"Huwag ka nang lalapit diyan sa pugong 'yan, ha?" Ang talim na naman ng tingin ni Clark kay Will. "Tara na, uuwi na tayo."

"But my things are in Will's car," Mat said.

Again, his deadly glares came back and Will just shrugged to surrender.

Clark and Mathilda are so close, kasama si Kuya. Sa original barkada, silang tatlo ang OG when it comes to friendship. Leo was left after his mom rejected the acceleration program for him.

Clark Mendoza and Matthias Argente Vercelez were the sons of two powerful and influential families sa province namin before. Only child si Clark, and his parents are too busy to have another child kaya naiiwan siya sa family namin most of the time.

Matthias changed to Mathilda when Mat entered college. Ang major transition niya, it happened when she was in Thailand to work as an event organizer. She was twenty-three at that time at nasa Philippines na rin ako. But when we were young, sobrang lapitin siya ng mga babae. Crush ng bayan, as we called him. Ang good-looking kasi niya. Kaya nga hindi na niya kailangan ng major retoke kasi visually, makeup lang, mukha na talaga siyang babae.

Clark was being overprotective when it comes to Mat, although si Kuya rin naman. But Kuya Ronie will always be that guy na into equality. He doesn't even care about the gender of the person, kaya nga kahit babae, pinapatulan niya. Kahit nga si Jaesie, I barely see him spoil her because his wife is a lady. Exemption lang ako, but as a sister naman kasi. Pero kahit pala noong bata kami, hindi rin niya ako pinagtitimpihan, so I should take that exemption back.

Magka-holding hands lang si Clark and si Mat habang papunta kaming lahat sa parking lot. I didn't want to interfere, but Clark was overacting. Though, I understood why he was being overprotective to Mathilda.

Mat experienced a lot of heartbreaks because of her gender. She even came to the point where late na niyang nalaman na mistress siya ng isang married man na akala niya, single. Ang dami niyang ex na pinerahan lang siya. She was abused by the fact na hindi siya genetically female. Marami na ring nanloko sa kanya, and she ended up crying kina Kuya.

I couldn't say Will is not a heartbreaker, though he's the nicest among them. Caring din naman kasi si Will and he's thoughtful. Ang kaso, napapalibutan kasi siya ng mga babae. Kung siya ang boyfriend ko, mapa-paranoid talaga ako.

Naka-date na ni Jaesie si Will, and she said na top-tier si Will as per her words. Hindi lang nag-work out ang kanila because Jae has her priorities and Will is a nice guy to let go of Jae for her to reach her goals. Doon pa lang sa hinayaan na niya si Jae at hindi niya i-force under his muscles para lang masabing lalaki siya, good move na 'yon sa 'kin.

Ibinigay ni Will ang shoulder bag ni Mat kay Clark pagkakuha nito sa passenger seat.

"Dude, wala akong masamang intensiyon," Will explained.

"Fuck off. Baka gusto mong lalong samain sa 'kin." Clark forcefully grabbed the bag away from Will and handed it to Mat. Dinuro ulit niya ang barkada niya para mag-warning. "Magpasalamat ka, may nira-rush kami ngayon ni Sabrina kundi kami ni Rico ang gigisa sa 'yo."

Lumipat kami sa kabilang aisle ng parking lot at doon hinanap ang kotse ni Clark.

He was still holding Mat's hand at mukhang ayaw niyang pakawalan. We seldom see him this overprotective. The last time he did, sila ni Patrick ang nagsapakan, and Kuya needed to settle everything. That was a bit controversial kasi 'yon ang reason kaya naikasal sina Kuya and Jae without a warning, but that was understandable.

Yung puwesto ko sana sa front seat, naging puwesto ni Mat. Napunta ako sa backseat and the smell of his perfume reminded me of the clothes I bought.

"Clark, yung sa laundry!" sabi ko pa.

He didn't say anything but an annoyed sigh. "Oo na."

Bumaba na rin siya sa sasakyan at nagmamadaling tumakbo pabalik sa mall.

Biglang tumahimik sa loob ng kotse.

Nilingon ako ni Mat, sunod si Clark na pawala na sa paningin namin.

"I'll talk to you later, baby. Byeee!" She grabbed my shoulder and kissed me on my left cheek, then she stormed out of the car. Exactly when Will's car was driving along the aisle, pinara agad niya at mabilis siyang sumakay sa passenger seat. She waved goodbye pagtapat sa window side ko and I waved back.

Wala pa man, natatawa na ako sa reaction ni Clark pagbalik.

It was a surprise na makita sina Will and Mat dito sa mall, and they were dating. Hindi ko rin ine-expect, though single din kasi si William sa ngayon. I'm sure na hindi discriminated si Mat kasi open-minded si Will.

Clark rushed for real kasi hinihingal pa siya nang matanaw ko siya sa dulo ng aisle namin bitbit ang malalaking plastic bag na laman ang pina-laundry naming damit. Kaso pagkakita niya sa kotse niya, huminto agad siya sa malayo sabay pamaywang.

Napangisi tuloy ako kasi natakasan na siya ng itatakas dapat niya.

Nilakad na lang niya ang papunta sa kotse niya. Punas-punas pa niya ang noo habang nagpapagpag ng T-shirt.

Pabato niyang itinapon sa trunk ng sasakyan ang mga damit bago padabog na sumakay sa driver's seat.

"She went away," I said.

"Hindi halata!" sarcastic reply niya.

From the back seat, ipinagsiksikan ko ang sarili ko para makalipat sa harapan. I comfortably sat on the passenger seat and grinned at him. "You should have let them date! Bigyan mo naman ng love life si Mat!"

"Ang daming puwedeng i-date, bakit si William pa?"

"Because he's nice kaya!"

"Anong nice? Pag-untugin ko kaya kayo ni Mat?" He revved the engine and started driving.

"They're not that close unlike sa inyo ni Kuya, duh! Malay mo, they're just getting to know each other."

"Hindi nila kailangang ma-know ang each other, duh!"

"Selos ka? Ang shala, ha—aray!" Sumimangot ako nang bigla niyang kurutin ang braso ko. "I'm not making you kurot!" I pinched him harder too, but his bicep were too firm for my fingers to penetrate a pain from it. Parang ako pa nga yata ang nasaktan sa ginawa kong pagkurot sa kanya.

"Mat's already broken. Ano'ng gusto niya? Magdadagdag pa siya ng another broken playlist sa Spotify account niya na meant for Will?"

"Will didn't look like he's gonna hurt Mat naman, a."

"Ayokong maging source of insecurity ni Mat ang mga client ni Will. Ayokong makakarinig na naman ng self-pity, tinatanong ang sarili niya kung bakit hindi siya ipinanganak na babae. Hindi deserve ni Mat 'yon!"

As much as I wanted to throw a rebuttal, sad to say, Clark was right. Maybe it was one of the harsh realities of Mathilda na up until now, their community is still fighting for their rights despite homophobic and misogynist discrimination.

Ultimo sa restroom nga lang, hirap na si Mat kung saan ba siya dapat papasok. I remember one time when I was with her, and nasa ladies' room kami ng isang restaurant. Some girls looked at her na diring-diri sila sa kanya because even if she looked so feminine, she has a sexy baritone voice kaya hindi madaling i-shift ng note for her to sound like a girl.

It was hard, and I could see where Clark was coming from.

I saw him send a message sa phone habang traffic sa EDSA. Feeling ko, kay Will ang message because the chat bubbles were so long at sunod-sunod.

Not gonna blame Clark, though.

Three in the afternoon na kami nakauwi sa bahay niya sa Alabang, and since ang daming kulang sa materials na binili namin pero meron siya, pinakuha ko sa kanya ang mga request ko sa basement. I brought all the clothes sa billiard area niya. Doon ko lang din napansin na billiard area lang ang visible mula sa stairway. Malaking blank space ang gitna na katapat ng billiard area, then may personal gym na sa dulo. Yung gitna, puwedeng-puwede kong gamitin as a workspace agad.

Inilatag ko sa sahig ang mga damit na nai-laundry na saka ko inisipan kung anong style ang gagawin to recreate those clothes.

Wala akong pinking shears, but Clark said may malalaki siyang gunting sa basement. May chalk din siya na gamit niya for markings sa drafting, and kompleto siya ng rulers and measuring tapes.

I was checking his billiard area para sana sa magandang flat lay nang makita ang blank chalkboard doon sa wall.

A light bulb flashed above my head and did a calligraphy of "Sabrina's Online Shop Soon to Open" using yellow chalk on the green board. I took a photo of that and applied an aesthetic filter.

I checked my phone for a while and opened my IG account.

Kung ipinasara ni Mum ang physical boutique ko, let's see kung maipasasara niya ang online shop na gagawin ko.

If she likes to play with us, then I'll play with her. Hindi ako papayag na siya lagi ang masusunod. My life, my rules.

♥♥♥

Everyone who knew my family, lagi nilang dina-drop na super lucky ng mga anak ni Tessa El Sokkary-Dardenne. Mum is half Egyptian and half Filipino. Naturalized ang lolo namin ni Kuya, and Mum grew up with literal gold in her hands. Kung yaman lang naman, yes, meron n'on si Mum. She could live without Dad's money. Pero mas mayaman pa rin si Daddy sa kanya. May pera si Mum, pero hindi siya magwawaldas ng pera just because.

Enrico Dardenne is pure Danish pero thirty-five years na siyang dual citizen. One of the richest men in the country, though not as famous as the others, but he's recognized. Si Kuya lang ang nakakuha ng other features niya like eye color. But Kuya's vision is not something I'll aspire to have kasi bulag talaga siya kapag walang salamin or contact lens. Maganda nga ang color, malabo naman ang mata. Useless.

We grew up in a household where we needed to prove ourselves to have the things we have right now. If we want something, laging may kapalit.

Kung gusto namin ng toys, we needed to study well.

Kung gusto namin ng masarap na food, we had to follow Inday Sita's instructions.

Wala kaming personal yaya ni Kuya like sa other rich kids. At a very young age, we have to carry ourselves as an individual.

Wala kaming yaya na magliligpit ng higaan pagkatapos magising. We had to do that on our own, or else, papaluin kami sa kamay ni Inday Sita.

If we wanted a reward, we needed to clean our room kahit may maid naman na maglilinis every Friday. Our parents didn't want us to rely on our maids most of the time, kasi gaya nga ng sabi ni Mum, kapag tumira kami nang kami lang, walang iimis ng mga kalat namin kundi kami lang din.

Bisaya si Mum, and she's a freaking Virgo. It was an atrocious combination kasi hindi siya titigil hangga't hindi perfect ang lahat sa paningin niya. And her judgment and apathy towards everyone is a perfect source of headache. Deadly combo sila ni Kuya, e Scorpio pa naman si Kuya.

We're lucky kung fortune and fame ang basis. But as a Dardenne child, mabigat ang pressure kasi behind those bragging moments na proud na proud si Mum i-declare sa lahat ng kumare niya, para kaming under ng extreme pressure ni Kuya na kung hindi kami makaka-survive, they're prepare to disown us.

And now, hindi ako sure kung ipagpapasalamat ko bang sinasakal kami ng parents namin before because my survival skills are blinking its alert lights to inform my whole system na kailangan kong maka-survive this time or else, wala na akong magagawa.

One in the morning, and I had no sewing machine to use. Ang hirap na mano-mano kang magtatahi. Accuracy? Super baba. Speed? Super tagal. Quality? Slightly good. Pero wala akong choice. Later, paggising, kung may maitutulog pa ako, I have to buy at least a handy sewing equipment and a handy electronic sewing machine na worth a thousand pesos plus. Not ideal for thick fabrics, but at least meron, for now.

It was dark, at kitang-kita sa sliding glass door ng billiard area ang backyard ni Clark. Nasa sahig lang ako, naka-indian sit. Nakakalat sa paligid ko ang mga ginupit na tela mula sa na-trim nang mga damit. Nagtatahi pa rin ako ng hem ng pants at goal kong matapos ito before going to bed. Madaling-araw na at napansin din yata ni Clark na wala pa ako sa higaan katabi niya kaya habang busy ako sa ginagawa ko, narinig ko ang lutong ng slides niya mula sa tiled floor.

"Sab, ala-una pasado na," sabi niya, husky pa ang boses, halatang kagigising lang.

"I'll sleep once I'm done."

"Tulog ka kaya muna? Alas-kuwatro pa lang kahapon, nandiyan ka na, e."

"Malapit na 'to."

His footsteps stopped behind me. The next thing I felt was him hugging me from behind. His arms were wrapped around my waist and his face was buried on my right shoulder.

His hug was warm and comforting. I'm not sure if he was trying to stop me from working or if he just wanted a hug. Clingy si Clark, alam naming lahat 'yon. Makatiyempo lang siya ng mayayakap, yayakapin agad niya. I didn't want to put malice on his snugs.

"If you're sleepy, go back to bed," I said.

"Mamaya ka na mag-work," mahinang utos niya. "Ganito ka rin sa suits namin last wedding ni Pat."

"Of course. Hindi ako puwedeng tumunganga lang, duh."

"Gawin ko nang 50k ang ibibigay ko, matulog ka lang nang maaga."

Natawa ako nang mahina sa offer niya. "I can earn that 50k. Hindi mo kailangang ibigay out of pity. Tingin mo sa 'kin, weak?"

"'Hirap mo namang pakiusapan."

I continued stitching when I felt his hands pinching my tummy.

"Ang cute ng bilbil mo."

"Stop it, Clark. I'll burn that fat after I defeat Mum's game."

He chuckled and I peeked at my shirt's—or his shirt's—lower hem. He ran his right hand inside the shirt and I felt his hands touching my tummy.

I was trying to act casual, as if wala lang akong kasama sa paligid. Pinakikiramdaman ko lang talaga ang ginagawa niya.

Nakalibot na kami sa mall at lahat, sarili kong underwear, hindi man lang ako nakabili. Siguro kasi hindi ko priority—or maybe Ky's closet is open for me any time? As in kapitbahay lang kasi sila! I wore Clark's huge office dress shirt and the string bikini Kyline gave (maybe).

Clark's hand was running back and forth in my tummy, and his thumb's side was brushing my bust. Not that I was expecting him to cup my breast out of the blue, but what should I expect then?

I closed my eyes when he started combing my hair using his fingers. He then started humming a familiar song and I suddenly dropped the pants I was stitching. Nakakaantok ang ginagawa niya.

"Tulog ka na, Sab. Inaantok ka na, e."

I opened my eyes just to glare at him. "You're putting me to sleep."

"Hindi kaya."

"Yes, you are!"

He gave me a playful grin and pinched my tummy. "Tulog ka na kasi. Nine hours ka na rito."

"Hindi pa 'ko tapos."

"Tapusin mo mamaya paggising."

"How can I sleep knowing na may unfinished work ako?"

Napakamot siya ng ulo at nalipat ang tingin sa ginagawa ko. "Matagal pa ba 'yan?"

"I'm hand-stitching this, natural matagal."

He sighed so deeply and looked me in the eyes. "Sige, mamaya bibili ako ng sewing machine."

"Bibili ako ng machine ko."

"Pero uutang ka sa 'kin."

"Babayaran ko 'yon. Mahal ang machine. Bibili ako after my ROI."

"Para kang si Rico, ano ba 'yan?"

"Hey!" I yelled after he took the cloth off my hands. "I'm not yet done!"

"You're already done for tonight, baby girl. Magpahinga ka muna."

"Clark!" He carried me in his arms as if I weigh like a feather. "Lalo lang akong magtatagal paggising ko!"

"We'll work on it, okay? Huwag kang masyadong dedicated, walang magtatayo ng rebulto para sa 'yo."

"I need money!"

"May money ako. Kung gusto mong bayaran, bayaran mo kahit until next lifetime pa. Hindi ako maniningil."

Inakyat niya nga ako sa bedroom niya at doon lang niya ako ibinagsak sa kama paghinto niya.

"I can sleep after I'm done," I still explained.

"Sleep because your body needs it. Ala-una ka na rin natulog last Sunday after kina Mat, ang aga mo ring nagising."

"Nine ako natulog last Sunday."

"And you woke up at twelve, gano'n din 'yon."

Inangat niya ang kumot saka siya pumasok sa loob at humiga sa tabi ko. Tiningnan ko pa rin siya nang masama kasi inalis niya ako sa trabaho ko sa ibaba.

"You're bad for my business," I told him.

"Believe me, I'm a lucky charm." He snuggled me again before the lights went off.

♥♥♥