"Hoy, hinay-hinay lang, Ivo! Mga lamp yan, eh!" Binatukan ni Lulu si Ivo nang tumunog ang box pagkalapag nito sa sahig.

Ivo wiped the sweat off his forehead and glared at his best friend.

"Andami-dami mong gamit, Luanne Rose! Pang-isang pamilya na 'to, eh!"

Karlo nodded in agreement. "Punong-puno na ng mga box itong sala, tapos may paparating pa. Papatayin mo ba kami?"

"Napaka-reklamador niyo, ah! Parang hindi kaibigan..." Lulu pouted.

Even Kael and Ravi came to help. When Lulu offered to be my roommate, it took her a while to pack all of her things and move here. Noong isang linggo pa narito si Chuchay kaya naman medyo nasasanay na ito sa bagong tirahan. I was glad to see her putting back some weight and playing actively in the yard. Habang pinapanuod ko itong habulin ang paru-paro sa bakuran ay nawala kaagad lahat ng pagod ko. I thought everything was worth it while watching her...

Lulu wanted to paint the walls room by room, so I let her do whatever she wanted and we ended up sleeping in the living room for a couple of days. Palagi na ring nagpupunta si Kael dito para tulungan ang nobya dahil kung anu-anong DIY projects ang naiisip ng kaibigan para i-decorate ang bagong apartment namin.

"Hindi ka pa ba nagre-resign?" Tanong niya sa akin nang makasalubong ako sa sala. Kakagaling ko lang sa shift ko at mukhang kakagising pa lang niya.

I shook my head. "Medyo nasasanay na rin kasi ako... atsaka, hindi ko makukuha ang sweldo ko sa unang buwan kapag nag-quit kaagad ako."

"Well, at least quit drinking energy drinks. Nakita ko ang ref natin, puno iyon ng energy drinks. Nag-aalala ako para sa'yo, Avery..."

I sighed and nodded. I tried drinking coffee, but it didn't help much so I immediately switched to drinking energy drinks because I needed my body to function as much as it can.

Alam kong masama ang naidudulot nito sa katawan. Tuwing day off ko, imbes na makatulog ay tulala lang akong nakahiga sa kama. I've been looking forward to sleep the entire week but when it comes to it, I couldn't even close my eyes.

As months passed by, I could barely recognize the apartment as it once was. Lulu brought life to the place, and I'm really glad she's living with me. If I had to live in a lifeless apartment on top of doing everything else, I'll plunge straight into depression.

Kahit papaano, sa tuwing umuuwi ako ay nakikita ko ang mga halaman ni Lulu sa labas. O di kaya'y tumutunog ang wind chimer sa tuwing binubuksan ko ang pinto. Linggo-linggong ina-arrange ni Lulu ang sofa kaya nagugulat nalang ako na iba na naman ang hitsura ng sala namin.

But everything she did made me feel so alive... and the fact that Chuchay greets me each time I get home. I thought, with these two, I could keep on going like this. No matter how dark and gloomy I get, I could always rely on Chuchay being so energetic and Lulu being her usual sunshine self.

"Ako na ang magluluto ng agahan natin," ani ko sabay lapag ng gamit ko sa lamesa.

"Yes, please! Gusto ko iyong sinangag na niluto mo noong nakaraan!" Sigaw naman niya mula sa sala.

Pagsasaing at pagp-prito ng mga itlog, hotdog, o di kaya's luncheon meat lang ang alam ni Lulu. She's so handy at other things but when it comes to cooking, she could barely whisk an egg! Buti nalang at kahit papaano'y mayroon naman akong natutunan mula kay Tita kaya naman nakakakain pa rin kami nang maayos. I told her to quit ordering food online, she told me to quit my energy drinks. Both of us compromised and for a moment, it feels like I was having a relationship with her instead of Enrique.

Ganito pala talaga ang nagagawa ng oras at distansiya...

Minsan, sa sobrang pagod ko ay may mga araw na lumilipas na hindi ko na siya magawang isipin. Of course, I always worry about him. I always hope that he's doing well inside the academy. I think about him when I don't have any homework to cram or any irate customer to soothe. Sa mga oras na iyon, mas lalo kong nararamdaman ang sobrang pangungulila sa kaniya.

"Maybe we should set some rules about boyfriends." Lulu approached me one day, looking a little nervous.

"Bakit? Kasi nadatnan ko kayo ni Kael na nagm-momol sa sala noong isang araw?" Tinaasan ko ng kilay ang babae.

She turned red and avoided my eyes. "W-Well! That's... that was..."

I chuckled as she stuttered.

"Fine! Tease all you want, but when Enrique comes home, alam kong madadatnan ko din kayong dalawa dito! Gusto mo ba yun?!"

Kaagad akong umiling.

"Yeah, let's set some rules..."

In the end, we both agreed that our living space is "sacred" and thus, no making out should be done here. Magti-text kami sa isa't isa kung pupunta dito si Kael o si Enrique. Kakatok din kami sa kwarto ng bawat isa bago pumasok. This is all to avoid any more... incidents.

"Are you on pills?"

Muntik ko nang mabitawan ang sandok sa tanong ni Lulu. Kaagad kong in-off ang stove at binalingan siya.

"Pills?"

"You know... for protection." She bit her lower lip.

"Uhm... hindi... kasi..." I stammered.

She chuckled. "You haven't done it, huh? What are you going to do once he comes back? He missed you so much..."

I swallowed hard. Hindi ko alam na ganito pala ang pag-uusapan namin umagang-umaga!

"Hindi pa naman namin yun napag-uusapan."

She smirked. "Really? Enrique is one hell of a gentleman, then."

Ibinalik ko ang tingin sa pinipritong tilapia. "He never asked me for it."

"He's too perfect! May kapintasan ba ang lalaking iyan?" Natatawang tanong ni Lulu.

I smirked. "You should see his handwriting."

Little by little, I started adjusting to my new life with my girls. I purchased blackout curtains and installed an air conditioning unit inside my room so I could sleep right away after my shift. Si Lulu naman, naging busy na din sa acads niya at kay Kael. Hindi naman nawawalan ng tao sa apartment dahil narito si Lulu tuwing gabi at ako naman tuwing umaga.

Enrique started calling regularly. Now that he's a second-class cadet, he gained more phone privileges and his seniors are more lenient with him. May mga pagkakataong nagpupunta pa rin ako sa Baguio para makita't makasama siya.

"Gusto kitang puntahan sa Maynila..." aniya habang magkausap kaming dalawa. Kael is visiting, so I stepped outside to give them some privacy. Naglalaro si Chuchay sa damuhan. Even the yard looks so dreamy thanks to the fairy lights that Lulu installed when we got here.

"Matutuwa ang mga kaibigan ko kapag nakita ka nila ulit," I beamed, trying to imagine his face once more. Ilang buwan na ba mula noong huli kaming nagkita?

"Kaibigan mo? Eh ikaw?"

"Matutuwa... syempre." I bit my lower lip and tried imagining his face once more.

He chuckled on the other line. "Good thing I'm here, then."

"Huh?"

"Nasa labas ako."

My heart jumped in my chest. Kaagad akong tumakbo patungo sa gate habang nakasunod naman si Chuchay sa akin. Enrique blended well with the shadows. I caught myself gasping when the soft glow from the fairy lights caught part of his face. Chuchay's non-stop barking also confirmed his existence.

"Enrique?" I cried, opening the gate with trembling hands. "Anong ginagawa mo dito?"

"Para bisitahin ka, ano pa ba?" He pulled me into a hug and kissed my head. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to melt in the warmth and safety of his arms. Humigpit ang yakap niya sa akin habang si Chuchay naman ay hindi magkamayaw at tahol nang tahol sa sobrang tuwa.

He gently pulled away and leaned in for a kiss. I tip-toed just to reach him, wrapping my arms around his neck when I heard someone clearing her throat. Kaagad akong humiwalay sa lalaki at nakita si Lulu na nakatayo sa pintuan. Sa likod naman niya ang nobyo.

"Akala ko kung anong meron..." she shook her head. "Lalamukin lang kayo d'yan. Pasok na."

I chuckled and reached for his hand. Isinara ko ang gate at sumunod sa dalawa. Chuchay is still jumping after us, trying to get Enrique's attention. Nang makapasok ay kaagad itong naupo sa paanan ng lalaki. He chuckled and reached for her belly, giving her some scratches.

Saka ko pa lamang napagmasdan nang maigi si Enrique nang makapasok kami sa loob. He's wearing his PMA jog suit, a light-blue dry-fit shirt and pants with their academy logo and his surname printed in bold letters. His crew cut hair looks clean and sharp. Naghanap ako ng kahit na anong pagbabago sa mukha niya pero wala din akong nakita. He's still the same Enrique I knew...

"Kumain ka na ba? May natira pa kaming hapunan dito. Iinitin ko lang, ah?" Ani Lulu at iniwan kaming tatlo sa sala.

"Miss na miss ka ata ng alaga mo, hindi ako pinapansin n'yan, eh," Kael chuckled while observing the two of them.

Enrique smirked. "Chuchay's loyal, then..."

Iniwan ko muna ang dalawa nang mag-usap sila tungkol sa PMA at sumunod kay Lulu sa kusina. Busy ito sa pag-iinit ng sinigang na niluto ko para sa hapunan namin kanina.

"Lulu..." tawag ko sa kaniya.

"Oh? May condom ako sa kwarto, baka kailanganin niyong dalawa—"

"Luanne!" I shrieked, my face burning in embarassment.

She threw her head and laughed. "What? I'm just being practical. Besides, have you seen how he looks at you tonight? Kung wala lang kaming dalawa ni Kael dito..." she shook her head. "But don't worry, I'll send Kael home tonight. And I might have an emergency study session at a coffee shop nearby. Masosolo niyo ang apartment." She winked at me.

"Napaka-BI mo," komento ko habang pinapanuod ang kaibigan.

"No, I'm not! It's just... part of an adult relationship, you know? Besides, I'm pretty sure that I will marry Kael in the future. I may be a goody-goody in academics, but I have my own set of beliefs, too."

Nang maihain ni Lulu ang sinigang ay pumasok na din ang dalawa sa kusina. Habang kumakain si Enrique ay kinulit-kulit lang siya ni Kael tungkol sa buhay niya sa loob kaya siniko siya ni Lulu.

"What are you doing? Huwag mong sabihing papasok ka sa PMA?" Naningkit ang mga mata ni Lulu.

Kael laughed and shook his head. "Hindi na ako pwede sa PMA, Lu. Pero may Officer Candidate School naman para sa mga degree holders."

"You're not joining the army, Kael." She frowned and glanced at me. "Hindi ako kasing-tatag ni Avery."

"I'm just joking!" He wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and pulled her close to him. Pareho kaming nag-iwas ng tingin ni Enrique sa public display of affection nila. I even heard him giving my friend a smack on the cheeks. "I'm not leaving, Luanne..."

Pagkatapos kumain ni Enrique ay siya na mismo ang naghugas ng sariling pinggan kahit na pinapagalitan na ito ni Lulu. He insisted on washing the dishes and even tidied the kitchen while the latter was saying goodbye to her boyfriend.

"Well, I have a long quiz tomorrow so I'm going to study. I'll leave you two lovebirds alone here..."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang makitang isa-isang ipinapasok ni Lulu ang mga textbook niya sa tote bag. I thought she was just messing with me earlier! Talagang tinototoo nito ang pag-alis sa apartment kahit dis-oras na ng gabi!

"Lulu, mag-text ka kapag tapos ka na. Susunduin ka namin." Seryoso kong wika sa kaibigan. I wanted to stop her but she seemed determined to leave already.

"It's okay, I have a boyfriend, you know? I could crash at his place if ever..." she said knowingly, glancing at Enrique who's playing with Chuchay inside the apartment.

Napailing nalang ako. She's hopeless!

"Sige... ingat ka."

Nang makaalis si Lulu ay binalot kami ng katahimikan ni Enrique. I realized it's the first time in a while that we've been alone together. I stood awkwardly by the door while Lulu's words were playing inside my head once again. Labis akong namula nang maalala ang sinabi niya tungkol sa condom!

"Namumula ka," puna ni Enrique nang masulyapan ako.

"Huh? Uh... ang init kasi!" I let out a huge sigh and paced around the room, panicking even more. This is that woman's fault! Mukha tuloy akong tanga ngayon na hindi mapakali. "Magpupunas lang ako sa banyo," itinuro ko ito. "May dala ka bang extrang damit? Pwede ka ring maligo dito."

He nodded at his army rucksack. Tumango nalang din ako at nagtungo sa kwarto ko para kumuha ng towel. Muntik pa akong matumba nang makakita ng box ng condom sa ibabaw ng desk ko!

"May extrang towel—"

I fumbled over my feet while trying to hide the godforsaken condom inside my drawer. Sobrang lakas ng tibok ng puso ko. Enrique frowned when he saw my expression.

"Are you okay, Avery?"

"I'm okay, I'm okay!" Malakas kong wika habang pasimpleng isinara ang drawer. I swallowed and looked at him. Mas lalo ulit akong namula. "Uhm... maliligo na ako. Ang init... ang init kasi, eh!"

He eyed me with suspicion but said nothing.

"Dun ka na sa sala maghintay!"

Tumango lang si Enrique at sumunod sa akin. Dali-dali naman akong pumasok sa banyo. Dapat ay magpupunas lang pero tuluyan na akong naligo para tuluyang pakalmahin ang sarili ko. I splashed some cold water on my face several times and took a deep breath before stepping out.

Mukhang natagalan ata ako sa loob dahil nakita kong nakaidlip na si Enrique sa sala. Sa paanan niya naman ay natutulog nang mahimbing si Chuchay. I smiled while looking at him, wishing I had my phone right now so I could take a picture and store it in my memory forever. Dahan-dahan akong nagtungo sa kwarto ko para magbihis.

"Enrique," mahina kong tawag sa kaniya.

He immediately opened his eyes. Kaagad itong bumangon habang kinukusot ang mga mata.

"Maligo ka na... naroon sa banyo ang towel."

He nodded and went inside. I was so anxious while waiting for him in the living room. Akala ko ay tulad niya, makakaidlip rin ako pero gising na gising ang diwa ko habang pinakikinggan ang paglagaslas ng tubig sa loob. After a couple of minutes, he stepped out of the bathroom.

I caught myself gasping at the sight of him. The towel hung low in his lean torso, as if teasing me. Basa pa ang buhok nito at tumutulo ang tubig sa balikat. I immediately scanned his body for any signs of bruises and cuts but I saw nothing. Nang mag-angat ako ng tingin ay nakatitig na siya sa akin.

"Pwede ka... sa loob magpalit," I said in a small voice.

He nodded again and went towards me. Mas lalo akong kinabahan. Didn't he hear what I just said? Sabi ko sa loob magpalit! Napapikit nalang ako nang tuluyan siyang makalapit sa akin. He leaned towards me, allowing me to smell his fresh scent from the shower. I was waiting for any kind of skin contact, but instead, I heard him chuckle.

"Kukunin ko lang ang bag ko, Avery..." he said in a teasing voice.

Iminulat ko ang mga mata. Paniguradong pulang-pula na ang mukha ko ngayon kaya nag-iwas ako ng tingin. It's not wise to touch him, so I scooted as far away as I can.

"Magbihis ka na nga! Hindi porket may abs eh ibabandera mo na ang katawan mo dito!" I scolded him. "Paano kung may makakita sa'yo na kapitbahay?!"

Enrique was still laughing as he stepped inside my room with his rucksack. Saka pa lang ako nakahinga nang maluwag nang mawala na siya sa paningin ko. I turned to Chuchay when I felt her moving at my feet.

"Itong tatay mo, Chuchay..." I shook my head in disapproval. "Baka atakihin pa ako sa puso nito."

Tumayo ako para i-lock ang pinto at isara ang mga bintana. By the time I was done, Enrique stepped out of my room. Now he's just wearing his army gray athletic shorts and shirt. Halos tuyo na din ang buhok nito. He leaned against my doorway and pointed to the couch.

"Dito na ako matutulog..."

Sinundan ko ang tingin niya at dahan-dahang tumango. "Ikaw... kung gusto mo."

I saw him smirk. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kaagad akong nag-iwas ng tingin. "Wala kasing natutulog sa couch na yan, pang-aesthetic lang yan. Ang sakit n'yan sa likod pero sundalo ka naman, diba? Wala sa'yo yan!"

He gave me a look. "Bakit? Sa tingin mo ba sa papag lang kami natutulog sa academy?"

"Hindi ba? Training niyo na yan para sa magiging trabaho niyo, diba?"

He laughed. "Hindi. Naka-aircon ang barracks namin. Apat na kadete sa loob at tig-iisa kami ng kama. Mayroon ding foam. Tig-iisa din kami ng desk. Hindi pa naman kapos sa budget ang PMA, Avery."

Napaawang ang mga labi ko sa gulat. You don't say! I really thought they were sleeping next to each other on the floor with just a thin sheet of blanket to help them get by! Eh mukhang mas malaki pa ata ang kwarto niya kesa sa akin, eh!

"Gusto mo... sa kwarto ko nalang?"

He stared at me for a long while, trying to weigh his options. In the end, he sighed.

"Hindi na. Dito nalang ako sa labas, tabi kami ni Chuchay."

"We're not going to do... anything. We're just going to sleep."

Pumasok ako sa kwarto at bumuntong-hininga. Whether he wants to sleep next to me or not... it's on him. Pinatay ko na ang ilaw at nahiga sa kama. I could hear him moving in the living room. Mayamaya, namatay na din ang ilaw sa labas. I guess he's going to sleep outside, then?

I slowly doze off. Hindi ko alam kung para saan pa ang lahat ng kaba ko kanina gayong hindi naman pala siya tatabi sa akin! Nagkumot nalang ako at pinilit ang sariling makatulog.

A moment later, I heard the door creaking. I rubbed my eyes and looked around.

"Enrique?"

I felt him moving next to me. He slipped under the covers and pulled me close to him.

"Suko na ako," he whispered in the dark. "Gusto kong matulog nang katabi ka..."

I chuckled, cupping his face. Hinalikan ko siya at isiniksik ang mukha sa leeg niya.

"Good night..."

"Good night, Avery..."

My entire body is so aware of how close and warm he is next to me. The steady rise and fall of his chest lulled me back into sleep. But even before dozing off, I could feel him in my stomach.

"Enrique?"

"Hmm?"

"How are you going to sleep? You're so hard..." I teased him.

"Shut up, Avery."

I chuckled weakly, finally drifting into sleep.