03. Regrets

                                    

                                          
You were so wasted right on Maki's doorstep
You were so wasted right on Maki's doorstep
You were so wasted right on Maki's doorstep
.
.
Maki swooped in, she helped you
Malia's words kept replaying in Althea's mind like a bad pop song. Instead of kicking off the summer with peace, she was swamped with embarrassment. Her humiliation was off the charts—she swore she'd dig a hole and hide in it the next time she saw Maki.
And how could she forget?—! The sheer stupidity of her actions made her mentally curse and blame the alcohol. 
Nakakahiya, Arrieta, Althea groaned, throwing air kicks and punches in her apartment.
She cursed herself, replaying the things she said to Maki in the laundry room. First impressions? More like worst impressions! Last night's headbutting escapade to Maki's door definitely put her on Maki's bad side. Kaya siguro ang laki ng ngiti niya? Althea thought, now face-planting into her sofa, completely mortified.
Althea mentally kicked herself again, feeling a wave of disappointment and regret. One night of drinking and fun, and her reputation was ruined. She was sure Maki had already told her teammates about the doorstep disaster, and the ever-responsible Editor-in-Chief, Althea Arrieta, was now totally doomed.
Althea always took great care of her reputation, balancing the high expectations of her parents and colleagues. You really couldn't blame her for stressing out.
"HUY te, anong kadramahan 'yan" 
Althea lifted her face off the sofa just in time to see Casey waltz in with a take-out in hand. Casey's unexpected drop-ins were as common as a daily rush hour—thanks to the spare key she had given the latter so she could crash after crazy nights out. Casey was the queen of parties, ruling the party scene with a mix of wildness and adulting finesse. Althea couldn't help but envy how Casey could party like a pro and handle adult responsibilities so effortlessly, especially now, after hearing about her last night's kahihiyan.
"Oh brunch! Alam ko hindi ka pa nakain, mga gawain mo," Casey remarked, placing the takeout on Althea's coffee table, prompting Althea to sit up groggily to face her friend.
Althea took the takeout and began eating silently. She chewed eagerly, swallowing quickly, which made Casey laugh at her friend's behavior while sensing something wasn't quite right.
"Anong ginawa mo, Arrieta? Alam ko 'yang mga galawan mo, kilalang kilala na kita, pati 'yang avoidant attachment tendencies mo," 
Althea froze at Casey's words, throwing her hands up in the air like she'd been caught red-handed. She knew better than to lie in front of her best friend. With a sigh, she set the takeout down on the table.
"Spill." 
—
"Stop laughing, nakakainis ka," Althea groaned as her friend laughed uncontrollably, having just heard about Althea's latest series of embarrassment from the night before. 
Althea slumped dramatically onto the sofa, burying herself once more, pretending to cry into her hands while Casey continued to laugh loudly.
"Girl, teka lang. Ang sakit na ng tiyan ko, ang tanga mo," Casey said, clutching her belly from laughing too hard.
"Sige te, sampal mo pa sakin," Althea shot back, glaring at her. She was at a loss for what to do.
Up until now, Althea couldn't remember anything from the previous night. She was grateful to Malia for filling in some gaps, but her mind was racing with possibilities. What if she had done more than she remembered and told to? 
Knowing Maki, THE Maki Lim, had helped her made it even worse. What if she did something even more embarrassing than head-butting Maki's door? The thought alone was driving Althea crazy.
"All jokes aside, you need to calm down, Babe. I mean, sure, what you did was hella embarrassing, super oa, pero it's done na eh. Worrying won't change anything now. The damage is done, Althea—So, instead of stressing about your reputation and shit, why not think of a way to thank Maki? After all, Malia said she swooped in to help you, diba? A thank-you or a little gesture of gratitude might even keep her from spreading the word. Damn, I'm a genius."  Casey remarked, striking a pose like she just gave a winning answer in a pageant.
"Alam mo, you're really the sister I never had," Althea said, standing up to hug Casey.
Casey could only laugh, wrapping her arms around Althea. She knew her best friend all too well; panic and overthinking were practically Althea's go-to, often leaving her overwhelmed and stuck in sticky situations.
But, moments like these, Casey treasured. She felt happy to witness Althea's vulnerable side—the side hidden from everyone else, as Althea was always seen as the ever-responsible child, the dependable colleague, and the competent leader. It was in these moments of raw emotion and unguarded honesty that their bond grew even stronger.
"Ewan ko sayo, ang OA mo." 
"Pinaka-OA ka no—"
"Oh teka nga! I totally forgot why I came here. Ayun, I have some bad news," Casey said, breaking the hug. 
Althea felt her palms start to sweat. She hated bad news, especially when it comes from someone so close to her.
"Jake's back."
Althea let out a sigh. It wasn't exactly an earth-shattering news, but it certainly fell into the bad news category. Jake had been the first guy to break her heart. They were high school sweethearts until Jake cheated during their freshman year of college.
Althea had caught him in the act, kissing another girl at a bar. He even had the nerve to chase after her, pleading to explain himself. The audacity! Now, his unexpected return was giving Althea a headache.
Jake's reappearance wasn't something Althea had anticipated. After the incident, he had announced his family was moving to the US. Now that he was back, Althea's mind was reeling. She hadn't thought about Jake in ages, and now he was back in town, her head was spinning.
"Girl, I know your head is already spinning at this point, but do hold onto your hair kasi we saw him kanina sa Andrew's, telling his friends that he's gonna get you back daw. Seriously, that ratatouille-looking guy is asking for a slap! Pinigilan lang ako kanina nila Jovanna!" Casey strongly exclaimed, making Althea laugh a little. 
Althea couldn't believe Jake's nerve. After all the crap he put her through, he still had the audacity to come back. She wouldn't deny that thinking about Jake gave her a little pang of heartache; he was her first love, after all. But Althea knew she had moved on. She wasn't about to let his reappearance rattle her. Jake's return was just a minor plot twist in her otherwise well-rounded life.
"Cas, don't worry. I'm okay na, promise. Isa pa, naka-move on na ako. Kahit anong gawin niya, dedma na. Tapos na ang katangahan era ko, baka nonchalant 'to," Althea said reassuringly.
"Ah basta! If you ever need anything or resbak, nandito lang kami nila Sienna at Jov. Shit talaga 'yang mga lalaking 'yan oh!" 
The two flopped onto the sofa, laughing. Althea felt so thankful to have friends like these, especially Casey by her side. She just hoped that Jake wouldn't stir up any more trouble that would make her head spin off.