All Good Things Come to an End

"They flaunt out their beautiful leaves in the sun,
And they flirt, every one."
---Ella Wheeler Wilcox, "A Reminiscence"

"Kisssss. Kissssss. Kiss kayo ni Kane," Arlan said to Cj. Cj, looking uncomfortable, was smiling at us. 
"Nahihiya ako eh," he said.

"Sige na. Go! Go!," V said, egging us on.
"Nakakahiya," Cj said, smiling shyly.

"Ano ka ba. Parang ganito lang yan," V said, and then suddenly he kissed me, slowly. We were both aware our friends and Cj were looking at us, and we put on quite a show. Our kiss ended.

"Sige na. Go," V told Cj.
Emboldened by what he had just witnessed, Cj and I kissed.

"Kayo naman ni V," Arlan said to Cj.
"Gooo! Goooo!," I said.
Cj and V kissed.

"Pinaglalaruan niyo ako," Cj said.
"Umayos ka, enjoy na enjoy ka nga eh," I said.

Arlan and Cj then kissed, then V and I kissed, then Arlan and V kissed, and then Arlan and I kissed.

It was a Sunday night and I wanted to go out for three reasons: to party on a Sunday night with V, to celebrate Eric's birthday, and to see Arlan before he goes back to China.

I was so excited to see Arlan that night. He is one of my best friends and I have missed him terribly. He used to be my banger sister before he moved away. We spent countless night boy-hunting or being hunted, getting drunk, partying. We used to dance like there was no tomorrow.

Arlan is the type of guy who can get away with many things. He can just literally grab a guy, charm him off his shoes and the guy would leave his friends and join us. Then we work on the guy, flirt with him, tease him. That night, we decided to choose Cj.

Cj was fair, lean with a cute, boyish smile you could spot the moment you entered the club.

K: Grabe, ang bad natin. Hindi man lang natin kinausap yung friend ni Cj.
Eric: OMG! May friend pala siya?
K: OMG! Hindi mo alam na may friend siya?
Eric: Hindi.
K: Grabe, ang unfair ng mundo. Mahirap talaga pag hindi ka pretty. The pretty girls get all the luck.

Everyone in the club was staring at us. We were dancing and drinking and laughing and singing out loud. The music was good, the drag show was fun. Eric went up to the stage and joined the performers. He wore their wigs and a boa and gamely posed for the camera.

And when they played "Ang Huling El Bimbo" by the Eraserheds, that's when the crowd roared.

Edward, who from the start told all of us gusto nyang manlalaki, met five guys that night, including a surgeon we all crushed on and a guy with a huge tattoo on his right biceps.

Guy with tattoo watching us kiss: Tang-ina. Tinitigasan na ako.
Edward: Naku, mahirap yan. Relax ka lang. Relax lang.

V met a guy and they locked themselves inside the restroom. (What's with restrooms, anyway?)

I wasn't in the mood for boys that night because I wanted to be pasaway. I painted my nails black and teased my hair.

While going to the loo:
Guy: "Hey, what's your name?"
K: "Kane"
Guy: What's your number?
K: Later.

Another guy introduced himself.
Guy: Grabe ang fun ninyo ng mga friends mo. And I really like your hair.

K: Grabe honey, it's like I'm doing everything to NOT meet a guy and still, I get boys. I mean, I painted my nails black. I teased my hair. I wore shorts. Nakakaloka.
V: Well, honey, pretty goes a long, long, long way.

The next day, the boys who got our numbers kept asking the same thing. Tuwing kailan kayo lumalabas? Kailan kayo babalik?

I wanted to freeze time that night. Encapsulate the moment. Hold it, cherish it. But all good things come to an end, as Nelly Furtado sang. Arlan leaves tonight. Eric's birthday has passed. And all we have left are our memories. Like a movie that replays in my head, I remember our endless laughter, and hugs, and kisses that night.

 
 
"I'd like to stay here just like this,
It's just a momentary bliss."
---311, "Freezing Time"