Chapter 13 - Pattern Recognition
By the third Sunday in a row that I actually left the house—
Mama had stopped looking surprised.
Progress.
She still asked—
"Saan ka?"
"Gala."
"Kala Jane?"
"And Chloe."
"Anong oras uwi?"
"Before dinner. Maybe after."
"Mag-message ka."
"Yes."
Papa was on the sofa.
Sunday.
Rest day.
He looked over.
"May trabaho ka?"
"Closed."
"Talaga?"
I stared at him.
"Pa."
He laughed.
"Tanong lang."
Apparently my six-PM cutoff had not yet repaired twenty-four years of family distrust.
Fair.
Sofia was eating at the table.
She looked at me.
"Same people?"
"Yes."
"Ate Jane and Ate Chloe?"
"Yes."
She nodded.
Then—
"Have fun."
I narrowed my eyes.
"That sounded normal."
She looked confused.
"It was normal."
"Suspicious."
"Okay."
I walked away.
Maybe I was the problem.
Unlikely.
The trio successfully arrived as a trio this time.
Historic achievement.
Chloe saw me first.
"Buhay."
"I've been showing up consistently."
"Three weeks."
"Exactly."
Jane arrived beside her carrying a drink.
She looked at me.
"Growth."
I sighed.
"You need another word."
"No."
Chloe nodded.
"It's accurate."
"I hate both of you already."
"We just got here," Jane said.
"Efficient."
We had no plan.
Which I was slowly beginning to understand was apparently the point of hanging out.
No itinerary.
No optimization.
No—
11:00 lunch. 12:15 coffee. 1:00 recreational activity.
We just—
walked.
Stopped when something looked interesting.
Went into stores.
Left stores.
Picked up things we did not need.
Put them back when we saw the price.
Very simple.
Surprisingly difficult for someone whose adult life had eventually become calendar blocks.
We were walking past a clothing store when a woman crossed a few meters ahead of us.
Shorts.
Long legs.
Nice legs.
I looked.
Briefly.
One second.
Maybe two.
Then forward again.
Normal.
Except Jane existed.
Beside me—
"Very nice legs?"
I almost tripped.
I turned.
"Jane!"
She started laughing immediately.
Chloe looked between us.
"What?"
"Nothing," I said.
Jane was still laughing.
"She looked."
"I glanced."
"At the legs."
"They were in my line of sight."
"Your line of sight moved."
"Human necks rotate."
Chloe looked toward the woman.
Then back at me.
"Okay naman."
I stared.
"Do not join her."
Jane pointed at Chloe.
"See?"
"See what?"
"Nice legs."
Chloe shrugged.
"Objectively."
I closed my eyes.
Fantastic.
Peer review.
We kept walking.
Jane smiled beside me.
"Excellent nose ba?"
"I didn't even see her face."
"Ah. Legs-only assessment."
"Can we please retire this?"
"No."
Chloe looked confused.
"What are we retiring?"
Jane turned toward her.
"Oh, hindi ko pa pala nasabi."
I looked at Jane.
"No."
She smiled.
I knew that smile.
"No."
"Celeste."
"Jane."
Chloe's eyebrows lifted.
"Who?"
"College almost-girlfriend."
"JANE."
Jane laughed.
"What? She knows Mara."
"She did not need Celeste analytics."
Chloe immediately became interested.
"Analytics?"
I looked upward.
There was no ceiling.
Mall.
Unfortunate.
Jane explained while we walked.
Badly.
Deliberately.
"Basically, I found Celeste in Lia's friend list."
Chloe looked at me.
"You let her?"
"I did not."
"She wouldn't give me the name."
"That is usually an indication to stop searching."
Jane ignored me.
"Then I found her."
"And?" Chloe asked.
Jane's face became serious.
"Pretty."
I groaned.
"Polished."
"Jane."
"Excellent nose."
Chloe started smiling.
"And?"
Jane looked at me.
Then—
"Very nice legs."
Chloe laughed.
I pointed at both of them.
"This friendship is deteriorating."
"No," Chloe said. "Improving."
"Incorrect."
Jane continued.
"Then I realized may type siya."
"I do not."
Chloe looked at me.
Then at Jane.
Then back at me.
Slowly.
I saw it happen.
No.
Her eyes moved to Jane again.
Face.
Hair.
Outfit.
Down.
Back up.
Oh, fuck off.
Chloe's mouth twitched.
"Understandable."
Jane turned.
"What?"
Chloe took a sip of her drink.
"Interesting."
Jane frowned.
"What's interesting?"
"Nothing."
I stared at Chloe.
She looked at me.
That look.
Absolutely not.
"No."
Jane looked between us.
"What?"
"Nothing," Chloe said.
"Why did Lia say no?"
"No reason."
"May hindi ako alam."
"Yes," I said immediately.
Chloe smiled.
"Apparently."
"Chloe."
"What?"
Jane stopped walking.
"What is interesting?"
Chloe looked at her.
Then at me.
Then smiled.
"Pattern recognition."
Jane blinked.
"What pattern?"
"Nothing."
I grabbed Chloe's arm.
"Let's eat."
Jane followed.
"No, wait. Anong pattern?"
"Food," I said.
"That is not an answer."
"Correct."
Lunch temporarily killed the investigation.
Thank God.
We ordered chicken, rice, fries, drinks.
Chloe took one of my fries without asking.
Classic.
I slapped her hand.
"Buy your own."
"You have plenty."
"That is not consent."
She took another one.
Criminal.
Jane watched us.
Then looked at Chloe.
"So anong pattern?"
I put my fork down.
"Jane."
"What?"
"Let it go."
"Why?"
"Because Chloe enjoys suffering."
Chloe nodded.
"True."
"See?"
Jane narrowed her eyes at both of us.
Suspicious.
Good.
Let her stay confused.
Conversation moved on.
Thankfully.
Chloe complained about family.
Jane complained about someone at work.
I told them about Assistant One finally approving a tasteful shadow after weeks of anti-Canva-feature propaganda.
Chloe stared.
"I understood none of that."
"Good."
Jane looked at me.
"May second employee ka na?"
"Part-time."
"Kamusta?"
"Okay."
"Mas nakakauwi ka na on time?"
"Yes."
Chloe looked skeptical.
"What time?"
"Six."
"Actual six?"
"Usually six-oh-three to six-oh-five because locking exists."
Jane nodded.
"Acceptable."
I looked at her.
"Thank you, regulatory agency."
"You're welcome."
Chloe pointed her fork at me.
"So ano next?"
"Next what?"
"Business."
I thought about it.
"Nothing dramatic."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Jane gave me a look.
"What?"
"That's new."
I laughed.
"I'm trying something."
"What?"
"Not treating growth like an emergency."
Chloe nodded.
"Sounds healthy."
"Disgusting, I know."
Jane smiled.
"Good."
I pointed at her.
"Stop."
"No."
After lunch, we walked again.
This time Chloe wanted to look at shoes.
Jane wanted nothing.
I also wanted nothing.
We went anyway.
Because apparently friendship involved standing around while one person considered buying something she absolutely did not need.
Chloe picked up a pair.
"How much?"
I checked the tag.
Then slowly returned it to the shelf.
She stared.
"What?"
"No."
"You're not paying."
"Still no."
Jane laughed.
"Businesswoman judgment."
"Financial self-defense."
Chloe checked the tag herself.
Then put it back.
"Okay. Valid."
We ended up at a bookstore next.
Dangerous.
Not because of women.
Books.
Notebooks.
Pens.
Office supplies.
I had opinions.
Many.
I picked up a notebook.
Checked the binding.
Paper.
Cover.
Jane saw.
"No."
"What?"
"Work brain."
"This is personal curiosity."
"You're inspecting production."
"I can appreciate craftsmanship."
Chloe took the notebook from me.
"Buy it or put it back."
I put it back.
"Dictator."
Jane looked at a shelf of planners.
"Would you use one?"
"I have calendar."
"Physical?"
"Notebook."
"Same notebook with your rules?"
I stared.
"How do you know about that?"
"You mentioned it."
Right.
"Yeah."
Chloe looked interested.
"Rules?"
"No."
Jane smiled.
"Madami."
"Jane."
"Like?"
"Confidential."
Chloe immediately—
"Now I want to know."
"This is why I don't tell you things."
"You tell us plenty," Jane said.
"Against my better judgment."
Eventually, we got coffee.
Three drinks.
One table.
Jane sat across from me.
Chloe beside her.
We had been talking about an old teacher when movement behind Jane caught my eye.
Woman.
Walking toward a nearby table.
Pretty.
Actually—
very pretty.
Polished.
Nice hair.
Good outfit.
I looked.
Then looked back at Jane.
Then—
fine.
I looked again.
Head to toe.
Twice.
When my eyes returned to the table—
Jane was already watching me.
Fuck.
She smiled.
"Pretty?"
I immediately looked at my drink.
"Jane."
"Very nice legs?"
"Jane!"
She started laughing.
Chloe turned to see what Jane had caught.
The woman was already seated.
Chloe looked.
Then—
at Jane.
Not the woman.
Jane.
Again.
Face.
Hair.
Then briefly downward.
Back up.
I saw it.
Jane did not.
Chloe took a sip of coffee.
"Understandable."
Jane turned.
"What?"
Chloe nodded to herself.
"Interesting."
Jane frowned.
"What?"
I covered my face.
"I hate both of you."
Jane looked at me.
"Why me? Siya yung weird."
Chloe smiled into her coffee.
I kicked her lightly under the table.
She looked at me.
That look again.
"No," I mouthed.
Jane caught it.
"What are you two doing?"
"Nothing."
"May ginagawa kayo."
"No."
"Chloe."
"Hm?"
"Explain."
"Observation lang."
"Of what?"
Chloe looked at me.
Then at Jane.
Then smiled.
"Pattern."
Jane stared.
"What pattern?"
I immediately said—
"Do not answer."
Jane looked at me.
"Why?"
"Because I value peace."
Chloe laughed.
Jane's eyes narrowed.
Then she looked down at herself.
Her clothes.
Her legs.
Then up.
"Wait."
Oh no.
Chloe went completely still.
I did too.
Jane looked between us.
Then—
"Does this have something to do with me?"
Silence.
Chloe took another sip.
I stared at my coffee.
Jane leaned forward.
"Lia."
"No."
"What no?"
"No questions."
Her eyes widened.
"Oh my God."
"No."
Chloe made a tiny choking sound.
Probably trying not to laugh.
Jane pointed at her.
"You know something."
Chloe nodded.
"Many things."
"About this."
"Maybe."
"CHLOE."
I looked toward the random woman again.
She was gone.
Lucky.
Jane looked at me.
Then—
"Wait."
I did not like this development.
She started counting on her fingers.
"Pretty."
"Stop."
"Polished."