Finding My Voice In Her Skin

[So, man, what do you wanna be when you grow up?]

[I wanna be a writer... I think it's cool.]

[Really? I can't wait to read your stories one day.]

[You mean it?]

[Hell yeah! I'm your best buddy!]

[You'll really read my stuff even if it's shit?]

[Pfft, that's basic, bro. Of course I would.]

...

..

.

Angel remembered that conversation like it was yesterday.

Back when she was a kid, she used to play hide-and-seek with this other kid—her best friend. She'd known him forever.

Yet, she'd completely forgotten about him!

She'd been so caught up in the fact that she'd turned into a beautiful girl that she hadn't even thought of a good excuse for her friends!

And now, standing right beside her mom, was him. Her so-called "best" friend.

Angel couldn't help but break into a cold sweat as she glanced at him.

"Ah, right, Tita... have you seen Joseph?"

her best friend asked.

Angel froze even more.

Gahh! This is it!! This is it!

"Why?"

her mom asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah, because he hasn't been chatting with me on Messenger. I thought he might be with you."

Angel's best friend finally noticed her presence, his eyes locking onto her.

And, of course, the moment he saw her, he turned into a flustered mess, looking like a total weirdo!

This guy!!! You better not fall for me, or else!

Angel gritted her teeth internally, glaring at her best friend's pathetic expression.

Geez, it's one thing to get fawned over, but even by my best friend?!

It didn't take long, though, for her best friend to finally snap out of it.

"Tita, who's this?"

he asked, pointing at Angel.

Angel shot her mom a serious look, telepathically pleading, Don't you dare reveal my identity to him!

Her mom just smirked back, which annoyed Angel to no end. Just what is she up to?!

Angel's heart raced, the anticipation is killing her.

Seeing that her mother is smirking is such a bad signnn, such a bad sign!

"She's my daughter," her mother said, looking at her best friend.

Angel couldn't help but sigh with relief.

"Ah, is that so, Tita? I thought Joseph was an only child, po."

"No, no, he's just messing with you. He has a younger sister, just that she's studying in Russia."

Hearing her mom's excuse, Angel couldn't help but close her eyes in embarrassment and frustration, puffing her cheeks.

'R-Really, mom?! Russia?! I'm not someone who sometimes hides her feelings in Russian! Even if I do have silver hair and blue eyes, I'm not her, ma! I don't even know Russian!'

Angel wanted to squirm, punch the air, kick the air!

DISAPPEAR EVEN!

But she couldn't and was forced to now go along with her mom.

"Mhm~! Hii! I'm... Angel," Angel forced an awkward smile as she waved her hand at her best friend.

To which he returned with a genuine smile and walked towards her, resting his hand against the table.

"So your name is Angel, huh? I'm Raymundo, Raymundo J. Pilar."

Raymundo reached out his hand towards Angel, and she didn't hesitate to shake it. He was her best friend, after all.

"Ah, well, I have to go now," Raymundo said, looking at his phone. He smiled and nodded at Angel, then looked at her mom.

"Tita, I have to go na po. I'll visit every now and then."

"Okay, 'nak, stay safe."

Angel's mother and she waved as Raymundo walked off and went to the section where the cinema was located. Maybe he was going to watch a movie?

"Ray is such a nice kid. You better follow his behavior," Angel's mother said, nodding.

"Ma, I'll never be like him. Stop comparing me to him," Angel sighed.

"In any case, have you heard what course Raymundo took?" Angel's mother pried as they continued eating the remaining food after being interrupted by Raymundo earlier.

"I dunno, I think he went for computer science?" Angel thought as she continued eating chicken.

"Why don't you just go for that course as well? At least you have someone you know."

Angel couldn't help but sigh. This is why, and now she remembers why she hates going out with her mother. When she meets someone Angel knows, she compares her to them.

"Ma, I said it many times before. I don't need a diploma to be a good writer," Angel whined. This had soured her mood. Meanwhile, her mother stayed silent... the nerve!

After that... well, since things had gone sour, Angel wasn't as enthusiastic as before.

Her day had been ruined! Despite the nice and pretty sundress her mom bought and the nice reception she had gotten from people's stares... it got overridden by her mother comparing her to her best friend!!

Since the agenda for today was met:

□ Go to SM to buy clothes

□ Eat dinner

There was nothing left to do, so a grumpy Angel got out of SM with her mother.

Since they were going to return to Bagumbayan, the best transportation vehicle to take was a jeepney. It's cheaper than a tricycle, but the only downside is the fixed route and, of course, like a crowded train in Japan... you get to squeeze in between people.

So getting on a jeepney isn't for those who don't like body contact. Angel didn't mind this, though, since she had ridden jeepneys before.

With that in mind, Angel looked behind her and took in SM's entrance before walking with her mom out of the building to Panganiban, often a busy street due to the fact it's near the famous rotonda.

This is an intersection where vehicles from Albay to Manila converge.

In any case, now that they were there, Angel held her mother's hand with her carton bag in her other hand as they waited for a jeep.

"Haysst, the jeep is taking forever,"

Angel's mother muttered, her eyes scanning the road left and right.

"Well, it's already around 7 pm, Ma. Of course, there are fewer jeeps at this hour. Plus, I doubt there'd be any seats left for us,"

Angel replied, her voice tinged with practicality.

As if on cue, a jeepney rumbled past them. Angel caught a quick glimpse inside—yup, packed to the brim with passengers. No room for two more.

"Ma, maybe we should just take a tricycle again?"

Angel suggested, tilting her head slightly as she looked at her mother.

"Hmm..."

Her mother paused, glancing at her watch. The faint ticking seemed to echo the passing time.

"Yeah, I think you're right, Angel."

With that, the two made their way to the tricycle stand. The wait wasn't long—somewhere between five to twelve minutes, if Angel had to guess.

Soon enough, an empty tricycle rolled into view. Angel's mother waved it down, and they climbed in, settling in for the ride back to their home in Bagumbayan.

The day had been eventful, to say the least. As the tricycle hummed along the road, Angel found herself gazing out at the blur of buildings and stores passing by.

Each one seemed to hold a story, a memory, or perhaps a possibility. Time felt elastic—every second stretched into something new, every minute a fresh experience.

It was strange, really.

Despite having lived through countless days like this, everything felt... different.

Almost as if she were seeing the world through the eyes of her younger self. The worries that usually clouded her mind—her strained family relationships, the uncertainty of her writing career—faded into the background, if only for a moment.

She glanced at her mother sitting beside her, and a small, quiet smile crept onto her face.

Who knew what other new experiences awaited her?

Angel didn't have the answers, but one thing was certain: whatever came next, she'd hold onto it. She'd cherish it. And someday, she'd weave it into the pages of her novel.