There should be a way to broadcast my intentions for attending an event. For example, people need to be aware that I’m here for the noble cause of reuniting my parents and bringing back my dead father—not that I care what people at school think. Who cares if my classmates think that Seph is my MOMOL buddy? Joke’s on them since Seph and I have never made out! He even acts like us holding hands had never happened! Not one message, call, DM, nothing!
And I haven’t given him any thought either. Every time I check my phone, my eyes don’t even search for Seph’s name in my notifications. I already know he’s not going to be there.
Thank goodness I’m a chill person who’s always unbothered.
And I have way bigger things to think about, noble causes,in fact! My eyes keep searching the audience for any signs of Ma and Achi—the reserved seats under my name are still empty.
“Moseph’s competition is… interesting,” Pa says after Liam, another soloist contestant, goes on.
This is the second guy who’s attempted to sing a BINI song. Before the band rounds, we have the unfortunate honor of sitting through all the Saint Francis soloists. To be fair, this guy might have done our nation’s girl group justice if he wasn’t doing such aggressive screams and choreography. He had to restart the song after his voice cracked and he knocked over the microphone stand from a failed backflip.
Maybe this is the real curse that manifested after breaking Ma’s superstitions.
“Can’t believe this is how you asked Ma to prom.”
The girls in the front duck for cover when Liam braces himself and announces he’s going to end the performance by crowd surfing. Thankfully, the host intervenes before there are any casualties.
“She found it romantic that I serenaded her,” Pa points out.
I cringe thinking about getting sung to in front of the whole of Saint AgnesandSaint Francis. “At least you picked something better than ‘Chopsticks’…”
The host onstage is going down his list of sponsors to thank for tonight’s event when Pa asks me the most random question. “Are you thinking of asking anyone to prom?”
“Not really the serenading type, Pa.”
“There are other ways of asking,” he says. “The boy earlier seemed to appreciate cartwheels.”
Pa keeps suggesting more ways I can ask guys out, so I say, “I’m not going to prom.”
The smile in my dad’s eyes slightly dims. “But you always wanted to.”
Back when Achi was going to her prom, I remember asking Ma if I could dress up and go with her too. It wasn’t that I found prom appealing—I just always wanted to go wherever Achi went. Pa found me sulking in my bedroom when I wasn’t allowed to go.
He promised me he would take me once it was time for my prom.
“Not really…,” I say, clearing my throat. “… I was only gonna go if you were taking me.”
Pa motions for me to give him another hug and I play it cool even though my whole heart hums every time I’m in his arms. Another soloist goes on to perform a Bruno Mars cover when I hear Pa whisper, “It’s a good thing I’m going to be here then.”
I smile up at him. It’s the first time he’s talking about something in the future. Maybe we’re aligned in thinking we can find a way to make him stay…
“But I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to take Baby’s son too.”
My body recoils at the suggestion. “You like him, right?” he asks.
“What?”
“Moseph.” Pa declares his name like it’s a fact.
“No.” I hear my voice crack like Liam’s so I tone it down. Lower, more unbothered. “No,” I regroup and say casually. “Your head must’ve gotten dizzy when you turned solid, Pa.”
“The heart speaks a different song when it’s in fancy,” he says, reciting another one of his confusing proverbs.
“My heart doesn’t speak songs and nothing about me is fancy,” I protest. “Plus, I don’t know Seph that well,” I say even more casually. “He’s just our neighbor, an acquaintance, a neighborly acquaintance, you can say.”
“Aren’t you friends?”
“Well, yes,” I say, and feel compelled to add, “but we’re definitely not buddies.”
