5 Best friends
Chapter 5
Filipinas are usually tanned, but my friends still strive to have that perfect white skin complexion like those of foreigners visiting our country. I sometimes even get compliments about my not so tanned complexion when I was still working as an Operating Room Nurse. Looking at my reflection now, I don't think they'd still compliment me. My skin is now golden tanned with bruises from all the training I do. I still work at the hospital up until all their facilities were transferred to all the shelters six months ago. I am a Nurse by profession but since my rank and skills as a Military personnel required me to be back working to protect our civilians, I had to temporarily put my professional growth on hold. Not everyone is privileged enough to be shifted off into the shelter that early at this time of war. I was one of the few who excelled in the military when we had to train for three years from ages fifteen to eighteen. Well, when you have an eleven year old to keep alive, you need to be strong. Queencie was the reason why excelled so much. She was a cry baby and not to mention a walking noise barrage. While the others in the team were helping me not to get her killed. It was survival of the fittest that time, and as their team leader, I needed to bring them back home to their families. I was awarded Major General with two stars after those three years of hell were done. Two years in training and one year in the field. I thought I'll be free to pursue my college career after. Who knew that this would happen. And I dragged my team with me in the military as well, talk about real friendship right?
I puff powder on my face to reduce oiliness when I saw the earring Xed gave me. I wear it on my right ear cause he wore his on his left. He has had a piercing on his left ear since we were kids. I usually teased him about it then. But he told me that it was there ever since he could remember. When his parents died he started wearing one of his mom's earrings, an antique looking cross with a sapphire stone in the center. He could only wear one piece of the pair, and I never really saw him take it off. He gave me the other one when I became his girlfriend. I guess he was using it to feel secure when his parents died, the same thing I'm doing now that he's gone. Pathetic, right?
I wore a V-cut top, an army style cargo pants, and my kick ass boots. Then I went to the kitchen to check on the cat. It ate every single morsel it could get. "Hungry aren't you?" I said to it and it purred whilst rubbing its body on my right leg. I picked up the bowl and washed it. I locked up making sure no other cat would be able to break into the house subconsciously afraid if my mom would know about the broken jar. "I'll miss this place." I said mostly to myself closing our living room curtain admiring the view of our little garden one last time, remembering some lazy afternoons spent there with my family. I smiled satisfied. I took my backpack and my military cap on. The cat followed me to the porch. "Wanna come with me little fellow?" I asked and it meowed looking up at me. "Odd. You answer back as if you understand." I walked towards the EVAC CAMP, the cat following in my footsteps.
People are now lining up, walking towards huge helicopters which are able to carry 15 dozen civilians to the shelter. Women and children below the age of eighteen are now being howled inside whether they like it or not. Some hot head teen who obviously hasn't completed his training is ranting about not being able to stay and help out. But he is still a minor. We don't let our kids die. I rolled my eyes to that notion. At fifteen I had to shoot a gun and be able to formulate a rescue plan in a hostage crisis, the irony.
"Fran!" a breathless call made me turn and look at Queencie pushing something huge as big as a luggage fitting a whole colony of ants! "Fran! Thank god!" she then patted the thing which to me is obviously her Computer/Companion/boyfriend. She then muttered something to it. "We're safe now. Fran's with us."
"Uh, What's in that?" I asked, pointing curiously at the thing she was pushing.
"This is my Baby! Oh yes you are." She cooed at it as if talking to a living, breathing being. Okay…Computer/ Companion/ cross out the Boy friend and add...brain child! yep, definitely a brain child. I shrugged seeing her like that. She may be a genius but she is still a kid no matter what. A kid who has serious issues about stealing boyfriends but not really doing the act. That's her, all theory with being a wanna be villain. I smiled to myself thinking this. Queencie finished High school three years before her time. She finished her college course in two years. She has her Master's and Doctor's degree in things I don't know about. And she works for the Government in developing the latest gadgets--war gadgets! She's a Techno-geek and she has a big thing about stealing boyfriends which she never really is a success.
"Still in love with the box, I see." A sing-songly comment by yet another Diva. I looked at her in her channel dress being still the elegant actress I knew since kindergarten. Her long hair, now even shinier, and her face even enhanced by the light makeup she's wearing.
Being defensive of her companion/computer/brainchild, Queencie stood and snorted, "You'll break your pretty nails fighting me princess, cause I won't hold back." She then proceeded on pushing the sleeves up of her lab-coat.
