5 Scandal (I)

07:56 A.M.

Kingston Restaurant. 

June 4th, the year 2018. Monday.

"Abbey!" Zoey called out while standing up from her seat. She was standing too far away from the table, unnoticeable.

Abbey's slim body hadn't changed. She had dark brown hair, light almond eyes, and pale skin. She was wearing some sweaters paired with tight jeans. Her curved mouth had a wide smile plastered on it when Zoey was approaching her.

Zoey folded her arms around Abbey. She had been to the United States of America for a year because of her brother. Xyrelle Martinez had a critical condition due to his arm injury.

'The one I loved before, even now.' Carmela thought of Abbey's brother. Marcus and Mina stood up and gave Abbey a quick hug. Matthew and Katrina gave their tight hugs too. 

Katrina defended herself on what Abbey said earlier by calling out, "Yes, Abbey. Matthew and I met outside. You're so malicious."

Carmela was the last one to stand up from her seat.

"Long time no see, Abbey," Carmela contemplated. She got startled when Abbey hugged her without notice.

"I miss you so much, Carmela! And Xyrelle too," Abbey breathed right to Carmela's ears. She stood still, surprised to hear that coming from Abbey's lips. The entire group came back to their seats. 

'Did she whisper Xyrelle missed me?' Carmela thought, unable to move her arms. Xyrelle was the one Carmela talked about. He was the one she loved. He was the legal father of Hannah. A Martinez, brother of Abbey. To make it worse, Abbey was one of Carmela's best friends.

"I'm sorry, Carmela," Abbey comforted while unclasping her arms around Carmela.

"You've done nothing wrong," Carmela assured her. Carmela's relieved that the entire group didn't hear what they were talking about. They didn't know about Xyrelle being in touch with Carmela. They didn't even know that Hannah was Xyrelle's child.

They will all be mad at Abbey when the time has come. The last thing Carmela wanted was a fight between her friends.

"Hey, Carmela and Abbey, let's eat!" Matthew called out on the table.

"Let's go, Carmela," Abbey beamed. They settled their places, and Carmela saw the feast in front of her.

The appetizing delicacies served hot on their table. Carmela smelled the steam coming from the different cuisines.

Spicy lobsters. Creamy oysters. Greasy shrimps. Fried chicken wings and cheesy fries on a tray. The green vegetable salad side dish, and the Filipino main cuisine, Bulalo!

The entire group of friends wanted to taste all. It made them drool. Their mouths had gone dry.

"Who's going to pay the bill?" Carmela beckoned to her friends. They stopped at what they were about to eat and looked at her.

"I volunteer to pay the bill. It's my treat," Abbey volunteered, then continued her food. She was stirring the greasy shrimp with the lettuce. The mayonnaise scattered all over her plate.

"Hey, Abbey, you've gotten richer when you came back. How's the U.S.?" Mina questioned. He's giddy about Abbey's trip there.

"It's fine, the Philippines is much more beautiful," Abbey began while smiling. She scooped up some soup from the bowl of Bulalo and chortled.

"How about your brother? Is he fine?" Katrina asked, worried about Xyrelle. Carmela choked while eating, and retrieved her glass. She gulped down the water.

"Carmela, are you okay?" Matthew faltered, worried. Carmela signed that they should continue talking.

"He's better than before," Abbey replied. She took a quick glance at Carmela. They both shared a secret that they both kept.

"He got a critical condition because of his arm, am I right?" Zoey wondered, also worried about Xyrelle.

Carmela got uncomfortable slicing some chicken wings. She doesn't want to talk about Xyrelle, so she got dismayed about why her best friends talk about him? They're not acquainted with him!

Carmela doesn't want to raise any objections. Her best friends might doubt her genuine relationship with Xyrelle.

"Yes. He had to undergo surgery for that damn injury," Abbey explained while chewing some fries.

"He's still resting now?" Marcus asked, while scooping some soup. He pushed it to Zoey, and he beamed after that. Zoey bit her lip as she took a sip.

"Yes. He's in the house. He needed to rest for a month," Abbey went on. Carmela thought Xyrelle was here in the Capital of Manila. In the same place as her. Silence followed when Abbey disclosed that information. The sounds of plates chinking over overpowered.

"Hey, Marcus. What is new to your job right now?" Mina inquired.

Zoey steamed a lot of smoke from her nose.

"Why did you ask Marcus?" Zoey fumed.

"Why is it prohibited?" Mina retorted back. Marcus sighed as he ceased their fight with good news.

"Guys, guys, stop the fight... I'm now promoted! I'm now the head of detectives in the Formal Bureau of Investigation. a detective team leader for the Major Crimes, and I am now a Lieutenant," Marcus put forth. The entire group's astonished by the news and said their greetings.

"Why didn't you say it to me first, babe?" Zoey asked him, getting upset for a moment.

"I want to surprise you. It's like three stones hitting one bird. I am promoted three times," Marcus teased. Zoey replied with her sweet greetings.

"Let's proceed to Matthew, what's new with you with Katrina, I mean, with your job," Mina taunted. Katrina slapped his arm across the table. Abbey chuckled upon their jokes.

"Here I am. An official basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association," Matthew disseminated. Again, the group was in awe of the glorious news. They clapped all around, circulating the applause. Matthew stood up from his seat and bowed down his head.

He even pretended they were a massive audience. Abbey's smile was the widest.

"That means, we can see you on national television!" Marcus grinned and slapped Matthew's back.

"That means, you and Katrina suit together?" Mina reckoned.

"Mina! You're so annoying!" Katrina grumbled. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Mina.

"It's a joke, joke, joke! You're too affected, Katrina," Mina yowled. The entire group quaked with laughter. They were enjoying their meal, like the good old times.

"Guys, we are celebrating here because of Carmela! She got hired!" Zoey exclaimed. All of them looked at Carmela and waited for her to say anything.

"I got hired as a personal assistant of..., " Carmela's news needed drum rolls. She's cutting off the mysterious part.

"Of Margo Monteverde," she made public. Abbey took a glimpse at Carmela. She's bewildered by what she heard.

'That Margo Monteverde? How can she get hired as her assistant?' Abbey said in her mind. The entire group stilled from their seats — except Zoey and Mina — to what Carmela announced. Margo Monteverde was a popular actress of all times. The cricket sounds heard all over the table.

"You mean... Margo?" Katrina fretted, breaking the wall of silence.

"Yes. Aren't you all happy with my news?" Carmela shrugged on every one of her best friends.

"We've been to Margo's mansion earlier because we got the news that she's hiring her assistant. When it's my turn, she said she was afraid of people like us," Mina explained. Being homophobic wasn't a choice, it's a trait.

"I don't know why. She said she was afraid, but I doubt it. She disliked us like any other else," Mina grieved. He, who was a part of this community, never wanted to experience that kind of prejudice. However, if it was only Margo, he could accept it. If any other people treated him as rubbish, they should know their place.

"Why didn't you tell us what happened to your interview earlier?" Zoey doubted, worried about Mina's feelings.

"I don't want to spread some bad vibes. It can affect your performance," Mina sought. He breathed and let go. After all, it will not let his life go astray.

"How about you, babe? Why didn't you get hired?" Marcus supposed. Zoey chewed her food before answering.

"I put my nasty attitude on when she talked to me," Zoey went on. The entire group's stupefied faces shown off itself. She looked at every one of her best friends, and her lips formed a sarcastic smile.

"Why are you all so surprised? I'm exactly born like that," Zoey mocked. She doesn't care about her rude attitude towards others. She doesn't want Margo. If Zoey doesn't like a person, she doesn't, end the conversation. She shrugged it off and continued cutting her lobsters.

"Why did you do that, babe?" Marcus fretted, his eyebrows creased in the middle.

"I don't like her, that's it," Zoey concluded. For her best friends, Zoey was the person who didn't enjoy reprimanding statements. She wanted to do what she wanted, even if it's bad. Marcus always scolded her, but Zoey never listened to him. 

"Babe, respect every person you meet, even if you don't like them," Marcus reminded.

"I don't want to put a mask if I knew I don't like them in the first place," Zoey retorted back. She brushed his scolding off and continued her food, not even bothering to listen.

The entire group listened to their bickering. Their darting eyes exchanged from the couple to their food.

"You can do whatever you want. I'm tired of scolding you, Zoey," Marcus taunted, then placed his fork hard on the plate so that it made a clunking sound. He announced he will use the restroom without even glancing at her girlfriend.

"Hey, don't make an argument here. Spread some good vibes. You two can destroy our morning," Mina's serious tone replied. The silence succumbed to them for a minute.

"Congratulations, Carmela! You're now a personal assistant of a popular actress," Matthew grinned. Carmela said her thanks. Abbey and Katrina still refrain their lips from saying anything. 

"Kat?" Carmela turned to Katrina while waiting for her to greet her. Katrina said her 'Congratulations' without showing some emotions. Even the slightest bit of happiness wasn't clear.

Carmela's surprised by that, but she shrugged it off and nib some lettuce.

Katrina's annoyed with Carmela's news. Her best friend was one of the personal assistants of her competitor. Even worse, it was Margo, her celebrity rival. Abbey finally shared her greeting, and Carmela beamed back at her.

The six of them continue their food in silence, but Mina can't control his lips from saying anything. 

"Katrina, why don't you tell us what happened to your audition for being an official actress of ASN Studios?" Mina asked.

"It's fine. They see me as competition for Margo. Why? Because we have the same level of acting skills, and we got the same beauty, and now. We're known as the celebrity rivals." Katrina gritted her teeth. The group's confused about what Katrina said. She didn't even bother taking her words with decency.

"And unfortunately, her assistant is sitting beside me," Katrina snarled. She glared at Carmela. Carmela turned to Katrina, her befuddled look did the act.