JAMI: What we will hold onto

"I'm going on a plane ALONE?" I whimpered when Mom handed me my passport. Apparently, the USTET(University of Santo Tomas Entrance test) was already on Sunday and I had to fly into the City of Manila. It had been bothering me a lot. "Me" + "Alone On a Plane"= Panic Button. I didn't know how to get my ticket nor what the departure area and the check-in were. So what if the Tacloban airport only has two planes? I couldn't go on my own. I kept on biting my nails like crazy. Dad said he wasn't gonna go with me to the airport so that just added to my worrying. My friends Janessa, Alerose and Ivy agreed with me.
"You? On a plane alone? Even I couldn't manage!" Alerose immediately said.
"That's just because you're still a baby," Ivy assured. We had been used to calling Alerose the "baby" because she was stilll only four feet and eleven inches. A whole lot shorter than us, though, she had some grown-up pair of jugs that jumped up and down when she danced to "Low" or whatever people were dancing to. "You'll be fine, just pay attention!" Ivy said.
Alerose twisted her face and started throwing back the nicknames "old lady" and "senior citizen" at Ivy. You all know that Ivy is terribly skinny. Not in the Vogue runway type of skinny either. Janessa just kept on telling me what it might be like if we were all on a plane.
"Crazier than ever," I said. We were heck crazy teens. Laughed at whatever, whenever and whoever.
If Sam were still part of the group, I'd ask her when she'd be going to Manila, but that wasn't the case. She left us. B. F. F. L. no longer existed. No more "For Life" just four girls seeing her leave us for the likes of Krizelle. I think it has to do with our frankness with her ways nowadays. Couldn't she see we were just trying to keep her on the safe side of life. I guess not. But the odd thing is now, that she talked to me more than before. I was still neutral about how I felt about the whole conflict. But it somehow hurts me because it just means I'm a "Last Resort". I probably always am.
Anyhow, I was still worrying about my "going solo" thing which happened to tie with the "lost friend and cousin" thing. I only had a few bits of good times during school such as I got the third highest grade in Physics, but I don't see the big deal when Sam's second in Math.
"I still don't feel smart," I told my besties in modesty. "I'm not feeling so good about Filipino(which I'm sure isn't on the highest level of my report card)."
"Mari, if I were only you," Alerose said. "I'd do my best." I felt that I had disappointed her. The topic then changed when Sam and her new-found friends started hollering"Let's get a caterer for the Christmas party!" Ugh. Cater!? How materialistic! Me and my friends and I changed annoyed looks.
"What? We're not rich and cater is so full of disadvantages!" I kept saying to my friends.
"She's just trying to be saucy," Janessa rolled her eyes. "Remember Prom? They only gave us a single plate of food AND it was all gross!"
I wanted to hiss at Sam, but I don't know if my "Evil Me" is even alive. Then my eyes widened and I snapped my fingers(even if they don't Snap at all). "I'VE GOT AN IDEA!" I burst out. "What?" Janessa asked. My idea was finally pouring out.
"I bet the Christmas party is gonna suck AND end early," I began.
"And?" Alerose said.
"Why not we have a little after party complete with cheese sticks and Twilight. It'll be oodles of fun!" I said. They exchanged looks.
"Let's do it, then!" Janessa said after short thinking.
"Okay," Ivy gave in.
"Sure," Alerose said. "But where?"
"My place," I replied. The three stood quiet. Okay, so last time wasn't the best. Cup cup was too cowardly to watch The Strangers and Mag mag was too annoying. But this time I knew what to do. I just had to prepare.
"We'll give it a shot,"Janessa said.
I felt the same enthusiasm I felt when we went to do our projects at the i-cafe. It was the weekend after Sam's fiasco. We were making our T.L.E. projects and we were still glum. "No more BFFL..." I moaned.
"Whatever," Janessa said sadly.
"She left us," Alerose said.
Ivy was absent in our gloomy moment because her mom wouldn't let her out the house. I was on Friendster and the featured friends included the BFFL. I was hurt.
Then I said, "Let's move on," It made their heads turn.
"Well, we can't call ourselves BFFL anymore," Alerose assured.
"I know. How about JAMI?" I asked.
"JAMI?" Janessa asked.
"You know, Janessa, Alerose, Mari and Ivy?"
It took a while before they agreed with the name and then we maid a Yahoo! and Friendster account for it.
I said, "Unless Sam comes back for us, we're not letting this go." And they agreed. And we got used to Sam's absence from the group, and missed her. But since the Hairspray fiasco when she didn't let Alerose in when she "forced" her to join, the fire's been up. Now it's not so high, I'm just wondering if she'd come back to us. But if she's not. Fine. We'll just have to adjust our expectations.

Love, Pitat