Because I felt like posting another one. :)

WORDCOUNT UPDATE: 31,917 out of 50,000 words. :) I’ll finish to 32,000+ by tonight before I sleep. Hopefully by this week I’ll get to 40,000 to 45,000. :) I can do this!

Work again tomorrow. I bet it’s going to be busy this week, so I better put in at least an hour of writing every night to be in the same pace.

Once again: this has gone through minimal editing, so don’t expect anything that stellar. This particular excerpt is taken from Chapter 7, as Rain was welcoming people into the reception of her brother’s wedding. Some revelations start here. :) Click on the Read the rest of the entry link. :)

“Wasn’t that the most beautiful ceremony ever?” Meah gushed.

We were now at the reception are of Fernwood Gardens, and I was manning the doorway, greeting people as they came in and directing them to give their gifts on the table behind me. Meah had just entered the reception area, together with Tita Ana.

“It was, and I’m not saying that only because it was my brother who got married. Hi Tita,” I turned to Meah’s mom and kissed her on the cheek.

“Hi iha,” she said warmly. Faith and I love Tita Ana. Since she had Meah at a young age, she’s still quite young and hip, which was why we get along like friends. Tita Ana sometimes shares some juicy stories with us, and she always kids us around about our love lives when we end up talking about it. When Meah was still away, I would often check on her and sometimes even drive her to some of the places she needs to go to, and she also often checks on Kuya and I.

“You may stay here and help Rain, dear,” Tita Ana told Meah. “I’ll save you some seats.”

“Save four more for us,” Meah told her mother.

“I will,” she replied. “See you two later.”

“Four seats?” I asked her when Tita Ana left. Meah stood beside me, smiling and greeting people who were coming in. “Why four seats? Mark isn’t coming.”

“He isn’t?” she gave me one of her meaningful looks which I ignored.

“I did tell you and Faith, didn’t I?”

“No you didn’t,” she replied. “Why isn’t he coming here? Did you invite him?”

“Well, no,” I admitted.

“Why didn’t you invite him. Did you two have a fight or something that I did not hear of?”

I didn’t answer Meah for a while because some of Kuya’s friends entered and they all gave me high five and pat on the back greetings as they went in noisily. Then I turned to Meah, “No, we didn’t have a fight. Do you think that guy is capable of being angry? Smiley-faced boy?” I reminded him of one of his nicknames back in college.

“Well, you’re right about that,” Meah said. “So why isn’t he here?”

“He’s busy,” I said simply, after I greeted some of our aunts and uncles who came in with some young people I didn’t recognize at all. “I think he has this big project coming up or something.”

“It has nothing to do about him and his girlfriend?”

I contemplated if I should tell Meah the truth. However, my best friend does not have a master’s degree in Behavioral Science for nothing, because she saw from my expression and my delay in answering that Camilla had everything to do with his non-attendance in the wedding. But because she’s my best friend, she knew how to cut me some slack.

“Don’t worry, I understand,” she said, smiling. “But you make sure you tell him how sorry you were you couldn’t invite him, and that you wished he was here too because it would have been more fun. And don’t tell him that Faith and I are here because he’d wonder why you didn’t invite him as well. Or, you could tell him we’re your brother’s bridesmaids so you don’t have to hide our attendance here.”

I marvel at how my best friend knows me so much. “Don’t tell Faith though,” I said, chuckling. “She won’t let us do that. Where is she anyway? Was she at the ceremony earlier? I can’t remember if I saw her.”

“Here she comes.”

I looked at where Meah was pointing and indeed, there was Faith, walking towards us, her arm linked to a tall guy’s arm. The arm belonged to none other than Mr. Martin Jabson himself.

“What is Martin doing here?” I asked, resisting the urge to scratch my head for in fear of disturbing my hairdo. “Did we reserve two seats for Faith? And wait, why is he with her?”

“Why don’t you ask her yourself?” Meah gestured to our friend, who had finally reached us.

“Hi Meah, Rain,” she said, smiling brightly.

“Hi you two,” I said, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

“Sorry we weren’t at the ceremony,” Faith said. “Martin had an emergency meeting earlier, so we could only make it at the reception. He told his mom about it though, and I think they are inside already.”

“Wait, wait,” I said, holding my palm out. “We? As in you’re together? I don’t understand…why are you here? And why are the two of you together?”

Martin looked as surprised as I am. He looked at Faith and said, “Doesn’t she know yet?”

“She already left when I told Meah, remember, Marty?” Faith replied. “I tried to tell her the next time we met but she was…busy with other things then.”

“Marty?” I echoed in disbelief. “What is going on here?!”

“Oh,” Martin said. “So will you tell her now?”

“Of course, since we’re all here,” Faith said. She turned to me, chuckling at the confused expression on my face. She put a hand on my arm and said seriously, “Rain, I’m sorry I didn’t get to tell you earlier, but you heard my reasons already. Meah knows about it already because she caught us last Sunday when we were at Greenbelt and you left us,” she paused. “Rain, meet my boyfriend, Martin. Martin, one of my best friends, Rain.”

My mouth hung open in shock. But before I could say any word, my mom came out together with Tita Arlene, her cousin. “Martin! You’re here! Your brother’s inside already. Oh and Faith! You’re here too,” Tita Arlene looked at my mom. “Celine, this is my eldest son’s wonderful girlfriend, Faith.”

“I know her,” my mom said, smiling. “She’s one of my daughter’s best friends.”

I watched their conversation, my jaw falling down lower as the revelation hit me. I guess they all saw my expression and stopped talking, and then stared at me. I finally found my voice and blurted out:

“You’re Faith’s boyfriend and my second cousin?!”