Chapter Three: Her Best Friend, Dreia

“That bitch said what now?” Dreia Rodriguez asked as she gingerly poked the disinfectant on the small cut on Astrid’s cheekbone. Astrid hissed in protest as soon as the wet cotton touched the wound.

They were sitting on the white leather couch in the living room of Astrid’s condo unit with a medical kit sprawled across the coffee table in front of them. Dreia, on the other hand, was trying to to treat the cuts on Astrid’s face.

“It’s really one thing to hold my actions against me,” Astrid started as Dreia stuck an invisible patch on her cut, “but to compare me to my mom—"

“Oh, yeah. I’d probably be charged with murder if anyone tried to compare me to my dad.” Dreia said as she used a pair of tweezers to pick up another cotton ball and dunk it in the bottle of disinfectant.

“Right? Like, my mom did everything to provide for me. She sacrificed her entire career just to have me. It would be an insult to compare me to her.” Astrid continued. Dreia paused and gave her a blank look.

“Not quite what I meant, but whatever helps you sleep at night,” She finally said with a shrug after a moment of silence.

“Hey—stop moving!” Dreia said, clicking her tongue in disapproval when Astrid continued to lean away every time Dreia approached with the cotton ball. Finally, she got dab the disinfectant on Astrid’s face and stick another band aid on it.

With a sigh, Dreia straightened up and promptly tossed the used cotton in can behind her. She then rolled her sleeves up and fixed the hair clip that was holding her hair up in a bun. She gave Astrid one last look before snorting.

“What?” Astrid asked, playfully offended by the gesture.

“You look like a tambay who just got out of a fight at a drinking session.” Dreia cackled.

“That’s mean. You wish you were dating this tambay.” Astrid replied, sticking her tongue out.

“Sure. I’ll call you if I feel like getting into a messy relationship with someone in the industry.”

“Hey, I am not messy.” Astrid protested with a playful huff.

“Whatever you say, Pacman.” Dreia replied with a smirk as she gestured to the cuts on Astrid’s face. Astrid flushed a deep red and gave her a sheepish smile.

“So, who won?”

“I did, obviously.”

“‘Obviously?’”

“Hey! If you must know, I work out.” Astrid replied as she flexes her arms, showing a bit of muscle. She took one look at the disbelieving look on Dreia’s face and huffed.

“Fine, I don’t work out as much as you do, but at least it’s a start,” She followed up, receiving a hearty laugh from Dreia.

“Man, you haven’t changed one bit.” Dreia mused.

“You’re still that hot-headed girl I know since high school.”

“I’ve learned to control my temper quite a bit if you must know.” Astrid said, raising a brow at the girl. Dreia simply waved her off.

 “Not enough, apparently. You’re still fighting random teenagers in waiting rooms.”

Astrid rolled her eyes, a fond smile still stuck on her face.

To be honest, her hot temper was usually triggered by insults hurled against her mom. While their relationship can be a bit turbulent, she can’t deny that Vivien had been through a lot raising her as a single mother. Vivien gave up her entire career to keep Astrid. She raised her alone and did everything she can in power to make sure Astrid prospered.

As mean and cold Vivien could be at times, Astrid still owed her everything.

Astrid shook her head, refusing to stay upset when her best childhood friend was sitting right next to her. She was going to make the most out of Dreia’s visit and make up for the lost time.

“Anyway, what’s been going on with you?” Astrid asked Dreia who had been drinking from some from a glass. Dreia sighed, like she had been dreading that discussion.

“I’m mostly okay, but I’m sure that’s not the answer you’re looking for.” Dreia chuckled before giving her glass a long look.

After a moment, she sighed.

“Man, you should be a talk show host, you sure know how to bring in the tough questions.” Dreia said with a laugh.

Astrid frowned, “Dreia, all I asked was how have you been.”

“I know, sorry. It’s just… man, what loaded question.” Dreia laughed as she buried her back against the couch.

After a moment, Dreia makes another thoughtful sound, “Oh man, I really don’t know where to start. It’s been like, what, seven years since you moved to Manila?”

Damn. Seven years.

Astrid finally understood why Dreia felt a bit cornered. Astrid dropped her gaze for a moment, regret blooming on her cheeks at the memory of how that went. It’s been seven years since she left everything and everyone behind in Cebu to chase after her mother’s dream of Astrid becoming the industry’s up and coming It-Girl in her generation.

“I mean,” Dreia’s voice quickly pulls Astrid out of her own thoughts as the girl turns to look at her, “I don’t know, what do you want to know?”

Astrid looked thoughtful for a moment, “I mean I know you’re one of the most awarded Film Makers in our generation back in Cebu. Maybe we can start with that?”

“I mean, yeah. Attended some vocational film programs and graduated. Submitted my student films in festivals and joined several more.”

Dreia then bit her lip, hesitating to continue before eventually doing so, “I was never really in it for the awards and prestige, you know. It was really more of the prize money.”

“Oh,” Astrid said, “do you want to talk about it?”

She watched the turmoil shift in Dreia’s face from that question.

“I mean, we don’t have to if you don’t want to,” She quickly continued, “but I just want you to know that if you’re short on money, I can help—”

“It’s not that, it’s…” Dreia lets out a deep sigh before turning towards Astrid.

“You know, it’s Lee.”

Astrid felt her heart skip at the beat at the sound of Lee’s name.

Lee. Short, lanky Lee who played the third of their trio back in high school. Lee, who was just as important to Astrid as Dreia is. Lee, the boy she left behind in Cebu to pursue some dumb show in Manila. Lee, the ex she left for Jerome to gain more attention from the industry.

Lee. The one that got away.

Astrid’s heart started beating faster—harder in her chest at the mere mention of his name.

“Did something happen to him?” She carefully asked.

“No, I mean—I guess, but not to him directly.” Dreia said, “but you know, since he’s the sole owner of Brew Blends now, it’s been kind of rough on him as well.”

“He’s handling Brew Blends?” If Astrid remembered correctly, it was Lee’s grandmother who ran the coffee shop, “Did Lola Elisa retire?”

Dreia gave her a long hard look.

“You don’t know?” She finally asked.

Astrid cleared her throat, "No. Lee, uh, he blocked me after the uhm… the whole thing."

"Right.” Dreia looked down, picking on the skin on her thumb’s nail bed.

“Well, Lola Elisa passed away a few years back. She had a stroke and never really recovered."

---

Astrid remembered it all like it was yesterday.

They were around 14 years old, just approaching their third year of high school. It was in the middle of summer, and the heat was peeling off their bones. The three sat next to each other on an old beat-up wooden bench next to Lola Elisa’s stall.

The name “Brew Blends” was painted on the signboard in beautiful cursive and hanging underneath it was the menu. The counter displayed a humble array of coffee choices and empty plastic cups.

Lola Elisa was hand-brewing some coffee for the three—a little secret they share since Vivien would never allow Astrid to have some coffee at such a young age.

(“I don’t want to be raising a teenage caffeine addict,” Vivien would always say while talking to the older lady.)

“Enrique, when are you and Astrid going to give me some grandkids?” Lola Elisa would tease, making Lee choke on his spit and flush a deep shade of red.

He would sputter out, “We’re only fourteen!” and refuse to meet Astrid’s eyes for the next hour or so in embarrassment. Lola Elisa would cackle in response, obviously amused by the flustered reaction.

“I met your grandfather when I was fourteen, and you don’t see me complaining about being too young.” She would say.

Lola Elisa would then turn to Astrid and say, “I hope you’re a patient young lady, my apo might take forever to come around.”

Lee would then ask her out on Valentine’s Day a year later, and they would be in a steady relationship for three more years.

Astrid remembered the somber look on Lola Elisa’s face when she told her that she would be leaving for Manila to join a survival reality TV show. While Lola Elisa expressed excitement and wished her well, the sad look in her eyes told Astrid that the older woman would miss her dearly.

Since her very public break-up with Lee, she ultimately decided to cut all ties with the family out of shame. Especially after she came out of the tv show and found that Lee had her blocked in all forms of social media, sealing her fate for the next seven years.

Astrid always fantasized that one day, she’d come back to Cebu and have the face to meet Lola Elisa again.

“Well, Lola Elisa passed away a few years back. She had a stroke and never really recovered." Dreia’s words echoed in her head like a broken record.

And it hit her. She was never going to see Lola Elisa, the woman who acted as her second mother, ever again. And it hurt more to realize that she didn’t even know about her final moments.

“I’m sorry, I… I didn’t know.” Astrid said with a shaky breath. She looked away from Dreia to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.

As if on cue, Astrid heard her phone vibrate from the coffee table. She took a peek at the Caller ID and saw her mother calling.

“I have to get this.” Astrid said, her voice wavering just a bit as she grabbed her phone. She missed the way Dreia nodded at her as she stepped out onto the balcony.

As the cold evening breeze caressed her face, Astrid let out a shaky sigh and blinked back her tears.

Finally, she picked up her phone.

“Mom?”