"What the fuck were you thinking?!"
Ayisha slammed her palm against the table, the sound echoing through the small space.
Natalie flinched, sitting stiffly across from her.
"Alam kong gaga ka," Ayisha continued, voice shaking with fury, "pero sobra na 'to. Sobrang ka-gagahan!"
"Sorry, teh…" Natalie muttered, eyes fixed on the floor.
"Sorry?" Ayisha laughed bitterly. "Sa tingin mo ba may mababago 'yan? Pera ko 'yon. Hindi 'yan pera mo. Pambili 'yon ng gamot ni Mama!" Her voice cracked. "At ibinigay mo sa walang kwentang lalaki para lang sa bisyo niyo!"
"Ayisha," her mother said weakly as she stepped out of the room, coughing into her hand. "Wala na tayong magagawa ngayon…"
"Hindi, Ma!" Ayisha snapped, running a hand through her hair. "Sumosobra na siya!" She turned back to Natalie, eyes blazing. "Alam ko na. Ikaw talaga ang magdadala sa'kin ng mas maraming problema. Sinabi ko na sa'yo noon kahit teenager ka pa lang huwag kang gagawa ng gulo. At huwag kang maging pokpok!"
"Oo na! Mali na ako!" Natalie shouted back, tears spilling over.
Before Ayisha could stop herself, her hand moved.
*Slap.*
"'Wag mong lakasan ang boses mo sa'kin," Ayisha said, chest heaving. "Hindi ako ang gumawa ng katangahan."
Natalie stared at her, shaking.
"Kaunting lambing lang ng lalaki, binibigyan mo agad pero sa'kin, sasabihin mo may trabaho naman ako!" Ayisha yelled.
she cried. "Dalawampu na ako, Ate!"
Ayisha clenched her fists.
"Exactly," she said coldly. "Dalawampu ka na, Natalie. Dapat tumutulong ka na sa'kin hindi ka nagdadagdag ng problema. Gamitin mo utak mo, hindi puso mo."
She grabbed her bag and stormed out of the house.
Outside, the night air felt heavy against her skin. Ayisha raised her hand and flagged down a taxi. She needed space. She needed to breathe.
She didn't notice the address she gave the driver her mind too loud, thoughts spiraling over each other.
When the taxi stopped, she stepped out—
And froze.
She was standing in front of Simon's restaurant.
________________
They arrived at the amusement park just as the night fully settled in. Lights exploded into color the moment they stepped inside reds, blues, yellows blinking relentlessly against the dark sky. Somewhere to their left, people screamed as a ride dropped suddenly, the sound cutting through the air like a warning siren. Laughter followed seconds later, loud and careless.
Ayisha slowed her steps.
Families passed by, children clutching balloons bigger than their heads. Groups of friends shoved each other playfully, shouting over the music. Couples walked close, shoulders brushing, sharing food from the same cup. The park was alive too alive.
Simon noticed her hesitation. "You okay?" he asked, lowering his voice so it wouldn't get lost in the noise.
"Yeah," she said automatically. Then she exhaled. "Just… didn't expect it to be this loud."
He nodded, understanding more than she said. "We don't have to ride anything right away. We can just walk."
They did.
The smell of fried food clung to the air, hotdogs, fries, sweet pastries dusted with sugar. Ayisha bought a stick of cotton candy without thinking, pulling a piece off and watching it dissolve on her tongue. Sweet. Too sweet.
Simon stopped near the railing overlooking one of the rides. The metal was warm under her palms when she leaned against it. Below them, the ride spun in violent circles, lights blurring into streaks.
"Earlier," he said carefully, eyes still on the ride, "you looked like you needed to disappear."
She stiffened, then laughed softly. "Is it that obvious?"
"Only to people who've tried doing the same thing."
That made her look at him.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The noise filled the gap screams, music, mechanical whirring but it didn't feel awkward. Just heavy.
"I didn't mean to end up here," Ayisha said finally. "I just… got in a taxi and let my mouth decide."
"And it brought you to me," he replied, not teasing. Just stating a fact.
She glanced away. "Guess my brain's messed up."
"Aren't we all?" He paused, then added gently, "You don't have to explain anything. Not tonight."
That almost undid her.