We've been looking forward to November 20 since Jules told us about the Launching Party of the AMP(Addict Mobile Prepaid) at the new Smart Connections building beside the CSB. We went there two hours late than the time given in the tickets only to find out that it hasn't started yet. It was so disappointing and even the place didn't seem to give any hint that a party is actually about to happen. Realizing that it wasn't the place for us, we started texting other friends for a possible detour. Among the options were my former girlfriends, Shiela and Menchie.

We walked all the way from La Salle to the CCP, while waiting for anyone to reply. We basically didn't know where exactly to go. Upon reaching Figaro which was adjacent to the CCP building, we received a message from Shiela, telling us that she's already in Baywalk (we told her we were there) so we started another long walk, this time along Roxas Boulevard, to go to where Shiela said she was. It was very reminiscent of last Saturday when Jules and I walked the same path, heading to the same place, but on the opposite side of the road to meet Shiela and Donna. (We came from Roy's, a high school friend, birthday treat then). So after another couple of minutes, we arrived at the Baywalk only to find out that Shiela can't meet us there, she said she was with a 'friend' (Jules and I knew exactly what she meant by that) that she can't leave alone and that I reckon she would never dare let me see. We were too exhausted and too disappointed. If only they knew where Shiela was, they'd surely barged in wherever it was and get her. But of course, nobody knew where she was except again for Jules and I. Donna will be dead if Shiela finds out we knew where she was.

I could see through their faces that in any minute someone will be asking to go home. The night was turning out not so good and really far from what we've expected. Even Baywalk seemed lifeless, the glory it once had when it opened seemed to have left it on that particular night. The beer prices were in an all-time high but we had a solution: To save money, Anette and his boyfriend Marvin(who proved to be such a nice fella') went to one of those umbrellas and ordered beer for themselves while the rest of the boys (including me) went to the 7-11 nearby and bought some beer and drinks for ourselves. Going back, we passed by them and pretended that we met by accident and they invited us to join them. We're a bunch of actors, y'know.

Headlong into midnight, I remembered Mench telling me that her Ate Shiela (what a very nice name) will be out to Singapore from this date and that only means that she and another girl cousin will be left alone in the house. I texted her and asked if we could go there. I ignored the notion that just the other day she told me she's gonna let go of me now, she said she'd realized that I could never really fall in love with a girl like her. Sob. At first she seemed truly reluctant but then after a few sweet-nothings, she finally gave us the go signal. We finished our beers and the tasty sisig Anette ordered, then we headed to the Robinsons Place Residences at Padre Faura street and started off to a night of a totally new experience.

Five minutes past twelve at the reception, I gave the guard the room number and imagine my horror when he told me that the person we were looking for was not yet there. Turned out that Mench was still on her way home from work while we were texting each other. Her other cousin, Ederlyn, told me so. She went down to the looby to see us then went quickly outside the building. After a few minutes, she came back now with Mench and with a bagful of beers and chips. In the elevator, I had the forced obligation to introduce them to each other, it would be very awkward for us to reach their floor without them knowing each other's names. Good thing I never had a hard time mixing strangers up.

Thirty-sixth floor. It seemed to be the highest floor in any building I have ever been in my entire life and I think, by the way they looked, same goes for the rest of us. Upon entering the room, I remembered Ranna always wanted to have a condo unit just like it, but in New York then I realized she wouldn't be needing to go farther than Manila just to enjoy the thrill of being/living up above. The unit was a lot better from their previous condominium in Legazpi Towers. Every room offers a spectacular view of the Metropolitan Manila (except, of course for the bathrooms). Everything outside seemed to be like a large diorama. The buildings looked like miniature figures and the jeepneys were like toy cars, er, toy jeepneys (for that matter). After another series of introduction, everything seemed to be going on smoothly, they were talking together as if they've known each other since birth, then Santy started flirting with Eds (yes, your guess is very much as good as mine. I smell trouble) Ian made a fleeting fighting act with his sister, Anette (which scared the hell out of Eds) while having another round of beer before we headed to the night's (morning, I mean) ultimate climax.

We went down to the seventh floor to check out the swimming pool. It was soooo cool. They've got almost everything! Theyv'e got a jacuzzi, a large pool, a baby pool and billiard stations and a gym around the corner. We were extremely tempted by the beautiful sight so we went swimming at two am in the morning, not minding the cold, so to speak and with only our underwears on (thus, the title). Everyone knows swimming has always been a favorite to all of us.

After an hour, we headed back to their room, we used the back elevator because we thought it didn't have a camera, but it did. Some of us were half naked only draped in bath towels and we couldn't help to imagine the people at the reception laughing at us. Back up there, I had the chance to have time alone with Mench. I could see that she's not mad at me anymore albeit she was still very edgy. I followed her to her room and locked the door behind me. I was wearing nothing except for the towel in the lower part of my body when we began kissing (while checking if Eds was getting inside the house, she was with Santy out in the terrace.. tsk. tsk. join me in wondering what will she do if she finds out that Santy's uhm, very much attached already) then in the middle of it, she stopped and she began to be emotional. She told me we can't go on like this, she said she wants me to be commited to her and she wants me to say 'the-three-words'. But I can't. I know I've been unfair to her before and I know it wouldn't be any good to tell her the things I don't really feel. I just told her I'm happy being with her, which in fact is true before we saw from the window that Eds and Santy were already going inside the house so we had to hurry to get to the living room.

After I took a shower, Eds told me in a very kind manner that we could not stay there until morning (she must've been surprised that none of us seemed to be preparing to leave, Santy was even proposing for a Spin-the-Bottle game). But we genuinely understood. I figured it would come as a shock to them that we do sleep-overs in a somewhat regular basis. She said she was afraid her sister (Ate Shiela) might find out from the guards, when she comes back. She made sure that she really had fun being with us. So after we had our coffee, we bade them goodbye with Eds' promise that we can come back anytime but in an earlier time of day, hopefully.