"Nothing." I quickly left and headed to Marz. I caught a glimpse of him forcibly pulling a small branch of a tree and chopping it in half using his knee then followed me, frustrated. He gave me half of the branch and the other half to Marz as support as we continue the challenge.
"Best? Why are you avoiding him? Care to share?" Marz whispered to me loudly so I'm sure the twins also heard it.
"You are aware that he really made an effort for you, right? He planned everything just so you could breathe and have fun and then... you are avoiding him?" I stopped walking and looked at Marz intently.
So, he means that all of this was his idea?
"Give him a chance Jess." I couldn't answer anymore when he left and quickly walked away to keep up with the twins while I was left in my place until Marc reached where I'm standing.
"Are you tired?" I couldn't avoid it anymore and I darted into his eyes full of concern. Marz is right, I shouldn't waste his efforts. At least, I have to respect it and set aside what's going on between us at the moment. I just can't help but doubt and be suspicious especially because of what he showed last night and this morning. I pursed my lips and urged myself to shake off all the things that were ruining my state of mind then smiled at him who offered his hand. For now, I will enjoy as much as I can but after this, I'll ask him again.
I looked at how he intertwined our hands. His cheeks wore the tint of a burning sun and his smile told me to keep up the climb.
"Guys, I have a question." Marc suddenly shouted informing everyone.
"Seriously? You still have the energy to ask a question right now?" Hazel replied chasing her breath.
"What is it Captain?" Marz responded flirtatiously.
"What vitamins can you get when going to a beach?" I was deep into thinking about Marc's question but in the end I don't have an answer yet I'm so curious.
"Huh? Is there such vitamin? All I know was sunburn." Jia chuckled and continued climbing.
"You're a genius Ji, Vitamin D?" Marz answered filled with excitement.
"Krazy! How come sunburn results in Vitamin D." Hazel slightly hit Marz's nape.
"Sunlight stimulates Vitamin D, right." Marz defended.
"Enk! Wrong." Marc hid his desire to laugh and gave a hint, "Almost there."
"Ahh Vitamin E?! Right?" Marz attempted again. He's really competitive, obviously.
"Wrong again." I laughed at Marz's reaction when he gave a wrong answer again.
"What's the answer anyway Captain?" Jia stopped with her curious eyes.
"It's Vitamin C!" Everyone was mindblown. How come I didn't think of it.
"I'm correct coz it's SEA that's why Vitamin C." Hazel snapped her fingers and turned away as everyone continued walking.
"Why did you not give me the answer?" Marz mumbled grabbing Hazel's elbow but Hazel just shrugged her shoulders.
"Another one, knock knock!" - Marc
"Who's there?" We responded in unison.
"Kenya."
"Kenya who?" - US

I looked at him curiously when he suddenly stopped and clutched his towel to wipe the sweat on my forehead. When he patted my cheeks, I gulped when he looked at my lips and started singing, "Kenya feel the love tonight?" then I looked away awkwardly.
"Ayun! 3 points scorer!" Jia giddily teased me at the front. I can feel my ears turning crimson red.

Marc got back to his senses when I snapped a finger on his face made him chuckle a bit and apologized to me. We spent almost six hours climbing three-fourths to our destination.
Apparently, this challenge is the hardest so far in my life and this is my first time to climb a very high place. Everyone was tired and chasing for their breaths, completely consuming their tumblers of water yet after a 15-minute break, we continued the journey.
"WE CAN DO THIS!" Marz screamed the exhaustion as he spoke to the camera, his make up partially ruined and some parts faded because of sweat. Jia was down on her knees, Hazel was panting already bending her knees while I am relying on the sturdy branch that Marc gave me earlier to anchor my weight. Jaypee and Joyce together with our driver and bodyguard already reached the top and cheered us to go up since we were almost there.
After some time of gathering the remaining energy we have, everyone motivated themselves to reach the top because we were just a few meters away. I looked back and smiled when I realized we already made it this far so why surrender now, right?
"Let's go guys! We can do it!" I was panting heavily when I hollered. My thighs shaking as I try to stand slowly and started climbing the remaining paces we needed to fill in. Few steps away from my previous spot, I stopped when my knees grew trembled weaker, and I cannot withstand my weight anymore. My right foot rolled over when I felt a sudden cramp that made me stumble on the ground as I tried to pull another step. I reached for my cramped foot and winced in pain.
"Oh my best!" Marz cried and like the speed of light, they rushed on to me and checked on me worriedly. Their eyes were full of concern, offering all their extra hand just for me to complete the challenge with them.
"We won't leave you here Jess, we will reach there together. AJA!" Hazel's eyes smiled at me with deep meaning and they each took part for me to get back on track. Silently, Marc removed my black pump shoes carefully. I cried in pain when the inner surface of the shoes scraped the skin of my ankle, and it revealed my pale blistered foot. Jia immediately opened her small medicine kit and gave Marz gauze pads to clean my bleeding heel. I cried in pain without words coming from my mouth when Marc flexed my foot without my consent.
Due to my surprise, my cramps flew away quickly then Marz assisted Marc in treating my blisters and the small wound on my ankle. I smiled in pain and thanked all of them. I'm so grateful to all of them. In fact, they never let me feel that I'm a burden. I took a deep breath and tried to stand, but again I failed.
Unexpectedly, before I fell on the ground, the twins caught my shoulders on both sides while Marz fixed the laces of my shoes.
"Get on. We're almost there." All of us wore an expression of astonishment when Marc bent down, giving me a piggyback ride. I reluctantly agreed when they all looked up in the sky and giggled secretly at what Marc offered.
"Best, that's a better idea. You go with Marc." They hurriedly walked ahead as if they never stopped and got tired then rushed up to the top. I thought we'd go up together, then they'd leave me just like that? When they turned back, I got on Marc's back then he slowly stood up after securing my feet, holding them. He carried me until we reached where my friends were resting their legs, quenching their thirst with water, and setting up the tent.
Marc put me down slowly and went back for our things. Marz accompanied him and they immediately returned.
It was already getting dark as we set up the tents hand in hand while the boys were busy with the bonfire and food. Four tents surround the bonfire and will draw lots later on who will be next to each other. My feet felt better somehow so after setting up the tent, I arranged my things inside.
"Jia, I'll just change my clothes. Can you be on watch?" Jia nodded while busy typing something on her phone. I think she's mad at someone but anyway, I quickly removed my three layers of thick clothes drenched in sweat revealing my undergarments then wrapped myself with a towel. I opened my bag and chose another three layers of thick clothes because certainly, tonight will be colder than in the house we slept in last night.
Gladly, we also bought with us warm thick bed sheets, 2 layers for each tent then the next layer is the sleeping mats and blankets. I changed into comfortable pants and socks then removed the towel so that I can wear my upper clothes. However, after fixing my bra in place, the zipper of the tent opened revealing...
"Jess, kaka-" My eyes widened in disbelief when Marc appeared in my tent. I looked down at myself with my mouth half-opened then transferred my look at him, his jaw dropped, and he seemed to have forgotten how to breathe as he blinked twice while his eyes stopped on my... breast.
Instead of screaming, I immediately threw him the pillow beside me to cover his eyes then turned my back to wear my clothes as if 250 joules of electric shock revived my body. When I looked back, he was already gone like a wind that passed by. Now, I looked down at my healthy globes estimating their sizes.
"It's annoying! He still saw it. Maybe it's not embarrassing because I'm not flat-chested, right? The size is just enough, not too small and not too big." I rolled myself on the blanket in embarrassment because I'm already calculating the chances that he was mocking me in his mind because... By the way, how come he entered my tent without warning?
Where is Jia? I thought she heard what I asked for. Now I'm embarrassed. I pulled myself together and fixed my hair, then went out of the tent and caught Marc walking back and forth with one hand on his chin.
I immediately left before he noticed me and looked for Jia. I caught her yelling at the person she was talking to on the phone and almost threw the phone in outrage if I hadn't grabbed her hand and grabbed the phone from her.
"You witch! You left me dressing in the tent!" I immediately blurted out to her while she realized that she had forgotten me.
"Jess, I'm sorry. Will doesn't stop pestering me. He hasn't moved on from our breakup," she answered irritated while crossing her hands on her chest.
"Here." I returned her phone, and we went back to the bonfire together and helped cook the barbecue that we had made so early despite the cold weather. We placed it inside the small cooler we brought along with the water and drinks for tonight. I sat beside Hazel who was serious about roasting marshmallows.
Finally, after almost eight hours of walking and stopping, indeed the journey was never easy, but the arrival was worthwhile. Compared to the panorama I captured earlier, from up here, I can see vividly the paradise of Bukidnon. We can see the roads, the wide fields... everything like a puzzle eventually formed into God's unique masterpiece.
"Guys, let's take a picture!" Marz invited so we left what we were doing temporarily, and we also invited our driver and bodyguard, and our new friends as well to join us for Marz's vlog.
Marz fixed the tripod and the timer and then instructed us to do a jump in his signal. He set the time then quickly ran to us then we jumped with a smile. After a few shots, everyone stood facing the wide view up here and we filmed a very loud shout, a deep shout of all the pain inside our hearts — silent scars that remained hidden and unknown from other people.
"WILLIAM I ALREADY MOVED ON! STOP PESTERING ME! GO TO HELL CHEATER!" Jia clamored her anger and punched the air imagining that she was punching the face of the guy she mentioned.
"YOU ARE REALLY DISGUSTING! I WISH YOU CHOKE WHILE EATING!" What does Hazel mean this time? Is it LQ with her new boyfriend again? I'm not even updated on their love lives because too much has happened in my life recently.
"LORD I WISH I WILL HAVE A NEW LOVELIFE AGAIN!" Marz yelled with eyes full of hope. At the same time, our new friends shouted and our bodyguard also joined. They keep shouting everything related to love and I can say that even though the style is different, it has only one idea and that is love. They all looked at Marc and me as if we had no plans to go along with what they were doing. Marz raised an eyebrow at me then Marc and I looked at each other so we shouted at the same time.
"I HATE YOU!" - Me
"I LOVE YOU!" - Him
I was stunned when I heard his scream and when I turned around I caught him staring at me then he whispered again the words I did not expect to come from him.
Is that really for me or am I just delusional?
I quickly looked away from him and went straight to the tent to calm my heart which couldn't control its insane rapid beating.
"I hear it correctly, right?" I slapped my cheek to wake up because I might be having hallucination after an exhausting climb.
"And why was he looking at me if the 'I LOVE YOU' he shouted wasn't for me earlier, right?" I pulled out my hair in frustration and slapped the other side of my face to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
"BEST! Are you okay?" I immediately straightened my back when Marz entered my tent and he actually caught me hurting myself just to wake me up to the truth.
"Jess, let's continue roasting the marshies." Hazel and Jia followed, and I think one of the twins was crushed by his annoying scream earlier.
Before they could flock me with questions about Marc, I grabbed my arnis and we went out together to the bonfire for dinner.
"Ay! What's with the arnis? Is she mad?" I heard Marz's mumbled but I pretended not to hear him.
When we arrived at the bonfire, we took rice placed on banana leaves, barbecue, bananas with bagoong, and fish. I couldn't look into his eyes so I just ate quietly and let Marz make the noise. I ate a lot of roasted marshmallows because I missed it so bad and while roasting it, I stared at the white marshmallow on fire until it turned brown to black.
Note: Bagoong is a Filipino condiment made from fermented fish paste.
"Jess, why are you zoning out?" Jia automatically got the stick from my hand and threw the burnt marshmallow since I cannot eat it anymore. I didn't even realize that they had all finished eating except for me, so they all looked at me, wondering why I was appalled.
"You know Jess. This is for you to forget your problems." Marz poured an orange juice into my glass and without asking them what it is, I immediately drank the whole glass without a pause. I frowned and coughed because the taste was nasty, like vinegar.
Note: Tuba drink is a Filipino alcoholic beverage made from the sap of palm trees. This drink is famous in native provinces.
"How about, let's play spin the bottle before going to bed and the one pointed by the bottle should drink the tuba." Jia piqued us and everyone became enthusiastic except for the bodyguard and driver who already asked permission to take a nap in their tent because they will be on watch this midnight. But before we spin the bottle, we first draw lots to see who would be with us in the tent and unfortunately Marc was the one I drew. I didn't grumble anymore because the gay was also pushing that he wanted the twins to be next to him instead of to me which is unfair and frustrating.
I was quiet during the whole activity and while they were enjoying themselves, I was secretly consuming the tuba that Jia kept giving me. At the same time as I finished my tuba, I was watching Marc, because I still couldn't believe it earlier and I'm still mustering the confidence to talk to him.
"Jess, it's your turn. And it's automatically truth because you're not paying attention." I didn't complain to Marz who was waiting and immediately bottomed up a glass that Jia gave me while nodding to whatever they asked.
"Do you have a crush on Marc?" I scrunched my nose after hearing Jia's question and shook my head side to side as a no then gripped my ears. They looked disappointed and moved on to the next spin. Everyone looked at Marc because the bottle pointed at him, Marz was already tipsy but still managed to ask the question first after throwing a meaningful look at me.
"Captain, we know that you and Jess have been friends for a long time. Have you never kept a secret from her?" He quickly shook his head at the question and couldn't look at me, so he gulped down the glass of tuba that Hazel gave him. His answer triggered me to stand. I laughed sarcastically, pointing my index finger at him. I didn't expect that he will lie even in front of my friends. I saw how my friends' smiles slowly disappeared and refocused on me.
"LIAR!"