Making Past Perfect

It is just another ordinary day for almost everybody but it is different for Alice Meyers. Today, December 21, 2020, is her eighteenth birthday. She can finally move out of her parent’s house and live on her own. She saved enough money doing part-time jobs as a commercial model or an extra in some movies. She doesn’t have a lot of real friends, just acquaintances or people who want to be close to her but don’t let them in her life. Johnson Taylor and Odette Sanchez are what she can call her childhood friends. The three of them have known each other since they were five and attended the same school. Alice is not the friendly type because she feels that she is different from them and they would think that she is weird when they learned about her real personality. In her point of view, she is a freak who has extrasensory perception. Aside from that, she can make things happen if she is too emotional. Her only two friends don’t know anything about this. “Happy birthday!” Her

Johnson is already waiting for Odette and Alice when they arrive at the house where the three of them would live. He already said goodbye to his parents earlier that morning so he was the first one to move into the house. Odette got out of her car first and got her suitcase from the trunk. “It is good to have a very rich friend! Now we don’t have to pay for rent!” she said loudly to Alice. “Hey, who said that you are not going to shell out money?” since I am providing the house rent-free, the two of you should take care of the food every day and the utilities and other bills, hahaha!” “No problem, we will provide you with everything else.” Alice told Johnson. She doesn’t have a credit card yet but she has a lot of money in her savings account that she can use, it is linked to a debit card. She doesn’t have plans of getting a credit card, she can always use her debit cards. Among the three friends, none of them were short on money. Although Odette’s family is big, her parents al

“Why do you feel so nervous?” Johnson asked. “If it’s another man, I wouldn’t feel so shy but you are like a brother to me. Of course, that would be awkward at first.” Alice said defensively. “What? You would rather kiss a stranger?!” he said incredulously. “It’s not what I mean!” she exclaimed. “It’s just that those actors are just co-workers for me and I guess they are used to those kinds of scenes but you are different!” She can’t look into his eyes. “Oh, it’s like you are saying I am special?” Johnson asked her. “Of course! You and Odette are special to me since we have known each other all our lives!” she blurted. ‘I know your secrets but you don’t know mine yet.’ She thought sadly. “I see.” Even if Johnson is not really happy with her answer, he is excited about helping Alice to practice especially the romantic scenes. They continued practicing and during the last kissing scene, Johnson got carried away and kissed Alice for several minutes. It seems that Alice got car

Alice woke from the noise outside the house, there’s the sound of a rooster giving everyone a warning that it was already dawn. She sat up on the bed and felt a slight headache. She realizes that she is sitting on a bunk bed made of bamboo wood and beside her is Odette still sleeping. Johnson is also sleeping on the other side of the room lying on a single bed also made of bamboo wood. “What the…!” she looked at herself and saw that she was wearing an old printed skirt reaching her mid-calf and a cotton blouse with a round neck design. She looked at Odette and she was wearing the same design as her outfit. When she saw Johnson, he was wearing a shirt that looked like a polo shirt without a collar and old trousers. She looked around and instead of her room, she found that they were in a different room and it was made of wood as well. She heard people talking outside the room. “I am afraid that the Japanese will occupy the whole country and the Americans can’t do anything about it.” a

“Supper is ready!” Rosa shouted from the kitchen. “Is it going to be rice again?” Odette asked the young men. “Of course, there will be rice every meal.” Pedro answered. “It is the main food here in the Philippines, either rice or corn and sometimes potatoes or sweet potatoes.” Isagani informed them. “It’s all carbs, I don’t want to get fat!” Odette looked horrified while imagining herself eating all these carbohydrate magnet foods. “Carbs? What is it?” Pedro asked her. “Uhm…I mean, isn’t all that food going to make you fat?” She said embarrassedly. “We balanced our food with fruits and vegetables, and with a lot of things going on right now, it’s impossible for us to get fat! Hahaha!” Pedro laughed at her reddened face. “Besides, you are not fat. Anyone who said that you are fat must be blind!” he added while stealing a glance at Odette’s body from head to toe. Odette’s face became as red upon hearing those flattering words from this young man. “I know, right!” she laughed an