heartbreak

Writing Challenge, Day 24


Ah the painful realization. :-) Or at least, Bryan thought he realized.



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"Go Perry! Go Perry! Go Perry!"

Bryan laughed as he joined the chanting of the small crowd that formed near the front of the stage. It was the company-wide, Hollywood-themed Christmas party, and with the main programme finished and contest and raffle winners announced, the mood inside the big events tent changed from wild to animalistic. The live band who worked the crowd into hysteria had just finished a couple of minutes ago; by the time the DJ took the big white stage to crank up more thumpa-thumpa party tunes, the entire tent was ready to explode. The open bar did not help quell the madness.

Bryan squeezed himself between two Papa girls he knew were from night shift and laughed harder when he saw what was causing the commotion. There, on the center of the makeshift human ring, was Perry, dancing to Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty".

"Drop it like it's hot! Drop it like it's hot!" Their small group continued to chant.

No wonder the crowd was so entertained, Bryan thougt as he whooped loudly at the sight of his friend shaking her butt. Perry lived and breathed Christina since "Genie In The Bottle." Seeing the singer's trashy choreography being danced by a five-foot-three, one-forty pound Chinese mestiza who looked like she can never hurt a fly... Well, that's Perry, was all Bryan can think of for an explanation. She may look like a saint, but she sure act like a sinner.

The song ended with Perry doing one final booty drop, much to the wild appreciation of her audience. When the song changed to a Ricky Martin remix, Perry pulled Winston to take her place.

"You go, girl!" Bryan shouted over the din as Perry made her way to him, breathless and smiling widely.

"Yeah! Way to go Per!" Sim's familiar voice shouted from behind Bryan's right ear. Bryan whirled around to see his friend red-faced and with a grin on his face. A bottle of beer on his hand.

"You're drunk, aren't you?" Bryan shouted, a little tipsy himself.

"A little," Sim admitted sheepishly before bursting out loud. "Oh gosh lasing na 'ko! Inom pa tayo!" He whooped.

"Inom pa!" Perry joined Sim's shouting. The three of them laughed.

"Merry Christmas guys!" Perry continued to shout. "Group hug!" And they did, laughing and almost tumbling to the floor.

They continued to giggle and talk gibberish until Bryan heard a familiar tune. Perry heard it too.

"Bry! That's your song!" she exclaimed. Then she started shouting again, trying to catch the attention of the rest of their friends. "Go Bryan! Go Bryan!"

Gimme your love. Gimme your love. Gimme your love. Gimme your love...

Their group cheered to the opening lines of Mariah Carey's "Heartbreaker". Bryan laughed and without hesitation, walked to the center of the circle.

Oh you look so good, I don't wanna let go...

"This is how you do choreography Perry!" Bryan shouted to his friend, as he started copying the moves from the music video. The circle roared.

Boy if I do the things you wanna do, the way I used to do... 

Bryan was halfway through his own version of a booty drop when another pair of feet stumbled to the center of the ring, pushed by the crowd. He rose and came face to face with Sim, who was still wearing his stupid grin. His eyes, already glassy, crinkled as he shrugged as if to say, "They pushed me, so hey, might as well."

As if on cue, they both started pumping their chest, like how Beyonce did it in "Crazy In Love." They both laughed at the coincidence as they bumped and ground their way closer to each other, Mariah's dance moves completely forgotten.

Heartbreaker, you've got the best of me...

They were close almost nose to nose now, each feeling the heat the other is giving off due to exertion. Then their chests melded, their legs tangled.

But I just keep on coming back incessantly...

Sim threw his head back and started laughing loudly. But Bryan's smile faltered a little, the haze of alcohol gone in an instant.

He's straight. He remembered Perry saying. He jerked his head to the direction of his friend. Perry was still drunkenly laughing and cheering along with the crowd, even giving Bryan a thumbs up.

I should have known right from the start you'd go and break my heart.