We walked inside the mall
�Nice mall you have in here�� Phoenix stared up.
�What should we do here by the way?,� Rob asked
softly. �You didn�t consult us about going here.�
�Eh, sorry� I did it in a thought that you�ll be
surprised.� I said sheepishly
�Where should we go?� Brad asked then.
�Nah, you�ll know when we get there.� I replied with a
silly smile.
�Hey, Mia. Ya know how to ice-skate?� Joe pointed at
the rink.
�NO! Not that!,� I exclaimed in a great no-no. �That�s
so nutty.� I exclaimed.
�Just asking. I prefer snowboards more.� He reasoned.
We climbed to an escalator.
�People here don�t seem to know us as Linkin Park��
Brad observed the people going down at our left.
�Well, I think that�s just good. It�ll not be that
much as an attraction.� Chester stated.
�Probably they just see you as tourists. There�re lots
of tourists in this place.:.� I stated a reason.
We walked and found stalls, lots of them.
�Jollibee�I kinda ate in there..� Brad recalled.
�Yeah, there�s a branch of it in L.A� Did that
initiate in here?�  Chester asked. I nodded.
�Food�s kinda good.� Mike spoke at last.
�There�s a stall called Popeye over there.� Rob
pointed out.
�Their mascots are Popeye and Bluto� Joe followed.
We laughed a bit
�Ridiculous. Foes became partner mascots�� Chester
laughed at the thought.
�Hey, That�s us!� Mike exclaimed over the poster at a
corner.
�The JAG jeans�� Rob said softly.
�Yeah, the FUCKIN� JAG jeans!� Chester exclaimed.
�People, hide your faces. We�re wanted.� Joe said
sternly yet jokingly. I smiled.
�Eh, nice models�.� Brad looked at a Particles poster.
It�s a clothing line of teen�s wear.
�You�ll forget Britney?� Mike teased.
�NO, of course not�� Brad disapproved the idea. � NO
one can take her place in here�� And he pointed at his
heart.
�FREAK OUT, MAN!� Phoenix half shouted.
The others shook their heads.
�Brad, end that insanity!� Chester exclaimed.
I managed to add: �That girl who sings �I�m a Slave
for You� is such a great hit here, but for me she�s�.�
I cut off. �Stop me, I might say somethin� bad.� I
stooped.
They stared at me. Mike patted my shoulder: �Don�t
worry. We, except Brad, are here to support you.�
�Yeah! Should we say we�ll initiate an ANTI-BRITNEY
SPEARS movement?� Joe asked half- laughingly.

After a while�
�Here we are!� I happily declared.
�Our favorite part of the mall, the arcades!� Joe
gushed. Mike smiled.
�How�d ya know that this�s our fave?� Joe turned to
me.
�That�s ALSO MY fave.� I smiled. We gave high-fives.
�Anyone who dares to go here?� I pointed at the DANCE
MANIAX machine. They followed.
�Hmmm� Interesting game.� Brad said with energy.
�I�ll go first..� I declared. �Just for some sample�� 
�Tokens, Mike,� I called out. �Please buy us about 8
tokens�so it�ll cost about 50 pesos..�
�Where is it here?� He fished in his pocket, for he
kept the money all the time.
�The red bill��I declared.
He pulled one and darted to the booth like an excited
little kid.
�Mike�s like a little kid, ne?� Chester laughed. I
nodded.
Meanwhile�
�Miss, please give me eight�� He asked the lady.
The lady said: �You�re�� she hesitated. �You look
familiar.�
�Me? Of course not!! � He quickly disapproved her
thought.
The lady simply nodded and gave him the tokens, took
the bill, and gave two coins back.
Upon going back, Mike sighed and said: �WHEW! Close
call��
�Here ya go.� I signaled the start.
�How�s that game played?� Phoenix asked with interest.
�When the screen shows red lines, you�ll pass your
right or left hand according to the direction over the
sensor.� I illustrated. �And when it shows blue lines,
you�ll pass your hands under the sensor�� I
illustrated once more.
�Pretty good one��Brad muttered after listening.
They stepped back and I selected a song.
I began, moving my hand over and under the sensors a
bit quickly.
�Go, Mia!!! � I heard Joe cheer out. Mike looked at
him knowingly. �Why? I�m just cheering out for her..�
He stated.
�Really?� Mike teased. 
Joe ignored him and proceeded to watch.
Pretty good�that�s it�� The arcade stereo boomed out.
They just watched there, like meek innocent little
kids.
When I was through, loud claps followed.
�Nice! � Phoenix exclaimed.
�Wow! Class C.� Mike looked at the result.
�Who�ll be next?� I asked breathlessly.
�I�ll try. I�ll try!!� Joe presented himself.
�Boo!� Chester sneered
�Better choose some slower ones.� I called out.
�This one?� He showed me the screen. I nodded.
We kept still as he began.
His displeased voice followed a bit as he missed some
moves. The others were laughing uproariously. Even I
can�t help but to laugh because he looked so comical
over there. I fished my cam inside my bag. The others
looked at me knowingly, but I signaled them to keep
quiet. Chester snickered.
I took three pictures of him with some �hiding� and
�camouflage� . Joe glanced around trying to figure out
where the flash�s coming from, thus forgetting his
game. I chuckled secretly.
�Mia, tsk tsk tsk�naughty�� Brad said as a joke. The
others were also laughing.
When Joe was done, he ended up blushing for being so
embarrassed over there. He glanced around some more.
�The stalker�s following us�� Joe said as a warning.
�who�ll be next?� I asked.
Without a word, Brad climbed up.
�Wow! GUTS.� Phoenix and Mike mocked.
Brad had a goofy grin stuck on his face.
He stared hard at the screen making his decision over
the songs.
�He chose �Butterfly�.� Mike declared after looking at
the screen
�YUCK! That stinks Brad!� Chester shouted in great
disgust.
�But, I think this is pretty easy.� He replied with a
grin.
�GUTS!� Phoenix cheered once more.
He started, with Mike laughing at the background. Brad
glared at him.
�Excuse me, I�ll go at the other side�You know�� I
looked up at Chester. Chester replied with a soft
snicker.
I went on my way and took three pictures. I hid at the
machines just beside ours.
I ran back at them. �Success�� I garbled. When the
song reached its chorus, we yelled �GO BRAD!!� as a
tease. Brad scowled without taking his eyes off the
screen. �SHUT UP!!� He hollered in reply. His face
turned silly upon missing some moves. I flashed my cam
at that instant. Ridiculous laughing surrounded me in
a bit. When he was through, laughing became more
hysterical.
�Brad, Good job!� Rob snickered.
�You have stiff knees�I never knew that.� Chester
commented.
�so, we can recommend you in a strip bar in L.A�� Joe
jeered.
�FRESH NEW TALENT!� Mike bawled.
Phoenix laughed pleasantly.
A great moan escaped Brad.. �Whew�Done �  
�Ain�t it funny!� He managed to say at last.
:That�s J.Lo�s song!� Joe heckled.
�How about Britney�s?� Mike followed. Brad ignored
them. He turned to me and whispered: �Mike�s next�
I coughed loud and affirmed: �Brad demanded Mike to be
the next in line.�
Their eyes scurried to Mike.
�M-me?!� He stammered.
Phoenix nudged him,
�C�mon.  Show the talent of the kicked-out member of
Menudo who then turned out to be an emcee of a
rap-rock-industrial-whatever band!� I eavesdropped it
and laughed.
Mike gave in: �Alright! Here�s the kicked-out member
of Menudo, Mike Shinoda!!� He raised his hands upon
climbing up the machine. Outrageous laughing followed
soon.
�OMG�Here he goes again�� Chester whacked his forehead
lightly.
�We�re doomed�� Rob made a dismayed face. 
�Mike, choose the slower ones.� I whimpered.
He pressed start, and the tune played.
�That�s not slow!� I insisted
�It�s okay, there�s no more choice.� Mike smiled
awkwardly. �You got to have faith in the talent.�
He started and became silent.
People teemed at our back.
�Mike�s got appeal�� Brad declared.
I fished at my cam and darted at his side. I clicked
the button.
�OH!� He exclaimed. He looked at the cam. I flashed
some more.
�Stop it! You�re distracting me.� He scowled as he
lost track of the game.
�He distracted himself�� Chester mumbled behind me.
Mike�s displeased �eh?!� crossed our ears as the hard
parts showed up on the screen.
His form was so hilarious that I took a couple of
shots more. A slight snicker traveled across our
ears�probably from the group of kids at my right.
Then, I heard a conversation, from the girls at my far
left:

�Parang may kamukha siyang artista..� [ �He looks like
a popular artist..�]
�Pero and cute niya, ha!� [ But he�s cute though,
huh!�]
�Linkin Park? Mike Shinoda?�
�Hindi ha! Hindi siya ganyang patawa.� [�No! He�s not
that stupid and silly.�]

I laughed secretly, letting things as it is. When Mike
stepped off, he pulled the sleeve of my loose, gray
tee and said:
�You distracted me!� 
I replied:
�I did that to others, too.� I smiled naughtily.
He jumbled my hair. �Impish girl!
�Not my hair!� I exclaimed as I tapped his hand off my
top and tidied up my hair.
�One more credit left.� I declared.
Chester silently stepped up.
�Hey, cheaters!,� he howled. �You left me the hard
ones.� He hastily selected a song.
�Here�s the fifth member of Depeche Mode�� Mike
announced with a snicker.
�Mike�I�m hearing you!� Chester made a face as he
began playing.
�Smooth moves!� Phoenix stated as he watched.
�Chester�s got a talent in dancing� � Joe�s tone
became serious. I sensed that it�s really true, as I
am seeing by then.
�How will he be not? He�s a part of the strip club.�
Brad grinned upon saying that. I saw Chester�s eyes
glared at his direction, maybe he heard that comment.
I decided not to tell it , though�but it seemed that
Brad knew it, for he shut his mouth up immediately. 
�Chester�s got a keen sense of hearing. He�s so
sensitive at his surroundings�� I concluded in my
mind.
�Pinapabilib ako ng lalaking ito�� [�I�m amazed by
this guy��] Somebody from the crowd remarked�since
they didn�t understand it, I kept it for myself. I
clicked on my camera.
�Mia!� Chester exclaimed. �Keep that one.� He warned,
yet he kept his focus on the game. I clicked a bit
more.
�This game�s drivin� me nuts. Quit flashing that
stupid camera on my face!� He warned once more. I
stopped and headed timidly at the corner. When he was
done, he headed back to us. Loud applause rained on
him�no, not from us, but from the bigger crowd. 
�Wow! You drove the crowd crazy over your dancin���
Rob stated as he looked at the teem of people.
�Class B! That�s too much for a first-timer��I looked
at the screen for the results.
�Thanks�� He cordially accepted my appreciation. �How
about Rob and Phoenix?� He asked  
�Yeah! It�s unfair. We experienced all sorts of
disgrace and yet they�re just laughing over us!� Joe
demanded. Phoenix sneered.
�Okay�okay�.settle down, guys�There�s a punishment for
them�� I eyed them impishly as I whispered something
at Joe�s ear. We made a huddle as we agreed about the
topic.
�W-what�s that�.� Rob muttered in a bit frightened
way.
�I got a bad feeling about this�� Phoenix whispered.
Sweat tickled down Rob�s cheek as he saw our eyes
focused at the two of them .

****WHAT IS THE GREAT PUNISHMENT FOR PHOENIX AND ROB?!
 WHY DID MIA CRY UPON SINGING THE SONG? IS THERE
SOMETHING BOTHERING HER? I�M SURE THE THRILL KILLS
YOU, SO WATCH OUT FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THIS FAN
FIC!!****