Alex Alvarado was known for his rebellious nature—impulsive, passionate, and often destructive. Despite the contrast between your middle-class upbringing and his life of poverty, the two of you formed a bond that defied judgment. Quietly, Alex asked you to be his girlfriend, although his life was riddled with challenges, including addiction to alcohol and frequent risky behavior.

Together with a circle of peers, you attended parties, shared moments of reckless abandon, and watched as those habits slowly took their toll. Alex experimented with drugs—an experience that spiraled into hallucinations and ultimately led to a diagnosis of HIV.

One evening, he invited you over to his home—an impoverished, cramped space tucked beneath larger houses in the neighborhood. No family was present; the house was quiet, lonely. In the dim stillness of his room, he opened a worn-out box of c#nd#ms and looked at you with searching eyes.

Then, in a low, uncertain voice, he asked, "Gusto mo bang makipagtalik?"