The second merge of the season has pushed through, but as much as the teens showed excitement about the new twist, it was not met with zero apprehension. As Devon told Kuya, “parang hindi kop o maintindihan. Iniisip ko pa ang mga susunod na pagbabago.” The housemates from both houses echo the same sentiments. Bret, who was most vocal about his doubts on this latest move, reminded his team not to get too comfortable. “We’ve got to keep our guard.” The merge was celebrated with much cheers and greetings, but even if they now live in the same house, the clash continues in major games and challenges.
Though nothing material was up for grabs, the consequences of Kuya’s next brainteaser was much more. Two PInoy housemates had their birthdays in the same week, Tricia’s 5th was on a Tuesday while Devon’s 17th was on a Thursday. The girls were asked individually what their dream themes were. To accommodate both, Kuya decided to hold the parties simultaneously in two different venues, decided by a mini task. The twist was this: the rest of the housemates had to choose only one party to attend, and they were not to discuss their decision with anyone. Each was given a budget of P100 to spend on food, which meant that the more guests who attended would also contribute more food for the party.
Devon and Tricia were allowed to invite everyone to their party. Earlier, Tricia opened the door to the girls’ room to speak to Devon about the cake. Little did she know that Devon was dressing up, and because Ivan was also by the door, Devon got surprised and flared up at Tricia. Tricia tried to assure her that Ivan did not see anything, but probably because her hormones were acting up this time of the month, Devon was too fired up and ended up cursing her. “I don’t need a cake!” She later approached Tricia and apologized, patching things up between the two.
Finally, it was party time, and the two celebrants were led to blindfolded to their respective venues to await their guests. Soon, Devon’s anime-inspired party at the Apartment filled up with people. Joe, Ivan, Fretzie, Angelo, Yen, Patrick, Kazel, Bret, Sophia, and Carson all trooped over and enjoyed some parlor games. Another big gift for Devon was her much-aspired college scholarship, granted her by Big Brother because of the sacrifice of Nanay Lynn and the efforts of the boys. Kuya revealed the terms behind her scholarship, and she promised to work hard at her studies. Nanay Lynn also was successful in her housekeeping task, and was gifted with P 10,000. The scholarship almost overwhelmed her, but not as much as her 100 seconds with her daughter.
Meanwhile, Tricia spent quite some time on her lonesome in her masquerade party. James, her first visitor, found her trying in vain to hold back tears as she listened to the cheers and shouts from the other side. Fortunately, four more joined their party: Jenny, Ann, Jack and Richard. Toasting C2 drinks and splashing around the pool, they still managed to make the intimate gathering fun and memorable.
Tricia’s party ended ahead of Devon’s, and the Pinoy housemates found her hanging out with James. They approached her and apologized for not going to her party, explaining that they thought everyone was going to hers. She nodded in acceptance, though doubt was still evident. James, who kept her company for the most part, could not understand why Kuya subjected Tricia to such an event, knowing that the other housemates had issues with her. Jack, like James, was bothered at the Pinoy housemates’ actions. “It seems like they don’t even care.” To Kuya, Tricia shared, “Siyempre po tanggapin nalang. Thankful na din ako kasi may pumunta.” Of course, she admitted feeling sad that not even one Pinoy housemate chose to celebrate with her, but realized that there was also no reason to stay mad. To cheer her up, Kuya showed her a video of her loved ones. Her parents greeted her and reminded her to pray always and assured her of their love and support. Relatives and friends also pitched in with heart-warming messages. This seemed to recharge her and Tricia was finally able to smile again. “Mas gusto ko po lakasan ang loob ko para harapin ang mga hamon dito at sa buhay kasi alam ko na marami akong mahal sa buhay na nakasuporta sa akin.” Resilient girl that she was, she stepped out of the Confession Room and invited everyone to eat her birthday cake.
Just how will Tricia continue living with people who don’t like her? How will both teams continue to go against each other while balancing it with being housemates? The clash continues, so stay tuned and keep watching PBB Teen Clash of 2010!
