Stuck in Love

Chapter 7

"I miss eating in Jollibee, eh," he explained.

Oh I figured, there are no Jollibee branches in Australia. "That's okay. Your treat, ha. Since you're a balikbayan."

He just scoffed and then walked pass me. Alright, this would be the most tipid first date experience ever. But anyway, kasama ko ang crush ko, choosy pa ba 'ko!

He ordered two-piece chicken with rice, large coke, chocolate sundae and medium fries. Wow, he's not very hungry.

"So, how are you? How's Australia," I asked to spark a conversation.

"Still Australia. 'Di pa naman nagiging Antarctica," he answered sarcastically.

"Saksakan ka talaga ng yabang! You haven't really changed. Have you?"

"Well, except that I grew older and have matured," he said as he kept on chewing his food. "I'm still as good-looking as I was in high school."

Wow, mature pa s'ya niyan, ha. But yeah, he still looks like how he was 12 years ago only a bit older.

As we were chatting-

"Hi, excuse me!"

My eyes widened. "Carol!" At the back of my mind, I was thinking of an excuse but I guess it would not work so I just introduced her to Sandro and vice versa.

"Ah so you're Sandro. Hi! Anyway, I just dropped by. I'm actually waiting for my friend who said she had an emergency so she can't make it," then she glared at me. And I faked a smile.

"Why does she know me," Sandro asked.

Ah, eh, ih, oh... "I think I've told her about you after the prom este reunion..."

"I hope you didn't badmouth me. Weird. She said she's waiting for a friend who had an emergency. And you said you were also waiting for a friend who happens to have an emergency, too. Are you not seeing the same friend? Or seeing each other, perhaps?"

So, you remember that? Strike one. "No, I don't think so."

As we were eating, I would take a few glances of Sandro-like how I did when he joined us during break time in school. He still has the same haunting chinito eyes. He's taller, of course, but he looks younger than his age. His hair is longer like Hua Ze Lei of Meteor Garden or Vic Zhou of F4. He has a bigger built-not lean-obviously he's not a gym guy.

Staring at the man made me want to rethink what I had always asked myself: What if I had told him that I had feelings for him back in high school? What if he comes back and we see each other again? Ano kayang mangyayari? Will it be the time for us? Or is there really a time for us? Sasabihin ko na kaya?

All those questions. I would just say, 'Dammit! That would be impossible! There's no way he'll know. And he's not coming back.' But there he was, in front of me, enjoying his crispylicious and juicylicious Chickenjoy.

He stirred his chocolate sundae and dipped his fries on it. Oh man! He's the only person I know who does that. Funny because I could recall him doing that back in high school. He's just so different.

"May gagawin ka pa ba," he asked and that was soooo much kiliiiggg!!!

"Hmmm...none, I think," I answered with prayers again that he would invite me somewhere else.

"Maybe you can accompany me to buy shoes, if that would not bore you."

"Oh, I love shoes."

"Of men?"

Ok. Strike two. "Ah-of all kinds. Hehe."

I tried to be as casual as I could para walang ilangan. He bought two pairs of shoes. And then he invited me to Starbucks. Perfect! A conversation over coffee!

"When will you go back to Australia?"

"I'm not sure maybe next month."

"Ahh...what do you plan to do while you're here?"

"Spend some time with friends. Maybe travel around..." Then minutes of silence. "Do you have any news about Celine? I didn't see her in the reunion."

Out of nowhere, it popped out. Why did he have to ask me that? I thought of an answer for a while. "I-I really don't know. We're not close."

"Maybe you have heard something, just anything about her."

He's insisting. Why? What's the matter with Celine? "I'm sorry, maybe you should ask your barkada. She's part of it, right? Or check her Facebook. Excuse me, I'll just go to the restroom."

Nothing really personal with Celine. We were neither friends nor enemies. We just happened to fall in love with the same guy back in high school. The difference was...she had him.

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