My Boyfriend is a Freak (Published under Pop Fiction)

26: Vren

Aside from Mira, I also drove Alexia and Mavi home after we visited Juli in AMMC. Obviously, it's another little way of telling them how thankful I was for their help on my niece's emergency.

Having two extra people to drive home meant a longer battle against traffic, though. By the time I reached my own place, I barely had the energy to change into more comfortable clothes and brush my teeth before retiring for the night. Between the exhaustion and the stress, I was thankful that the weekend was approaching.

I was halfway through unbuttoning my shirt when my phone rang. I retrieved it from my pocket rather apprehensively. Baka si Isabella na naman 'to. That woman had a habit of calling to pester me late at night.

Thankfully, this time it was a welcome caller. The name Francis Lee flashed on my screen, and I hit the green button.

"Bro," I said to acknowledge his call. In return, my ear got assaulted with several voices singing along a rock song.

"Tone it down, you idiots." Francis' voice was unmistakable. And finally, I was greeted with a, "Hey, bro. Sorry about that – Erv, Gabe, and Xander are with me. We're on the way to your place."

"What?" I chuckled in disbelief. "It's nearly eleven, bro. Ano namang gagawin niyo rito?"

"Susunduin ka lang namin. Tara sa Blue Cavern," he replied, referring to Grey Light's favorite hangout.

Another disbelieving laugh escaped me. "Bro, I appreciate the invitation, but I'm tired as fuck. All I want to do now is lie down and sleep."

"Aww, dude. Live a little!" somebody else yelled in response – probably Ervic. "Sumama ka na sa amin!"

"Shut up and drive, Buenviejo," said Francis. "Sorry, bro, I put you on loudspeaker."

"We're coming to pick you up no matter what," another voice which I assumed to be Xander warned. "And if you need some forcing..."

"Fine!" I said, earning laughter from the gang. I wouldn't put it past them to drag me again, just like what they did at Hollier. "I hate the lot of you."

"Ten minutes away!" Gabe declared. "See you in a jiffy, bro."

The call ended as I shook my head at my friends' stupidity. Yet I have to grin while I rebuttoned my shirt up. I admit, I missed hanging out with them. And the fact that they invited me meant a great deal to me. They were really trying to solidify Grey Light again.

Also, it's true that I need to live a little. After today's events, I could use some destressing.

I'm going out with the gang, I texted Mira. She's already probably asleep, but I still want to tell her about this – partly because of the unwritten relationship rule that it's good to keep your significant other updated on your whereabouts, and also because I want her to know that I'm spending time with my friends again, which I was sure would make her happy. After all, she was the one who persuaded me to reunite with them.

Surprisingly, I got a text back from my girlfriend.

Okay. Enjoy! 😘

****

"Wow. Too much booze." I shook my head as Ervic set the last bottle of liquor on our table. I counted five – and these were some pretty strong stuff. "I'm not getting wasted, guys."

"Stop being a bore, Vren." Gabe smirked, opening one of the bottles. He filled a shot glass halfway with amber-colored liquor and pushed it towards me. Four sets of eyes watched me as I debated whether to drink or not.

"Fuck." I chuckled and emptied the tiny glass in one gulp. The alcohol left a burning trail in my throat. "Woah. I'm already seeing double," I joked, making my friends laugh.

"Been some time since your last?" Xander asked. When I nodded, he grinned. "Bakit, pinagbabawalan ka ba ni Mira na uminom?"

"Not really," I replied. "But I know she won't appreciate a drunkard for a boyfriend."

"So that's why you're turning into a saint," Ervic said with a snigger.

I grinned. "You're invited to my canonization."

"Mira's really good for you, though," Francis pointed out. "We know it's all thanks to her that the old Vren is back."

"You mean I'm back to having the attitude of an eighteen-year-old idiot?" I laughed. "Give me more credit than that, bro."

"That's not what I meant." Tumawa rin si Francis. "What I mean is... well, look at you. You're smiling and laughing. You're happy. And from what I heard when we weren't exactly on good terms, your default mood used to be that of a menopausal woman."

I threw the nearest non-deadly thing I could reach – a bottle cap – at Francis. "Say that again," I warned jokingly, amidst the laughter of my friends.

"You know it's true, bro." Francis was laughing the hardest. "Alright, sorry, that came out harsher than I intended. But it's the fucking truth."

"Fine. I'm not exactly a ray of sunshine before I met my girlfriend," I conceded. "But you all knew why."

"Yeah," Xander answered. "Because of Isabella."

"And us," Gabe added. "Sorry, bro."

"Well, it was mostly because of Isabella." I shrugged. "She messed me up terribly."

"What's her deal, anyway?" We all looked at Ervic. "Did she try to reach out to you again?"

"Unfortunately. She's really adamant that we talk."

Francis set down his glass. "Now I'm really, really curious kung ano ang gustong sabihin sa'yo ng ex mo. Aren't you?"

Nagkibit-balikat naman ako. "I'm not really sure how I feel about it. On one hand, I won't deny that I'm a teensy bit curious on what she has to say, lalo na at talagang kinukulit niya ako na makipagkita sa kanya. But on the other hand, I don't want Mira knowing about her. I want Isabella to stay in my past."

"Look, bro," Xander began, "I'm sorry if this offends you, but why don't you just tell Mira about Isabella? What's wrong with your girlfriend knowing about your ex, anyway?"

I took another gulp of my drink, playing for time. My friends, meanwhile, waited silently for my answer.

Finally, I said, "I don't know how to explain it exactly. I just know that Isabella could ruin my perfectly good relationship with Mira."

"How?" Xander chuckled in disbelief. "What could she possibly do? Bro, I think you're just afraid for Mira to know about Isabella because your girlfriend will see that your ex still has an effect on you."

"Bullshit," I muttered, not looking at any of them.

"Is it, though?" Xander persisted. "Then why are you so afraid of letting Isabella tell you whatever she wants to let you know? Afraid she might sway your feelings of hatred and somehow turn it into love again?"

"Can we just talk about something else?" I asked, in time to see Francis giving Xander a do-not-push-it kind of look.

Maybe it's just the alcohol finally kicking in, making Xander's filter close to nonexistent. But even when sober, he was the one who gave the soundest advice among the group. Francis was the most amicable, Gabe was the most easygoing, Ervic was the most adventurous ... and what about me? What am I?

I don't even know what to think anymore.

Thankfully, Francis managed to steer the conversation to a new direction, and Xander dropped the issue. But it was obvious from the way my friends look at me that they all thought Xander has a point – a very valid one. And it made me question myself, too.

Am I really afraid of Isabella – for all the reasons I don't even have the courage to admit to myself?