My Boyfriend is a Freak (Published under Pop Fiction)

44: Vren

I was about to open the door of my car, ready to drive back to Medialink after my visit to Bella, when my phone rang. I fished it out of my pocket and checked the name of the caller — it was Myron.

"Hey, lil' bro. What's up?"

"Hello, Kuya. Alam mo po ba kung ano ang ginagawa ngayon ni Ate?" Myron asked. "Kanina pa ako tawag nang tawag sa kanya pero hindi siya sumasagot."

"Sorry, My. I have no idea. Wala kasi ako sa Medialink ngayon," I explained. "Maybe Mira's attending a meeting?"

"Ah... Baka nga." Myron heaved a sigh. "Sige po, Kuya. Susubukan ko na lang ulit na tawagan si Ate mamaya."

"Wait. Is there anything wrong? You seem perturbed."

"Wala, Kuya. Okay lang po ako."

"Are you sure? You don't sound okay to me."

"Seryoso, Kuya. Ayos lang po ako."

"But why would you repeatedly call your sister if everything's alright?" I persisted. "My, if there's anything you need, you can tell me about it."

There was a pause from the other line. And then, "Nakakahiya kasi sa'yo, Kuya."

"Oh, come on. Ngayon ka pa nahiya sa akin? I thought we're buddies already."

Muling bumuntonghininga si Myron. "Manghihingi lang po sana ako ng allowance kay Ate. Nawala kasi ang wallet ko kanina. Nando'n ang lahat ng pera ko. Namalasan pa pong may bayaran kami bukas."

"Is that all?" I chuckled. "Geez, My. Akala ko naman, kung ano na ang problema. Are you still in Pierceson?"

"Opo, pero —"

"Good. I'll be there in a while. How much is your monthly allowance?"

"Naku, 'wag ka na pong pumunta rito, Kuya," Myron said in a harried tone. "Pakisabi na lang po kay Ate na —"

"Let's not bother your sister anymore. Just don't leave the campus until I get there, okay?" I ended the call before Myron could utter another protest.

****

I knew Bella wanted me to patch things up with Mira right away, but I figured talking to my girlfriend could wait for a little bit longer. After all, I'd be helping her brother out.

It's actually my first time to set foot on Pierceson, and after getting out of my parked car, I looked around and tried to take in the campus' ambiance.

The place took me by surprise, in a nice way. There were lots of students milling around, or otherwise seated on the benches shaded by lush trees edging the pathways. The buildings look aged but regal, suggestive of neoclassical architecture. It's the perfect place for college-aged Mira, who I imagined to be fairly laid-back on the outside, but reasonably ambitious on the inside.

As I walked, trying to locate Myron, I caught several girls glancing my way and doing a double take before getting transfixed by the sight of me. I wanted to tell them to cut it out — they're probably a bunch of seventeen-year-olds and as someone who's turning twenty-eight soon, their stares were making me uncomfortable.

"Kuya Vren!" Suddenly, Myron was there, running to meet me with a face-splitting grin.

"Hey, My. How did you know I'm here?" I asked as he came to a stop a few steps in front of me. "Tatawagan na sana kita."

"Sinundan ko lang po ang tingin ng mga babae sa paligid. Ang astig nga, e. Para silang isang giant compass. Noong napansin kong iisang direksyon lang ang tinitingnan nila, ikaw agad ang naisip ko. Iba ka talaga, Kuya." Myron sniggered.

"That's genius." I chuckled. "But seriously, what's with these girls? I'm starting to feel self-conscious under all the gawking."

"Mga sabik sa gwapo, Kuya. Bukod po kasi sa akin, kaunti lang ang mga japorms dito," Myron answered, making me laugh again. "Tara po, libot muna tayo saglit? Mamaya pa namang 5 PM ang susunod kong klase."

"Alright, lil' bro," sagot ko bago siya akbayan. "Pierceson is huge, isn't it?"

"Sabi ni Ate, walang-wala raw ito kumpara sa Hollier. Isama mo nga po ako roon minsan, Kuya."

"Sure. But you know what? I honestly prefer your campus' relaxed atmosphere over Hollier's. It's too formal there."

Myron nodded, digesting my words. Then his expression quickly changed into a naughty one. "May ipapakita nga pala ako sa'yo, Kuya. Basta, 'wag mo po akong isumbong kay Ate, ha?"

I couldn't help but grin at how mischievous he sounded. "Alright, I promise not to tell your sister. Now, what is it that you want to show me?"

****

As it turned out, Myron wanted to show me how Mira looked like back in college.

He took me to see this huge, bulletin-board-like structure mounted on one side of Pierceson's College of Accountancy and Finance — their version of a wall of fame, I guess. And there, lined up with other achievers, was my girlfriend... or at least, a blown-up version of her graduation photo.

Myron's snickers punctured the silence in this part of the campus. "Ang chaka ni Ate noon, 'no Kuya?"

"She definitely improved since she graduated." I grinned. "Hang on, let me take a photo of this. May maipang-aasar na naman ako sa ate mo kapag nagkataon."

"Yari ako niyan kay Ate, Kuya." Sige pa rin sa pagtawa si Myron.

"Yeah. She's definitely going to kill you for showing this to me." I was also chuckling as I took what got to be the tenth snap of Mira's graduation photo.

I was about to tell Myron that we should get going when another graduation photo caught my attention — that of Chase Constantino, Mira's jerk of a friend.

"Si Chase Constantino 'yan, Kuya. Classmate ni Ate," Myron, who noticed how intently I was staring at that idiot's irritating face, explained.

"Do you know him personally?" I asked.

My girlfriend's brother nodded. "Dati po 'yang manliligaw ni Ate. Kaso, hindi natuloy na maging sila, kasi nag-migrate ang pamilya ni Kuya Chase sa Australia. Grabe nga ang lungkot ni Ate dahil kung kailan naman daw na sasagutin niya na si Kuya Chase, saka naman ito umalis."

Great, I thought. I wonder why Mira kept on introducing the guy as a random college friend, when in fact, they had more history than she was letting on.

"Pero kung ako po ang tatanungin, mas okay nang hindi naging sila ni Ate," Myron continued. "Mas boto ako sa'yo, Kuya Vren, kesa riyan kay Kuya Chase."

"Really?" I grinned, my sullenness temporarily forgotten. It felt good to hear that Myron preferred me over that jerk.

"Opo naman. Loyal ako sa'yo, Kuya." Myron initiated a fist bump, which I obliged before ruffling his hair.

"Thanks, My. You don't know how happy hearing that made me." Muli ko siyang inakbayan. "Come on, buddy. Show me the rest of Pierceson before your next class starts."

"Okay. Tara po sa cafeteria," pag-aya sa akin ni Myron. "Doon ako madalas mang-hunting ng chikababes."

"Alright, Lover Boy," I answered, poking fun at him.

He laughed. "Mana lang po sa'yo, Kuya."

Together, Myron and I left the College of Accountancy and Finance building. My mood considerably lightened as the face of the idiot who I'm sure was trying to win Mira back disappeared from my view.

Sorry, Stupid Chase. Mira is mine, so just go back to Australia and play with your fellow kangaroos.