Tricks for a Heart [mlm]

Chapter 9

I both dread and anticipate the arrival of the weekend.

It gets into my head so badly that I sometimes miss replying to Luqman's texts, which mostly consists of him being excited to take me out to his favourite stalls and diners. It's probably the agitation and nerves of the possibility that these conversations might extend to something more later, which freaks me out so much.

What's funnier is that I'm already expecting him to call. I realize that Luqman has also stopped asking for my permission to ring me on my commute home, which he usually does.

"Mmhmm," Shafiq clears his throat. "Hello? I'm still here, my friend."

I get wide-eyed looking away from my phone, turning my attention to Shafiq. "What?"

"For the hundredth time, where should we eat tonight?" Shafiq asks. "Elena insists that you choose this time."

I groan, really hating the fact that it's my turn to choose our dinner place of the day. I just remember that we're eating out tonight. Am I really zoning out so bad due from being so focused on my gay chicken business with Luqman?

"Fast food's fine," I say as we both arrive at the platform. "Been a while since I had a Big Mac."

"Ugh, not McD!" Shafiq complains. "I really feel like eating rice today."

"We had rice for lunch, so a burger's fine for dinner, Fiq."

"Not you being the one to police our diets," Shafiq says. He has a funny look at first, but I chuckle as soon as I sense the guilt filling his face. "No—I don't mean—"

I laugh out loud at that. "Oopsie, is that a jab on my weight?"

"No—not at all—I'm sorry if—"

"So I can't be mindful of our nutritional intake as the fat friend in the group?"

"No, Adam! That's totally not what I meant—"

God, I really love Shafiq. "It's okay lah, Fiq." I shake my head and grin, and my heart speeds up again as soon as Luq's message pops in: can i call now? hehe.

"So ..." Shafiq says, "Elena's really against me saying anything about this, but I can't help it. You're seeing someone at the moment, aren't you?"

"N—no!" I say, suddenly bringing the phone nearer to my chest.

"Don't act like it's a bad thing!" Shafiq says when the train stops at the platform. "It's been a while too since you and Shawn called it off."

"It hasn't even been a year, Shafiq."

"I thought six months are already considered a century in gay years." Shafiq starts to pull out his phone and I'm relieved to see its sight. I need him to not notice my phone call with Luqman as per usual, which he apparently does. Which is why he assumes I'm currently texting someone.

That's not good.

"You have no business remembering such details about the gay community," I tell him. "But no ... it's nobody."

"But you've been on the phone with someone, all giggly and giddy since last week," Shafiq says. "Who would it be if it's not a special someone?"

"It's totally not a special someone," I argue.

"Like who? Minho?"

I almost choke hearing that. Shafiq doesn't have an accusatory tone, and I know he's saying it out of a joke. Which makes things harder because I am talking to Minho. The fact that Shafiq regards the idea that I'm talking to Luqman as something silly kind of scares me more.