Monday morning, Chet and Atid were waiting for Gulf infont of his lecture room.
"He's coming you better do right." Atid whispered when he saw Gulf coming. "Hey Gulf," he greeted more enthusiastic than necessary.
"Hey Tid,"
"Hey Gulf," Chet calmly greeted,
"Hey man," Gulf greeted back.
"I'm sorry for blowing off last time. That was so wrong of me and I kinda overstepped my boundaries. I'm sorry."
"It's no biggie."
"No it is. I miss you. I've missed you for 6 good years. I feel like I'm losing you again."
"I've just been caught up with moving in,"
"Wait you went back home already?" Atid pinched Chet after his remarks.
"Yes I did." Gulf responded with a straight face.
"You don't seem excited about it. See that's what I was worried about Gulf."
"I'll be ok."
"What did he say? Did he insult you?" Chet was being overprotective Bestfriend.
"No it's nothing serious. I feel like I need it so I can untangle all the bad feelings I have for him."
"And you think you can accomplish that by being with him in the same vicinity?" Chet questioned.
"I know what I'm doing Chet." Gulf replied.
"Do you? You totally seem like you don't." Chet challenged.
"Get in class gentleman," the lecturer instructed.
Gulf smiled and went in class.
Chet and Atid walked to their respective classrooms not before Atid said,
"It'll be ok Chet. He is a strong man now."
Chet shook his head. "No he's not. He may act like it but we both know he's faking it. Deep down we know Gulf is an emotional mess that's why this façade is disconcerting."
After school Gulf headed to work. His demeanor screamed unapproachable.
"Are you ok Gulf?" His supervisor asked as Mew came in.
"Yes I'm ok, why do you ask?" Gulf asked surprised by the inquiry.
"You have a frown on your face." The supervisor pointed out.
"Oh, today's classes were confusing I guess I'm still confused about what I learnt today."
The supervisor laughed and went on his business.
"Is it really school?"
"Yeah it is."
"You don't have to lie to me you know? Are they your friends?"
"No we're good now. We talked today and they apologized." Gulf revealed.
"Great. That's great to hear." Mew said nodding his head.
"Yeah."
The rest of the day went by and Gulf was not engaging Mew like he used to. His mind was filled to the brim with the thought of his mother. He hadn't stopped thinking about her since that night.
Mew kept on side glancing but Gulf was not in the mood. He wondered why he was acting like that when the last time they met they had a good time.
Every time he tried to talk to Gulf, Gulf just brushed him off or dismissed him with the excuse of being tied up.
Mew ended up leaving without talking to Gulf and this happened for two more days
Thursday, Gulf asked Chet and Atid to meet for some drinks but both gave excuses of being being busy and they promised him they would meet him on Friday.
Friday night, Chet called Gulf just before he left work, telling him something came up with Atid and they couldn't meet.
Gulf was feeling the need to drink but he just didn't want it to do it by himself since the last time he woke up in a gay man's house.
Speaking about a gay man, Gulf was now leaving the office when he was being pulled in a hug by Mew.
"Realized I couldn't leave without giving your hug."
"How did you know I needed it." Gulf said with no sincerity in his words.
"I'm glad. For a minute I thought you were regretting our last time together." Mew confessed.
"No why would I?" Gulf asked pretending to be shocked.
"I don't know you just seemed distant this last week." Mew confessed.
"I've been thinking about my mother a lot." He truthfully told.
"Aah I see, I didn't know I thought you don't want to keep this going."
Gulf sighed and said, "I do Phi, I do."
"Ok. Prove it and go out with me for dinner?"
"I was thinking I could use some drinks."
"Drinking it is. Let's go."
Instead of taking Gulf to a club, he took him to a fancy bar.
As soon as they walked in, Gulf spotted two familiar heads on a table. The atmosphere looking serious than usual.
Chet looked up and saw Gulf walk in with someone. He told Atid and Atid looked back surprised.
Gulf looked around and saw only couples in the room. He licked his teeth as he saw his two friends approach him.
"Gulf what are you doing here?" Atid asked.
"I should be asking you that. I thought something happened to you." He asked Atid but somehow he ended up looking at Chet.
"Oh yeah," Atid looked at Chet for help,
"He wanted to tell me something so I suggested we come here."
Gulf nodded, "I see."
"Who's your friend?" Chet asked, "he looks awefully familiar."
"I've seen you guys around a couple of times. I thought you were a couple."
The way Gulf turned to Mew with an eyebrow raised had Chet panicking. "Oh on we're not like that. We're Bestfriends. The three of us."
"Oh these are the friends you fought with?" Mew's honesty was unnecessary at this point.
"Gulf who is he?" Atid asked again.
"Oh I'm.." Mew extended his arm to greet the two but Gulf stopped his arm
"He is my coworker. We have things to discuss about work so we came out here to talk it over drinks."
Mew controlled his forehead so much that it wouldn't scrunch with confusion.
There was a moment of silence as four guys stood awkwardly in the middle of the bar.
"We'll go back to our table now." Chef said holding Atid's elbow.
"Sure you guys go ahead." Gulf dismissed them.
As soon as the two turned around Gulf was dragging Mew out of the bar.
"What just happened?" Mew questioned his head blank.
"Good question. What just happened?" Gulf repeated with his own confusion.
"You tell me."
"Oh there's nothin much to tell. Just that my Bestfriends are on a date is what happened." Sarcasm was coated in Gulf's response.
"Well you're on a date too Nong," Mew pointed out. He had clearly asked him out on a date.
"Am I now?" Gulf nonchalantly asked and Mew stopped surprised by his attitude.
"You know sometimes I wonder if you're naturally cold hearted or it comes and goes."
"It comes and goes" Gulf replied with a chuckle.
"Why did we leave?" Mew seriously asked.
"I just want to give them privacy. If they can hide their relationship like this it means something is going on that I don't know of. I don't want to be in their way."
"Now you're being a good friend just after confusing me a couple of seconds ago."
They found another bar and went in. Gulf couldn't drink a single sip afraid that he might forget about tonight.
"You're not drinking?" Mew raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't it fascinating?" Gulf asked his thumb playing with the handle on his glass of beer.
"What is?"
"Liquids can fit into anything. It can take any shape of any container."
"Are we doing science recital?"
"It's just fascinating that humans are trying to adopt this fluidity concept to suit their selfish needs."
"I would ask if you're drunk but I clearly know you aren't so where is this coming from? Sexuality is fluid! Is that what you're referring to? I thought you were gay too?"
"I'm not gay." Gulf shook his head in denial.
"Oh you're not?"
Gulf smiled, "no im not. Can we talk about something else?"
"Something else? Ok let's talk about something else. What's going on between us? What is this?"
"I like you." Gulf lied with a straight face.
"Do you?"
"I do."
"Doesn't seem like it."
Gulf gulped down his beer atlast.
"Look, I've never been in a relationship before. It's been a while since I've felt loved and right now I'm just confused and I don't know how to act. I know I seem weird blunt and too much but I can be nice too."
"I see."
Gulf had tried to explain but Mew couldn't feel his sincerity. Gulf's feelings were not consistent and Mew noticed. At one point point he acted like he cared and the next he didn't even try.
He was getting ready to leave when he said, "You clearly look like you're not ready so I think we should-
Sacrifices are in order for greater result. Gulf thought balling his fists and moving in to kiss Mew right on the lips.