James had been acting strange. He was exchanging messages with someone non-stop and I could see his forehead furrow every time he would not get a reply on time. A few times, I even heard him talking over the phone.
"Where are you? Who are you with? Are you meeting her again?" I had never heard him that possessive before.
Was he dating someone? How come I've never heard of it?
"Who was that?" I asked him as we walked towards the AMV Building.
"No one in particular." He replied vaguely.
"Really? How come you sounded so possessive?"
"Was I?"
"Yeah, you sounded like a jealous lover. You're not dating anyone, are you? I mean, it would hurt me if you are and you haven't told us about it." I teased him.
"How can I even think about dating? I'm engaged, Clark. Even if it's against my will, it would still be unfair to anyone I would date." James replied.
"That's the problem with you, you always put other people's well-being before your own."
"Sometimes I need to think about myself. There's nothing wrong about being selfish once in a while." He continued. "Someone said exactly the same thing to me."
"And who is that?" I asked him, hoping to get even a little bit of information from him.
"No one in particular." He replied again.
"Come on, James, at least give me something." I complained.
"Where is Damien, is he with Teo already?" He immediately changed the topic.
Every time Teo is around, or even if just his name would come up in a conversation, I would notice James' mood getting brighter. He's always with a smile when Teo is involved, that's why I was so sure that he was into Teo.
Then this secret lover came along, and I don't anymore. I mean, Teo still makes him smile, but someone else was making him very possessive.
He was exhibiting two classic characteristics of a person in love, just in two different people. I never pegged him as polyamorous, but I was beginning to think just that.
"I hope we catch that stalker soon before he could anything to harm Teo." I said out of pure concern for him.
"If that creep does anything to hurt Teo, I would kill him." James wasn't joking, I could tell that. His eyes were so filled with anger just by the thought of Teo getting hurt.
He's really confusing. He never said anything about liking Teo, and he never even did anything big to show it, but his smile and the way he worries about him... those are enough to know what he really feels.
I got a message from Axel, "Hurry up, we have an emergency," it read.
"What's wrong? What happened?" I replied.
"Peter's doppelganger." Axel replied shortly.
I turned my head to James and looked back at my phone instantly. He was still unaware about the new tenant across Teo and Axel's unit. Not only does the man looked exactly like Peter, they even share the same name.
It was not just uncanny, it was weird, creepy, and very scary.
When we arrived at the restaurant, everything seemed fine, except Teo was very quiet.
"Axel, let's buy some milk tea." I told him as an excuse to talk to him in private.
He told me what happened as we bought our drinks. "How can such coincidence happen? First, he looks like Peter, then they even share the same first name, he lives across the hall, and now he's a professor in our department?" Axel complained.
"I'm worried." I told him. "Those three still doesn't know about him, and I don't know how they would react. I mean, James might just brush it off, but Damien and Teo..." I sighed.
"I know, they're both deeply connected to Peter..." Axel agreed. "They were both devastated when Peter died, but now someone exactly like him shows up."
"How did Teo react when he saw the picture?"
"You saw him, he's very quiet. I think he's very confused right now. Peter was his first love, he was heartbroken when Peter died, if it wasn't for Damien, Teo wouldn't have recovered as fast as he did."
"You should talk to Teo. I mean, if Teo started acting differently with Damien because of that guy..."
"I don't think Teo would waver... As far as I know, he is crazy about Damien..."
"Actually, I'm more concern about Damien being insecure all of a sudden." I sighed. "When they had that misunderstanding, and Teo didn't contact him, he started thinking the worst. When it comes to Teo, Damien could be really extreme."
"You know, we should have at least have faith in them. I don't think that a look-alike would cause so much trouble in their relationship."
"I hope not. Those two already had gone through a lot just to be together."
When we got back to the restaurant, there were two sets of eyes looking at Teo very worriedly. He was still very quiet, obviously bothered by what he saw.
"Teo, I got you some Milo frappe." Axel approached Teo with a smile.
I was surprised by Teo's reaction, usually, that drink would be enough to boost his mood, but he only took the cup from Axel with a blank expression.
Damien ruffled Teo's hair and the placed the latter's head on his shoulder.
I admire Damien for not forcing Teo to say what was bothering him, instead, he just stayed by his side, doing everything he could to cheer him up.
I wonder, would anything change if Damien finds out what was bothering Teo?
As Damien continued on caressing his hair, Teo suddenly sighed. "There's going to be a new young professor on the CE department." Teo said. "I saw his picture... He looks exactly like Peter."
Damien froze for a second and then looked at Teo. "Is that why you're so quiet...?" He stayed calm, despite hearing that Teo saw someone who looked exactly like Peter. Though, I'm sure things would be different once he finds out the extent of that man's likeness to his cousin.
He might not be showing it, but I'm sure it bothered him how Teo seemed affected by Peter's lookalike. I mean, Peter is Teo's first love after all.
"I just remembered him all of a sudden, that's all." Teo said with a sad smile. "Sorry, for making you worried." He looked at Damien with a melancholic expression. "I think I need to visit Peter soon." Teo sighed.
"Let's go together, just tell me when..." Damien replied.
We were walking back to the condo when Marissa called me. She was asking if Axel and I were available the following Saturday. She wanted to hang out with us.
I was really glad to hear that. Finally, I was rekindling my friendship with her. I was hoping that it was the start of our renewed friendship.
"So, what do you think? Are you free next Saturday?" I asked Axel.
"Ummm..." He said as he exchanged looks with Teo. It was very suspicious. "I don't know, I have something scheduled..."
"What game?" I asked. Knowing him, his schedule was just a whole day of gaming.
"Oh come on..." Axel complained. "You're not going to be one those who make me choose between you or a game, are you?"
You're smart; trying to turn the table around and making me feel guilty instead. This is frustrating... I was suddenly hit by the realization that Axel was more experienced than I was.
It's not like I can complain about him not having any time for me either, because as he was so deeply in love with games, I was busy with making and editing YouTube videos. In fact, I was the one who canceled our date last week because I needed to shoot a video with Damien and James.
"Should I just cancel, then?"
"Why would you cancel? You wanted to be friends with her again, now it's finally happening. You should go out with her." Axel said.
"You think so? She wanted to hang out with the both of us, though..."
"Look, don't take this the wrong way, but you are her friend, not me. I don't really have to be there, you know."
"I know, but she seemed to be really interested in having you around..."
"Why? It's not like we hit things off the last time we met."
"Axel, you don't like Marissa, do you? It's fine if you don't. It's not like I'm going to force you to like my friends." I told him sulkily.
"It's not that... It's just that..." Axel sighed. "If you really want me to be there, then I'll go with you."
Teo cleared his throat and exchanged some weird looks with Axel. Something was definitely going on between those two, and I just can't figure out what.
When we got back to our unit, Damien finally confided his true feelings to us. "Do you guys think Teo is still hanged up about Peter?" He asked. 'I mean, do you think he's really over him?"
"Damien, I don't think you should be worried about someone who happens to look like Peter." James said. "Besides, everyone could see how much Teo is into you."
"Don't you trust Teo?" I asked him, trying to incite some guilt for doubting Teo.
"I do." He replied instantly. "But Teo had known Peter ever since he was young, he had been in love with him ever since. I know Peter is resting now, but I know that love isn't that easy to forget."
Damien was being jealous over Peter's memory, and I can't blame him. I know myself how heavy a memory of love can weigh in someone's heart.
"You're forgetting something, Damien." James said. "You're the one who helped Teo get over Peter. Teo said it himself; Peter might be his first love, but you are his greatest." James.
I know James was sincere in encouraging Damien, but still, I felt hurt for him. At the back of my head, I still believed that he liked Teo. He just cares so much about Damien and Teo that he would never even think of doing anything that might hurt them.
"He did say that..." Damien sighed.
Unless you are close to Damien, you would never really understand how crazy he is for Teo. Judging by his looks, you might think that he is the most confident man on earth, he had every reason to be, but when Teo is involved, all of his insecurities would just come out.
Seeing how Damien was reacting over the mere knowledge that someone looks like Peter, I was starting to doubt if it was a good idea to tell him that the very guy he was unreasonably worried about lives just across the hall from Teo's unit.
Hanging out with Marissa proved to be a very bad choice. We agreed on going to a bar the following Saturday, but she never mentioned anything about Nelson joining us.
I can't believe she brought Nelson. What is she thinking?
"What's that bastard doing here?" Axel clicked his tongue as he lost patience.
"Clark, Axel!" Marissa called as she waved at us at the parking lot. "Let's all go in together." She said with a smile. "I hope you don't mind Nelson joining us. I mean it's been years, we should put everything behind us and start anew." She said.
I gave in to her request, only because I wanted things to be better between us. Though, Axel didn't seem too happy about it.
"Axel, do you play pool? Let's play a round." Marissa said as she pulled Axel towards the pool table.
Axel didn't say anything, he only looked at me and Nelson with sharp eyes. I could tell that he was angry. I understand him, he was angry that I agreed for Nelson to join us. He must be really disappointed at me.
I couldn't take my eyes off them. Marissa was being too touchy, and I couldn't help but feel that she was sending flirty vibes towards Axel.
What is she doing? Why is she so close to Axel? What are you trying to do Marissa?
"Clark, did you hear me?" Nelson asked me.
"Let's not pretend that we're okay." I told him. "The only reason why I stayed is because of Marissa."
"You must be happy that she reached out to you." He said.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Don't trust her too much." Nelson said.
"What? If I remember correctly, when she was hospitalized, you asked me to visit her. Now, you're telling me not to trust her. What's your deal, Nelson? What game are you playing now?"
"That's true, she was the one who asked me to bring you over when she was confined." Nelson admitted. "But, I didn't know then what was she trying to do."
"What are you trying saying? Just say it." I was losing my patience with him.
"Look at her." Nelson said. "Tell me, do you still not get it?"
Marissa was leaning forward as she took her shot. He short shorts revealed her white and skinny legs. Anyone could tell that her focus was not on the game, but on getting Axel's attention instead.
"That can't be..."
"You know what Marissa is like." Nelson replied. "Clark, I know that you're happy to reconnect with her, but be careful. It might not mean much coming from me, but don't trust her just yet."
I don't trust Nelson, but I know Marissa too well. I didn't want to admit it, but Nelson was getting in my head. I was starting to doubt Marissa's intention.