Love Me Instead

LMI# 20: THE RUMOR

Love Me Instead

Chapter 20: The Rumor

Grayson

"SO THERE has to be a progress between you guys, right?"

Isinilid ko ang cellphone sa bulsa nang makabalik si Ben mula sa pagbabalik ng tray ng pinagkainan namin.

It's lunch time and since our professor dismissed us early, we got to eat our lunch earlier than most of the students here. Talk about luck.

"Sinasabi mo diyan?" Sumandal ako sa upuan habang iniiwasan ang tingin ni Ben.

"Just be a man and do it already." Naglapag siya ng maliit na plastic sa lamesa na nasa harapan at ngumiti nang nakakaloko.

"What is this?"

Kunot-noo kong kinuha ang plastic at agad na nabitawan nang ito'y aking baliktarin at mapansin ang pabilog na kurba sa loob nito. It's a... something that prevents you from impregnating someone.

"What? Oh, come on. Don't act like a f*ckin' old virgin, man. It's not like it's your first time seeing that, " natatawang asar nito sa'kin.

Kinuha ko ito at inihagis sa kanya habang natatawa at naiiling sa sinabi nito.

"That's obviously not for me. You're finally poppin' some cherry tonight, lover boy?" pang-aasar ko sa kanya pabalik.

Tinawanan lang ako ng g*go habang isinisilid ang packet ng condom sa kanyang bag. Baliw din ang isang 'to, e.

"Props lang 'to. Ayoko pang maging ama," sagot niya.

I looked at him and immediately furrowed my brows as if he said something out of this world. I mean let's get things straight... When did he actually say something that makes sense?

"I mean... That thing serves like a... kind of protection for you to avoid being a father for all you know." I stopped and stared at him, waiting for his response but he remained silent so I continued. "Bro, are you on drugs?"

Just like what he did earlier, he just laughed his ass off and went away like nothing happened. I watched his back while he was waving his hand at me relently like an idiot that he was.

Right... I don't know that guy. That is absolutely not my friend.

"Gray!"

Agad din namang nawala sa isip ko ang kabaliwan ni Ben nang banggitin ni Elise ang pangalan ko.

Binasa ko ang labi ko at pasimpleng ngumiti nang maglakad ito patungo sa gawi ko.

"I just saw you with Ben earlier. Where is he?" she asked while flashing her sweetest smile at me.

"Probably went to the toilet to take a dump? I don't know."

She laughed while tucking the strands of her hair at the back of her ears. I always knew I'm good at making girls laugh. It's probably within my nature.

"Mind if I... sit with you here?"

"Sure, why not?"