IMPOSSIBLE BARGAIN

That night, Kenny was not able to sleep properly. She twists and turns on her bed like a caterpillar wiggling on a newly sprouted Calamansi leaf. There's something that made her feel anxious yet excited at the idea of being approached and matched with someone. It felt like it was a dream but at the same time, it felt surreal and her anxiety was resurfacing in her heart. For someone who hides herself in the corners, this approach makes her feel important, like someone who was lost and now found.

However, that's just what her heart wanted -- a want that is far etched at the back of her mind, and no longer entertained the idea of it coming into fruition. She's already coming to terms with it that what she wanted is a farfetched idea, thus saving herself from future assumptions and heartbreak.

Thinking of what Derek told her, she puked at the idea. That guy, that rude guy seems to have an aversion to women, not minding the fact that he is much younger than she is. Her pride cannot be accepted. It's an impossible bargain! Might as well Derek offered himself, which she would gladly accept. 

A plan brewed in her anxious mind how to decline that. Finding ways how to make it believable in case they happen to meet again at the mall or anywhere. This world is just a small one and whether she kept hiding or not, one day they will happen to meet again. Yes, she's the queen of excuses and she's memorizing her invisible script.

'But who are you to be so choosey, Kenny?' a tiny voice in her head was trying to resist her choices out of anxiety. 'I am no one', she agitatedly argued with herself, "I just want to live in peace!'. She slapped herself.

If one would be able to see her right now, one might think she has gone nuts from years of seclusion. Arguing with herself, talking back and forth, one might call the psychiatric ward and have her fetched.

On the other side, Derek was busily concocting plans on how these two matches in heaven could meet without them knowing. It's something like a 'fateful meeting' of two destined lovebirds and he is enjoying being the matchmaker. He laughed hard at the thought of seeing Joshua getting his counterpart. They said one person has to be the water and the other has to be fire, but these two are both fires. They're a match after all! 

He took out his phone and messaged Joshua to have dinner with him at the Emperor's Café, the usual hang-out place they go to if the group decides to meet at where Derek has complete authority. 

Joshua was reviewing his lessons for tomorrow and suddenly his phone beeped twice, along with the slight vibration coming from it, getting his attention. He looked at it and opened the message he got from Derek. He scoffed. This again? 'This dude is insane.' He told himself, shaking his head in annoyance. He has already been declining lots of girls and blind dates and this? This dude doesn't know how to give up this idea. Why is it always me and not him? He is older than me and he needs to date first! 

He was about to reply to Derek's message when suddenly he beat him into it. 'Ugh Derek!' he exclaimed.

"Yo," Joshua said in a flat tone. 

"Oh. Seems like I disturbed something," Derek laughed, aware that the other line was already fuming mad.

"You did," Joshua retorted. "You disturbed my peace of mind as always."

Derek laughed again, giggling like a teenage boy. "Dude, you should be glad that I am your matchmaker. You need to pay me with a lump sum of money for this."

"Did I even ask you to?" 'What a sass,' Derek told himself upon hearing his friend's chagrin. He laughed, he just couldn't hold his laughter, teasing him was the best. "You have been doing it even without my consent." Joshua matter-of-fact said. One might think he is 'gay', but luckily, the other end of the line is his best buddy. "Dude, you're always acting like a pained bratty girl whenever I match you with a chica. Don't tell me you prefer someone with a disco stick?" With that Derek burst out laughing, as if he just made the funniest joke. 

"What the actual fuck, bro? You serious?" Joshua utters in disbelief. "You do know I can end this call, right?"

"No, I was just kidding," Derek said trying hard not to laugh again.

"Ugh, dude, why are you always pushing me with the blind dates? You should be the one looking for yourself. You're a gruncle!" 

"Look, out of the 6, you are the loveless here. I am just doing you a favor. You should thank me." Derek chuckled. "And I attract lots of babes, but you, you keep pushing people away. Now I'm beginning to think you are into a sword stick fight." 

"What? Hell no. Dude, I am straight as fuck." 

"Just try tho. No harm in trying." Derek doesn't know when to give up since it is his best buddy's future happiness all about.

"Fine." Joshua gave up.

"Don't forget to text that number, alright?" Derek reminded him before Joshua ended the call. 

"In your dreams!" he irritatedly threw his phone onto his backpack. Mumbling, he said to himself, "What a nonsense thing to do, wasting his time just to look for a match." 

Clearly, out of the 6, he is the most workaholic and has no time for any love matters. For him, love is an unnecessary thing. It is costly.

Little did he know, that the person he was going to text has also the same thought as him. 

Love is indeed costly.