Chapter 14

I was about to go out of the car when Tita Amira immediately opened the door of the backseat and went inside. I slowly closed the door of the shotgun seat because it seems like I'll stay seated here.

"Gael? Come on, let's go!" Tita Amira said in an enthusiastic tone.

Gael looked at his mom on the back through the rearview mirror with his forehead creased but never uttered a single word and maneuvered the car to go.

"Uh... Thank you for inviting me for dinner, Tita," I said after a while.

"This won't top compared before where my son would always have a meal in your house," Tita Amira said.

I smiled and chuckled a little, reminiscing those good old days.

Gael cleared his throat before glancing at his Mom through the rearview mirror again. He was obviously embarrassed about it when actually everything was just fine.

"Right. Where is your boyfriend, Amelia?"

I shifted on my seat to turn to Tita Amira's way. "Revi's tired so he's probably asleep, Tita."

"Gosh! That child, really. He's so rigid about studying! Does he still have time to spend with you?

"Actually, we went to Ciudad earlier. It's a long drive so he's tired."

"Is it a date?"

I immediately felt the heat on my cheeks, blushing. Revi and I are together for years, yet here I am, still blushing like it's the first time.

I nodded shyly which made Tita Amira laugh.

Tita Amira reserved our dinner at one of the popular restaurants here in the city of Durem. She said that they were supposed to have dinner when they saw me. She said it was good to see me on their way because she thought that if she didn't, they'll have dinner too early.

Gael was just so silent that Tita Amira has to nudge him. I don't find Gael's attitude rude though. Well, maybe for some but for me, no. I know him for quite so long that I am already used to it.

When the dinner was served, Tita Amira took out her cellphone from her bag and took some pictures of the food on the table.

"Hey, let's take a picture together. Smile, guys!" Tita Amira said after bringing her cellphone in front, where we would fit together within the camera frame.

"Ma, stop it," Gael said with gritted teeth.

"Come'n, Gael. Let's just take one picture, you're such a killjoy!"

Gael sighed and looked at the camera. I smiled awkwardly and made a peace sign while Gael was just so serious.

"Give me a smile, Gael," Tita Amira said. "You looked like a codger!"

I laughed at that which made Gael turn to my direction. Without warning, I heard a camera click.

"It's done! It's done!" Tita Amira shrieked with excitement while looking on her phone.

I don't know if the picture that Tita Amira took came out good but Gael looked like he didn't care at all and besides, Tita Amira didn't invite me to see and immediately placed her phone inside her handbag.

"Bon Appétit," Tita Amira said before we started eating.

"Ma, we have a deal. After dinner, I'll then take you home. I still have to go somewhere, right?" Gael said after drinking his water.

Tita Amira chewed her food properly before wiping her lips elegantly with the table napkin. "That's plain rude, Lincoln Gael. We didn't even finish eating yet."

Gael didn't seem to mind though. We are in the midst of our meal but Gael was just simply rude which made me want to laugh.

'Fck manners maketh man,' I could hear Gael inside my head.

"And... can't you postpone your errand?"

"Ma, we already talked about this. I agreed for a dinner in exchange for that," Gael said.

"You make it sounds like I owe you one. Gael, I am your mother!"

It seems normal for the two of them to talk like this so I was just eating quietly. And besides, the food was too delicious that it was irresistible. I don't want to interrupt their argument and just focused on eating.

"I didn't say that you aren't," Gael whispered which I heard.

"Fine. We had a deal so okay," Tita Amira said. "But we have Amelia here-"

"We'll take her home," Gael cut her off.

"A-ah... there must be a taxi at this hour-"

"We are the one who invited you Amelia so it's just right that we'll take you home," Gael said.

I nodded and smiled at him. May natitira naman din palang kabutihan sa taong ito eh.

When we finished eating, we stayed for a while to rest before going out of the restaurant. Even though it's already late at night, there are still people inside. And of course, they're surely rich because when I saw the menu earlier, my eyes were almost gauged out of its place. I almost choked on my saliva when I saw how expensive their foods are.

Until now, I really can't agree with the prices of the food in some high-end restaurants. Even when it's so little that it would look like a small dot served in a spacious plate and was only added with spinach or an oily leaves or sometimes with minimal sauce, it was still expensive! And I don't know why some people keep on dining although it would just reach your throat and would not be enough to fill a stomach.

It was delicious. You said it, Amelia.

And I don't know either why am I thinking about that right now. As of now, it's the less of my concern.

Tita Amira held her stomach when we're outside of the restaurant while Gael talked to the valet for a bit. I held Tita Amira's arm when she grimaced in pain while caressing her stomach softly.

"Are you okay, Tita?" I asked worriedly.

After Gael finished talking to the valet, he went to us.

"I think you should take me home first, Gael. My stomach hurts so bad," Tita Amira said in a grimace.

"There's a comfort room inside the restaurant, Ma-"

"Hell no! That's indecent, Gael!" Tita Amira cried, never giving her decency away.

"You should take Tita home, Gael. I'll just hail a taxi. I'm sure there will be nearby," I suggested.

Tita Amira stood up properly in a sudden and held both of my shoulders while staring at me, silently pleading about something I didn't know.

"No! I mean, no. Because... uh, it's because-"

I heard Gael's deep sigh who doesn't even seem worried about his mother's current state. "I'll take you home first and then Amelia. How's that?" Gael said.

Tita Amira strongly agreed while bouncing a little who didn't seem like she was hurting.

"Uh... careful, Tita." I reminded her which made her purse her lips and nod.

"Oh!" Tita Amira then caressed her stomach and winced in pain.

Gael shot his brows up and opened the backseat's door. Tita Amira immediately went inside so I have no choice but to sit in the shogun seat again.

"Take care!" Tita Amira said when Gael dropped her mother right in front of their house.

"Thank you again, Tita."

Gael just nodded to his mom before he maneuvered the car. My boarding house is not that far from here. I think it would at least take 30 minutes or more for us to get there.

"Does she have a stomach ache or... was she just acting it all up?" I heard Gael mumbling while his left arm is leaning on the full opened window.

I turned to face him with a question evident in my eyes. "What?"

He tore his eyes off the road to glance at me. "I was just doubting Mama's stomach ache."

My forehead creased because of what he said. "Why would you think that?"

He shrugged and looked back on the road. He didn't say anything and just poured his attention towards the road. I leaned comfortably on the seat's backrest and stared at the closed window.

When we arrived in front of my boarding house, I immediately took my seatbelt off.

"Thank you for the dinner... and for the ride," I said. He just simply nodded and looked back in the front, dismissing me.

I cleared my throat before going out of the car. I was about to shut the door close when he said something. "You really are naive, Amelia."

My lips protruded a bit. "I'll take that as a compliment, Gael."

"Do so," he said nonchalantly before I closed the car door. He then revved the engine and went off with a slapdash. Well, his urge to drive aggressively is strong whenever he's alone.

Days passed and everything was fine. My days were spent for school and studies, group meetings, organization meetings, friends' hangout, and of course, to add color and not a spice to my life, a date with Revi.

It's just a small date with Revi across the university, eating street foods.

"Dehlia's throwing a party this Friday. An advance birthday party, she said," Revi said to me.

I nodded after drinking water on my bottle. "I thought her birthday would be held on her exact day? Uh... Sunday."

He shrugged. "Maybe she's spending that very day with her family or with someone special... who knows."

"Does she have a boyfriend?" I asked, intrigued.

Revi let out a chuckle. "That woman settles less than that. I don't know, maybe she's keeping a fling."

"That's what you do before we happened, Revi Dmitricon."

"Hey, foul!"

"That's the truth, though."

"Well, you're right. But I have you now and you're my girlfriend so let's leave the past behind."

I smiled. "Don't worry. I am not actually bothered one bit."

He tousled my hair which made it a mess. He does this all the time so I always have my comb inside my bag.

"Anyway, you want to come? Dehlia invited you, you know."

Revi's friend is my friend too. I know Dehlia as a mean and blatantly honest woman but besides that, she's totally okay and fun to be with. Some say, Dehlia Minosa is a bitch but I agree less by that. I just think that she's too honest and straightforward that it is often mistaken as rude and mean when actually, she's just simply voicing her opinions out.

"Where would she throw her party?"

"Dorolo," he answered.

"Well, yes."

"Not the Dorolo's coffee shop, Amelia. The bar on the second floor," he said like I've mistaken something as another something when actually, I get it.

"I'm with you so that's fine. It's not like I'm allergic to bar or something so don't treat me like one, Revi."

He chuckled deeply. "Talaga? It will be Friday afternoon though."

I looked at him in awe. "Afternoon? And you agreed? Don't you have a class that specific day?"

"Cut me some slack, Amelia. I don't have any plans on cutting classes just for that. We're vacant the whole afternoon this Friday so it would be okay."

"Why not in the evening when Saturday is the next day?"

"I don't know with the birthday celebrant and why's that," he said, chuckling.

I checked my class schedule on my phone. It's already our second semester at this time of the year so there's changes in our subjects as well as the schedule of classes. I haven't memorized my schedule for the whole week yet so I needed to check my student load.

"Our professor for the last minor subject on Friday afternoon is on leave for two weeks. Maybe I could reach on time?" I asked without sparing Revi a glance and was only looking on my phone, trying to make sure but it is what is written on my student load.

"Hmm?" I then lifted my head only to meet his gaze.

"I think Dehlia's planning to drop dead so you'll reach there on time, I guess."