CHAPTER 4: YOUR CALL

"Im home!." I shouted as I dropped my bag in the sofa.

I was greeted by the eerie silence.

Yep I'm home alright, nothing new I guess.

I took the remote from the center table and turned the t.v on. I stood up and make my way to my room to change my clothes.

When I enter my room I notice a white envelope with a green sticky note. It's from my mom.

Note: This is your allowance for next week. I already filled  the fridge and the pantry. I can't be home for 5 days. Eat at the exact time and pick up when I call you. Study well and don't come home so late. -MOM

Wow. Isn't that great?? Home alone again for the next 5 days.. sigh ..

I started living with my mom when I started high school. It was my aunt my mom's sister who raised me. As for my dad, he's gone working overseas and never remembered to come back home at least that what's my mom told me.

I'm cool with that, I mean what you don't know won't hurt you right?

My mom is an international operations specialist for a big tech company, her job requires her to travel a lot and when she's home she's either too tired or too drunk to even  ask me how I was. I Always wondered why my mom chooses to drown herself in alcohol whenever she's home, she never talk about her problems to me. I feel like we are two strangers forced to lived together.

Like any other growing teenagers, I longed for a companionship and warmth of a loving family. I feel lonely and alone but never mustered the courage to reach out to anyone, it's hard for me to understand people's emotion.

It's been so long since I accepted how twisted my mind is, I spend a great time alone in my room. Creating my own world with the help of my Computer. I'm known online as the writer, Happy23. I mostly write fantasy romance stories taking inspirations from my own experiences specially my crush alex.

Speaking of alex, his actions earlier really took me by surprise. I never expected for him to be so cool about pretending to be my boyfriend, I mean I am thankful for him for going along with my debauchery but I can't help getting anxious of what his going to ask of me in return.

After I changed my clothes, I go straight to the kitchen to make myself dinner. It's still 5:00 pm but I usually eat my dinner at 6:30 so that I still have a lot of time finishing up my stories before I get to bed at 9 pm. I opened the freezer to take out the frozen meat. I'm gonna make myself pork adobo, I'll make enough to last till tomorrow's dinner.  I prepared the other ingredients and started cooking.

"Hmm.. hmmm  .."  I hummed as I stirred the pot with the adobo.

The delicious smell filled the kitchen, it's making me smile, good food really calms the soul.

Bzzt. bzzzt. The phone buzzed I just received a message.

Oh Irish don't usually text me, she always like to do video calls and my mom well let's just say she calls when she's sober. I wonder who it is.

Text:

From: 09*********

 RN Supermall Quezon city branch. Second floor Beans and Pages Café beside Hydrogene clothes store.

Be there at 11 am sharp don't be late, I hate waiting. lunch is on me.

 Save my number as MY BABE ALEX.

I rubbed my eyes to make sure that I'm not seeing things. Oh my god! Its really a text from alex. But wait, I didn't know alex is the demanding bossy type. I love him nonetheless. Everything about him is just perfect. I smiled as I took my phone to my chest. It's just a text message but it gives me butterflies in my stomach. How will I reply? My mind is in shambles. Maybe I'll just send a curt reply. I'm still too shy for this.

I typed:

Reply to : 09*********

Okay. I'll be there See you- wait he told me to save his number.

MY BABE ALEX. SAVED

I typed again:

Reply to: MY BABE ALEX

Okay, I'll be there. See you

And Send.

Maybe it's too dry?

I blushed so hard that I'm feeling thankful I was alone.

After dinner I cleaned up then took a half bath and went to rest in my room. Ha.. I feel so hot it's making me uncomfortable so I sat down in my computer to finish up some chapters. I'm in the middle of a chapter when my phone rang.

MY BABE ALEX CALLING…..

Holy shit! I almost dropped my phone. Should I answer it? What will I say? With my trembling hands I answered at the third ring.

"H-Hello?" I whispered as if  afraid of someone might hear me, which is silly of course since I'm all alone.

"Hey, is that you babe? It's me alex you saved my number like I told you right?"

It really is alex. I really love his voice. It's like a lullaby.

"Y-yeah. I did" I answered shortly.

I'm so happy I just don't know what to say, who would have thought a day like this would come? Me and Alex calling each other on the phone like REAL LOVERS!!

"I Called to make sure you are coming tomorrow, I'd hate to get stood up you know…"

"I wouldn't do that," I said to him in a serious tone.

I meant it. Even if it's in hell I'll meet him if it's the last thing I'll do.

 "..."

"Your short replies are making me sad, It's making me feel like you don't want to talk to me."

What? Please don't be sad.

"uhm .. I'm sorry I'm not just used to these things, I've never been in a pretend relationship before." I answered politely

"...."silence

"Hello Alex?"

"Well you should get used to it. And who told you that we're in a pretend relationship? That hurts. Anyway I can't wait to see you tomorrow babe…

…  I love you." He whispers

"what? Wait-" beep. He hung up.

He talk so fast, I can't make sure if I heard it right. But what did he just say? We're not in a pretend relationship? So we are truly dating?

I'm confuse and happy at the same time.

HA… Now I'm starting to get scared, what if I'm just imagining things? What if I have gone crazily in love and could not distinguish reality from my fantasy?

If this is a dream, please don't wake me up. Although I feel like everything's happening too fast I can't stop myself from looking forward to meeting him again. So that means we're going on our first date tomorrow? That thought made me squeal in joy while I buried my face in the pillows.

 I pinched my face. This is reality.

Have the "Door of Happiness" finally opened up for me? After all those years of loneliness is this my reward for being patient? But what's inside Alex's mind is quite the mystery to me? What could he possibly want in return? My Body?

I got up and faced the mirror. Well, I don't look so bad.

Who am I kidding?

In society's standard I don't have the face that will standout in a crowd, like Alex does.

 I'm not fair skinned. I'm morena

My facial features is not extraordinary either. In short I look plain and simple

Boring. There is no way alex is interested in my looks.

He might want me to do his assignments?

But I know Alex is smart. His in the School council after all.

Maybe he wants manual labor? He wants me to be his slave?? I hope not!

There is only one way to find out, and that is to ask Alex personally. I pray that I can gather all my courage to face him without making a fool out of myself.