IX. QUEER ABODE

Chapter 9

3–12 AM.

THE LIGHT raindrops on the roof divided the morning dew and emptiness amidst peace. Sighing, I stood up inimical to my sentiment and goes through the sink. My body is already efficient in staying late at night or waking up at dawn and it’s annoying. But gladly, I almost slept a day regardless my eating habits.

First, I do not ate at lunch and night. Tss! I did have a deep slumber while wandering the pit of hell.

I wash what needed to be washed to at least stay fresh this morning.

My gaze went outside as I hear nothing, no raindrops anymore. I smiled a bit as I realized why I dozed off that much. The breeze of rain made me oversleep.

I stopped as a feeling of something’s off invaded my system. Wincing, I took my phone to my dress pocket and set it in a video. I roam my eyes in a place where the whole house can be seen and put my phone in the west where a window is located as I hit the red button. I also placed my pillow into a human form at kinumutan ng buo.

Stepping out the house, the town’s ground is wet. Roaming my sight, I saw a melancholic light coming out from a stall.

Making sure that no one inside the house will be awake, I slowly shut the door as I start walking to the stall. Gonna light up a cigarette.

After buying and torching one stick, I sat down in its cemented chair. Uh, it’s been a while since I smoked. The rain already stopped. Besides, it were just light raindrops so it will stop any moment.

I wanna see the sun rise so I stay still at my place. It has been hours yet I’m still here. Hold on for a minute and the sun will gonna rise already.

I was about to lit a stick so that I could have twice when a hand removed it. He got it in my mouth and threw it away. He brought one bubble gum with a mint flavor and let me chewed that and sat next to me.

I just ignored him because what I had been waiting for had started.

“Do you know why the sun often rise at east?” I heard him ask as I smiled mentally at the beautiful scenery I had seen.

“The sun isn’t really rises in the east and sets in the west. Perhaps the sun only rises and sets twice a day of the year exactly east and west,” he answered his own question. I didn’t even say that, but I think I got a headache. Ugh!

“This alignment happens of spring and fall equinoxes. Do you want me to define equinox?” he inquired so I stopped him.

“I know what that means. I previously joined a club way back I was in high school who teaches astronomy, no need,” out of my knowledge, those words came out.

“I see. Few days, the Sun either rises and sets north or south of east and west. Each day the rising and setting of our Sun change slightly,” he continued.

I thought he was done but I am wrong. “It’s like this, if you’re facing east, whatever lies beyond in that eastern horizon eventually comes up,”

“If you want to study this topic. I suggest you to consider one motion,” he told me. He put on his clothes and faced me.

“Pardon?” it’s my turn to ask a question after a moment of him, telling what he knew.

It piques my interest.

He smiled at me. “Earth’s rotation on its axis. Let’s go and prepare some breakfast. Ayris brought one kilo of rice and one pack of hotdogs,” he stated before extending his hand which I took.

I was startled when I felt him lightly squeeze my hand.

We entered and out of control, I went to the table where the food was.

“I was wondering where you and Red came from,” Aoi began. They are awake. I didn’t pay attention to her smirking face that seemed to be teasing me.

“True. I thought you both go on a date this early,” Ryo added. Uh, this two really knows how to piss someone.

“Yie! Development. But what about your Tyron, Lace? Don’t say you’re a two timer because I’ll throw that mug at you!” she said while grinning and playing with the cup in her hand. He and Ryo are really good friends! Equally annoying.

“Yoy throw it later, Aoi. Atienza might get hit. Look at the grip on Cey’s hand oh, don’t want to let go, tight grip on the hand, eh,” Ryo grinned. My eyes widened a bit and looked at our hands holding each other.

I looked at it and like me, its lips were parted while looking at our hands. We hurriedly loosened the grip of each other’s hand and got away from him. I cleared my throat.

They are just two teasing but three voices laughing. Gosh! This is the first time I got embarrassed the most!

“Haha shit. If I really had experience with women, I would have given Atienza a smooth approach,” Ryo kept shaking his head so that Aoi grabbed her stomach whilst still laughing hard.

“Where did you both go?” Tyron, on the other hand, spoke. He is fiddling with his cellphone.

“Store,” I just answered and went to the window to get the phone when it was gone so I quickly threw a pillow at Tyron who Aoi was waving in the air while he was on the sofa.

“Hey, jealous huh?” Aoi confronted Tyron but he just sneered at her.

“And why is that? I have nothing to be jealous of,” he said and showed my cellphone with a slide show of our images. And he tapped it where I kissed his cheek. Tss!

I just shook my head and took my cell phone that I thought was his earlier.

“Boom! First base, ouch, Atienza,” Ryo heard so I winced.

It’s alright to hold your friend’s hand, right? There is no malice in it. Wait... are we perhaps friends?

“Fuevos!” I heard my last name being called so I was about to look up when I remembered what my surname is. Shit!

I adjusted my seat and looked at the two, Tyron and Ryo with their hands up. I winced, you're doom, Ron.

“Why do you have the same last name? I have a feeling you two are sibling. If only your father wasn’t really deceased, Tyron, oh my! I will thought that you two are half brothers, orbs,” Aoi commented.

“I‘m not talking to you, small,” Red blurted out making me laugh. You made it easy, Pula!

“Besides, are you even a Fuevos, Ryo? I thought you’re a Marquez. My bad, you’re now a Fuevos. I see,” he smiled but it was obviously a teasing one. Ryo just pshaw so the three of us—me, Tyron and Aoi laughed. Red then proceed on cooking our breakfast.

“Tyron, what do you want me to do to your hotdog?” Red asked. I was stunned, not only me, but also the three by what Red said. Aoi even spilled the coffee she was drinking because of that question.

“Huh...? My... my hotdog?” I bit my lower lip because of Tyron who stuttered. Gosh! What’s this, bromance?

“Yes. What do you want me to do with your hotdog?” again so I looked at him. His back is to us so he can’t see how priceless our faces are!

“Ar... are you... uh... really sure?” I covered my mouth. Ryo, whose mouth is open, Tyron whose sweaty and Aoi, whose eyes are wide open. PRICELESS!

“OHEMJI!” Aoi still screamed.

"Yes," he answered while busy cooking.

“Uh... I want it to be caressed up and down, licking the ti—” I threw a spoon at him but a spatula, spoon and plate hit him which he avoided.

This dickhead!

“What the heck are you talking about?! I said, ano ang gusto mong gawin ko sa hotdog mo?!” he angrily stated. Instead of looking angry at what he said, it looked funny because of the way he said it. Gosh, is he aware how ridiculous the Filipino translation is?!

I blew my cheeks to stop laughing, his face blushed after saying that, maybe he understood why we reacted like that.

“You should fix your words! You should’ve said what design do you prefer for your hotdog meal? Not that... ah! Whatever!” Tyron defended himself.

“You’re the one who supposed to be fixed! Fix your brain!” after Pula said that, someone threw a plate at Tyron again.

I laughed out loud and we stopped talking when we heard a scream.

Red was left there cooking. He say it will burn so he needs to finish it first. We went out but before I could go out, I hard thing bumped at my sleeper. Without thinking I took it and ran again and the messy crowd met us.

They fell silent when they saw us arrive. A lady with her fifties attacked us.

“You! You took my money, what?! We have let you in and you still robbed us?! Search where they are staying!” she said and seconds later, Red went out with a worried face and approached us and tell us the hut we’re staying was being searched.

“Her bracelet is missing...” Ryo whispered while looking at something, I meant someone. I looked at what he was looking at and grinned. I faced the bracelet and the name engraved on it stood out to me.

I took my cellphone and looked at Tyron. He’s biting his lower lip while looking at me. I winked at him and threw a bracelet at him.

As expected.

“Here! This is mine! Why is this at your house?” she even raised the wallet held by the citizens.

I yawned. “No respect! We ask you so answer us!” It’s still funny so I laughed out loud.

It seems that the three had no intention of speaking because at first, Aoi was bowing, Ryo was looking into the distance and Red was shocked by what he witnessed. I shook my head.

“You’re the one who is mannerless here, old lady. Attacking us without your prior evidence?” I said between her and the people’s comments.

“My wallet is in your house and that’s not evidence?! How did you steal my wallet, huh!” it continued with her loud voice. If it wasn’t for the fact that her daughter Ayris was holding her while she is accusing us, she would have rushed to us due to angriness.

“Why don’t you ask your daughter then?” I delivered so it seems that her devil’s horns will sprout.

“What? Are you implying that I took mother’s purse and put it in your house?” Ayris said, enough to make me smile. The netizens’ loud voices suddenly turned to peacefulness upon her, saying that.

“I didn’t say anything that you took your mother’s purse and put it where we were staying, doll. You”re just spitting evidence," I replied, smiling.

“Why! Hey red girl, how thick is your face calloused to accuse my daughter?!” I winced at the volume of her voice.

“Chill. I think you are oppressing our friend. The first time I met Ayris, I saw her wearing a bracelet. Where is that?” Ryo butted in so the demon mother stopped and looked at her daughter’s arm.

"Tyron," I called him to get in the picture so he did. He smiled widely at me before throwing the bracelet to the mother and daughter.

“Ba... why do you have it?” Ayris stuttered making my lips form a sweet smile.

“Of course. You committed a crime in vain. This is how to make a clean crime, little devil. First, don’t bring any accessories or things that might lead to you. Second to the last, don’t be stupid. Look at the house if by any chance, there is a camera.” I approached them after saying that. Her mother is already giving me a hard time but I am more than satisfied seeing their reaction.

“And you really taught my daughter to do bad things!” it’s still shrill so I just shake my head.

I get my phone to my pocket and show the video captured by my cellphone.

“I woke up at 3 AM. I then felt something strange that’s why I decided to take a video about what will happen here before I go out. And this is what my camera had. Watch, see and learn. Uh, wait!” I paused the video. “Don’t kneel while begging me not to sue your daughter.” Then the show began. I looked at my companions and I heard Aoi’s cheers, added by two, Ryo and Tyron and Red who smiled a little while just standing in his place.

I turned to the mother and my smile never left my lips as I saw them being dumbfounded.

“See? The real evidence to put the real suspect behind bars,” I emphasized the two real in my sentence as my sweet smile faded.

“I’m—” Ayris’ mother couldn’t finish what she was going to say when I cut her off.

“Again, I feel it would be better not to hear your shit. Educate your daughter and everything will be settled.” After saying those, I turned my back on them.

“I was jealous of her... that’s why I did that..." I heard Ayris explain to her mother, causing me to stop walking. Gosh, my little creature took this little devil’s heart. Aw, how overwhelming.

Envy is just a word that consist four letters and 2 syllables but why is it too powerful to turn the innocent gestures of someone into a criminal one?

**