CHAPTER 7: FOREVER ALONE

STEPH P.O.V.

I woke up to the most mouthwatering smell imaginable.

Seriously, what kind of torture was it to wake up to the smell of something delicious  when you had absolutely no idea what it was—or, more importantly, whether you were going to get any?

I didn’t know what was being cooked, but the smell was enough to make my stomach growl. So, even though my eyes were still stubbornly refusing to open, I dragged myself out of bed.

“Whoever owns that food, I hope you choke on it,” I grumbled. “You’re sharing the smell but not the actual food. Tsk!”

Since I already knew there was nothing cooked in the kitchen, I headed straight for the refrigerator instead.

And because I was starving, I briefly considered eating the entire thing.

Damn this house! It was huge, yet there was absolutely nothing to eat!

I grabbed a glass of water from the fridge.

“You’re so skinny because the first thing you give your poor, dying insides every morning is cold water.”

The unexpected voice made me drop the glass.

Holy crap!

It was a glass, too. A breakable one!

“What the hell are you doing here?!” I snapped.

In case you’re wondering who I was already being rude to this early in the morning, well, it was none other than my handsome devil of a best friend.

Gino Reyes.

“Well, I’m cooking breakfast for my beloved princess,” he said with a grin.

“And who told you that you were allowed to cook in my kitchen, huh? Stop meddling in my business! You have your own kitchen. Go cook there instead of invading my house!”

I glared at him, still annoyed by his unexpected presence.

“Excuse me? Your house?” He raised an eyebrow. “Correction. This is Tita Sylvia and Tito El’s house. In short, your parents’ house. You can call it yours when you’re the one who paid for the materials used to build it. Okay?”

The nerve of this man!

“Whatever! Can you just leave already? I don’t want to look at your ugly face!”

I shoved him toward the door.

“Whoa! Another correction. I’m handsome. That’s what my mom says, and even Kath agrees.”

He flashed me an annoyingly wide smile.

I suddenly froze when I heard that name.

Kath.

His girlfriend.

“Just leave, okay?” I said, my voice turning serious. “I don’t want to see your face.”

“Hey?” He looked confused. “W-What’s wrong?”

Seriously?

Of course, he had no idea how I felt. When I had been looking for him, when I had needed him, he had been with his precious Kath.

And who was I in his life, anyway?

Just his best friend.

The best friend he thought knew absolutely nothing about love. The best friend he could leave behind whenever someone else came along.

“What’s wrong? You seriously have no idea what the problem is?” I shot back, my voice dripping with irritation and anger.

“Why would I ask you if I already knew?” he retorted.

Unbelievable. Even now, he still had an answer for everything!

“Can you please get out? Come back when you’ve figured out what you did wrong.”

I grabbed his arm, dragged him outside, and slammed the door shut.

Then I leaned against it, breathing heavily, with Gino standing on the other side.

“Can’t you just tell me what’s wrong?” he complained through the door. “I’m not a mind reader, you know!”

“Hey, Steph! Best friend!”

He knocked again.

But, hell, not today, Gino Reyes!

I was angry with him.

And not just a little angry, either. My temper was at a hundred and fifty degrees!

Try talking to me now, and you might just witness the end of the world.

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Several hours later, Gino finally left.

He had actually waited for me to open the door, stubbornly sitting by the gate like some abandoned puppy. But because I was feeling particularly wicked that day, I refused to let him in.

I had every right to be angry, didn't I? I had every right to sulk, too!

I was his best friend. I had been in his life long before his girlfriend ever showed up. And yet, in the blink of an eye, he could act as though he had forgotten all about me.

What if I just shot him in the head so he’d end up with complete amnesia?

Would that teach him a lesson?

Damn it. He was so infuriating!

It was already ten in the morning when I finally stepped out of the house.

Gino was no longer waiting by the gate, so off I went to find a way to drown my sorrows.

I knew getting drunk was what people usually did when they were heartbroken, but my heart was currently in pieces.

Shattered.

Torn apart.

Alone.

Forever alone.

With a heavy heart, I made my way to the mall.

I was going to watch a movie.

And I didn’t care what anyone thought about me. It wasn’t their business, anyway. If someone dared to stop me from entering the cinema, I’d kick their face in.

Hell hath no fury like a woman with no one to watch a movie with!

“Just one ticket, please,” I answered when the person at the counter asked how many I wanted.

I was going to watch a tragic movie.

Because apparently, making myself even sadder was exactly what my broken heart needed.

“Are you here alone, ma’am?” the cashier asked.

Excuse me?

Did she see someone standing beside me that I couldn’t see?

“Do you see anyone with me?” I snapped. “Obviously, I’m alone! That’s why I said one ticket, didn’t I?”

The cashier looked embarrassed.

“I’m sorry, ma’am.”

She lowered her head as she handed me my change.

“Sometimes, miss, it’s better not to ask unnecessary questions, okay?” I added, still annoyed. “Just do your job instead of sticking your nose into other people’s business. Don’t act like you know everything. Keep that mouth shut if you don’t want someone to shut it for you. Got it?”

Tsk!

At that point, I couldn’t care less what the people who had overheard me thought.

I was angry.

Yes, I was!

And according to my brain cells, that meant I had every right to be rude to the entire world.

Cute girls like me were allowed to have bad days, weren't we?

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The cinema was already packed by the time I entered.

I carried a bucket of popcorn in my right hand and a juice in my left. I had also bought several other snacks whose names I couldn’t even remember.

I just wanted to keep eating while watching a movie surrounded by strangers.

Sure, I had a television at home, but I wanted company—even if that company consisted of people who didn’t know I existed.

Besides, I couldn’t exactly call Gino.

I was still mad at him, according to my brain cells.

As I searched for an available seat, my eyes landed on the far end of the cinema.

There was only one guy sitting over there.

Three seats separated us.

Hmm. That’ll do.

I headed straight for the seat I had chosen and settled in, arranging my backpack and the food I was carrying.

I knew I had bought enough food for three people, but who cared?

I wasn’t gaining weight, so technically, the word diet still applied to me.

See? My logic was flawless.

Two minutes later, the movie finally began.

Everyone fell silent.

Well, obviously. We were in a cinema, after all.

I glanced at the screen.

Class of 2018.

That was the title of the movie.

Sherlene San Pedro and Nash were the leads. Kiray, Michelle Vito, Kristel Fulgar, and several others were also in it, but those were the only actors I recognized, so those were the only ones I mentioned.

Don’t complain.

And if you want to know what the movie is about, go look it up yourself.

I’m too lazy to tell you the whole story.

But if you’re not in a hurry, you can always wait until my brain cells stop being angry.

Come over to my house, and we’ll talk about it over a cup of coffee.

Arasso?