The Third Chance

April 10, 1995, was the day Caspien Muller was born. He never thought that on his birthday, he'd find himself back in the Philippines.

What luck. He sighed in annoyance.

His dad didn't know much about his life in the country before, because if he did, he would've locked him up in the States to keep him away from that place. 

Caspien pulled out his phone and dialed Arkin's number, his best friend since elementary school.

After a couple of rings, Arkin finally answered. His booming voice filled Caspien's ears: "Hey Cas! You're calling?" Caspien held the phone slightly away from his ear.

"Yeah, I'm at the airport. Where are you?" 

Arkin exclaimed, "What?! Airport? Philippines? Hold on, we're in the middle of a shoot!"

Instead of waiting – he hated waiting – Caspien asked Arkin's location and drove near the set. He stopped at a 7-Eleven store. He didn't want to go near, since from where he was standing, he could see a crowd swarming all over the area of the shoot. So, he decided to watch from afar, eating noodles behind the convenience store's transparent glass.

Just then, his phone rang. It was Max, his dad's trusted bodyguard. In other words, this was a call from his dad.

"Caspien," his dad answered, as expected. 

Caspien frowned. "So...what's the reason?" It wasn't that obvious by his tone, but he was really confused about what was happening.

One moment, he was out partying with his friends. He remembered himself blacking out, and then he woke up on a plane flying straight to his forbidden country.

His dad explained, "There's something happening in the company, and the safest place for you right now is there." 

Caspien disagreed. "Dad, there's always something happening in the company. What is it now?" He hated being back in the Philippines. He'd rather be partying in the States.

His dad insisted, "Just stay there, please, son. You can't understand it now, but soon you will. Always be safe, and happy birthday." 

Caspien sighed, feeling trapped. At least he had his bank cards with him. His dad must have known he had money in his pocket.

The call ended, and he sighed again. He couldn't count how many times he'd sighed since the plane landed. He put his phone back in his pocket as he decided to near Arkin's station and find him.

He was just about to finish his cup of noodles when he heard giggles from a group of girls. When they saw him looking at them, they immediately smiled shyly, some of them even blushed. 

He also smiled in return, causing them to gasp.

He went back to finishing his noodles, then got up and went outside. There were lots of tents around the shooting area, and people were hovering all around. He wanted to ignore the people looking at him from time to time, but he couldn't, since some people literally approached him to ask if he was an actor – they were asking for autographs.

He bit the side of his lips and swiftly did what he was asked to, until lots of people gathered around him – especially girls. He had to excuse himself quickly with the excuse of going to the bathroom.

He's not a narcissist, but he knows his charm. 

He shook his head to remove all his thoughts, and he was about to call Arkin on his phone when he finally saw him in person. Arkin was leaning on a post, holding a piece of paper, probably a script.

Six years had passed. The bastard still looked the same, but he'd sure made a peak in his career. Caspien didn't approach him; he was just observing him as everyone started to get ready for a scene.

He watched the scene unfold before him, and he saw Arkin preparing for his line. Then he heard a staff shouting, "Let's start now! Marie, please call Shaun for me."

Caspien's heart skipped a beat. Shaun? What coincidence was this? It was just a name, but his insides were already trembling. At the back of his head, he was scolding himself for feeling that way, convincing himself that the name 'Shaun' was common, especially for a guy.

He wasn't done convincing himself, but his mouth dropped when he saw a girl running to the center to get closer to the staff. Her back was facing him, so he couldn't see her face. Regardless, he knew her too well – every detail on her face, every curve of her body, and even the way she moved, dressed, and smelled.

He inwardly panicked, realizing it was indeed Shaun that he'd been thinking about. 

'What a freakin' coincidence? Is this a birthday gift?'

He felt a sarcastic laugh rising up, as he thought of ways to hide from her. He didn't want her to see him, didn't want to be a part of her life again. He knew he'd only cause her pain, and he had nothing better to offer.

She was clearly making a name for herself, and seeing her thrive was more than enough for Caspien. 

The scene had already started, but Caspien's attention was elsewhere. His original plan was to watch Arkin and see if his acting had improved after all these years, but seeing Shaun had sent him spacing out.

Memories flooded his mind – how he'd broken her heart, how she'd cried that night. He'd thought that after years of staying in the States, he'd forget her. 

He wasn't the same person he used to be indeed, and yet his feelings remained.

He frowned, realizing how much he'd zoned out. He'd been kicking rocks aimlessly for a couple of minutes. 

Finally, he turned to see what was happening and how the two exchanged lines. But what he saw surprised him.

Shaun was kissing Arkin...

"I never thought I'd still be hurt like this," he thought, the pain a bitter reminder. 

"Guess this is my price for leaving you."