Would You Mind? ✓

WYM? 19

Days turned to a week, Uno still couldn't name the feelings lurking on his chest since his last conversation with Dos. And he knew for hardly a week from then; he couldn't still satisfy himself from the unsubstantial response he received.

"And where does Seri fall, if it was only the idea of it all that matters to you best?"

"That's no longer a matter to concern yourself with, Uno. Leave us alone."

"I'd like to...know for whatever, whoever's sake...Did you cling to Seri because I turned you down?"

"How dare you talk so highly of yourself?"

"It's a simple yes or no, Dos. Did you--"

"No."

"Then why was it too fast?"

"She's been fancying me since my first day of school. Guess that isn't any fast."

"And you allowed her to fancy you, barring your feelings for me?"

"I told you, I'm not the type to baby my brokenness."

"Yet you're the type to accommodate a random person who's wooing you just to patch your fucking brokenness I had caused. You're not far from using Seri, Dos. Try to keep a hold of yourself, just please."

"It's your turn." He chased his thoughts away when he felt someone poke his back. Tumalikod siya para tignan kung sino ito, he saw a gorgeous woman pointing her forefinger at the cashier of the convenience store he was at. 

"S-sorry..." Uno apologized. He quickly placed the basket containing cans of beer and packs of chips at the counter. 

In a short while, he arrived at the parking area of the condo building where Yari resides. He hadn't stepped out of his car when he decided to phone and invite Sylvester. It was the best he could do to cover up for his inability to entertain him during Dos' birthday and the days that came after. 

Yet sadly, Sylvester's out of reach. 

Busy? Uno thought, shrugging. 

He slipped his phone back into his pocket and went off his car to pass his way, going to his best friend's flat together with the sanity-knocking quenchers and bites he bought.

After a few, the ever-present smile of Yari greeted him.

Uno weakly raised the bags he was carrying and forced a smile in return. "Care to get wasted tonight?" 

"You already seem so wasted, Nikolai." Yari chuckled, causing Uno to pull a face. "Just a fact, bakla. Anyare ba? Don't tell me si pechay na naman itey?" He opened the door wider for Uno to foot in. 

He didn't bother to respond. He rather ditched his shoes on the floor before he comfortably lay on the couch.

"Don't lay on my couch!" Yari hissed in an instant, rushing to him and pulling his arm for him to fall off the couch. 

Uno, though harshly being dragged, stared blankly at the ceiling, mouthing lines he only found the comfort to say to Yari. "She drives me crazy, Melch. I don't understand why. I don't either understand how she could handily manage to make me feel this way. And it's effin' weird because you see, she's penis-less."

He heard quite a long pause from his best friend before he heard him say, "Don't you know by now, Nikolai?" He unheld Uno's arm and took a seat on the carpet.

Uno pulled himself seated, opening a pack of chips and tossing a piece to his mouth. "What do you mean?" he asked after munching on the chip.

"Are you sure you want me to tell you?" Yari opened two cans of beer, handing one to Uno.

"Melchizedek, I wouldn't ask you if I know. So, spill it, I didn't bag enough patience with me." When he emptied his can of beer in one swig, he reached for another as he waited for his companion to humor him. 

"You like her. You like that kid. You like Dos."

"Stop fooling me." Uno scoffed. "Kasasabi ko lang--"

"You stop fooling yourself by denying what's so obvious. What's with Dos that you're too in denial of your feelings towards her? Is she that of a bad catch?"

"I'm into men. You know that since then." 

"Age, appearance, intellect, sex, and gender are all just trivial pretexts re admiration. If you like or dislike someone, that's just what it is. Believe me, Nik, I know the feeling of being torn and being too complicated. And that's far off the base of what you see from the shallow part of the sea."

"Then what would you like to insinuate? That I'd confront the now not self-partnered her and tell her she's driving and bending my homosexuality mad? Tell her I wasn't aware ever since I fetched her at the airport that she had already succeeded at throwing and dangling her bait at me 'cause I was biting on it all the while, and I was just hesitant to be pulled?" 

He was caught off base with his statement, but then it was weird that he wanted not to take it back or say it was a mock. He was rather so sure of it all. 

Finally. 

Not till Yari's statement made him want to say he was pulling a prank. 

"That you'd have to accept the truth that you fell for her hence your homosexuality and other petty excuses, and that you could only admit that to yourself 'cause she's someone else's possession now," Yari stated with sobriety, unshaken with Uno's unsought declaration of adoration. 

Uno took an abrupt hush, a bit off with Yari's indifference, as he tried to think of the best rebut to battle the other's claim. "Someone else whom she couldn't tell straight to me that she likes."

"But she's with her now."

"'Cause I turned her down."

"'Cause that was your choice."

"That isn't anymore."

Still and all, Yari had thrown him for a loss. 

"That you couldn't take back. For however much you may want to, Nik—you cannot demand for a second shot, any more than you could command the rain to come and go according to your whim."