Moving Forward ✔

Nineteen

"Happy birthday, babe!" I greeted him with a big smile and his favorite Nike ZoomX Vaporify rubber shoes which I know he has been eyeing for since last month.

His eyes widened when he opened my gift for him. Today is their graduation day and also his birthday.

Thankfully, it's also a weekend so I was able to be with him today. There's nothing much going on at the company so I told Miss Valeen about skipping work today and her to go home by lunch. She was thrilled and even called me sissy.
I was happy I made her happy too.

"Baabee! Oh my! Salamat! Super thank you for this!" He gushed and hugged me so tightly and even lifted me off the ground.

"Hey! Babe! Put me down!" I laughed and he even tickled me and I have to slap him because we are starting to get everyone's attention.

"You made me such a happy boy today, babe! Thank you so so much!" He said and looked down at me. Yes, he is that tall. I was only just his shoulders' length. He bent down and gave me a light, airy kiss and he squeezed my waist which made me uncomfortable. "I love you, don't you ever forget that."

I smiled at him and was about to answer him too when a woman about his age with a copper brown curly hair approached him. She is pretty. I give her that.

"Hey, congrats, Dame!" She greeted and I saw how his eyes glistened both in surprise and his cheeks turned pink in color.

"G-grace! Congrats to you, too!" He seemed to stammer but redeemed himself quickly after.

If he is nervous, he covered it up well. That, I am sure of.

For some reason, I felt like an outcast between them. I seemed to fade into distance.

I looked away and tried to be rational. From my peripheral vision, they talked inanimatedly.

Few moments passed and she gave him a brief hug then left.

He didn't even introduced me to her!

What is going on, really?

Am I just being too immature that I misinterpreted their friendship?

I am starting to have doubts with him.

"Oh, dude, bro! Congrats!" His friends suddenly came to our side and bumped fists with him.

I recognized Francis, Ulysses and Erick but I didn't know the last guy with ear piercings who intentionally slapped his butt earning a laugh from their group.

"Dude! It's been years! Are you back for good?" That was Ulysses' amused voice asking the unknown guy.

"Secret." The unknown guy smirked at them.

"Hi, baby Brit!" It was Erick who noticed me and I smiled politely at him. "Eto namang si Damon, hindi pinapaupo ang labidabs nya! Tara dito, baby Brit!" He said tapping the space beside them beneath the big tree.

"Oh, babe. Tara dito." Damon said as if coming to his senses and guided me to the empty space between Erick and Uly. He remained standing while the unknown guy leaned his back coolly at the wall just outside the auditorium.

"Babe?" The unknown guy shifted his stare from Damon to me and then he looked at me from head to toe. I felt this searing rage to receive this kind of reaction from him. "She doesn't look like one."

"Uy, gagsti ka brad! Sinisinta yan ni Damon!" Ulysses hissed at him and slapped his thigh.

"Wag mong pansinin yang si Cotton. May dalaw yata yan ngayon!" Erick added and I let out a giggle.

"Cotton, huh." It was my turn to made a remark at him. I meant to mock him but he remained as is. Unbothered and pokerfaced.

The boys engaged in a conversation until they felt the need to go to the restroom. Even Damon asked me to watch over his things before we head out of the campus.

"Ikaw, Ton? Hindi ka jijingle?" He asked and the latter shook his head.
"Wait lang, babe ha." I nodded and I was left alone with Cotton.

"Are you sure with Damon?" Cotton suddenly asked meeting my eyes.

"Ano yang sinasabi mo?" I retorted. "Ano ba ang alam mo?"

"The girl he was talking to earlier." He blurt out. "I saw them awhile ago. Before the graduation commenced backstage. They were sharing a passionate kiss."

My jaw dropped open at his revelation and then I chortled.

"Don't tell me that I didn't warn you, Baby Brit." He said and left with his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, saan punta non?" The boys asked when they got out seconds after Cotton went out of the campus.

I shrugged and Damon draped his arm over my shoulders with his body bag over him and his treasured paper bag with his shoes inside.

"Alis na kami, mga dude. Kitakits sa weekend!" Damon waved and we turned to the parking lot.

Soon, we were inside the car. He blabbered about his day and I pretended to sound interested.

But, what got my attention was the orange handkerchief that was left on the floor of the passenger seat when I was about to head out.

Tama ba ang sinabi ni Cotton?

Was there any truth about Damon and her?

Am I overthinking again?

This is torture!