POSSESSIVE 24: Ream Oliveros

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

REAM DROPPED himself on the sofa with a heavy sigh that didn't escape his friends who were in the barn with him. Hindi na siya nagulat dahil mga tsismoso naman talaga ang mga kaibigan niya.

Lalong-lalo na si Iuhence at Calyx na siyang nasa billiard pool at naglalaro. The two might be playing billiards, but Ream would bet that their ears were growing wide while eavesdropping.

"Feel free to ask," Ream said with a shrug.

And the lunatics really did.

"Thorn told me you said no when he invited you to go clubbing with him," ani Cali. "Seeing someone?"

"I bet he is," sabad ni Iuhence. "Ang rason lang naman kung bakit tayong lahat tumitigil makipaglaro sa apoy ay kung may nahanap na tayong apoy na pumaso sa 'tin at gusto nating mapaso ulit."

Calyx frowned at Iuhence. "Damn, Vergara. That was slightly deep."

Iuhence showed his middle finger to Calyx and smiled sarcastically.

"Whatever. It's none of our business," Reigo chimed in while drawing a house plan on the paper he was holding.

Lysander looked at Reigo flatly. "You're no fun, you know that, Vasquez?"

"Well, I'm busy rebuilding my house, so fuck off."

Andrius, who was off duty, frowned. "You destroyed your house again?"

"Yeah."

"Hey!" Iuhence snapped, getting everyone's attention. "Our topic is Oliveros here, not Vasquez's bitterness. Let's continue."

Ream just shook his head with a smile. His friends were annoying, but amusing too. In a way. "Ano bang gusto n'yong malaman? Just ask and I'll answer to satisfy your curiosity."

Everyone looked at Ream flatly. Ream had always been like that—accommodating and nice, but sometimes annoying when he wanted to be. It depended on his mood.

And today, his mood was accommodating and nice.

And when Ream was accommodating and nice, the lunatics always took advantage of it.

"So, who's the new flame?" Iuhence asked immediately.

"I have no new flame," Ream answered honestly.

"Which is shocking," Calyx pointed out. "So shocking because the Ream we know likes hooking up and having a flame."

Ream shrugged. "What do you want me to say?"

"That maybe you're in love?" Lysander offered.

Napailing si Ream sa mga kaibigan. "Yes. I want to see her again, but it's not love."

"Hah! So, we're right! There is a flame!" Calyx exclaimed.

Cali threw the throw pillow at Calyx and Iuhence. "Stop being nosy motherfuckers. Oliveros already said it's not a flame, so it's not."

Iuhence narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Ream. "Maybe not a flame, but I'm sure there's a flicker." Iuhence was a persistent motherfucker, and everyone was used to it already.

Shun, who was silent, finally spoke. "Let Oliveros be. If he's indeed in love, I'll be the first one to know."

Si Shun ang takbuhan ng magkakaibigan pagdating sa impormasyon na may kinalaman sa mga babaeng kinababaliwan nila. Mahal nga lang ang bayad, pero nawawala ang pagkakuripot ng lahat pagdating sa mga babaeng gusto nila.

Ream smiled and leaned on his seat leisurely. "I'm a firm believer of 'it it's meant to be, we'll meet again.'"

Shun snorted. "I can make you meet her in two minutes. Does that make me Cupid?"