Loving in Another Universe (The Friend Zone Series 1)

~10~ Matthew

Matthew's POV:

--flashback

Grade 10 is the start of deciding what strand you would like to take for your Senior High school years. Dapat nga parang lower than grade 10 pa lang, eh. Ang malas ko nga kasi parents ko pa dapat ang mag decide for me...selfish, right?

Where's the fun if you are not free to choose on what makes you happy? Akala ko ba ang "home" is where you feel comfortable? It's where you are free to say your rants to your family? But I never expected na ma-suffocate pa ako dito.

"2 years mo naman kailangan mag survive for this strand naman, Jayden, kaya mo na yan," dad said. Yeah, right, easy for you to say.

"Why should I? Why should I pick ABM strand when I can pass the STEM strand? Dad, mom, I want to be a doctor, a neurologist, specifically. I don't want to take business or whatever you called it--" I exclaimed but my mom cut me off by slapping my face.

"It's not just a business, Jay! It's our family's fucking business! We want you to handle this in the future... not the doctor you are saying who takes care of brains or whatever!" mom exclaimed with her angry facial expressions na nakakairita at nakakaguilty makita. "And we did not raised you na sumagot sa matatanda, huh?!"

I rolled my eyes at umigting ang panga ko sa pinagsasabi ng mga magulang ko. Ay magulang ko pa ba ito? Parang hindi na eh...

Months have passed, junior years are over and valedictorian ako sa school, my parents didn't came at my moving up ceremony.

As if I expect them to come, though?

Nandun lang sila Brian and Niko who clapped and shouted happily when my name called. I faked a smile pa sa mga picture-takings.

After the ceremony, nag-akbayan kami tatlo at balak namin mag celebrate sa Enchanted Kingdom. I mean... There is nothing wrong with the students celebrating their graduation to senior high school sa isa sa mga kilala na theme park sa Pilipinas.

"Pero of course.... kakain muna kami ng mga magulang ko dito sa malapit na pizza place," sabi ni Brian. They both looked at me pa amp.

"Bro, pwede ka naman sumabay sa amin--" I interrupted Niko kasi ayoko maawa sila sa akin.

I shaked my head and hands sa sasabihin niya sana. "No, no. I'm okay! I will just wait na lang sa EK mga pre. Text niyo na lang ako 'pag malapit na kayo, ah? Have fun and eat well kasama mga magulang niyo hehe," I faked laugh which saddens my bros. "Pasabi na lang kanila tita and tito na salamat sa pagkuha ng pictures kasama ako."

Nasa parking lot na kami ng school. "Sus! Syempre nandon ako, eh. Ang pogi nilang anak at pogi nyong kaibigan," angas na naman na compliment sa sarili ni Niko.

Brian and I rubbed our faces and biceps pretending na "Grabe ang lamig ah!" sabay na asar namin.

"Mga gago!"

I'm just waiting for Brian and Niko dito sa Enchanted Kingdom at sinabi nila medyo matatagalan sila kasi traffic, kaya balak ko mag rides muna to feel unbored. Ay word ba yun? Anyways...

"Babe, please let's try this one, pretty please?" narinig ko favored ng isang babae. I saw in my peripheral vision na parang may ka-chat ang lalaki sa phone niya. Oh, wait he looks familiar. Kaya tumingin ako sa likod at tama nga hula ko.

I removed my sunglasses at ngumiti sa kanya. "Akihiro Tyler Perez, right?"

They both looked at me but tumingin lang ako kay Kiro, my elementary classmate.