My Bestfriend's Boyfriend

SIMULA

   I've known for a long time that there's something different about me. It was in 8th grade when I came to terms with the fact that I am bisexual. At first, I couldn't accept it, partly due to fear of rejection and judgment from others. So, I decided to keep it a secret because I was good at hiding my true feelings.

But I eventually found the courage to open up about my sexuality, as I couldn't bear to conceal my emotions any longer. I chose to confide in my best friend, Aicelle. I knew she would accept me, but I still lacked the courage to tell her, fearing that it might change her perception of me. To my relief, Aicelle's view of me remained unchanged, and she even got closer to me because she had a sibling, Martina, who was a lesbian.

Aicelle and I had been friends for a long time, from childhood to now. Our friendship strengthened when she accepted my true self. She had done a lot for me, accepting me with all my flaws and imperfections. Aicelle was my closest friend, aside from Romeo, who was also bisexual like me. Romeo was my first boyfriend in college, but our relationship didn't last long because we realized we were better off as friends. So, we both remained close friends with Aicelle.

After college, the three of us started working at an oil company, where Aicelle and I both pursued degrees in Business Management. However, Romeo decided to resign and work abroad after three years, leaving just Aicelle and me in the country. We still kept in touch through phone and video calls, but I missed Romeo dearly. It had been two years.

At 26 years old, I was still single. I wasn't in a hurry to settle down, especially since I was the breadwinner for my family. I had taken on the role of a parent for my younger siblings ever since our dad passed away from lung cancer when I was in college. Meanwhile, my mom had remarried a year after my dad's death. I harbored resentment towards her for what she had done to our family and my dad's memory. I couldn't understand how she could forget him so quickly and leave all the responsibilities to me.

"Bakit nakabusangot nanaman yang muka mo?" Aicelle asked while eating a hamburger at a mall food court in Pasay.

I replied, "Wala. Naalala ko lang si Mom," and took a bite of my hamburger. Aicelle noticed the sadness in my eyes but chose not to press further.

"Anyway, I met someone on Tinder!" She quickly changed the subject, which lightened the mood.

I couldn't help but tease her, "Kailan kaba titigil sa pagamit ng mga dating apps na yan? Di kapa ba nadadala sa huling naka-meet up mo?"

"Oo na, na-catfish na ko pero mas maingat na ko ngayon. At ramdam ko na legit tong kausap ko ngayon," she said, fiddling with her phone. She then turned the screen toward me, revealing a guy who looked like he could be Jacob Elordi's twin.

"Catfish yan. Napaka-gwapo nyan imposibleng nasa tinder yung ganiyang tao," I retorted while sipping my milk tea. Aicelle rolled her eyes.

"Alam mo napaka-bitter mo talaga! Naka-videocall ko siya at legit siya friend," she said with a confident smile.

As the evening continued, we chatted and laughed, letting go of the day's worries. Little did I know that this seemingly ordinary night would lead to unexpected changes in our lives.