Mystery of Love

16

The sun rays shone onto the fabric of his bed. His limbs brushed against the softness of the bed as he lifted himself up with much ease.

He stretched his arms wide open and produced a pleasant note as he breathed out the air from his lungs.

It was going to be an exciting day for Theo. That was, whenever he got to meet his friends and boyfriend.

Before he could reach out and touch his phone, it buzzed out a short vibration, indicating a notification. He picked up the phone and saw a message received from Abby.

*𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐲 (𝟏𝟎:𝟒𝟎)*
Hi where r we meeting?

*𝐓𝐨 𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐲 (𝟏𝟎:𝟒𝟐)*
Let's meet directly at the mall

*𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐲 (𝟏𝟎:𝟒𝟑)*
Okay

The mall was filled with mostly middle-aged women, the elderly and youngsters who presumably had much time to spare on a weekday.

He arrived earlier than the rest and wanted to find a place to wait for them. A normal waiting spot would be the seats situated in the middle of the shops. As Theo felt more comfortable in his own haven, he decided to hide in the toilet's cubicle instead.

However, it didn't take long before he exited the place. The pungent stench of urine and faeces made it feel like he was slowly suffocating to death.

He loitered around the shops, scanning the products offered by various brands until he received a text from Abby.

*𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐲 (𝟏𝟐:𝟏𝟎)*
I'm arriving in about 10 mins...I texted Lola but she didn't reply to my texts

*𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐲 (𝟏𝟐:𝟏1)*
I even called her twice but she didn't pick up either

*𝐓𝐨 𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐲 (𝟏𝟐:𝟏𝟐)*
geez...Are u saying she's still sleeping

*𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐲 (𝟏𝟐:𝟏𝟐)*
Highly probable

Knowing Lola's sleep schedule, Theo was certain she could still be asleep at noon.

He decided to check on Kaleb's location.

*𝐓𝐨 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐛 (𝟏𝟐:𝟏𝟒)*
Are u arriving soon?

*𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐛 (𝟏𝟐:𝟏𝟓)*
I'm here already whr r u?

*𝐓𝐨 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐛 (𝟏𝟐:𝟏𝟓)*
Level 3

He felt slightly irritated at the fact that he was always the first to arrive at a meet-up. There was practically nothing he could do to pass time.

Knowing that Lola was unlikely to show up, he heaved a sigh of disappointment and headed to the escalator ascending from the level below, where Kaleb just happened to arrive.

He had the usual dreamy eyes that paired well with his pointed nose and soft lips that curled slightly at the sides. His clear and fair skin tone tempted many who saw him to trace their finger across his skin, feeling the smooth and delicate texture of it.

Theo usually felt annoyed at those who touched him. It appeared casual to most people as it was a common sight among men to tease and occasionally touch and tamper around with the smallest male in the group. Whether it was done with any sexual intention, only they knew at the bottom of their heart.

Just then, Abby arrived with a frantic expression on her face.

"Lola just texted me five minutes ago saying that she can't make it, because guess what...She just woke up."

"Whattt...I'm going to kill that woman." Theo replied jokingly.

Without delaying any further, the trio proceeded to the top level of the mall where the movie theater was situated at.

As they arrived, Abby was the one who sorted out the administrative side of things, such as booking the movie they were going to watch and their seats.

They simply followed her directions and found themselves seated in a cold, dark place. They managed to secure a relatively comfortable position, somewhere in the middle of the movie theater.

Theo had not a single clue what the movie was about, except the fact that Chris Hemsworth was starring in it.

The lights dimmed as the credit scene begin to roll.

"He looks hot." Kaleb made a remark about the actor's well-developed body.

Theo felt his face flush slightly, realizing that it was one of those rare moments that Kaleb openly admitted to his feelings.

After the movie, it felt awkward as the three of them exited the place silently without striking a conversation like the rest of the audience.

Theo was sure Abby felt like a third wheel in their relationship, especially since Lola failed to show up.

"I'm going to go now...Let you two have some time alone...Byee." Abby said.

"Byee."

Now, it was just the two of them.

"Where should we go now? Should we chill at macs?" Theo suggested.

There was a lovely McDonald's outlet in a neighbourhood park a mere walking distance away from the mall.

"I'm actually meeting Fred but sure." Kaleb replied.

A visible look of astonishment smeared across his face, yet Kaleb seemed to take no notice of it.

"Oh...I didn't know you were meeting someone else today." Theo tried to hold back the jealousy in his tone which he clearly felt in that moment.

After Abby left, he thought the two of them could finally get some privacy alone.

"It's fine he won't mind if you came along." Kaleb continued saying.

At the fast-food restaurant, Kaleb sat facing him as they played together on their mobile phones.

After five minutes, Fred showed up from nowhere and greeted Kaleb from behind whilst completely ignoring Theo.

He took the seat next to Kaleb and they immediately engrossed themselves in their conversation.

Theo had no idea what they were discussing as he didn't play that particular game they were talking about. All of a sudden, Fred reached out his arms and began to tickle Kaleb's abdomen area as he resisted with his flimsy arms.

They chuckled as their arms flung around in the air. The whirlpool of jealousy swirling strongly within Theo was comparable to the awkwardness he felt.

He didn't know what he was feeling but to say he simply felt jealous would be an understatement.

To divert Kaleb's attention away from Fred, he took a photo of Kaleb and sent it to him.

Noticing Kaleb smiling cheekily, he knew he saw the photo. Kaleb then snapped a photo of Theo and sent it back to him in return.

It was their subtle, indirect and relatively odd way of flirting with each other.

Before long, Theo received a call from his father who offered to pick him up. He waved goodbye to them. Within minutes, he found himself staring through the car's window at Kaleb, a warm feeling surrounding his heart. In that moment, he was reminded of the profound and deep-rooted feelings he had developed for Kaleb.