Vanished

Chapter 4

Ven decided to take Gabi home first because his house was the nearest compared to Topi's. They were still talking and Gabi did not want to lie but he got jealous by the way they were talking.

"We're here." Ven voices out which breaks Gabi's trance.

He can already see the layout of their beautiful house. A house that makes him feel complete despite not having a father figure inside it.

"Thank you, Ven. Topi, una na ako sa inyo." Gabi bids in a neutral tone. He was not particularly excited or sad. It was just something he had not felt before.

"Want me to take your things inside Sanchez?" Topi offers nicely because he knows Gabi is Hollow's precious best friend. It would be so rude if he just let him carry all the things alone knowing he got a free ride.

"Okay, lang ba?" Gabi asks feeling unsure of the help.

"Sure. Lakas ka sa akin." Topi smiles at him and starts to carry the things.

"Bye Ven, ingat kayo ni Topi pauwi." Gabi waves at him. Meanwhile, the older only nodded in response.

When Topi successfully puts the things inside the front door, he faces Gabi with a smiling face.

Gabi could not help but smile also. He finds Topi so cute and adorable.

"Salamat talaga Topi ha, naabala pa talaga kita. See you tomorrow?" Gabi asks rhetorically and smiles at him genuinely.

Topi scratches the back of his head from embarrassment. He knows how cute Gabi is and can't help but feel a little feeling of adoration towards him. But he knows it's forbidden knowing there's Ven in the picture which is intensely staring at them at the moment.

"Una nako Gabi, see you at school." Topi said while walking away.

When Topi gets inside the car, it does not leave immediately but instead Hollow watches Gabi struggle to open the door as things interfere with him opening it. Finally, after two tries the door opens and Gabi gets inside.

"Ang sweet mo talaga kay Gabi. I can feel something about you and him." Topi bluntly said.

"You think so?" Ven asks in a joyful tone.

"Yeah, like how close you are to each other. It means something more to me." Topi justifies his reasoning.

"You must be hallucinating, best friend lang kami." Ven replies and starts the engine.

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"Nandyan na si Hollow, anak!" His mom shouted in the living room.

"Morning po, Tita. Si Gabi po?" Ven asks curiously while showing his perfectly aligned teeth.

"Nandoon sa kusina because he wanted to make lunch for today." Tita explains pensively.

"Ah really? Lunch? Para kanino po?" Ven asks curiously.

"Baka sayo at sakanya? I mean, sino pa bang pagbi-bigyan nya nang food kundi sayo. Baka nga kayo talaga sa isat-isa." Tita jokingly said about it.

"Tita naman, hahaha-" Ven could not help but chuckle at Tita's banters.

"Don't get me wrong, anak ha. I know how much you mean to Gabi and vice versa. So please, if kapag mag ka girl-friend kaman or boy-friend I suggest to slowly adjust now. Kung hindi man lang si Gabi ang gusto mo kasi I know my son. You will always be his number one, his favorite. Kaya if bibiglain mo sya na your priorities will change depending on who you choose then I am gonna be sad." Tita confronts him on what she thinks about their relationship.

"I know po Tita. Thank you po for reminding me about it." Ven replies seriously.

"Hindi ko alam kung anong nasa utak nyo but I'm not asking you to choose Gabi over someone you fell in love with. But I just want to see the same Hollow and my son Gabi be best friends forever if that's possible." Tita opens his concern.

Ven was about to reply when Gabi showed up happily holding two lunch boxes. "Tara na?" He cheerfully said.

After kissing his mom, he opens the door and slides into the shotgun seat where he naturally belongs. As soon as they head out, Ven is not in his actual sense, and the message that Tita was conveying earlier is stuck in his mind.

"Anong pinag-usapan nyo ni mama, Ven?" Gabi asks enthusiastically.

"As usual, it's about you," Ven replies honestly while steering the wheel carefully.

"Parati nyo na akong bina-backstab ha! Yari kayo sa akin kapag ako nakaganti." Gabi threatens him while looking on his bare-face in the mirror.

"Di ka makakaganti kasi lugi ka sa akin! Hahaha." Ven jokingly teases him.

When they arrive at school, they stride towards their classroom and a few girls go up to talk to Hollow.

"Hollow, are you free this afternoon?" The girl asks after getting the courage to go up on him.

"Actually I'm not." Ven rejected her casually and went on their way.

"Hoy grabe ka naman kay ate. You know, it's very courageous of her to shoot her shot and easily mo lang ni-reject. Ang sad naman." Gabi opens his concern about being empathetic.

"What do you think I should've done? Should I even entertain the idea kahit hindi naman talaga ako free?" Ven replies in a sarcastic tone.

"No- I mean, pwede namang politely reject the person. Hay nako sayo Ven, at least alam mong di ka free ngayon dahil movie night natin." Gabi says in chuckling tone.

He can't really blame Ven for acting like that. It is in his nature to reject people like that no matter how much he reprimands him.

"Anong movie night?" Ven asks confusedly, evident in his expression that he forgot something important.

"Movie night? Hello, it's Tuesday. Early tayo ng dismissal." Gabi clarifies the information assuming that Ven was just kidding about it.

"Ay-y sorry talaga Gabi, I promised Topi already na i-orient ko sya sa organic chem. Kailangan nya kasi yung mga materials sa IUPAC for him to get acquainted. Alam mo naman si professor Dan magpapaquiz ng hindi nagsasabi." Ven massages his temple that he actually forgot today's their movie night.

"Ah, ganon ba? Ah okay lang, may next week pa naman. Don't worry, we have the time of the world." Gabi smiles at him.

He was indeed disappointed that Ven forgot their promise every Tuesday as movie night but what can he do? It's not like he has to be a brat about it and throw a tantrum for things not going the way he planned.

When they arrive at the room, their friends Kite, Vince, Tine, and Topi are already talking.

"Morning mga bolakbol!" Ven greets them warmly.

"Morning BNT!" Kite teases him.

"Ulol, hahaha." Hollow replies while cackling.

Meanwhile, Topi immediately faces Gabi and greets him warmly.

"Gabi good morning! How's your day?" Topi asks curiously. He can already see the glow in Gabi's face despite not wearing any makeup.

"Okay lang ako Topi, how about you? Balita ko bibigyan ka ng materials ni Ven sa organic chem? Aralin mo IUPAC naming system ha. Ang hirap kaya magpa quiz ni professor Dan lalo na kapag complex naming system na consisting complex nomenclature." Gabi informs him in concerned manner.

"Y-yeah, aaralin ko talaga baka sakaling mag top ako sa class! HAHAHA." Topi laughs at the thought.

But their brief conversation was suddenly halted when Professor Dan started the class with a quiz.

"Okay, get 1/2 sheet of yellow pad paper in length-wise. We will have a diagnostic quiz on electricity." He said to everyone.

After the draining quiz, it is time to take their lunch.

Gabi takes out his two lunch boxes and strides his way to the figure on the right corner end where Kill is closing his eyes while playing music.

He didn't know how to wake him up so he pokes his cheek again. When Kill saw the same guy who woke him up yesterday, his eyebrows furrowed again from confusion.

"What do you want?" Kill asks without any hesitation.

"I'm just wondering if you are eating lunch today?" Gabi asks while trying to fix a couple of strands of his hair.

"No, so can you get lost." Kill rudely responded.

"Sorry talaga ha, I just want to give you this. You can eat this or not." Gabi handed over the lunch box on his armchair and left without a say.

Kill only rolled his eyes in annoyance. He can't help but assess the older guy's features and behavior. He already knows the notorious best friend of Gabi which was Hollow Veneracion.

The same guy whom he heard the hurtful words that called him WALANG PATUTUNGUHAN. Yes- he heard it.

"Gabi, where did you go?" Tine asks as he sees the younger take his seat.

Ven did not order lunch for Gabi because he initially assumed that the two lunch boxes were for the two of them. But he was wrong again.

"Bakit isa nalang lunch box hawak mo?" Ven asks in a curious tone. For some reason, he already has this undesirable feeling concocting.

"Ah-eh wag kang angry Ven ha. Binigay ko kay Kill yung isa because I thought he needed to eat to lunch." Gabi replies.

"So para sa kanya pala talaga yung isang lunch box that you made? and here I thought that was for the two of us. Diba sinabi ko na sayo yesterday that stay away from him? Walang maiidulot kapag dikit ka ng dikit sa kanya." Ven scolds him.

"Bro, wag mo naman pagsalitaan si Gabi ng ganyan. He was just concerned of Kill's well being. May point naman si Gabi that he just wanted to help that guy cause nobody knows what that guy is really going through." Tine defended Gabi.


He knows how compassionate Gabi is, and how comforting his presence is.

"Ikaw na kumain sa lunch mo, I don't have any appetite." Ven leaves the table and goes his way outside the cafeteria.

"Are you okay, Gabi?" Kite asks in concern. He was baffled at how Hollow could act like that to his best friend.

"Oo, o-okay lang. You know, di ko magawang magalit kay Ven kasi sa kanya parin ako bagsak." Gabi replies in sullen tone trying to suppress the tears.

"Ang shit naman ni pres. Makitid talaga ang utak nya kaya wag mo nalang pansinin yon." Vince comforted the younger.

Topi consoles him by throwing jokes out of nowhere while the other three do the same. Gabi started to laugh when the four guys cheered him up.

When they got back from the cafeteria, Gabi did not waste time and decided to talk with Ven.

"Ven, I'm sorry okay? I just feel bad for him. I won't do it again, I promise." Gabi apologizes sincerely.

Ven carefully fixes Gabi's hair and looks at him.

"Why does it feel like I'm not your number one? Di mona ba ako favorite?" Ven asks trying to get an answer from him.


"Hindi yan totoo Ven, every one around this campus know ikaw yung favorite ko. Ikaw at ikaw lang ang pipiliin ko sa lahat ng tao." Gabi touches his hand to show his sincerity,

"Then dapat ako lang Gabi. Dapat ako lang ang pag-effortan mo." Ven whispers at him before leaving him in the corridor.