Vanished

Chapter 7

When lunch break came Ven still bought his food but avoided talking with him. So Tine comforted the younger guy who's munching the brownies right now.

"Ano ba pinag-usapan nyo kanina?" Tine asks while observing the younger guy in his side.

"Wala naman." Gabi lies at the thought that he did not want to escalate things further.

"Gabi, I know you. You are not like this." Tine ruffles his hair and tries to make eye contact.

Gabi looks up at him and smiles a sad smile. His eyes were so sad that it conveyed how hurt he was by the word Disappointment earlier.

"Gabi I-" Tine did not even finish what he wanted to say.

"Don't fucking touch him Tine Fajardo! and Gabi pwede bang kumain ka nalang dyan." Ven harshly said while looking specifically at Gabi.

Gabi wanted to shrink at this moment. He wanted to leave and just go somewhere else where he is wanted because at this point Ven is being seriously mean for no apparent reason.

"Ano bang problema mo pres? Tang ina kanina ka pa? You don't want to talk with Gabi but you also don't want other people talking with him?" Vince voices out his frustrations.

Vince tried to remain calm until now. He knows that Gabi and Hollow have been best friends and inseparable so it would be rude to intervene with their own problems but he knows Hollow is being unreasonable right now.

"Sige kampihan nyo yan." Hollow leaves angrily with his fist tightly closed.

"Gago talaga ni Hollow, kausapin ko muna sya!" Topi informs every one and leaves the table in a hurry to catch up.

Gabi wanted to cry at this moment because it felt like he created a rift in the relationship between the Bolakbols and Ven which he did not even intentionally do.

"Guys sorry talaga. I did not mean it, I certainly did-" Gabi choked his own words while the tears were escaping from his eyes.

Tine immediately encases him with a hug while Kite wipes the tears from his face. Vince wanted to punch Ven at this moment because this was the first time they saw Gabi cry in front of them and it's unpleasant to look at.

Little did they know that this was only the start of it.

"You know what, bilhin nalang natin kung anong gusto mo Gabi. You want the strawberry coffee flavored right? I saw you eyeing that earlier." Kite tries to cheer him up by using food.

Gabi nodded in response and Vince did not hesitate to stand up and buy it from the cafeteria.

"I'll pay for this," Gabi says while carefully sipping the strawberry bits.

"No, it's on me. We just want to see you happy." Tine replies and smiles at him.

Gabi is just grateful that he has these friends whom he can lean on when he is sad and who will never hurt him on purpose. Aside from Ven, they are the closest guys whom he could ever date if only.

If only he was not enchanted by Ven.

Upon returning to the classroom, Hollow stood in the corridor waiting for them. Wanting to talk with them about what happened.

"We need to talk," Hollow said to them seriously.

"You need to apologize first. To Gabi." Kite replies to him, he is indifferent to the situation since he cannot confront but now he musters up the courage.

"I'll do it later when I'm with him." Ven steals a glance at him and softens his look.

"Fine but if you are not doing it then expect the worst from us," Vince replies trying to stand his ground.

Gabi leaves them be and sips his coffee in his seat while looking at them.

"So anong pakulo ito BNT? Bakit ang init ng ulo mo?" Kite asks trying to interrogate him directly.

"Hindi ito pakulo Kite, you know this. It's just that I hate being replaced by that guy Kill that's why I'm mad." Ven admits the truth about why he had to be strict with Gabi.

"Anong replaced ang sinasabi mo Hollow? Can you see Gabi? He's at the beck of your call." Tine reminds him of the fact.

"And besides, replaced? Nag ha-hallucinate ka ba? Binigyan lang ng siopao at nakasama lang pagpunta dito sa room replaced na agad?" Vince adds to the conversation.

"You don't understand, I know Gabi what his likes, dislikes, hates, and hobbies. Alam kung it's very unnatural for him to do something like that." Hollow defends his position and idea.

"Maybe because you are caging him in? He never actually has the chance to show who he is because you controlled him." Tine spits out the harsh fact. He wanted to convey the truth about their friendship.

"Caging? I'm his favorite? I'm his number one? How is that caging him in?" Hollow starts to get angry from the accusations thrown.

"You literally are! We're happy that you are overprotective of him and may magandang idudulot naman pero you are depriving him of socializing with everyone." Vince replied directly.

"Ah-h you are all mad because may gusto kayo kay Gabi and I'm here blocking your cocks from touching him?" Hollow asks while massaging his temples.

Kite wanted to punch this guy right here and now. He just can't believe that Hollow would ever arrive at the conclusion.

"Fuck you ka Hollow! You have this bubble of thoughts you wished it was true." Tine spits out angrily.

"No, I feel like it's true. You want Gabi to yourselves because you know you want to be the first one." Hollow replies while manically laughing.

"You're fucking nuts, Hollow. You have changed." Vince says while shaking his head in disbelief.

"Don't worry guys, kahit anong mangyayari I own Gabi. He will always come back to me whatever happens. So fuck your dicks because I'm here to block it." Hollow spits out with intent and leaves them.

"Tang ina talaga ni Hollow ngayon. Parang hindi na Best-friend ng Taon. Parang Bullshit ng Taon na sya." Kite opens the conversation for them.

"Let's just be passive nalang and protect Gabi from whatever actions Hollow might do," Vince replies to them.

"Wala na tayong aasahan sa gungong nayon. Nasiraan na talaga ng bait." Tine adds to the conversation before all of them went inside.

From the moment they all came back, Gabi realized that the conversation had gone from really bad to worse. Looking at their grim expressions and angry looks seems to give him a big hint that it did not go well.

"Gabi, hatid kita later. If that's okay with you." Tine offers a ride.

"Sasabay sya sa akin, right Gabi?" Ven asks rhetorically while raising his eyebrow.

He wanted to take Tine's offer but he just can't abandon Ven. This is his best friend we're talking for and he knows the older guy would only make things difficult for him.

"Pasensya na Tine, next time nalang?" Gabi replies hoping he can at least ease the ambiance.

"Okay lang, just be safe going home," Tine adds to the conversation and smiles.

Ven on the other hand smirks because he won the battle. His so-called friends don't have any position to tell Gabi what to do.

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"Uwi na kami Gabi ha!" Vince says warmly.

"Be safe!" Kite also adds.

Tine hugs him in response. "Chat mo ako kapag pinaiyak ka naman ng gagong yan." He whispers.

Ven breaks their hug by pushing Tine and pulling Gabi with him. Topi also bids them farewell since he will also be joining Hollow and Gabi on the way home.

When they get inside the car the atmosphere is just too awkward. Topi tried to initiate conversation but Gabi was uncooperative as Ven.

So instead the music filled the car instead of conversations. When they arrived at Gabi's house, he thanked Ven and hopped out without hesitation.

Luckily Ven grabs his wrist so that he can talk with him.

"Gabi, wait," Ven says while trying to gain the attention of the younger guy.

"Anong kailangan mo Ven?" Gabi directly says he does not want to hurt his heart even further.

"You know I'm still disappointed right?" Ven asks rhetorically as if clarifying what he did was not done to persecute Gabi.

"I know." Gabi agrees with the idea.

"So di kita makukuha tomorrow. I need you to learn your lesson." Ven harshly replies. He needs to hurt Gabi to know his place.

"Ganon ba?" Gabi asks while trying to remain indifferent.

"Anong ganon ba? Wala kang pake?" Ven asks in anger, he does not like this indifference Gabi has shown.

He wants him to beg, to plead with him to take his decision back but Gabi is acting weird.

"It's not like that, Ven. It's-" Gabi wanted to explain but Ven cut him off.

"Bahala ka nga sa buhay mo." Ven angrily leaves him.

Gabi sighs in defeat, he only makes Ven angry at him again.

"I still love you Ven, aking prinsepe." He whispers while the car starts leaving.