Love Beyond Seats

~Chapter 18: Presence- Luke's POV~

LUKE'S POV

"Jayson?"

"Why did you stop, bro?"

"Nothing," I replied.

I wasn't sure if it was Jayson because I caught a whiff of his familiar lavender cologne. Oh right, it's been almost a few months since I last heard about him.

"Bro, come on, what are you still standing there for?" Vincent asked.

"Sorry, I think I saw someone I know."

"Is it Jayson?"

"N-no! Let's just go to the gym," I answered.

*****

While Vincent and I lifted dumbbells in front of a large mirror at the gym, he asked, "Bro, school's starting soon, right? Are we going to be classmates?"

"I hope so."

I set down the dumbbell I was lifting and grabbed my water bottle from my bag. As I took a sip, Vincent's phone suddenly notified him. I picked up his phone to hand it to him.

"Vincent, someone messaged you."

"Who?" he asked while doing pull-ups.

I opened his phone, and I was surprised by who messaged him.

"Kathyrene?!"

As soon as I said Kathyrene's name, he snatched his phone back from me. "Bro!"

"It's not my fault! You told me to tell you who messaged HAHAHA!"

"Luke, you find this funny? What if I tell Kathyrene about your feelings for her friend? Would you like that?"

"Just be quiet."

"What? Who's laughing now, bro?"

I changed the topic and asked him why Kathyrene messaged him.

"Bro, it's nothing, she was just asking," he replied.

"And what was she asking you? Don't tell me you're already together?"

"Bro! Shhh!"

"I knew it!"

"Why? You like her friend too, don't you?"

"Shhh! Just be quiet!"

"Jayson! Jayson! Jayson!"

I left the gym because he was making so much noise inside, and it was embarrassing. I waited for a jeepney ride home, eager to take a shower since I was drenched in sweat from the workout. Luckily, I managed to get on one, and I noticed a girl sitting in front of me, secretly taking my picture. I ignored her and pulled out my phone, scrolling through Facebook absentmindedly.

"Kuya," the girl said.

"What?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend? Not yet," I replied.

She smiled and said, "With your looks, Kuya, you don't have a girlfriend?"

I was about to answer her when she got off the jeepney. But her question lingered in my mind, why didn't I have a girlfriend yet? Shortly after, Vincent messaged me, asking where I was. I replied that I was on my way home. He told me to check Kathyrene's Facebook story. Just as I was about to look, I got off the jeepney.

*****

As I showered with cold water, I couldn't shake off the girl's words from the jeep. I kept thinking about the term "girlfriend," and every time I closed my eyes, I always hear his name.