Fidelity

Finale

Worship you
R-18: Contains explicit scenes. Read at your own risk.

"Dad!"

My Dad was just getting out of the car when I got home after playing all day long. Mula sa gate ay tumakbo ako sa front yard at nikayap siya sa binti.

I was in Grade 2 and it was our sembreak. I spend most of my vacation out in the neighborhood. Magkahalo na ang kahel at dilim sa langit tuwing umuuwi ako. I only go home when I hear my father's car coming. There are times he's out of the country for work, so I treasure moments like this.

"Hey, big boy.." he said while ruffling my hair. "What did you do today?"

"I played video games with Adea!"

"Wow.. you've been hanging out a lot with Adea, huh?" aniya at nagsquat sa harap ko para mapantayan ako.

"Yes! She's my bestfriend!"

"She's your bestfriend?" tila naaaliw na wika niya. "I thought it would be Calcifer.."

"Well, Adea and I are in the same grade so I get to spend more time with her than Cal.." sagot ko.

To be honest, I replaced Cal as my bestfriend when I found out that I wasn't his. Bestfriend niya naman daw ako, pero nakakainis lang na hindi lang ako ang bestfriend niya. May iba siyang bestfriend sa bawat lugar! Iba ang bestfriend niya sa school, sa art academy, sa swimming class, at sa Calle Nueva! It pissed me off me so I thought I'll just have other bestfriends too.

"How about Elcid? Classmates kayong tatlo nila Adea, hindi ba?"

"Yeah.. but he's always busy with extra-curricular activities," sagot ko. "Besides, I do enjoy playing games with Adea the most. Kahit hindi siya marunong ay tinuturuan ko lang siya at nakukuha niya na agad. She's the only one who defeats me,"

Napangiti si Daddy at muling ginulo ang buhok ko.

"Alright then.. if she's your bestfriend, you should make the most of your time together while you're young. Once you get older, you won't be able to spend that much time together.."

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Why?"

Napahalakhak si Daddy. "Because she will have a boyfriend and you will have a girlfriend,"

"But I don't want to stop hanging out with Adea," I insisted.

That made him chuckle again as if he was enjoying this.

"That would be up to Adea's future boyfriend, son."

I was sulking while thinking about what Dad said even up to the next day. Nasa bahay kami nila Adea at naglalaro ng Nintendo Switch. Natalo niya 'ko nang walang kahirap-hirap dahil abala 'ko sa pag-iisip.

Over the years, I realized that if I can't beat Adea's future boyfriend, then I should be his future boyfriend.

"No." aniya nang tanungin ko siya kung pwedeng manligaw pagtuntong namin ng Grade six. "Why are you being like this?"

Salubong ang kilay niya habang nakahalukipkip.

"Being like what?"

"You keep telling people you like me when you don't really mean it."

"I do like y-"

"Stop it! I know you don't have feelings for me. I can tell," she averted my gaze and looked away. "If you don't stop with that nonsense, I won't be friends with you anymore."

Things were never the same again between us ever since I asked if I could court her. I hated myself and regrated how everything turned out. But more than anything, I really missed what we used to have.