Mirage (ON HOLD for revision)

Chapter 19: The view from the outside

Inside the apartment were such bare essentials; a mattress, a low, Japanese-style table which no doubt came from the nearest surplus shop, a portable stove and an ice cooler. A duffel bag was stashed carelessly in one corner while a makeshift clothes hanger hung from two nails on adjacent walls, dividing the room in an awkward half. It was unnecessary, Matt observed, considering that tying one end on one of the bars on the window and the other end on the nail would have taken much less space and avoid being an eyesore. The main point is, Cedric didn’t have that many clothes to hang anyway.

“You moved out?” Matt asked standing for the lack of anything to sit on.

On the other hand, Cedric proceeded to the sink and rummaged through the plastic bag he was carrying so leisurely that Matt wondered if was simply uninterested or biding his time. Cedric visibly took a deep breath and turned to Matt.

“I’ll answer all your questions later, ok? For now, can someone tell me he knows how to cook? I’m starving.”

“You bought stuff without even asking and you don’t even know how to cook?” Julius asked in annoyance. “I wonder how you’ve been living by yourself this last week.”

“Since I’m by myself, I just buy food from the eatery on the next street,” Cedric innocently replied.

“Yeah, coz you’re so rich you can throw away P150 every day on top of your rent. You’re incredibly stupid,” Julius replied as he grabbed the plastic bag from Cedric and starting going through its contents. “If you were this clueless, you should have made me go and buy food instead.”

“Hey! What’s with your condescending attitude?! It’s not like you’re so good at cooking!”

“You’re right. It’s not like I’m so good at cooking,” Julius replied with a sinister smile on his face and stormed out of the house.

“That was your only hope of decent food, you know,” Matt mused as he observed his surroundings some more.

It was true. From the moment they walked in the apartment, not once did Matt feel any negative feelings from Cedric despite the usual foul-mouth. In fact, it almost feels like it was a completely different person.

“He’ll be back,” Cedric replied confidently, “and when he does, you can ask all your lewd questions.”

Or not, Matt amended.

True enough, twenty minutes later, Julius stormed back in with another (much bigger) plastic bag, went straight for the kitchen counter and started cooking without another word. Curious, Matt and Cedric watched. They were both startled by a knock on the door another ten minutes later. It was a kid no more than twelve years old.

“What?” Cedric asked the kid who stood terrified in the doorway.

“I was asked to buy this and bring it here,” the kid replied, his voice screaming nerves.

“What’s that?” Matt and Cedric asked in unison.

“A rice cooker,” the kid replied, calming down a little.

"Hey, what's that difference in reaction?" Cedric asked the kid, feigning hurt feelings.

"Look in the mirror, mister delinquent," Matt muttered.

"But I fit in this neighborhood perfectly!"

"My point exactly."

“Oh, it’s you! Thanks. Just give it to that useless looking guy wearing ripped jeans,” Julius hollered, looking over his shoulder as he peeled potatoes.

“You’re amazing older brother, how did you know how much it would cost?” the kid asked with the familiar curiosity of a child.

“It’s because I’m a genius unlike these two here,” Julius replied, “do as we agreed and give the rest of the change to that bespectacled grandfather.”

The kid rummaged in his pockets and retrieved a handful of change. From it, he took a fifty-peso-bill and gave the change to Matt.

Oh, so I was the grandfather, Matt thought while Cedric stifled a laugh.

“Thanks, older brother!”

Without another word, the kid ran back the way he came from and disappeared.

“I take it one of you would at least know how to use a rice cooker?” Julius asked sarcastically.

“He’s a rich kid,” Cedric pretended to whisper.

“That he is,” Matt agreed.

“You two, instead of being a couple of useless farts for the rest of your lives, bring that over here and I’ll teach you how to cook some rice,” Julius said nicely through grit teeth. “And you were so proudly saying we’d grill some meat, too, Cedric, you useless bastard.”

While giving instructions to two fumbling brats, Julius continued to cook and an hour and a half later, they were finally sitting on the floor with a bowl of adobo and a platter of rice between them.

“Wow, so this is what they call a home-cooked meal,” Matt and Cedric said simultaneously.

“I can’t believe you guys. Exactly how old are you?” Julius asked in exasperation. “Your mothers should have at least cooked once, right?”

The ensuing awkward silence was too much of an answer that surprised even Cedric and Matt themselves.

“Geez, you both live such complicated lives don’t you? Well then, let’s eat and get down to business.”

 Julius watched in surprise as the two ate so hungrily in silence, as if they haven’t eaten in days. He understood very little of Cedric’s situation, just that he ran away from home. It surprised him that even the sheltered Matt would have such baggage, so much baggage in fact that Cedric would go out of his way to rescue him. Mulling over his presumptions, Julius dug in and ate in equal silence like a stranger from the outside looking in, a feeling he couldn't possible know was mutual.

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A/N:

Next is more or less a confrontation. To be honest, I'm not sure guys would actually get on each other's case as much as these three do. So do tell if it's getting unreal.

Also, to @stsoto, thank you for that encouraging comment. I was actually floundering with the story the last couple of days. Thanks for the cheer up :)