LONG RUN: Happiness Costs A Lot.

part 1

The is room filled with a party music, the DJ's giving mellenial people a beat that makes them go wild.

everyone's enjoying. if it's just like the other days, i could've been one of them dancing with strangers and drinking myself up.

i was busy looking at my glass, a drink that the bartender gave me about an hour ago. Someone sat beside me and talked.

"you got yours? you coming?" i shift my gaze up and looked at him.
"everyone's invited" he said and smiled.

"you new?" asked.

"i didn't until i recieved a call from Sam telling me they're coming home" he sighed.

"and you're okay with that? just like that" out of rage i accused him.

he smiled at me before drinking his glass.

"sam and i broke up before they went missing. we are cool with each other. i know it might been hard for you, but i know you will get through this. if you can't see yourself in that wedding, i'll just tell them"

"i just can't find a good reason for him to left me without a word. He left me hanging, no explanation then he will show up out of nowhere giving me that damn invitation card!"

patrick was my childhood friend, we grew up together, same highschool and university.

I can still remember our graduation ball in our senior high, he was my escort, i don't exactly know when did it started, we grew closer together, not just because we are in the same circle but because we have this mutual understanding and we became official at that night. We were dancing until he hugged me so tight and wisphered.

"can you be my girlfriend" and i just nodded. everyone was cheering.

metro was just 4hours from our hometown and our friends enter the same university as ours. it was fun or maybe i was the only one having fun?

i can even remember the day i came to his grandma's house where he lived and grew up back in our hometown.

i begged her to tell me where did he go? but all she did was to hug me and keep on saying "sorry"

and just like that, gossip grow like a wild fire saying i was dumped and he runnaway with someone new. since then, i never get to step in that small town.

Maybe, what happened was already forgotten, but since his wedding is coming, maybe the gossip won't cease until they moved on.

i looked pathetic for not being in a relationship since then, i thought i moved on, but then, when i saw that mint green with a cursive letter came to my office yesterday, it's like a salt rubbed in my wounded heart five years ago.

i am running my own restaurant, started business after a year of that incident.

i saw in our groupchat that they are all coming, everyone moved on, maybe i should too.

some of my girl friends are comforting me but i told them i'm okay.

we are not kids anymore, some of our friends already settled, maybe it's good to go back home now.

"mom, i'm coming home" i told her over the phone.

i heard her stopped what she's doing.

"why now? don't get me wrong baby, it just that it's his wedding"

i sighed.
"yes, and it is the reason why."

"are you okay?"

"of course mom"

"they ordered the cake from the shop" she said.

when my brother took over our company that is based here in metro, mom run a cake shop and tailoring. Dad's been busy farming.

"that's great." i said.

"okay, see you soon honey"

i got home, three days before the wedding day.

"mom" i called her. i was leaning on the door frame of her kitchen in her cake shop.

"you're early. did you catch up with your friends?"

"not yet mom. i just arrived."

"you must be tired you should've gone directly at home"

"well..." i walked to the sink and lean.
"small busy kitchen is better than empty big house"

the bell rang in the counter.

"can you see the counter honey? everyone's on a lunch break, this needs a lot of attention"

"aye aye"

i walked past the kitchen and go to the counter.

we were both shock when we saw each other. no it wasn't patrick. it was zeke.

"umuwi ka..." there's a smile in his lips but not reaching his eyes.

i nodded.

"yeah, i just got here" sagot ko.

mom's cake shop wasn't big and most orders are for take outs but theres two table for waiting.

"they're on lunch break, mom's baking are you in a hurry?"

"no, i mean it's okay" he answered.

"mind if we sit?" i asked.

"yeah, yeah, let's do that"

"how long has it been? four years zeke?" i started.

he nodded.

he was there for me even when his thesis was on the corner he never left.

"i'm sorry"

He sighed.

"it's okay as long as you're okay, okay kana diba?"

"yeah. okay na ako" i answered.
"so, how's life? what keeps a genuis bachelor busy?" i teased him.

He transform from being a boy to a man. He used to be so thin.

he smiled a bit.
"when my contract in Dubai ended last year, i did not renew it and chose to settle here. i started my firm last year"

"good for you."

i got nothing to say. maybe, i will be like this on the day of his wedding, feeling awkward in a crowd i used to be enjoying.

Everything changed and i'm the one who's left out.

"ezekiel?" i gazed mom who is walking towards us.

"tita.." zeke greeted.

"did you get him his order?" mom asked me.

i shook my head. i forgot to asked him.

mom gave him his usual order, a cinnamon for her mother.

we bid our good byes and he got off.

"marga's been arraging blind dates for him, but he turned down the last blind date" mom said as we watch zeke's drive his car.

"you mean, zeke's mom?" i asked a bit confuse.

mom nodded and crossed her arms over her chest.

"you might be young but your parents are not, so i also encourage you to mingle after the party. Your kuya's already had three sons."

i arc my brows.