When The Sun Sets

DINNER

Days later, I stood in front of the counter making my order of venti green tea latte when right next to me across the other barista was that familiar figure with that familiar scent and that familiar voice.

"Double shots of espresso, please." he ordered calmly.

He wasn't bigger than me, we're of the same height and quite frankly I am more muscular than he is; but that aura of confidence made me shrink. I froze in awe and confusion. I couldn't understand why he would be here again when as I've said before, this cafe is far from uni.

"Sir? Sir," the barista snapped me back to reality, "that will be 190." I was too dumbfounded to grab my wallet fast. Panicking, I reached for my card wallet in my pocket but to no luck accidentally dropped it on the floor. Finally collecting all my cards, I stood up to pay my coffee when suddenly the barista gave me my receipt.

"I owed you one." claimed Mr. A.

Still too confused at what's going on, all I could do was furrow my brows while staring at him.

He chuckled then explained, "For the hanky."

"Ohhh. Thanks." I replied embarrassed at the entire affair.

"I never got your name." I declared as my curiosity could no longer permit his animosity.

"Gabriel, Gab for short."

"Alright, Gab. What brings you here? I'm starting to suspect you miss me." I half joked

He shrugged. "Study."

"Where are you friends?"

"I came in alone."

"Want to come study with us? We're not working on our thesis so we won't be talking."

I led him to where the Godfathers were sitting already reading our textbooks.

"Guys," I called to which met varied responses. Tristan slammed his laptop in annoyance and John tapped his airpods pause and locked his iPad.

"This is Gab. He's gonna study with us."

Gab, to my surprise and completely out of character, awkwardly raised his hand hello and gave a nervous smile.

"This is Tristan," I pointed at the man as he gave Gab a nod acknowledging his presence.

"Gab my hand, Gab." said John as he extended his hand for a shake. I rolled my eyes in disdain.

"And that's John."

As we kept studying, the sun slowly set. This is the golden hour and sure enough, it was. The sun's final light for the day presented Gab in a whole new perspective. He was looking out again into the skies, but this time it wasn't that disultory stare, rather more analytical like he's trying to reason out something he just read on his laptop. The luminescence of the sun revealed that hypnotic tandem of light and shadow that makes up his cornea, as if mimicking that of a nebula. His skin glowed gold as it glistened under the gentle light as if it hadn't known a day's work. His long fingers --

"Stop staring," asserted the golden boy.

"Sorry," is all I could muster. I wasn't denying it, there was no need to. He's already caught me before, it would just be shady of me to deny it.

To further my embarrassment, my stomach untimely rumbled announcing my hunger. To mitigate the humiliation, I inquired if anyone wanted to eat. John declined as he already had two venti fraps and Tristan merely replied, "I'm covered, thanks." as he manages to tap his sandwich with a knife while reading on his laptop. Gab, on the other hand, closed his laptop and kept his things.

"Let's go." He nodded consenting to an adventure.

"I know a nice cheap place just five minutes from here. The food is great and we could save the money we could spend on more drinks here later."

"Let's take my car." he tossed me his key to which I gracefully caught with a single hand. I am grateful, now more than ever, for my physical training.

"Sweet ride!" I exclaimed as he approached the passenger side of a shiny metallic pearl white 2-door cabriolet with a maroon roof.

I pressed the start button and roared to life the sound of nothing. It's even electric! I shrieked mentally while trying to maintain my composure. My astonishment previously was enough, I don't want to give my personality away especially to someone I just learned his name on that very same day.

We drove for about five minutes until I pulled over to the parking lot of a tiny urban plaza. There wasn't much to be offered here for people to eat, apart from the korean restaurant was a cozy food court and that was exactly where we were headed.

In between the stalls was a row of monoblock tables and chairs. I lay my phone and wallet on one side of the table and Gab did the same across me. Sitting across each other would make it easier for us to talk because we wouldn't have to turn our heads to the side.

"I have to ask," I said as I attempted to start a conversation, "I normally see you with different groups of people yet in the past few days you're standing alone on the wrong side of the school." He ignored me.

"I'm not saying that you're forbidden to enter our department building. It's just curious what a guy from --" and then it hit me. I have no idea what Gab was studying.

"What's your program? I'm sure you're not an Economics student."

Silence. That's all he could offer; for someone who looks so friendly and confident elsewhere he sure gives me a lot of that. Fortunately, the waiter came with our dinner just in time to break the awkward silence that lay between us. In front of me was a plate of garlic rice, a perfectly cooked sunny side up with the yolk still soft and liquidy, and a cheese krainer sausage. I couldn't help but moan as I enjoyed the perfect marriage of the egg and cheese in my mouth. This was my guilty pleasure, my cheap thrill. It's not fancy, but I would come here when no other dish would come to mind.

"Business Administration."

My little delight was interrupted by the sudden declaration from the mighty Gab.

"I'm sorry what?"

"I'm a senior Business Administration student."

"Oh." was all I could reply.

"Those aren't my friends. I don't have any."

"But you look so happy with them."

"That's all a show. I can't exactly shoo them away, that'd be rude. Girls only come to me to try and fulfill their desires and the guys are there to fulfill theirs on every girl I reject." There's more to this guy than I thought.

"No one was ever there for me to be a real friend. So I recently decided to cut them off for good. They've always used me; it was disgusting." he added with a tone of irritation only the deaf would not be able to pick up on.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

I really was. Who knew that someone as charismatic as him could also hold an enigmatic personality? There really is more to people than meets the eye. I feel bad for this guy now; what used to be pure admiration now blended with a pinch of pity. I know I have my reasons to limit my friends. It did start with my academic ambition but after my diagnosis, I was glad to be leaving this world breaking only a few hearts, even if it meant breaking those closest to me. But Gab seemed like he really needed help, if not company and maybe having one more friend wouldn't hurt as much. He is alone after all so having him around won't exponentially increase my number of friends.

We finished our dinner before any of us tried to talk again.

"Did you study well earlier?" I inquired, assessing if my proposal later would be viable.

"Yeah, quite well actually."

"Good, let's go for a drive."