บท 19: Chapter Nineteen
Flash back
Ten years ago,
Alex looked at the book in front of her seriously. Ignoring Adrian, who appears to be pleading in front of her.
While Ace, who was sitting on the sofa behind her, could only shake his head at the two. And when Adrian called her name again with a whimper for the umpteenth time, her brother decided to leave the living room and just go to his room.
Ace was not in the mood to watch the two fight. Their fights are annoying because they will be at war until one of them will not speak up. And this time, it was Alex who didn't want to talk to Adrian because the boy hadn't given her a present for her birthday yesterday. Ace was sure that there was something special about the relationship between the two teenagers, but the two of them still insisted that they were just friends.
"You still won't talk to me?" asked Adrian desperately.
Alex looked up. She looked at the boy flatly, then shook her head firmly.
"You've grown up now. Why should there be a present on your birthday?" Adrian protested, earning a glare from Alex.
Alex is slowly losing patience. "It doesn't matter how old I am, every birthday there must be a present."
Adrian scowled disapprovingly. "Then I have every right to be angry with you because you didn't give me a present last July."
Alex looked at her best friend, annoyed, then returned her focus to her book. Tomorrow she has a test, and she is in a bad mood, so it is difficult for her to understand the material. Plus, Adrian keeps on bothering her.
"Alright. I was wrong, okay? The boy relented. "Stop giving me the silent treatment," said Adrian, while handing a cellphone key chain to Alex. The key chain is bobbed with the letter H in crystal.
Alex looked at the cellphone key chain and immediately smiled. "Thank you," she said sweetly. "I don't care what your present is. I just want a present from you."
Adrian picked up his phone. "I have one too." He displayed his cellphone key chain, which featured an S."What do you think?"
Alex smiled widely. "It's so cute. You have my last name initial, and I have yours." She then took Adrian's hand and held it. "Thank you..."
Flashback end
*****
Alex smiled as the memories filled her mind. After hanging her coat in the closet, she walked towards the bed. She opened the nightstand drawer that was beside her bed. The drawer contained her valuables. Most of them are gifts from Adrian.
She put a 5x5 cm square box in the front corner. Then slowly open it. There was only one thing inside, and that was the cell phone key chain that Adrian gave her ten years ago. She carefully took it out and chuckled when she saw that the H there was not perfect anymore.
Her phone then fell off the table, damaged. Meanwhile, the key chain that the man gave her broke at the bend. It made Adrian grumpy for a few days, nagging her about her carelessness and not being able to keep things. After buying a new cellphone, she decided not to use it again because the key chain was not perfect like before. And Adrian got angry with her again, and the next day she didn't see the key chain on the man's cellphone either. But what Adrian doesn't know is that she keeps the key chain. She didn't have any idea what the man did to his own key chain. She once asked, and her best friend answered curtly that he had thrown it away. Either it was true or not. It doesn't matter to her.
She put the key chain back in the box and put it back on the nightstand. When she saw the other things on the nightstand, she smiled again. It turned out that she had known Adrian for a long time. But she never realized it. Her hand reached out to take a box of crayons. The crayon belonged to the man, but he gave it to her because that day she didn't bring any crayons. If she remembered correctly, they were in their sophomore year of elementary school.
Little Adrian was such a good person. He often shares toys with her. Sharing food, also school stuff. She was small, so even though Adrian gave those things to her, she didn't wear them, but kept them and never used them again.
Then, when she started to enter junior high school, Adrian began to grow into an annoying person. He kept on teasing her until she got angry. Even though they went to different schools at that time, they remained close. Strange indeed. They were always arguing and mocking each other all the time, but they never really fought. They have never even had a major fight until now.
Alex chuckled to herself, remembering the journey of her life up to her present age. "Oh my! Why do all my memories always have Adrian in them?" she asked herself, barely believing it. "Absolutely unbelievable," she mumbled as she closed the nightstand drawer and walked to the bathroom.
Thirty minutes later, she came out of the bathroom refreshed. Today the sun is showing itself, making the rainy season a little warmer. So she decided to take a shower after she came home from teaching.
She was drying her hair with a hair dryer when her cell phone rang. Turning off the hairdryer, she walked towards the bed and took her cell phone. Adrian's face filled the screen of her cellphone.
"Why does it feel like he's the only one who likes to call me?" she muttered while sliding the green mark on her cellphone screen. "Yes?"
"Hey, baby, where are you at?"
She felt her shoulders slump in an instant. "Excuse me, sir. But there's no one named Baby here,"
The man laughed. "I'm serious. Where are you?"
"I'm on Mars. How about you?" Sarcastically, she replied. She walked over to her dressing table and brushed her hair slowly.
"Ryan emailed me a while ago. He said he's in Manila right now. But tonight he has to come back to China."
"Oh, really?" she asked, leaving her dressing table and sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Yes," answered Adrian. "Ellie also just arrived this morning from Paris. She is visiting with her husband. And they will be here in Manila for a week."
"That's good," Alex exclaimed excitedly. "What about Lia? The last time I heard from her was when she was fuming mad at her roommate. And how about Ivo? Does he still live with the kangaroo?"
Lia said that she already has a prior commitment, but she will try to catch up. About Ivo, you will be surprised."
Ivo is also their high school friend. They were friends until the last year of high school. But after graduating, Ivo returned to his father's hometown in California and made his debut as an actor there. One year after separating, their friend became famous. And there seems to be no sign of Ivo's return to the Philippines. But, judging from Adrian's words...
"He's here?!" she screamed. Apart from their friendship, Alex really idolizes Ivo. The man's smile was very attractive.
"Yeah," said Adrian. "Tonight we will gather at... ah, I forgot. I'll ask Ryan later. Do you want me to pick you up?"
"Of course," she answered quickly.
"Yeah, I shouldn't have asked." The man sighed, pretending to be annoyed. "Okay, I'll pick you up at seven."
"Hmmm."
"Bye, baby!"
*****
Adrian stopped his car in front of the Sullivan's closed garage door. He pressed the horn once, and less than a minute later, the person he was picking up was already out with her mother.
He lowered his car window. "Auntie, I'm sorry I can't come in. We're already late," he said regretfully.
Mrs. Sullivan, who was standing at the end of the terrace, smiled gently. "It's okay, Siwon. I understand. "
"Okay, mom. I'm leaving. Bye!"
Adrian waved to Mrs. Sullivan, then started to back the car after making sure Alex sat quietly beside him. He pressed the horn again as a sign of goodbye and drove the car.
The streets of Manila looked busy that night. It seems that the people of Manila are enjoying this very friendly night with no rain at all and have decided to leave the house. Invisibly, Adrian glanced at the appearance of the woman beside him.
Alex looks fresh because she tied her brown curly hair into a ponytail. Beneath the unbuttoned brown coat was her white blouse tucked into her black jeans. The woman's appearance was completed with black sneakers with white soles. His best friend really likes to change her appearance. There are times when she is very feminine by wearing dresses and heels. There are also times when she seems not to care. But when he thought about it, she wore Converse shoes more than heels. Even in his apartment, there were already ten pairs of sneakers in different colors, and there were only four heels.
Adrian hit the brakes and stopped behind a white Jeep when the street light turned red. Once again, he glanced at Alex, who seemed busy with her cellphone. Judging from her appearance, the woman looks very simple, considering they will meet Ivo. Alex's friend and idol. The girl should have dressed up because she was going to meet Ivo, right?
Alex snorted loudly after slamming her phone on her lap. "Enough!"
The man jumped when he stepped on the gas because he heard the woman shout. "What?" he asked, not understanding the sudden behavior.
"I know you've been staring at me earlier," Alex snapped. "What's wrong with my appearance, huh?"
Adrian shook his head and turned the steering wheel to the right. "Nothing. As usual, you look beautiful."
Instead of smiling because she had been praised, the woman just snorted again.
"Hey, I compliment you. Why are you grunting?" the man protested.
"I won't be flattered by your compliment," Alex replied nonchalantly. "You've been praising me so many times that I can barely believe it."
Adrian chuckled. "That's because you never respond to my compliments," he replied.
Alex looked at her best friend with sparkling eyes. "Thank you. You are also very handsome, Adrian."
The man shuddered. He turned the car into the hotel grounds where they would gather. "That scares me," he said honestly.
Alex laughed, then turned her gaze to the hotel in front of her. Her mouth gaped in disbelief that they would gather at the hotel. This hotel is a five-star hotel, and the restaurant on the top floor of the hotel is among the top five most expensive restaurants in Manila. The security and privacy of the restaurant are also good. She only went to the restaurant three times, and even then only to have lunch with Ace and her brother's business colleague when she had to be a temporary assistant. Well, even though her parents were rich, they never ate in such expensive restaurants. They eat more often at family restaurants where the atmosphere is very comfortable.
Adrian took her hand and entered the hotel.
The man subconsciously smiled when Alex didn't shake off his hand at all, which at that time had moved to the woman's waist. The two of them headed for the top floor. As soon as they arrived at the entrance of the restaurant, they were greeted by the restaurant staff, asking if they had a reserved table or not.
"On behalf of Ivo Saavedra," said Adrian.
The clerk smiled. "In this manner."
The two of them followed the male employee into the restaurant, slightly to the right of the window. It presents a view of Manila at night, which is very stunning because of the twinkling lights. As soon as they got there, Ryan, Ellie, and Ivo were already sitting at their table.
Alex immediately rushed into Ryan's arms. A few seconds later, the girl was already in Ellie's arms, and then in Ivo's. The woman even screamed, making Adrian shake his head while he briefly hugged Ryan and Ellie. What he didn't expect was that Ivo would lift Alex a few inches off the floor because he hugged the girl. In the next second, Adrian managed to gape at the two people in front of him. Oh no. To be precise, Ivo brought Alex, who was still in his arms, spinning.
Adrian couldn't hold back his snort. "Hey, you two are not shooting a video clip. Don't overdo it," he said.
Ivo chuckled and let go of the woman's arms until the girl stepped back onto the floor. "I know you want to hug me too," Ivo replied.
Adrian snorted again, but couldn't help but hug his best friend as well. After that, he took off his black coat and draped it over the back of the chair. He was just about to sit down when he saw Alex struggling with her own cardigan. So, without being asked, he helped her, then put her in her own chair.
"Sweet," Ellie teased.
Adrian chuckled but didn't reply at all.
"He," Alex said, pointing to her best friend with her chin. "Besides his position as President Director, he works part time as my assistant."
Adrian shook his head disapprovingly and immediately floated a kiss on the woman's cheek until the girl glared at him, while his other friends chuckled at the two of them. "That's because you've been talking recklessly."
Alex snorted. "I can talk to my heart's content," she replied.
"And I still wonder why you two didn't kill each other," Ryan commented.
Ivo shook his hand. a sign that he doesn't agree with Ryan's words. "It's even more surprising because until now they haven't had children, or maybe even married."
Ellie smiled. "That's right. Aren't you two living together?"
"She still lives with her family," said Adrian, making Alex calm. "Though she does sleep in my apartment sometimes."
Alex launched an attack on the man's head. "Yaaah! You're not helping at all," she muttered.
"At least you didn't drag on after breaking up with that actor, right?"
Alex looked at Ivo in disbelief. "Did you hear the news?"
Ellie waved her hand. "I even heard it. Even though I don't want to admit it, he is indeed famous. That's why the news of his breakup with you became hot news. Especially seeing your good relationship."
Their conversation was cut short when the waiter took their order. While still on the road, Ryan had already asked for order.
"Hey, can't you erase the jerk's name while we're together? Is he really that important that we have to talk about it?" Adrian said after the waiter who delivered their order passed.
Ellie chuckled. "Jealous, huh?"
Adrian glared at his old friend, but did not reply to the woman's words.
The rest of their dinner was pleasant. They talk about the work they are doing. They share stories when they haven't seen each other for almost five years.
"Ivo, let's take a photo together."
Adrian choked on the wine he was drinking. "What?"
Alex looked at the man sarcastically. "I want to take a picture with my idol. What's your problem?"
Adrian snorted. "Didn't you say to yourself, apart from an actor, that he is still your friend? Then why are you asking for a photo with him now?"
"If you also want to take a picture with Ivo, you don't have to judge me like that," Alex muttered.
That earned a chuckle from Ivo. "Never mind. Come on, Alex, let's take a picture."
Alex exclaimed excitedly. She stood up from her chair as fast as lightning and immediately pulled Ivo. Adrian could only stare when he saw how his best friend wrapped her arms around Ivo's waist and rested her head on the man's shoulder. Ryan, as their photographer, could only chuckle.
"All right, one, two, three!"
And Adrian felt his jaw drop to the floor just as Ryan pressed the button to capture the moment. Unexpectedly, Ivo lowered his face and kissed Alex's cheek right at the last second, so that it was captured by the woman's cellphone camera.
Ivo laughed, seeing Alex frozen. The woman seemed to have been cursed into a statue. In front of her, Ellie and Ryan were also laughing loudly because of the woman's overreaction.
"Adrian, quick, tell me this isn't a dream," she said, still in her tense position.
Adrian stared at her, annoyed. "This is not a dream."
"Oh, my! Did Ivo really kiss me?" she held her cheek.
"He just kissed your cheek, don't overdo it," said Adrian when he saw the woman still hadn't come to her senses.
Ivo held Alex's hand and brought the woman to sit again. Alex sat in her chair with a stiff body. "Do you idolize me that much?" Ivo teased. "You need proof that this isn't a dream?"
The woman nodded.
"What if I kiss you again?"
Adrian glared. "What did you say?!"
Ryan laughed again. "Alex, wake up. Before there was bloodshed here."
With annoyance, Adrian pushed Alex's shoulder so that the woman's right shoulder collided with Ivo's shoulder. The three people at the table were just about to protest the man's actions when they saw that Alex had managed to regain consciousness.
She covered her mouth and looked at Ivo in disbelief. "You really kissed my cheek, didn't you?"
Ryan handed her the cell phone. "You should see it for yourself. Here's the proof."
Alex received her cell phone and screamed in stifled when she saw the screen showing a photo of her and Ivo. She hugged the man's waist with a smile, and Ivo kissed her cheek. "Adrian, remind me not to wash my face as soon as I get home."
Adrian glared at the woman. "As soon as we get home, I'll immediately drag you to the bathroom, where I'll rub your right cheek with a washcloth. If necessary, until the skin on your cheek peels off, " he said sharply.
*****
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