♫ Drew ♫
“Dude, what is it? You’re making me nervous!” Kevz stated as soon as he arrived at the studio. Behind him were Kip, Roj, and Homme. “Sorry, I felt really tensed when Iyou’re your message so I told them about it,” he explained.
“Let’s sit first, it’s hot! I’m out of breath!” Kip fans himself with his hands as he sits on the couch.
After several minutes and when they finally rested, I started asking Kevz. “Dude, you can open Leslie’s email right?” he nodded so I continued. “Can you open it right now? I just need to check something.”
Roj run upstairs to get Homme’s laptop and passed it on to Kevz. He then tried logging in but unfortunately, it says the password was already changed.
“Shit!” I gasped.
“Wait, what’s going on?” Homme asked when he noticed my tension.
“I talked to David last night. According to him, Leslie received a call from someone she doesn't know and she was asked to check her email. The caller said it’s something important.”
“Maybe that’s why she changed her password. Because she doesn't want Kevz to see it,” Kip stated and we all nodded. “But what could be in that email?”
My mind went blank. Again, I can’t come up with an answer to that question. I really can’t come up with anything.
Kevz snapped his fingers and grabbed a bean bag. “Dude, what time did your party end?” he asked out of nowhere.
“It was around three in the morning when they left.”
“And they all left?” he asked again and I nodded. I’m certain about my answer because I was the one who saw them out. Not one of them stayed behind. “Are you 100% sure of that?”
“I'm 101% sure, man!”
“Remember I went there the day after the party?” and I nodded again, creasing my forehead this time as I don’t know where this is going. “That day, when I got to your house, Nica just came out with another girl,” he stated.
I was shocked so I paused for a few seconds to think. “That’s impossible! I was the one who accompany them to the gate and Nica rode Xavier’s car. You can even ask our housekeeper!”
“I can’t be wrong! I’m sure it was her. I even waited for her to greet me but she didn’t so I thought maybe she can’t recall who I am or they didn’t notice me. She was with another girl but it wasn’t the one who talked to Leslie and me. It’s the first time I saw that girl,” Kevz narrated.
I’m having information overload. It’s as if I can’t understand anything. I was sure about what happened that day, from start to end. But why is he saying otherwise?
To dismiss my confusion, I immediately took my phone and called our house. Even before anyone answers, I put the call on speaker so they could hear.
Me: Hello Isma?
Manang: Yes, son? Do you need anything?
Me: Isma, do you remember the time I hosted a party there?
Manang: Yes, why?
Me: They all went home after, right? We even accompanied them to the gate. No one was left behind, right?
Manang: Yeah, no one stayed. I wasn’t able to clean up right away because I had to check the rooms to make sure no one fell asleep or was left behind.
Me: Are you sure?
Manang: Of course!
I was silent for a moment and the same goes for the old lady on the other line. I was about to end the call when she spoke again.
Manang: Drew, I suddenly remembered something. It’s not that I think bad of your friends, but is there nothing missing in your room after your party?
Me: I don’t think I’m missing anything but I haven’t checked too. Besides, I don’t recall anyone coming to my room during the party.
Manang: Someone did! After your party, two of your visitors came back. It was around eight in the morning. They said they forgot something so I let them in. It took them a while to come out but they said they had a hard time finding what they were looking for so I just ignored it.
I felt cold after hearing what she shared. I don’t even have a faint idea someone came back.
Me: Are you sure? Do you remember who were they?
Manang: I can’t recall their faces but one of them is wearing a sexy dress with long hair.
Me: Nica?
Manang: I’m not sure. She’s the one with a woven bag.
Me: Alright Isma, thanks!
“Shit, that was Nica!” I exclaimed as soon as I ended the call.
“So Kevz was right. It was indeed Nica!” Roj exclaimed and I nodded to confirm.
“Shit indeed! Do you know you were naked from head to toe that morning?" Kevz asked.
“Dude, I know that! I threw up and it got to my shirt. When I took it off, my shorts got stained too so I went to sleep with just my boxers on. But in the middle of sleep, I feel so hot so I got rid of my boxers too,” I explained to dismiss whatever it is he was thinking.
“What if they took a picture of you while you’re naked?” Homme asked.
“Let’s say they did, I doubt Leslie will break up with me just because of that. It's not like I'm with someone else on the bed,” I refuted.
“The question is, how sure are you that you're alone in bed that time when you were asleep?” Kip asked, and again and we all fell silent.
---
I went to school rather early when Monday came. I was hoping I’d come across Leslie, it’s been a while since I last saw her. Unfortunately, I still failed.
Thankfully, Kevz and her joined us for lunch. I wasn’t planning to eat at the cafeteria as Nica invited me out, good thing I refused.
But it seems like destiny's really testing. Just when I was able to see her, face to face, Nica and Marj approached us along with three fratmen, Yvo, Micahel, and Jayson.
“Hi Drew!” she called as she snakes her arm around my neck. I saw Yvo crease his forehead. I guess he was surprised as this is the first time he’s seeing Nica and me together, and he knows that I’m in a relationship with Leslie.
Leslie, on the other hand, does not react. I know she saw what Nica did but she didn’t even smirk or roll her eyes. She just continued chatting with the rest of the band.
“Hi Lemon!” Yvo greeted her.
“Hi, bro!” she smiled widely at him.
“Have you eaten? I’m starving…” Yvo told her sweetly. Yes, sweetly and it sort of annoyed me.
‘Since when were they close to each other?’ I know that Nico’s close to the varsities, but I didn’t know Leslie’s close to them too.
“I’m about to, let’s go?” then they both stood up and head to the food counter.
“So she’s Lemon,” Marj said out of nowhere.
Instead of looking at her, I just continue to watch Leslie as she’s busy smiling at Yvo while buying food. I admit I’m jealous but what can I do about it?
Homme and Kevz keep glancing at me. After a while, Kevz gestured at the girls as if asking why they were with us but I just shrugged at him. Who knows what they want?
When Leslie and Yvo came back, Kip and Homme stood up to buy their food. Meanwhile, Kevz, Roj, and I asked the other two to buy theirs.
“Let’s eat too!” Marj told Nica who then turned to me.
“Drew let's go eat,” she told me.
“Sorry, I already asked Kip to buy my food.”
She stomped her foot before standing up and heading to the food counter with Marj. I’m starting to get annoyed by her behavior but what’s even more annoying is the nonstop chatting between Leslie and Yvo.
When Homme and Kip came back, we started eating right away. We were all quiet until Marj cleared her throat.
“Excuse me, are you Lemon?” she asked and everyone’s attention turned to her. Even Yvo creased his forehead. “Are you Drew's ex?”
“Yes, and yes,” Leslie replied with a straight face.
“Isn’t it awkward? Like, you're his ex, and Nica's his current girlfriend, and yet you’re the one with Drew for lunch?”
“I’m with my cousin and my friends too, I don’t see why it should be awkward,” Leslie replied, smiling.
“So it’s fine with you? You won't mind that he's mine now?” Nica butted in.
“I don't. He's all yours, I'm fine,” she grinned.
“Then that's nice, right babe?” Nica turned to me before hooking her arm to mine but I didn’t bother responding to her as I’m more affected by Leslie’s response. I feel like someone punched me in the stomach.
‘She doesn’t care? She won’t even ask if it’s true? Besides, I didn’t agree to break up with her. It was her decision alone!’
We quietly continued eating while Yvo and Leslie continued to chat, even laughing from time to time. As I get irritated, I excused myself and lied that I need to go to the library.
I exited the school thru the back gate and lit up a cigarette. As soon as I’m done, I headed straight to our classroom where Roj, Kip, and Homme were huddled close to the windows.
“What was that Drew?” Homme sneered. “What was she playing at?” he asked, referring to Nica.
“I don’t know too. I don’t even know why they joined us.”
“But I didn’t know Lemon’s close with Yvo,” Kip chirped.
“It’s probably because of Rawbin. If I remembered correctly, she met the college varsities when she attend their parties with Rawbin,” Roj stated.
“Is it true that you’re together now?” Homme pried.
“Of course not! It’s just Leslie who decided on our breakup, not me! That girl's hallucinating and now, I’m even more convinced that she has something to do with our problem.”
“Well, we need to find out the truth before it's too late,” Kip stated.
“What do you mean?” I asked and so he turned his phone to show me Kevz’s message.
“Yvo asked Partner out on a date.”