*10 years later*
It's midnight, but I am still outside, sitting here in the dark part of the park. The city is still busy, with many people passing by in the street. I see couples too, being lovey-dovey, holding each other's hands and laughing together. I think if that day hadn't happened, maybe I wouldn't be like this. I always used to think nonsense about that emotion called "love" and was looking for the best example of it. I laugh to myself; I am a romance writer, but I myself haven't experienced such a thing.
I stand up, about to leave when I feel my phone vibrate. I look at my phone and see that Matthew is calling, so I pick it up.
"Hey, Matt, what's up?" I say.
"Jesse, where are you?" he asks.
"I am here at the central park, why?" I answer. Maybe he wants me to do a favor.
"At this time!?" He says, obviously shocked.
"What's the big deal with me being outside? I am a guy, anyway," I state. Well, I am a guy; no one will harm me here.
"Tsk! You are so stupid! I'll pick you up, so don't leave. I have something to tell you," he says.
He ends the call, and as he said, I don't leave.
After a few minutes, I see Matthew's car. Don't ask me about his car; I don't know anything about cars, but he told me his car is a BMW. Uh? I don't know what that is. Anyway, Matthew gets out of his car and walks towards me.
"You are so stubborn! Why are you here outside at this time?" he scolds me.
"You're being overprotective like my parents," I pout.
"Well, if you could just be aware of your surroundings," he says, releasing a heavy sigh.
I really don't understand them. I am a guy, but they treat me like a little girl as if my parents didn't watch me, I'd be lost. For Pete's sake, I am a 25-year-old guy!
"Let's go," he says, and we walk to his car. We get in, and he starts driving. I wonder where we are going, so I ask him.
"Where are we going?" I ask.
"To my condo," he briefly answers.
He is completely concentrated on driving. On our way, I wonder why this guy hasn't had a girlfriend. Is it because of his career? Oh, by the way, guys, I forgot to tell you that Matthew is a famous actor. Before I left, Matthew told me that he wanted to be an architect. Now I don't know what happened, and he entered the world of showbiz.
He stops the car, and we enter the building where his condo is located. Matthew is literally rich now; he has a big condo, and cars, and he almost has everything.
We are now inside his condo, and I sit on one of the sofas here. "So, what are you going to tell me again?" I ask him. He sits across from me.
"You are a writer, but you haven't published any of the stories you've written in a publishing company, right? You only post them on social media," he asks me, then he smirks.
"Uh, yeah, why?" I ask because I am confused. Is he mocking me for being a freelancer with an unstable salary?
"I talked to a friend, and he told me that his father owns a publishing corporation. I asked him if you could work with them, and he said yes, but you have to go to
the company tomorrow if you want to publish your stories," he explains.
I can't believe that Matthew would do this kind of thing for me. I am happy because I have my own work.
"Are you in?" he asks me.
"Of course!" I exclaim.
-The next day-
We are now in front of the building Matthew was talking about.
"Let's go inside," he tells me, and we start walking.
The hallway isn't empty, but all eyes are on us. Of course, who wouldn't look at us? I am with a famous celebrity, and I hope my life is not in danger.
We enter an office that I think is supposed to be for the manager.
"Good morning, sir!" Matthew cheerfully greets the guy sitting in this office.
"Good morning, Matthew," the guy greets too.
"He was the one I was talking about, sir," Matthew says and pushes me forward to face the manager.
His eyebrows furrow, and I know he is confused.
"Is he the one you're talking about? I thought he was around the same age as you. I didn't know he was still a teenager," the manager says.
I am surprised by what he just said. Me? A teenager? Do I look like one? Hell, I am not a teenager! I am even a month older than Matthew.
"But, kid, even at your young age, you still manage to write great stories. Matthew sent me a sample of your work, and you possess the perfect skill to write a beautiful story," he compliments me, but I don't take it as a compliment. He called me a kid!
I see Matthew smirking at me, and I know he is mocking me. I know he will not help me with this kind of situation, so I speak for myself.
"Sorry, sir, but I am not a teenager. I am a 25-year-old who graduated from Harvard University with a major in Literature," I explain with my bass tone of voice.
This guy is utterly shocked.
"Really? I am sorry for the misunderstanding," he excuses himself.
"It's okay, sir. I don't mind it," I speak politely.
"But you do look like a teenager. Anyway, I'll introduce you to your editor. Please wait for a while," he says, then he calls his secretary.
After a while, we hear a knock on the door.
"Come in!" the manager shouts.
A guy enters. He is tall and has glasses. I stare at his face, but I am shocked when I recognize him.
"He'll be your editor from now on. He is Mr. Klein, one of my chief editors," the manager explains.
My mind still isn't functioning well because the guy I ran away from 10 years ago is now in front of me.
"I'm Oliver Klein," he says bluntly and extends his arm to shake hands with me.
I remember the past. It was like this, except for his reaction. He was smiling at me back then, but now he shows no emotion. Doesn't he recognize me?
"I-I'm Je- I'm Red, Red Wright," I stutter and grab his hand to shake.
"Nice to meet you," we both say to each other.
It's a disaster to meet you. Again.
"How is it?" Matthew asked me when we reached my apartment. I glared at him, but it didn't have any effect on him. He just laughed at me and sat on one of my sofas in the living room. "You didn't tell me!" I threw a pillow at him, and he caught it, hugging it. "That was my surprise for you! After a decade, you see each other again," he said, proud like a kid. "It's not good, you know?" I whispered. "Huh? It's Oliver, right? Why aren't you happy?" he asked. Yeah, Matthew didn't have any clue why I wasn't happy to see him. So I decided to act shocked, surprised, and shy, just to make him stop worrying. I would pretend like nothing happened and do it for work. "Of course, I was shocked! I didn't expect that," I explained to Matthew with an overly dramatic reaction. "Shouldn't you be thanking me?" he teased me. He really was annoying. "Thank you for what?" I asked, although I knew exactly what he was referring to. I just wanted to play around. "Come on, aren't you grateful to me?
I am currently writing the prologue of my story. I'll create a sweet moment that no one will expect to turn into a heart-breaking ending because that was the idea in my mind. I blame someone who made me like this, a person who never felt love in his whole life. I sighed heavily. *Bzzzzz Bzzzzz* My phone was ringing, so I picked it up and saw that Matthew was the one calling. "I'm working, what is it?" I asked him, the annoyance in my voice obvious. "Is that how you talk to your beloved best friend?" he asked, sounding sulky. "Stop with your childish acts and tell me what you want," I responded with an even more annoyed tone. "I just want to hang out with you. There is a newly opened bar near my place. Would you like to accompany me there?" he asked. Hmm. Well, I think it's not a bad idea to take a break, even if I just started. Maybe I should relax for a bit and clear my mind. Geez. "Okay, what time?" I asked him calmly. "Maybe around 8 o'clock at night?" he replied. "Darn y
The next day, I was awakened by the doorbell. I stood up in my bed, and when I opened the door, I saw the landlady with teary eyes. "Mister, I am sorry, but this land was bought by a businessman, and I can't refuse him because I have a big debt to him. So please pack your things and find another place. Also, here is your supposed-to-be rent." She gave me back my money and left me alone. I had no choice but to pack up my things. I searched for a place that I could rent, and I found an apartment nearby. I called a truck to help me pick up my things and started transferring to another place. Fast forward, and I was done unpacking my things. I was now arranging my belongings when my phone buzzed again. It was Matthew once again. "Hey, Jesse, you transferred to another apartment?" he asked. "Yeah," I answered. "Why?" he wondered. "The landlady told me that she sold the land, and she asked me to pack my things," I explained. "Okay, then tell me your new address," he said, and I told
It was him... Oliver What is he doing here? Could it be that we are neighbors? "Oh, Good afternoon Mr. Red Wright" He said but I just standing there awkwardly without even smiling. "We're neighbors huh?" He asked again and I saw him smiled so I smile too, but a fake one. "Yes, Sir" I was facing the ground now because of the overwhelming embarrassment. He smiled at me again and he enters his own apartment. I didn't expect to be like this. I just want to have a normal life even without that thing called Love, but if he's always around me that stupid emotion will bloom inside me. I don't want to have such kind of feeling, a forbi
Shit. It's already 10 am! I am freaking dead meat again in our director! The heck is wrong with my alarm and I didn't wake up early? So I immediately get up in my bed and I almost run into my bathroom. I started to get naked. I tap the shower button and it started to rinse my body. My head is still aching because of the hard drink I drunk last night with Jesse. Uh! I almost forgot to call him. I'll call him after I finish showering. I am in the middle of soaping myself when I heard footsteps outside. Who can be is that? So I finished soaping my body and I shampoo my hair. After that I open the shower and rinse myself. After wa
"There he is!" My manager exclaimed and he pointed to a guy who was sitting alone in the sofa near at the stage. My eyes went wide when I recognized who that is. "He will be your Best friend" my manager stated again. "Zeus Sebastian?" I unconsciously said. I take back what I said earlier. I can never be friends with him. I don't know why but I am nervous and I feel like my heart beat is increasing again. I can't even act properly when I am in front of him so what should I do? "Oh, good you already know him" He said and I got confused "Of course, I know him already. Didn't you send him to inform me earlier?" I asked. "Huh? I di
I am here at the grocery store. Buying some stuff for my apartment. I didn't expect that I will run out of foods and other materials for my apartment. I think it was very long time when I bought groceries in my old apartment. Geez I hate buying alone. If Matthew is not busy he would probably the one buying this for me. I sigh heavily because now I think maybe I am a big burden to him. Wait! Matthew loves Filipino dishes maybe I can cook some. I am in the section of vegetable. I wonder if I can cook a Filipino dish likePakbetorchapsuibut at least I can make a food for myself. I am just randomly picking vegetables when I bumped into someone. "Sorry sir" It is guy maybe a college student and he is looking down at me with his furrowed eyebrowrs.
Did I give Oliver a ring before? I can't remember when wai- that means the ring I saw in his hand before was actually the ring I gave him? But I can't recall a thing. "S-sorry I can't remember that he-he-he," I said. "Hmm, too bad, I was eager to know it," He said while pouting. I just awkwardly laugh and we chat more about our personal life. I learned that he is a model so he was in that kind of disguise. I told him that I am a writer but I didn't tell him my pen name. We chat and chat until we finished drinking our coffee. "Are you going home now?" He asked because I stand in my position. "Yeah, you can come if you want" I i