Friday came, Uno was torn between cooking the surprise for Dos or just putting to waste every cent of his money with the party needs he bought simply 'cause he hadn't moved on from the latter's close to I-am-over-you line of, 'it is what it is.'

"It was as if she just took a piss, and voila, she's moved on," he babbled, slumping at the carpet by the living room while staring at the pastel-colored balloons he was to inflate. "Are kids nowadays really like her?" He clucked his tongue with anger evident on his glowered face.

He had wasted more or less an hour holding gazes with the eyeless balloons, had tired his lungs for breathing almost erratically for being pissed with the celebrant for a cause he, himself, wasn't aware of.

A minute later, his phone rang, displaying his mother's picture on the screen.

"Ma?" was how he boringly dawned a supposedly hyped talk with his equally hyped mother on the other line, who was squealing had he not spoken.

"Where's the energy, son? Is there a problem? I'll listen. Come on, tell-"

"Nah, there's none," he replied. "Just didn't have a good sleep. Is there anything you need? Like a birthday surprise errand I should run?" He rolled his eyes to the moon with fingers crossed, hoping there was none.

But she did utter otherwise. "Yes. The reason why I called. Because you see, we all are busy here cooking all the dishes for Dos' party. And your dad is at work in place of your absence-"

He sighed, causing his mother to shut. "Ma, you didn't have to give me a lengthy explanation just to make me run the errand for you. I asked, didn't I? I'd do it with or without you going chatty on me."

She laughed out loud. "You know what, Anak, you have to loosen up a bit! You're too serious and uptight! Twenty-two ka pa lang, but I think I'm speaking with a golden ager!"

Uno clicked his tongue. "Ma, what errand do I have to run?" he said firmly, pissed.

His mother let out another annoying cackle which made him disconnect the call. Minutes later, he received a text message from his mom containing what she wanted him to buy.

You know, except the two of us, no one's allowed to touch your Papa's liquor collection, right? So, go and buy some drinks at the mall—both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. I'll pay you when we get to your flat later tonight to celebrate Dos' day. I love you, sweetie. Tc.

Ps. If you come across a prepossessing man, grab the chance! Boyfriend him and bring him to the party so we can meet him!

"Myghad! As sure as I am gay, I didn't genetically have this woman's thinking!" he exclaimed, walking to the restroom to freshen up before going to the mall.

Lucky for him, it was a Friday morning--lessened yet were the people roaming around the mall to buy their necessities.

"May bibilhin pa po kayo, Sir?" asked the lady at the counter.

He would've said yes and would've rushed himself to the beverages area to grab Dos few bottles of Strawberry flavored Mogu-mogu, had the lady's lecherous manner of staring didn't cause him to cringe.

"Wala na," he said, unable to hold the lady's gaze.

The lady tucked her free-falling strands of hair behind her ears. "Sure ka na, Sir, ha? Pero kung hindi, sabihin mo lang. I can wait for you naman po."

He chose to ignore her, perhaps opted to wait for the bagger to finish packing the box of liquors he bought so he could head off.

A few moments after, he was free from the undressing eyes of the lady. Thirsty as he may, he decided to grab a quencher at Starbucks.

"Green Tea Crème Frappuccino for Uno," called the lady at the bar counter.

He immediately pushed to his feet, but the lady at the counter wasn't holding any cup. "Excuse me, Miss. I'm Uno. Where's-"

"I'm so sorry, Sir. Pero may kumuha na po kanina akala ko po kanya," the lady consolingly replied.

He simply waved his hand before leaving to signal her that there came no harm with her mistake.

When he was about to leave the shop, a deep voice called him by his name.

"Sylvester?" with brows furrowed and eyes squinted, he said.

Sylvester, his first love, chuckled as he showed Uno his drink. "It's been a while, Uno," he said, amorously eyeing Uno from head to cock. "Mind spending a few minutes with me?"

Though a little unsure and uneasy, Uno nodded his head as he neared him. Sylvester guided him to his table, even pulled a chair for him before he gave back his drink and sat in front of him.

"Kamusta?" they asked in chorus.

"You go first," they asked again in chorus.

Uno suddenly felt ecstatic at the same time unpleased to have him in his plain sight after years of being distant. Thrilled in a way one would think as they'd come to catch up with a long-lost someone. Unpleased in a way, one would feel as they'd come to catch up with a long-lost someone who made them fall but didn't catch them.

"Ok. Your seconds of silence says I should go first. I get it." Sylvester chuckled. "I'm still studying. Second-year. Medicine. Obviously.' He dropped his eyes down the magnetic nameplate attached to his white coat in the flesh. "Alive and kicking, somehow, since I managed to nail my oral examination with our terror preceptor."

Only then, Uno noticed his all-white attire. "That's good to know," he replied.

"I've heard about the mishap your family came to deal with. How's your branch in Cavite?"

"It's under renovation. We'd be refinancing and rebuilding it as condominium units."

Sylvester nodded and leaned his face closer to Uno. "And how about the heir? How's life going?"

Out of awkwardness, Uno reclined his back on his chair as he shakily took his drink and sipped on it. "Ok naman," he thriftily answered, earning a laugh from his companion. "Did I say something wrong?"

Sylvester jerked his shoulders up, curving his lips downward like saying he got nothing newsworthy. "That's all the news I could have from you after years of being apart?"

"My life's still as boring as before. Didn't change a fiber." Uno took another sip from his drink.

"Boyfriend? You have one?" The latter sounded intriguing to him.

Uno felt like he was in a hot seat. Hot and cold flashes crept on him, feeling more uneasy with the grilling gazes of Sylvester that he averted his gaze and settled them somewhere else. A move he regretted when his eyes landed on Dos, who was walking hand in hand with a tall and slender woman.

The feelings he felt inside him were hard to fathom, but he knew above every difficult-to-fathom feeling that he was mad.

In a spur-of-the-moment act, he pulled himself from his chair to chase Dos and the woman she was with--forgetting his drink, the box of liquor he bought, and the man he knew still makes his heart flutter. Or maybe not anymore. Neither did he know. But he knew he couldn't care less to leave him alone for Dos.

"Dos," he yelled, but Dos nor the woman she was with didn't turn their back to face him. "Dosmer!" he called loudly once more, still the same, it was as if he was calling for no one's name.

The steps of the women he was chasing quickened as they walked into Watsons.

Uno seized that chance. He stepped inside as well.

"Samara." He could've thought earlier of using her first name because though his calling wasn't too loud, he caught her looking at him in a blink.

"Uno--hey! Wait! Why are you dragging me?! Where are you going to bring me?! I still have afternoon classes! I can't skip those!"

All Dos' pleas fell on deaf ears. Uno continued to drag her to the parking area.

"Why'd you have to drag--"

"Who are you with?" he hissed, facing Dos when they stood in front of his car. The latter's hand was still being held captive by his huge hand.

"What?!" Dos yelled, trying to free her hand off his. "Will you please get your hand off mine?!"

"You answer me! Who the fuck was that woman?! Why was she holding your hand?!"

"What the fuck, Uno?! You are not in the position to ask--"

"Tell me who she is. Otherwise, I'd be asking her!"

"She's my girlfriend!"

Uno stiffened.

"G-girlfriend?"

"Yes, she is--"

"Are you out of your mind, Samara?" he asked like a poison he tried to take off his mouth. "You had yourself the least because I turned you down?"

Dos scoffed. "The least? Heck, Nikolai. That's freaking unsound, you biphobic arsehole."

"Why? You term that as best? I would've let it pass if you were with a man so worthy of leveling with a homosexual like me. But a woman? Seriously? Is she your best rebound?"

"Why? Do you term that as not? Bakit? Because you're an out homosexual man? And you felt entitled to shun bisexuals because they sleep with both sexes and homosexuals like you don't? Because bisexuals are not gay enough and homosexuals like you are?"

"That's not what--"

"It is. And you're shunning them to the core when you're supposed to lift them because you know how it feels to harbor gender identity stigmas and discriminations. Don't kill them twice, Uno. Shield them rather."