& The Reason Is You
Alone
We talked more afterwards, about anything and everything. She asked me about my family and a lot of stuff that my mother never cares to ask me. I started to feel like I wish she was my mother instead. Mike and Vic must be lucky to have her as a mother. As we talk, we were getting close and she actually asked me to call her Vivian.
I didn’t know what time it was but I knew it was getting late so I excused myself to go home. But I kind of wished that I would just stay.
Because as soon as I got into my house, I knew I was in a big trouble. Mom got back home early and she was in the living room with her arms crossed, a stern look plastered on her face. I knew something was wrong because the TV wasn’t turned on. Slowly, I closed the door, trying to not make any sound but my mom had a sharp ear so she immediately turned to me.
Call me a bad brother but I kind of wished that she was mad at Val and not me. My mother and I rarely talk, and we would only talk if we need to. And by the look of her face, it seemed like she was mad at something. More like, mad at me.
“Hey,” I started, although I knew it was a bad move.
“Where have you been?” she asked.
Oh no.
“I –”
“Were you with Blaise? Who were you with if it’s not with Blaise? Why did you just come home now?? Don’t you know it’s already late, Tony???” she started to ask without stopping – without giving me a chance to explain, she didn’t want to hear.
“Mom, I was just –”
“Do you have a girlfriend, Tony? You don’t have to hide her from me. You can bring her for dinner,” my mom interrupted me again. But as she spoke, I could see that she looked scared. I have no idea why. What’s with all the girlfriend thingy all of a sudden?
I just stared at her. Maybe it was the right time to tell her that I wasn’t into girls. But I didn’t because I was afraid. I was afraid what she might say and do.
“I don’t have a girlfriend, mom. I was at a friend’s house but he wasn’t there so I hung out with his mom instead, and his mother is actually a very nice mother,” I answered, hoping that she would realize I actually mock her.
Maybe if I told her that I would never have a girlfriend, everything would be easy.
School without Mike felt boring. Mike was still not in school but that didn’t stop me from looking for him in the hallways, cafeteria and classes. Instead of Mike, I saw Vic instead. But it was hard approaching Vic as he was always surrounded with a lot of people.
I wanted to talk to Blaise but he had been really busy with soccer that he actually had no time for his best friend.
Although I’ve got assignments to do I didn’t feel like doing it. After all, it was due next week. I went home, told Val that I was going out. She wanted to come with me but I told her that she needed to stay home and tell mom that I’ll be okay. She was pouting (I couldn’t resist pouting Val) but I guess I was too down to change my mind. I wanted to be alone.
The only place I wanted to go right then was the old cinema. But the thing is, I can drive (just a beginner though) but we only have one car and mom was using it for work. So, it’s either I have to walk or use other transportations and I went with the bus.
It was a good thing I have enough change for the bus. The bus didn’t exactly stop at the cinema though, it stopped somewhere near the mall which meant I had to walk again to go to the cinema. After God-knows-how-long I’ve walked, I stared and stood in front of the cinema.
The Grand Reel – that was the cinema’s name.
There were a few cars in the parking lot, just like the other day Mike and I came here. I was glad there were just a few people but felt sad at the same time because this was a great theatre. I got inside of the cinema and stopped at the cashier, asking him what movie was available.
He was pretty surprised when he saw me. “Aren’t you the dude with Mike?”
“Yeah,” I answered. “Why?”
He only gave me a grin (which made him look ten times more attractive) and said, “Oh. You’re here to watch a movie – alone?”
‘Did it look like I came here with 3 people? Obviously I came here alone so I’m going to watch the movie alone you blind frick’
“Uh yeah,” I answered nervously. “So what movies are available?”
He began to list down a few movies and there were mostly old movies. I asked him what was the newest they’ve got and I found that new movie to be boring. So I went for animation instead and chose Lion King mainly because I’ve never watched it before.
Just when I was about to pay for the tickets, he said, “Nah, it’s okay. And oh, if you’d like some popcorn, you can buy them on your way to cinema 2.”
It must’ve been my lucky day because I got a ticket for free but on the other hand, I wasn’t a big fan of popcorn so maybe I would just grab a soda. I was staring at my ticket on my way to cinema 2, wondering if Mike would love to join me watch this movie if he was here.
I stopped in front of the place where they sell popcorn. I didn’t actually remember whether they had sodas or not so I just stood there dumbly while the tall sales boy was having his back facing me, probably preparing the popcorn.
“Excuse me,” I called and then asked, “Do you guys have sodas?”
Of course they have, there were cans of sodas in the refrigerator. But I was just asking that to get his attention.
The sales boy turned around and he actually looked familiar to me. He raised his eyebrow and then said, “Tony?”
I was shocked, of course. How could he know my name? But that was when it hit me. I know him. He was the guy I’ve been looking for these past few weeks. He was the reason why I felt empty for suddenly missing without telling me. It was Mike; he was standing in front of me with a Grand Reel apron, holding a scoop.
“Mike?”
I didn’t know what time it was but I knew it was getting late so I excused myself to go home. But I kind of wished that I would just stay.
Because as soon as I got into my house, I knew I was in a big trouble. Mom got back home early and she was in the living room with her arms crossed, a stern look plastered on her face. I knew something was wrong because the TV wasn’t turned on. Slowly, I closed the door, trying to not make any sound but my mom had a sharp ear so she immediately turned to me.
Call me a bad brother but I kind of wished that she was mad at Val and not me. My mother and I rarely talk, and we would only talk if we need to. And by the look of her face, it seemed like she was mad at something. More like, mad at me.
“Hey,” I started, although I knew it was a bad move.
“Where have you been?” she asked.
Oh no.
“I –”
“Were you with Blaise? Who were you with if it’s not with Blaise? Why did you just come home now?? Don’t you know it’s already late, Tony???” she started to ask without stopping – without giving me a chance to explain, she didn’t want to hear.
“Mom, I was just –”
“Do you have a girlfriend, Tony? You don’t have to hide her from me. You can bring her for dinner,” my mom interrupted me again. But as she spoke, I could see that she looked scared. I have no idea why. What’s with all the girlfriend thingy all of a sudden?
I just stared at her. Maybe it was the right time to tell her that I wasn’t into girls. But I didn’t because I was afraid. I was afraid what she might say and do.
“I don’t have a girlfriend, mom. I was at a friend’s house but he wasn’t there so I hung out with his mom instead, and his mother is actually a very nice mother,” I answered, hoping that she would realize I actually mock her.
Maybe if I told her that I would never have a girlfriend, everything would be easy.
School without Mike felt boring. Mike was still not in school but that didn’t stop me from looking for him in the hallways, cafeteria and classes. Instead of Mike, I saw Vic instead. But it was hard approaching Vic as he was always surrounded with a lot of people.
I wanted to talk to Blaise but he had been really busy with soccer that he actually had no time for his best friend.
Although I’ve got assignments to do I didn’t feel like doing it. After all, it was due next week. I went home, told Val that I was going out. She wanted to come with me but I told her that she needed to stay home and tell mom that I’ll be okay. She was pouting (I couldn’t resist pouting Val) but I guess I was too down to change my mind. I wanted to be alone.
The only place I wanted to go right then was the old cinema. But the thing is, I can drive (just a beginner though) but we only have one car and mom was using it for work. So, it’s either I have to walk or use other transportations and I went with the bus.
It was a good thing I have enough change for the bus. The bus didn’t exactly stop at the cinema though, it stopped somewhere near the mall which meant I had to walk again to go to the cinema. After God-knows-how-long I’ve walked, I stared and stood in front of the cinema.
The Grand Reel – that was the cinema’s name.
There were a few cars in the parking lot, just like the other day Mike and I came here. I was glad there were just a few people but felt sad at the same time because this was a great theatre. I got inside of the cinema and stopped at the cashier, asking him what movie was available.
He was pretty surprised when he saw me. “Aren’t you the dude with Mike?”
“Yeah,” I answered. “Why?”
He only gave me a grin (which made him look ten times more attractive) and said, “Oh. You’re here to watch a movie – alone?”
‘Did it look like I came here with 3 people? Obviously I came here alone so I’m going to watch the movie alone you blind frick’
“Uh yeah,” I answered nervously. “So what movies are available?”
He began to list down a few movies and there were mostly old movies. I asked him what was the newest they’ve got and I found that new movie to be boring. So I went for animation instead and chose Lion King mainly because I’ve never watched it before.
Just when I was about to pay for the tickets, he said, “Nah, it’s okay. And oh, if you’d like some popcorn, you can buy them on your way to cinema 2.”
It must’ve been my lucky day because I got a ticket for free but on the other hand, I wasn’t a big fan of popcorn so maybe I would just grab a soda. I was staring at my ticket on my way to cinema 2, wondering if Mike would love to join me watch this movie if he was here.
I stopped in front of the place where they sell popcorn. I didn’t actually remember whether they had sodas or not so I just stood there dumbly while the tall sales boy was having his back facing me, probably preparing the popcorn.
“Excuse me,” I called and then asked, “Do you guys have sodas?”
Of course they have, there were cans of sodas in the refrigerator. But I was just asking that to get his attention.
The sales boy turned around and he actually looked familiar to me. He raised his eyebrow and then said, “Tony?”
I was shocked, of course. How could he know my name? But that was when it hit me. I know him. He was the guy I’ve been looking for these past few weeks. He was the reason why I felt empty for suddenly missing without telling me. It was Mike; he was standing in front of me with a Grand Reel apron, holding a scoop.
“Mike?”