In His Eyes

Chapter 4

I woke up late today. I woke up late today! I kept looking at the time, it was already noon. My phone is bombing with notifications today. Several missed calls from Max along with some messages.

I shouldn't have spent the night on that call, now look who couldn't make it at Max's game. 

I read the messages that Max send and he was looking for me.

Max: Where are you? The game is about to start.

Max: Can you make it?

Max: Are you still asleep? Why am I even asking that question? Call me back.

I decided to take a bath and prepare myself for the day. I took my phone from my bedside table. 2 new missed calls from Max. What is it this time?

I dialed his number to figure out what is wrong. He immediately answered. 

"Where are you?" He asked, he was actually panting. It seems like the game just finished. 

"I'm at my dorm, I woke up late today," I said, clarifying my side on why I couldn't watch the game. 

"Thought you would watch the game?" he asked.

"Well we were up talking all night," I explained, trying to make him remember. "So yeah, I slept late. And couldn't make it. Sorry," I apologized.

"Can you make it right now?" He asked, "I have something to buy at the mall today, would be better if you could accompany me."

"Sure, wait for me in 15," I said, hanging up. I was sure there was disappointment in his voice. I shrugged off the feeling. Don't want to make it awkward now. Besides, he has friends that were surely there to watch his game, I thought to myself.

~*~

"Did you wait long?" I asked, arriving at the court. He already changed attire and saw that he was wearing a tan polo shirt that could easily blend with his skin tone if he wasn't so fair. 

"Yep," he started, looking at me. "I waited the whole game," he said, standing up, making me look up at him.

"I already said I'm sorry," I said, looking at him. He nodded and took his bag from his side

"Let's go," he said, grabbing my arm, "I have something to buy for my little sister's birthday." 

We arrived at the mall and he kept asking me what to buy. "I don't know, it's your sister's birthday, not mine."

"You have a sister as well?" He asked, rummaging the shelves for a specific teen fiction book.

"Yes," I answered, "she's my only sibling. She's older than me so she doesn't live with my ma and pa." 

My sister moved out the moment she could fend for herself, she doesn't want to bother my parents anymore, she still sends us money for our needs, but besides that, she's busy with her work and all.

"Oh, I have two siblings," he said, looking at the cover of the book he just picked up, "one younger sister and one younger brother."

"Oh, so you're the eldest?" I asked, wondering what it was like to be the eldest of the siblings.

"Yes," he looked at me, and he knew I wanted him to continue, "it's sometimes hard to be the eldest of the siblings because you have to set an example for them but I love taking care of my siblings so there's that."

"Oh," that was what all I could say, wondering if what he is feeling is similar to what is my sister is feeling. If so, then ma and pa shouldn't have been so hard on her studies and work.

"I'm done picking a gift," he said, showing me the cover of the book. I smiled at him, so his little sister loves to read. "I'll just have this paid and wrapped up, wait." 

I fished out my phone from my pocket while waiting for him. I had a new message from Philip.

Philip: Let's go drink at Taft later! Let's celebrate the end of Departmental Examinations.

It was not an invitation but rather a command that I need to be there. Well, I got nothing else planned so I can go.

Sure, be there at 9:00 PM, I replied knowing that was still early for a party. Hey, it's better to be early than late, besides that, knowing Philip, he would be late anyway.

"I'm back, sorry it took long," the taller person said. "Let's go eat, I haven't eaten anything since the game." He said, putting his gift inside his bag.

"Uh sure, where do you want to eat?" I said, waiting for an answer. 

"Maybe just the food court," he said, waiting for me to stand up.

"Oki, let's go then," I said walking beside him.

The moment we arrived at the food court we decided to sit to the nearest table that he's ordering. "So, anything in mind?" he asked.

"Huh?" I asked, not knowing what he meant by that.

"Food, duh," he said, chuckling at my confusion. "what food do you want to order," he clarified.

"You should speak in full sentences," I told him, making him laugh. "I'll just have a spaghetti, not craving for anything else." 

"Sure, wait for me," he said, standing up from the table.

I took my phone from my pocket and looked at the current University Online Newsletter. 

Accounting Department won today's Basketball match. That was the headline for today's University news. I have to congratulate him, I actually forgot to ask him how the game was.

As soon as he came back, I congratulated him.

"What for?" he asked, "I just took our order, nothing to congratulate me for."

"I meant the game," I clarified, looking at him. "Congratulations, I heard you won today's match. So there."

"Oh, that was nothing," he said, taking a bit of his food, "besides, you couldn't even watch."

"That again?" I asked, slightly annoyed that he keeps on bugging me on the reason that I couldn't watch the game. "I already said I'm sorry, what do you want me to do?"

He smiled at me. "Why not watch my game next time," he suggested, clearly amused at my annoyance.

"Okay," I said, as he took out his phone from his pocket. I actually don't like it when people look at their phones when they're talking to someone. I let it pass because we weren't that close, anyway.

"I love to listen to music while eating," he clarified, I think I was looking at him wondering what he was doing. He stood up, making me even more confused. He sat beside me in front of me and put his earphones in my ear. Ariana Grande is singing.

I don't know how anyone could listen to music while eating because of the chewing noise and the music colliding inside my head.

But I looked at the tall person beside me. It was clear that he really loves to listen to music while eating. He was bobbing his head while eating.

"I feel like my heart is stuck in bumper-to-bumper, traffic."

I'm still crazy about his voice. Why does the Lord have to be so unfair and give him that angelic voice?

"I'm under pressure."

I looked at him, smiling at him because he really does have a nice voice. Being this close to him I can really appreciate his beauty. Those eyes, I swore that the first time I saw them at the bar they were dangerous, but right now, I no longer know. There's some warmth in them.

"'cause I can't have you the way that I want."

He continued singing. Good thing that he wasn't looking because I was, for sure, blushing. I mean I was really appreciating his beauty when he sang those words.

What is happening to me?

"Hey Max," I said, taking his attention. "Want to go and drink later? My friend invited me to Taft Avenue later, the same spot that we met." Again, what is happening to me?

"Sure, I'll be there at 10 PM," he said, eating his food. I don't know why but I could feel my heart rush right now. This is not normal.

I just focused on my food and waited for time to pass by.

"We were on Honeymoon Avenue."

He continued singing as I took in a sigh. Oh, Ariana, my heart is currently stuck in traffic.

~*~