That Day

"Finally!" In the lively part of the Estrio Family Mansion, an excited voice was heard. It was Jon, one of our friends present, as he exclaimed with elation upon hearing Dwayne's revelation. Our other friends, Darrell and Megan joined in the celebration, literally jumping and cheering alongside him. They were obviously happy and excited for what they have heard. And who wouldn't? After spending so much time together, Dwayne had finally decided and planned to propose to Kyla - his long time girlfriend. We had all thought he had no intention of marrying her, considering they had been together for almost five years. However, amidst the joy of our group of friends, there was someone who tried to act as happy as everyone else through forcing a smile in her face. And it was me. But Daniela and Gabriel, also my friends and part of the group, with their perceptive eyes, couldn't help but notice the sorrow hidden behind my forced smiles. Among the seven of us friends, they were the only ones who knew the depth of my love for Dwayne, a love that had blossomed since our childhood. In the past, I had attempted to indirectly express my feelings to Dwayne on several occasions, but his heart remained guarded because of Kyla. He's heart has numbed because of his deep love for her. Daniela, his sister, had also made efforts to bring us together, but to no avail. She had her support to me wholeheartedly, she wants me to be her brother's woman than that b!t_ch Kyla. Well, it was her bias anyway, because we were not only friends. We're childhood best friends, that's why she already knew me like the back of her hand. And for her, with my kind-hearted nature and innocence, I was the perfect fit for his brother. Why could she say that? Because, Kyla was quite my opposite. She's.. Well, I don't want to judge people. But despite that, Dwayne was head over heels with her. We couldn't understand why Dwayne was so enamored with her. She had been involved with several men before they met. We almost couldn't count how many of those men had made their way in that hole in between her legs, she's literally a bi_t_ch, and yet Dwayne seemed unfazed. Is love really blind or Dwayne was just an i_di_ot when it comes to it? Sometimes, I find myself wondering what would happen if I were to take Dwayne away from her. Like seduce him, or such. However, I cannot bring myself to betray my own conscience for the sake of my unrequited love for someone who doesn't even notice me. "Are you alright?" Gabriel asked me with concern. Among all our friends, he was the most worried about my well-being. I knew he had feelings for me, but I couldn't reciprocate because my heart belonged to Dwayne. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself otherwise, I couldn't deceive myself. "Yes, why wouldn't I be?" I replied with a forced smile and a trembling voice. "Don't worry, Shane. We're here for you," Daniela said, embracing me from behind. I wanted to cry, but something within me held back the tears when my bestie gave me that hug. After our brief moment of emotional turmoil, we joined in the joyous celebration of Dwayne's plans. Megan raised a toast to Dwayne's brilliant idea, and despite the heaviness in my chest, I joined in the toast, not wanting to dampen the happy occasion. Gabriel and Daniela kept casting concerned glances my way, but I ignored them and gulped down the wine in my glass. It tasted bitter, but I dismissed it. I poured myself another glass and downed it, followed by another and another. After consuming seven straight glasses of wine, dizziness overcame me, and my vision blurred. "Shane, you're drunk," Daniela whispered beside me, but I paid no attention and poured myself yet another glass of wine. The glass swayed in my hand as I struggled to maintain my balance. I wanted to get drunk and forget. After all, I couldn't have the man I had longed for. I would drown my sorrows and erase him from my mind, at least for now. "Shane, that's enough. You're already too drunk," Gabriel scolded, attempting to take the glass from my hand. "Gab? I need this," I said, snatching the glass away from him. But in the process, as I felt dizzy because I was actually too drunk, I slightly lose my balance and fall. Luckily, I landed on the table, avoiding a potentially painful impact with the floor. "Damn it! What's that, Shane!" A man, sitting in the seat across Gabriel, exclaimed angrily at me. He's none other than Dwayne - my prince charming. He was furious obviously because I had caused a mess by knocking over the two whiskey bottles they were drinking as well as the wine for the girls. It was a pair expensive whiskeys and a wine that I have just wasted because of my silly act. "S-sorry," I stammered, feeling embarrassed. Despite my intoxicated state, I could feel the heat of my face due to Dwayne's reaction. "You're always trying to drink alot when you knew you can't handle it. You're ruining the mood her, you know," he said, irritated, as he stood amidst the fallen bottles. In my embarrassment, I slowly got up without looking around and stumbled towards the exit. "Kuya! Don't overdo it. You knew she didn't mean it," Daniela's voice rose as she scolded her brother. Then, she stood and took my hand and led me away. "Come on, Shane, let's go to our room." She was angry, but I knew her anger was directed at her brother. Due to my embarrassment, I decided to follow her footsteps putting my hands in her waist. We were at their house because her brother had invited us for a drink. I had no idea that he would reveal his plans to the group. Perhaps it was because he wanted our assistance in arranging his proposal. To be honest, a year ago, I wasn't a part of this group of friends. But since Daniela is my friend and she ships me with her brother, I ended up joining them in all their outings and drinking sessions. "I'm sorry Shane. I think my brother is just drunk, that's why his acting like that," Daniela expressed remorse as we entered the guest room. Due to her visiting sister and her family temporarily occupying her room, we had to sleep here. Her sister had traveled from Cebu to visit here, it was maybe because they were missing their parents. "I am sorry too, Dan. It appears that you and your brother had a disagreement because of me. It was also my fault for deliberately getting drunk," I responded, slowly settling onto the bed. As I lay down, a wave of sadness washed over me, causing my vision to blur. I even felt a surge of nausea, nearly causing me to lose consciousness. "Please don't worry about it. And don't take everything seriously especially about my Brother's planned proposal, I have this feeling that he and Kayla won't end up together. Me and my other siblings, don't like that woman. After all, we knew her true color," she reassured me, sitting on the edge of the bed. "But he is happy with Kyla, and you should accept that," I suggested to her. "And are you truly okay with that?" she inquired. "Not entirely. However, what right do I have to interfere when I don't even hold a place in your brother's heart? Who am I, really?" I pondered. She sighed, empathizing with my predicament. "Perhaps acceptance is the only option for me. I don't see any other choice," I admitted. "Go to sleep, Shane. You're already inebriated, and who knows where our conversation might lead," she replied, gently caressing my forehead. With her gently touch and my intoxicated state, I closed my eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep. .... .... THAT MORNING.. I was unsure of what time I woke up, but as I opened my eyes, an excruciating headache assaulted me, as if my head was on the verge of exploding. My body ached, akin to the aftermath of a severe hangover. And.. And felt pain in between my legs. Wait.. Wait.. Wait.. What? What does this mean? Oh my god! A sudden realization struck me, and panic surged through my veins. Frantically, I searched my body, and my eyes widened in shock. Why am I not wearing a blouse?! My hands moved down, and I discovered that I was not wearing any underwear. Why am I naked?! What happened last night?! In my panic, I surveyed the room and let out a piercing scream when I noticed that the man beside me was also unclothed. Oh my God! What is this?! What transpired?! "Hey! Can you be a little quieter? I am trying to sleep," the man next to me grumbled, however, his eyes widened when he saw me. "SHANE?! Why are you here?! And why aren't you wearing any clothes?!" he exclaimed in shock, his voice resounding loudly. Meanwhile, tears streamed down my face. I was at a loss for what to do. I had no knowledge of what unfolded or why it resulted in this bewildering situation.