You, For Instance

Prologue: Totally Not Apple's Type

His parents got married at 20, finished their studies together, and traveled to different countries as their job before finally settling down to build a family. Their firstborn, Acezequiel, was a successful entrepreneur who used to pray to meet a "love" that is different from any other, the kind that defies all circumstances in life. Three years ago, he met her, and shortly after, they got married. In a month, they will be having their first baby.

Apollo, the second child, is a well-known athlete and now a food and travel vlogger. At the age of 22, despite being a student in a prestigious university, he can travel anywhere anytime and buy anything that he wants, be it whimsical or necessary, using his hard owned money. His looks were no joke at all for his father is an Irish man and his mother is a Filipina. Girls fawn over him, however, he never really experienced the feeling of falling madly in love in such a way that his family described.

Even his 20-year-old sister, Amaranth, already met the so-called love of her life who's 10 years older than her, the same age as their eldest. 

"Apple, read the comments asking if you're single!" It was Duke, a fellow vlogger and Apollo's friend since childhood. He joined Apollo's live broadcast on his tour of his new neighborhood.

He only chuckled and continued walking. The streets were really quiet and clean, so peaceful and just the right place for him. Without a doubt, he's avoiding answering questions regarding his relationship status but Duke really likes stirring people's curiosity.

"You're reading them for me though." He responded shortly. Apollo made his way to a vacant lot that seemed to be a perfect spot for his outdoor vlogs, only if it was open for all. It was bushy and dim yet the moonlit area looked like a magical forest with all the trees and vines here and there. 

"Then try to answer some, at least! Let me pick the question for you. Let's see…"

Apple only sighed and moved the vines to his side as he strolled further. "Fine, ask away." If it is Duke, there's no way he could do anything against what he wants since most of their fans are each other's supporters.

Apple noticed that the deeper he strolls, the fewer plants he could see and the more platforms he could spot in the area. Somehow, he felt that it was the right decision to let Duke join his live since he couldn't talk much and his friend was being his usual talkative self which entertained the viewers.

"Oh, here's one, here's one! From user appleofmyeye, Apple, how many girlfriends have you had?"

Apple was unable to answer immediately when he noticed a very huge pit which he doesn't know what it is called. It was one of those circular pits where skateboard users slide down and do tricks.

"I know the answer to this! He had so many that his fingers on his hands and feet weren't enough to count all of the girlfriends that he had." Duke followed his sentence with a burst of loud annoying laughter.

Apollo faced the camera to refute what he said. "Hey, don't make it sound like I'm a casanova."

Duke's laugh continued and some comments were even intended to support his shenanigan. "Aha, y'all are making fun of me huh? You're even teaming up with Duke." 

He roamed his eyes around the area and he confirmed his impression of the place. It really was a very old skating rink. Duke suddenly stopped laughing when someone knocked on his door. Whatever the person behind the door told Duke wasn't heard in the video.

"Hey, Apple! My dad just got home, I gotta go greet him. Be careful." 

Duke's father was away for almost a year. They were very close and so he ended the call without even giving Apollo a chance to say anything. He chose to read the questions in the comment section before he gets too consumed by the place.

"As I was saying, I didn't have that many girlfriends before. Duke was just exaggerating things. I had maybe five or so." He caressed his nape while looking at the camera. "I dated a lot of girls though, not because I look down on them or I'm just too confident about myself. It was more like, finding a certain feeling which I still couldn't find until now."

He cleared his throat before continuing. "I've told you how my parents and my siblings found the love of their lives right? That's why I wanted to experience the same feeling that they described to me. I want that kind of love that would send me to the brink of my insanity."

adie07: apple noooooo

bluechoker: haha he looks like a playboy who would've thought he's just as hopelessly romantic as us

fletcher_xyz: rooting for u apple!!!

Apollo chuckled again when people from the comments responded. "Thank you, guys. Anyway, that's my only reason. Ah, wait, my type of girl?"

A question made him look back. At 17, he was sure that "love" will be a soft-spoken lady on a French braid, hugging her books on her chest. At 20, he wanted the same girl but sharing the same interests as him but at 22, his patience was cut short. He doesn't care about race, gender, or age, he just wants to meet that "love" so badly.

"Well, I just want a person who's soft-spoken yet sweet and affectionate and shares the same hobbies as me. You know, so we can travel and get along really well. I would love to bring her to places she's never been before and make memories with her."

grooveyard99: does it have to be female? lol jk

grooveyard99: or nah

"Well, I don't discriminate. Love is love regardless of to whom it is directed to—opposite s*x or not, it's just the same."

His answer just made his fans love him more, he was raised in a household filled with so much love that he's not afraid to give the same affection to anyone who will capture his heart.

S111: apple where u at? I can hear weird noises on background

zoomihomie: i thought that was just my imagination

carla00: omg someone is crying

b_ora: ghost?????? O___O

Apollo wasn't thrilled about the comments. He has seen these kinds of pranks several times and he's not buying them. "You better pull this prank on Duke. He's more of a scaredy-cat than me."

kskskzy: we're not playing apple! listen carefully

aeth: huhu i knew this was gonna happen, place looks sus at first glance

applepie: listen carefully we really hear someone crying T^T

Apollo then shifted his camera from the front to the back camera of his phone. "Okay, let me see where the noise is coming from."

eatgirl: go home!!!

VV: it isn't funny anymore

grooveyard99: prolly a ghost, place looks REALLY haunted

catcat: abandoned place=home for ghosts

Contrary to what the viewers are saying, when Apollo finally heard the cries, he thought of something else. An eerily beautiful abandoned place is a perfect venue for his earth-shaking love at first sight.

sheeshup: dang he's really going for it

123marym: cries are getting louder >This has to be it! He thought. If I'm gonna meet that "love" it has to be now!

Apollo seemed to have forgotten about the camera as he directed his full attention to finding where the noise was coming from.

The image on Apple's head was of a lady wearing a pretty white dress who's crying because she lived a life believing she's ugly but then she's too beautiful for any man to look at.

A few more steps and he finally found her. Her back was facing his direction but instead of a white dress, she's wearing faded denim dungarees without a t-shirt underneath. She was slumping on a huge lump of freshly dug soil. Even so, he still had hope.

creamyapple: oh my gosh let us see!!!

seth7: im dizzy with all this camera shaking but i can't stop watching

At that moment, Apollo got reminded of the dream he had the night before. He dreamt of voices and they only told him to wish for one thing. And so without thinking, he silently uttered his wish—the thing that he desires the most: to meet "love" right there and then.

The wedding march has been queued inside his brain for when she looks at him with those captivating eyes. She continued sobbing and tapping the soil, Apollo approached her slowly.

xbar: silver blue hair!!!

oofno: thank heavens its a human

sexylips: can't believe yall managed to catch a glimpse of her

treeoki: apple forgot abt us lmao

DUKE_WAYTON: WHAT THE HELL MAN YOU'RE BEING CARRIED AWAY BY YOUR FEELINGS SHE MUST BE A SERIAL MURDERER LOOK AT THAT GRAVE 

hahalolita: LMFAO DUKE XD

sr.junior: hahahahahhahahahahHha duke i cannot with you

Instead of decreasing, his viewers blew up even after not getting a proper view of what's really happening. And indeed, Apple forgot about them.

Her silver-blue hair was disheveled when she looked up at him. As Apollo stood behind her and looked down, her sobs stopped. His light brown eyes made her stop thinking for a while when their gazes locked onto each other.

The most appropriate reaction of sensing danger didn't come to her. Instead, her tears pooled on the corner of her eyes again.

"My pets died and I got fired from my part-time job and I got evicted from my apartment today!" She exclaimed and went back to bawling her eyes out.

She was about to bring her soiled hands to rub her eyes but Apollo was quick to grab her wrists to prevent her dirty hands from coming in contact with her eyes.

She looked up at him with blurry vision, her lips shook as she tried to stop herself from crying but she miserably failed. Crying her heart out, Apollo looked down on her with dismay and pity. Judging by the way she cried ugly, she must've been pretty upset.

She's totally not his type. Aside from her hair, he finds nothing else about her attractive. She dresses too carefree, as underneath her dungarees is just a bra. To be fair, she's gorgeous. It's just that, she's the complete opposite of everything he envisioned in his hopeless romantic mind.

"I'm Apollo McCarthy. I don't mean any harm to you so if you would like some help, tell me so I can help you."

He was still holding her wrists while waiting for her to respond.

"My name is Charlotte." She sobbed, "I'm homeless and jobless and alone and I just don't know what to do anymore!"

Once again, she cried. Apollo let go of her wrists and squatted beside her. He doesn't have a handkerchief with him so he used his bare hands to gently wipe her tears. "Right. Do you have a place to stay for tonight?"

Charlotte shook her head slightly, allowing Apple to wipe her tears and sweat on his sweat pants. Apple's hand was too accustomed to caring that instead of calming down, Charlotte felt like crying even more. Apollo noticed that and he, once again, sighed.

"First, calm down. Your eyes will get puffy if you don't stop crying. Where are your things?" 

Charlotte knew it was wrong to trust someone who just appeared in front of her, but she was just too overwhelmed that she couldn't react the way she normally does.

"I left it there." She pointed towards her left side. Besides a small mango tree were a shovel and a black suitcase. 

Apollo walked towards her bag and pulled it before heading back towards her. "I'm leaving the shovel there. You don't need it anymore, do you?"

Charlotte only shook her head. Apollo then nodded. "Okay, do you have anyone to call? Any friends where you can crash for the meantime?" 

Shaking her head, she pouted. "I don't have many friends. I don't think anyone would be willing to take me in."

Apollo doesn't want to get involved any further but his conscience would kill him if something happens to her while she wanders on the street. 

Because she's a woman, she might feel uncomfortable just come with him to his new house, and so he thought he could contact his mother to lend him a hand.

He took his phone which he dropped earlier from the ground and abruptly ended his live stream. The viewers must've heard everything but now is not the time to explain to them what happened. 

It didn't take long before his mother picked up the video call. "Apple, honey, why are you calling so late?"

Apollo wanted to ask her too, what series are they watching that kept them awake at 12, but he stopped himself and told her straight to the point.

"Well, mom, I just met someone today who seems to be in dire need of a place to stay, at the very least. Do you have a place to recommend?"

He was stealing glances on Charlotte who's now wiping her hands on her thighs, hoping that the soil would come off. She lifted her gaze at him and he just thought that it would be more reassuring to her if she could see that he's talking to her mother.

"Your house, honey. If you think they're not a bad person anyway, what's wrong with helping them?" His mother spouted her words like it was nothing.

He creased his forehead and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Uh mom, you see, she's a woman. She might feel unco—"

He stopped midway through his sentence when he felt her slightly tugging the hem of his shirt. "I'm not a bad person and I know you are not as well. Can you please let me crash at your place until I get a new place?"

Charlotte's totally not his type but there's no denying that she's got charms that make it hard for anyone to refuse.

"I guess that's it, Apple. I'll check on you guys tomorrow. It's better that she's with you than she's wandering off the streets."

Apollo heaved another sigh. Yeah, right, mom. That's what I thought too.