MY PRETEND BOYFRIEND

Chapter 35

Agenda for Single Friends

Private Group #DavidFansOnly

"Admin is here! Nandito ako with the juiciest chika of the day. Ang ating idol na si David Horan ay spotted daw hitting on a university cheerleader na si Sophia Laurel. May receipts pa ako. Sino ang makakapagpaliwanag ng relasyon nila base sa mga larawang ito? Ang taong iyon ay makakakuha ng nosy lifetime membership card!"

Attached sa post ang tatlong photos na in-upload ni David sa kanyang i********: account. Eight hours na since ma-post ito, and let me guess…

The fans are still at it, debating and spinning theories like crazy. Habang binabasa ko ang comments, I tried to keep my emotions in check, pero iba ang epekto sa akin. My heart is racing like mad.

Oh s**t. What am I supposed to do?

Comments Section

‘Is that so? They’re just friends daw.’

‘I knew it! They’re not just friends. David must have liked Sophia from the start.’

‘Ugh, so heartbroken. Again.’

‘If that’s Sophia Laurel, I ship it. She’s cute naman.’

‘Wasn’t she a playgirl? Why would David date her?!’

‘Arghh! David, paano na ang puso ko? Cure my heartbreak, please!’

‘Sabi friends lang daw sila, pero parang may something, no? Evil. I’m mad now!’

‘Nakita ko sila sa concert kagabi. David was holding her hand, super possessive pa! Wala siyang pinapalapit na iba!’

The group war was like Pasay Fiesta on steroids. Sophia, meanwhile, chose to stay quiet. After all, si David dapat ang magsolve ng problemang ito, hindi ako.

Biglang nag-ring ang phone ni Sophia. A call from Yvonne snapped her out of her daze.

“Ummm, ano na naman?”

[“Are you awake?”]

“Umm, bakit mo naitanong?”

Actually, she hadn’t slept at all. Nagbabasa lang siya ng comments buong gabi.

[“Let’s have breakfast. I’m heading to your apartment now.”]

“Umm.”

[“Move and take a shower na, okay?”]

“Umm, what?”

[“Are you even listening to me?! Half an hour. Be ready.”]

Sophia hung up, still feeling groggy. Her eyes? Panda levels na from all the sleepless hours, thanks to David’s fans and their endless questions about her supposed “relationship” with their “husband.”

At the breakfast shop, Sophia sat opposite Yvonne. Her friend smirked.

"Girl, ano ‘yan? Zoo escapee vibes?"

Sophia rolled her eyes. "David’s fans, okay? The whole circus is after me."

“Hmm… but totoo ba? Are you two dating?” Yvonne asked, raising an eyebrow.

“What should I tell you? Kahit ako, walang alam. Chismis lang ‘yon.”

“So… do you like him?”

“No! Ew. Not my type, okay?”

“Sure ka? Kasi from his caption, parang seryoso siya, ha.”

Sophia groaned. “Ang dami mong alam. Nonsense lahat ‘yan!”

“Fine, fine. Pero open your heart na lang kaya?”

“Damn it, Yvonne. Hindi ko siya magugustuhan. Ever.”

“Okay, okay. I believe you,” Yvonne said, though her expression screamed sarcasm.

Change subject. Fast.

“Lately, I’ve been talking to Benjamin,” Sophia said, shifting gears.

“Benjamin? Yung medical guy? Kala ko serious ka about him, but lately parang wala na akong naririnig.”

“Hindi ko na alam. Ang hirap i-explain.”

“Is it because of David?”

“Huh? No! Ang assuming!”

Yvonne smirked but dropped the subject—sort of. As they continued eating, she added, “Feelings mo ‘yan, Sophia. Ask yourself what’s really going on.”

And with that, she returned to her porridge, scrolling on her phone, leaving Sophia to stew in her thoughts.

Sophia Laurel sat across from Yvonne, her porridge untouched. She stared blankly at the table, the events of the previous night playing over and over in her head. Her phone remained in her apartment; she couldn't bear to face the onslaught of comments flooding her social media after that i********: post.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Sophia muttered, breaking the silence.

Yvonne paused, her spoon halfway to her mouth. She set her phone aside and gave Sophia a curious look. "Tell me how you feel," she said, her voice laced with amusement and just a hint of genuine concern.

Sophia groaned. "You really don’t need to know."

"I'm curious, okay? Spill it."

Sophia hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. When you're dating someone, do you ever feel so confused that you don’t know what to do next? Like, I don’t even know if I like him enough to ask him out."

Yvonne smirked, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Girl, when I like someone, I chase him. No hesitations."

"Good for you," Sophia deadpanned.

Yvonne leaned closer, her teasing tone replaced by something more serious. "Are you talking about David Horan?"

Sophia flinched. "No! It’s Benjamin. Obviously."

Yvonne raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Sure, Jan. Then why can’t you ask Benjamin out? Maybe, deep down, you're holding back because of someone else. Someone more... special?"

Sophia's face turned crimson, her gaze dropping to her half-eaten porridge. "Fine. It’s him. Happy now?"

Yvonne slammed her palm on the table, drawing the attention of a few nearby diners. "Ang tanga mo, Sophia Laurel! You’re scared to ask Benjamin out because you’re in denial about David. God, wake up!"

Sophia's voice was barely a whisper. "If I care about David, I should be brave enough to... but I’m so confused."

Yvonne huffed. "Confused? Is it about what your parents will think?"

Sophia shook her head. "No. It’s not that."

"Then what?"

"I don’t know. My heart feels... stuffy. My mind goes blank whenever I think of him."

"Girl, that’s called sleep deprivation."

"I sleep 10 hours a day! This is something else."

Yvonne rolled her eyes. "You didn’t sleep last night."

Sophia buried her face in her hands. "I keep shivering when I’m with him."

"Aircon, duh. Cold ka lang."

"But my heart races at the same time! And it was hot last night!"

"Maybe you had a fever. Nagpacheck-up ka na ba?"

Sophia sighed dramatically. "When I was with him, even Taylor Swift’s songs sounded sweeter."

Yvonne smirked. "It was a concert, Sophia. Masaya talaga 'yun."

"Not like this. Last year was nothing like that."

"Uh-huh."

"And when he let me ride on his shoulders, I felt like my heart would explode."

"Girl, if Benjamin carried you like that, same thing lang mararamdaman mo."

Sophia shook her head adamantly. "Hindi."

Yvonne leaned back in her chair, folding her arms. She let out a heavy sigh, as if all the wisdom in the universe had descended upon her. "Sophia, alam mo na sagot diyan. You’re falling for him. David Horan dug a hole so deep, girl, good luck climbing out."

Sophia stared at her friend, her thoughts swirling like a storm. Was it really that simple? Or was her heart playing tricks on her?

For now, she chose to stay silent, letting the idea of David consume her thoughts a little longer.