Chapter 29

2 weeks is almost over. Out on the field, we're clearing the remaining streets in the danger zone we were covering. Mom has given us new orders. The Expanders of our group stays together especially when the Protectors go to escort rescues. Mom still has me be the cover of the group. But this time, I am to stay close to her. Mom's acting all different, like...I feel she trusts me with her team's life. Not only that, she's praising me for doing my job well.

After our shift ends, we head back to the shelter. While walking, I checked my phone and found a message. Chris has arrived. Oh boy...I felt the blood in my face drain. God, I hope no one would notice.

Arriving back to our quarters, mom was in high spirits. Jarren nudged at me with his elbow.

"Mom's happy, did she happened to pick up some good book or what??"

I shrugged, "I don't remember her picking up anything."

We silently talked to each other.

5pm, mom was preparing dinner. I'm observing her while exercising. I know I should be resting but I just feel so pumped up for the wrong reasons. I'm so nervous I need to find a way to deal with it. Mom's chopping up vegetables, I don't know what she's making but one things for sure, it's pork. While making dinner, she's humming some tune that I don't recognize. And then, a knock on the door. Mom looked at the direction of the door and then at me. Noticing I'm busy, mom washed her hands in the sink and wipes it on the sides of her shorts. Mom really like shorts and sleeveless tops. She then walk up to the door and open it. Upon doing so, she froze in place. The person standing at the other side of the door is none other than her crush back in 10th-11th grade, Chris Courel.

Chris pretended to be surprised, "Ogram? Oh what a surprise! I didn't know the BBF would be here."

"C-c-c...w-what are you doing here?!" Mom stuttered.

Jarren must have heard mom, his head poked out of our bedroom door. His daily routine is forge items in the morning and read lots and lots of books in the afternoon. He then looked at me with a questioning look. I answered him with a shrug, pretending I don't know the guy at all.

"There's too many cooks back in Pasig, especially in Manggahan so instead of working only three shifts a week, I chose to move to a newly built shelter. Also too many people know me there, I need a place that no one really knows me." Chris shrugged with a smug smile.

"Well now that there's someone that knows you here, guess you have to move to yet another shelter. Great seeing ya, bye!!" Mom slammed the door shut.

Mom leaned her back on the door. Jarren and I stared at her confused. Mom's face was so red like all her blood went up there.

"W-why are you looking at me like that?!"

"Who was that?" asked Jarren.

"I-it's no one!"

Mom hurriedly went back to cooking. My phone rung, telling me I got a message. I already knew it's Chris so I went to the bathroom. I locked the door and open up the faucet, pretending I'm pooping. I put down the toilet lead and sat down.

"She slammed the door on my face."

"Yeah, I saw."

The following days, Chris did all he know to woo my mom. He asked me the things she likes and of course I told him her love for fiction fantasy books and films. Her music playlist composed of groove metal, all very moody by the way. He also used his "manly" charms on my mom and honestly all it did was make her feel uncomfortable and irritated. But at the same time she'd blush?? I don't know what's going on with her really...

Chris would update me daily. I can see he's really trying to make my mom go on a date with him. However, mom keeps deflecting his advancements. Mom's making it hard for everyone. And as for the BBF, they don't really care much besides Aunt Etil. She's on the same page as her. I would even hear them talking to each other regarding Chris being oddly close to mom to the point he's obviously being a flirt. The guy did came up with an excuse about how my mom is the only person he knows in Teresa (coughs), and how people tend to try stay invisible in a foreign place or stick to someone they already knew. Funny enough though, mom isn't exactly trying to avoid him, she's letting Chris approach her. Maybe on her own, she actually likes it? Chris openly admitted that back in 10th and 11th grade, he didn't care to notice her so he doesn't really know her. There's nothing in between them besides being batch mates back in Junior High and Senior High.

"Not to talk shit about her but Ogram wasn't pretty and still isn't. And also, she was a fatty. And as for now, even if I owed her my life I still am not into her."

I don't think it wasn't an insult, surprisingly Chris is an honest man. He openly admitted to have some self entitlement due to his good looks but he's not an awful person. But since the outbreak, he lost his family. He lost everything, and fell into self loathing. He did plan to be relocated somewhere far from Southern Luzon for the same reason he used as an excuse. Because everytime someone recognises him, like any normal person, would ask him how he has been and his family. This kind of friendly gesture is growing on him. He knew those people really don't care about him, he's really only known for his looks and that he was part of a dance group. Him being this honest to me is awkward yet I feel honoured. It just shows how Chris was changed by this apocalypse. And him opening up to me kind of tells me he's dying to have some real friend. Despite our age gap, I guess he found someway to trust me. Thus, I end up telling him why I had asked him a favour.

"What do you want to distract her from really??" Chris asked.

"Mom wasn't done mourning for grandma's passing. And not long after that, I turned 22. Soon as I turn 22, I became an Expander."

We're communicating purely through texting. But even then, I could guess he understands.

"I love my mom, she's my saviour, she's my world and I can't stomach seeing her hurt the way she does."

"She saved you huh, she's saved a lot of people. You're not very young yet she adopted you?"

"She did, me and Jarren, we were just teens by then when she rescued and took us in."

"I didn't know teens can get adopted, usually they don't."

There was a brief pause until he sent another text.

"When she's grieving, what's she like? Did she neglect you? Was she depressed? Or something?"

"She's become grumpy. She's put up a strong facade to hide her pain from us, from her friends, from everyone."

"That's awful way to cope. I know, I've lost my whole family. One thing I'm certain now, she shouldn't have fallen into that. I understand the pain of losing, but she forgot she have you and your brother."

After that, I didn't reply anymore. I was also supposed to tell him mom's all better now and calling off our deal. Many times I was supposed to tell him, I just keep forgetting.