Chapter 1: Honey's New Job

THIS is what I hate about my crush! When I find out they have girlfriend already, or they have someone they cherish, I want to uncrush them right away. You know? I don't want to hope for nothing.

"Hey, girl, move your ass! Let's go!" My friend Jenny yell at me. She has been my classmate since college– and best friend.

"Nah, I don't want to anymore. He has a girlfriend." I didn't feel like moving and she looked at me as if I was joking.

"Come on, Honey? When did you give up like that just because he has a girlfriend?" She asked bluntly.

I sighed. "When I find out that my prospect has a girlfriend." I answered with a frown.

"Gosh! Come on and you still have a check up!"

"Alas! Don't pull my clothes!"

"You really won't be noticed! Look at what you're wearing?!" Jenny looked at me from head to toe.

What the–

"Oh, it's cool?" I'm referring to the black skinny jeans I'm wearing, and a medium-sized t-shirt top. I'm also wearing a black hat. Add my converse rubber shoes.

"It's fine, but you're obviously wrapped up!"

"Do you want me to undress? Yuck!" She click her tongue as if I have no hope.

"That's not what I meant! Hey, let's go!"

"Wait-" She grabbed my arms and stood me up from my bed.

"WHAT'S UP, HONEY?!" She's mad.

"I just want to make it clear that I'm going to the follow up because it's necessary, okay? Not because of him! Not because I have a crush on him! Okay?" I warned her because she might tease me non-stop.

"Are you talking to me? Or, yourself?"

"Of course you are!" I yelled at her because, why should I tell myself? Well, we have a mutual understanding of this.

"Ahh! So, you're not allowed to feel butterflies later, huh? Nor, be jealous!" Jenny laugh finally as she was leaving our apartment.

Hey! When did I get jealous?!

We are now in line for my check up. And it's annoying because I've never seen him–oh, God.

Good thing I don't see him. And as far as I could, I don't want to see him.

"Hey, Honey. Those people there haven't been called by the nurse yet, but they're here already." Jenny pointed the crowd and was fed up with seeing so many people crowding the hallway. There are elderly and patients in wheelchair.

"Nevermind. Rather than making it difficult for them to go up and down."

Because, if it were me, I might do the same. But getting up and down is bothersome.

"Can't they do something about that, right?"

"Why are you so tense? Did you have anywhere to go? Any plans?" I asked. She keeps wriggling like a worm beside me.

"No, but I'm already hot with pomp!"

"Just wait. Once I'm called, we can leave easily."

"I hope so." She pouted. "How about you? You're going somewhere?

"Me? Where?"

"In Doc's heart!" She answered with a dog smile.

"Fudge, I'm moving on!"

"Goshh! Maybe when I go to sleep later, you'll gonna look at his pictures on favebook. And kiss it 'til you fall asleep."

"Hey, no!" She keeps poking my belly.

I'm irritated, because she didn't stop, so I ignored her and opened my cellphone and went to favebook, when...

"Is that Doc Manley?"

My body froze.

I couldn't move because I knew it wasn't Jenny who spoke!

I turned off the screen first and face the blasphemous next to me on my right! He is smiling like a dog.

"Yes, it's doc Manley." I whispered. "Ahm, you know. It was trip of my friend, so I let her take a pic with my cellphone! You know, that's what are friends for!" It's like I'm holding back shit from my appearance now!

Believe me!

He nod his head as an answer but was obviously still not convinced!

"I admire your friendship, huh?" He replied.

He's a nut job!

"I'll gonna call patients name now." The nurse just got in time.

Whew, saved by the bell!

"Mendoza, Sally! Torres, Jules! Buenaventura, Procopio!"The nurse called.

"What a name! Procopio?" I laugh out loud because the name is like the golden ages. Feels like in Spanish colonial period.

Seriously? It's forgivable that Buenaventura is a Spanish name, but adding Procopio as your name makes it like a old sounded name.

Before finally entering, the person next to me(the nut job), keep glaring at me.

What's with him? I didn't do anything bad to him. It's as if he's gonna kill me with those eyes.

"You've been called?!" Jenny appears.

"Wheree have you been?"

"To the toilet. So many people!"

"You didn't even bother telling me, huh?"

"I told you. I don't know if your brain absorbed it!" Jenny sit where the nut job was sitting earlier.

"We have a problem!"

"What is it again?"

"Someone found my wallpaper!"

"Then?"

"What else! Someone already knows our cruel secret!"

"Maybe you're the only one! You're the one who did it!"

"No! You're an accomplice." I said sternly.

"WHAT?! YOU MENTIONED ME?"

"Tsk! Listen first! It's like he's playing with me mentally. He's the type of person that even if he's just looking and saying nothing, it's like he's saying something!"

"Just like?"

"Like, 'you like Doc Manley, huh?" I whisper because it might be a problem if anyone hears.

"Gosh, of course you denied that. What's your excuse?" She took bottled mineral water from my backpack.

"You're the one who likes him and because I'm kind, I agreed and allowed you to put a picture of your crush on my cellphone wallpaper. And, besides, that's what our friendship is for!"

"Why me?!"

"I panicked. Hehe."

"You're so stupid!" Jenny smacked me, and gained some people's attention.

"Hehe. She's hungry because I keep telling stories about delicious things. Sorry for the noise. Hehehe." I apologized. Some people gestures to keep quiet, we simply bow.

"Aren't you ashamed?"

"Well, I am. But, I told you I panicked!!" I whispered but with intensity. "And… I didn't mention the name, gender.. Gender preference so, just chill!"

"Chill? CHILL?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?" She's seriously mad, I guess.

"I'm- I'm sorry! What do you want me to do to repent?"

"When you do that one more time… You'll regret it!"

"I know, so… What do you want me to do?

"Get a job."

"Ha! I have money now, oh?" I'll show you in my wallet. I think there is a word, what?

"Oh, yes. I know. But that will be gone in a blink of an eye under your nose."

"I guess. But-"

"Gutierrez, Prescilla! And, David, Robert!" The nurse called.

"Honey, your answer?"

"After this."

Haay. I guess, this what you call, 'you reap what you sow'.

--

We just got home.

And Jenny's keep pestering me about Doc Manley.

"You said, "I just want to make it clear that I'm going to the follow up because it's necessary, okay? Not because of him! Not because I have a crush on him! Okay?" I frowned at her.

"Then? Because it is! I'm gonna buried my immature feelings deep within the Pacific ocean!" This idiot. She can't stop laughing as if I'm telling her a joke.

"Go ahead, defend yourself."

"As if!" I leave her and went straight to the room and lay down.

Exhausting!

I took my cellphone from the bag and opened it. Doc Manley wearing a lab gown is my wallpaper. He's all smiles. You can tell right away that he loves his job.

"Haay, I wonder how it feels to be loved by you." I fell down and buried my face in the pillow.

Why is life complicated? I didn't believe that age doesn't matter before. Because it's gross imagining the age difference.

I mean, back in their younger years, for example. One of them was just about to be born. While the other one was busy f*cking every person they met.

I know it's freaking wrong to think this idea and getting prejudice… but, I can't helped.

That's why, I decided to keep myself.

Maybe, I don't know anything yet. And a lot of things that I don't understand myself.

As they say, love is blind.

I guess it is, and the same, not.

"Hey, Honey! Are you inside?" Jenny shouted who was probably in the kitchen.

"I'm not dressing up. Why?" I shouted back.

"I'm gotta go.?" She threw a pillow at me.

"This evening?"

"Yeah, I need money for Jeanna's tuition."

"But evening? Is there a restaurant that was 24/7 near here?"

"Nope. But I applied in the catering restaurant in the hotel near the shopping district. The pay was pretty much the same but the benefits are superb."

"So? What's the connection of having your first day at your job turns out first night?" I ask confuse.

"Well~ We will have a catering business tonight with some big shots."

"Oh~ Celebrities?"

"Don't know yet. But, they told us it was a intimate yet closed party. So, if you're asking for photos– I can't say."

"Awww. I thought it was– but wait! Don't you have extra work with Nanay Lin?" I pointed out the elderly owner of the cafeteria just a few blocks away.

"Oh, yes it is! Can you take over?"

"Dishwasher. I… I don't know."

"You know, you need a job. Grab it for now." I looked at Jenny and her face is serious.

"Alright, alright! I'll start tomorrow. Just tell her beforehand." That would make me feel guilty, so I went ahead.

"Nice. Alright, I'm leaving!"

"Hey! Make sure to buy some bread before going home."

"Noted! And one more thing–"

"What?"

"THERE IS NO FOREVER! AAAAAND~ HE DOESN'T LOVE YOU! HAHAHAHAHA!" She said as she ran out of the house. Looks like I'm the only one tonight.

I just laughed it loud.

Haaay. All alone in this night.

Today was quite a blast.

Doc Manley is nowhere to be seen. And I was transferred to another doctor.

Maybe it was blessing in disguise. I can start over by erasing this petty feelings. And maybe, take more seriously in life.

I never took it as a joke, so I don't quite understand why they see me as that.

--

Tomorrow morning…

I arrived too early in the cafeteria and Nanay Lin woke up because of my voice calling her. I said sorry for waking her up but she smiled at me and told me that that was a good alarm clock.

I asked her why she hasn't getting ready, she told me that if it wasn't my voice, she might stay to bed till the sun rise up.

I also told her why I am the one who's waking her up not Jenny. And Jenny didn't told her anything because she was surprised to know it too.

Jenny's might be preoccupied of something.

Nanay Lin welcome me inside her house and serve me a hot coffee–

Correction, I served it myself.

I politely told her to get herself ready and I will help myself for just a cup of hot coffee.

Not for long, we started organising the table and chairs inside the cafeteria which is beside Nanay Lin's house. It was like an annex.

Or maybe, it is.

Sadly, none of Mother Lin's children were helping her.

According to Jenny, Nanay Lin has six children. And the only one with her is the third son who is still a drunkard. He said he doesn't do drugs, but almost consumes his life with alcohol.

They said, he became like that when his ex-girlfriend is broke up with him for a richer lover that she kept secret. When he was about to propose marriage, he found out that she was seeing someone else.

He is pitiful but Nanay Lin is even more pitiful. I hope instead of drowning in alcohol, he just turn back to his mother.

We started prepping for cooking. I let her do the cooking because the taste my be differ and get an impression which she might not like.

We cook breakfast like spaghetti, macaroni soup, champorado, palabok, and lugaw.

When we finally open the store, people come in and out.

Some eat here inside the cafeteria, while the other buys that was already packed in a blurred plastic.

Breakfast ran out quickly earlier, so after cleaning up, I excuse myself and went home and took a shower.

I went back to the carinderia and help for the lunch.

"Honey, can you take the one at the end? And we might be dumped." Nanay Lin asked and frowned as if she was still embarrassed when she ordered me.

Maybe, she's still not used to me.

I answered, okay, and do the job.