CIRCULATED RUMOR
Diane’s P.O.V.
Until the three of us had finally reached and entered our classroom located on the first floor, I intentionally sealed my lips to their questions, and the two of them did not easily let go of me too. Perfect best friends’ roles!
We moved our chairs to form a circle for us to discuss our thesis, so we were now facing each other alongside the whiteboard in front. But by how these two were looking at me, it was too obvious that we would not talk about our thesis.
“Hey, bitch! I’m just reminding you that you might have a story to tell, so any plans of disclosing it to us? My manicure would soon fade away, and here you are, still as tight-lipped as ever about Liam Evangelista! Stop acting like a teenager, my God!” A bit of annoyance was present to Lorenz’s tone because I was hanging them—silently mocking them for not talking so soon about my Liam.
“It was a long story, but to cut it short… I only met Liam last Saturday night, then I gave him my sweetest ‘yes’ just this morning… in our house,” I told them while feeling the non-stop butterflies wobbling around my stomach.
Unconsciously, I touched my lips when I remembered the passionate kisses that the two of us shared this morning. And if not for Leandro’s intervention, I might have gone all the way—submitting all of me to him.
But that was imprudence! Why would I even think about that? Before I could notice it, Mom already killed us while making out on the couch!
“What the fuck! What’s ‘long’ in there? Two days?” the two shrieked as they laughed out loud.
They even duet the same phrases, for Christ’s sake! I couldn’t do anything but roll my eyes in the process. I guessed that these two had the same brains.
Their laughter boomed across the whole classroom, and their blended voice was too raucous—it could even raise the dead. They even lifted their hands and uncontrollably did a high-five in the air.
“Can you, guys, shut up? Can’t you see? Every group is reviewing their theses here!” Someone shouted from the back, and she was obviously pertaining to us. I couldn’t blame them anyway since they were busy with their brainstorming, and here we were in front, talking so loudly.
Karen rolled her eyes before rebutting, provoking a possible fight. “If you want a quiet place to stay, feel free to go to the cemetery the hell we care! Stop reprimanding us, or you want me to throw my boots straight to your mouth?” This best friend of mine was indeed rough. She wasn’t afraid because she knew how to defend herself with martial arts.
“Hey, calm down! There’s no question we’re too loud here, so we have to tone our voices a little bit low, okay?” I told her.
“You’re such a lucky girl, huh? Fafa Liam is damn so wealthy to the point that you don’t have to work in the future. Did you know that he is also one of the major stockholders in my daddy’s company? He’s a big fish indeed!” Lorenz paused for a while before he continued.
“Well, you better be thankful that I didn’t become a woman. Or else, Daddy might have scheduled me for an arranged marriage with Liam. Oh my God, I couldn’t imagine myself being your number one rival! We would be dealing with friendship-over right away because I would definitely choose love,” Lorenz said as he glanced and pouted at his red compact mirror while adjusting his bangs.
“Eww, that was so gross! You’re so flirt and promiscuous, duh! Do you want me to bury you alive, huh?” Karen intervened as he scolded Lorenz.
“You really had the guts to steal our sissy’s first boyfriend! And what did you say, friendship-over? Well, it’s a good thing you were not born as a girl because you’re a hideous girl for sure. I’m happy for you, sissy! At last, because even though I hate men, the three of us already experienced having a boyfriend!” She congratulated me after barking at Lorenz.
“Thanks, sissy!” I meekly replied to her.
“Mother fuck, did someone really swallow his pride to be your boyfriend before?” Lorenz ridiculed Karen as he even widened his eyes and covered his mouth in disgust.
“Fuck you! With your ugly face, men won’t even hit on you too!” Karen shouted before hitting Lorenz over the head. It made a loud bang, and Lorenz’s face almost reached the armrest.
“Damn it, Karen… it hurts! You should be thankful that you’re ugly because I’m not violent to ugly people! You, crazy brat… I styled my hair for hours, and you only ruined it for seconds! Hellcat!” Lorenz complained as he glared at Karen. “Don’t you dare touch me again, or I’ll slap you real hard!”
“Thank you and welcome, idiot!” Karen scoffed at Lorenz, even giving him a dirty-finger sign.
Bickering like this every day had been normal for the three of us. I was used to being the referee. They were always acting so insane with lots of cusses around, calling names and hell, but they were fun to be with, and I was indeed blessed to have true friends like them.
“But Diane, I just couldn’t understand… so, let’s make things clear here, okay? Fafa Liam and Fafa Leandro were just brothers, and they undoubtedly looked like twins. Leandro even courted you for two years, so why didn’t you choose him and choose Liam instead?” Lorenz asked curiously.
“Wow, Lorenz! I’m impressed, huh? I haven’t even told you the story yet, and you already knew that the two of them were brothers!” I chuckled.
“Well, of course! The two of them were so close to each other, and I always saw them together every time I was at VGC—our own company. That was three years ago, until… oh my God!”
Lorenz suddenly stopped, covered his mouth out of shock, then looked at me worriedly. I could see the strange nervousness and extreme terror in his eyes, as if an unknown fear had mounted throughout his entire body, making him paralyzed on his seat.
“Hey, fucking gay! Don’t hang us up, okay? This is not your love story,” Karen warned as she reared her hand, ready to spank Lorenz anytime soon. “Do you want me to hit your head again, crazy dumbass?”
“Can you please shut up? You’re always acting recklessly. You see, I’m dead serious here!” Lorenz shoved Karen’s hand away before facing me gravely. He even held my shoulders tightly, as if his force was not coming from a gay. “Girl, how well did you know Fafa Liam?”
“Hmm, I must admit that I haven’t known him that well. It was only two days ago when our paths met… but I don’t understand why I got drawn to him so soon, Lorenz. The attraction was so strong, and it felt like there was an invisible connection between the two of us that I can’t exactly pinpoint for now. Love, perhaps? I really don’t know why but I think, it’s already enough reason for me to say ‘yes’ to him and accept him as my boyfriend. But why did you ask all of a sudden?” I asked him out of confusion, and I didn’t know why I gradually became anxious.
“I don’t know if I have the right to say this, but—” he cut his words again. I could see how intense concern flashed through his eyes.
“Can you please go straight to the point, Lorenz? What is it that you really want to tell me?” I asked exasperatedly. I was becoming annoyed at him now that it was his turn to hang me. Everything suddenly felt uneasy.
My heart hammered fast into my chest as I slowly being weighed down by dread. My body felt numb, and my head quickly felt too heavy. For every second the hands of my wristwatch would tick while waiting for Lorenz to speak, I felt like drowning in fear.
“I’m getting impatient for this, Lorenz! Diane and I are waiting, and if you will still hang us, I’m telling you… I’ll switch your face with the back of your head real soon!” Karen threatened Lorenz, but I loved how she did that because I was already dying of waiting.
Lorenz swallowed an imaginary lump on his throat before he spoke. “T-There was a rumor that circulated inside Villadares Group of Companies before… that the main reason why Fafa Liam went to the States was because of drug addiction.”