Prologue

It all started that night…

“RACKHIE SUN MENDIOLA!”

I looked at the person who called me, I immediately saw Sunny’s face near the dancefloor. She dances and stares at me, regardless of how people look at her inside the bar.

‘What the hell? Hasn’t this girl been hit with alcohol yet?’ I thought.

Today is her birthday so she invited us to a bar here in Clemente Global City. And here she is now, dance after dance. As for me, I was just looking at the chics shaking their uh… melons. It’s beautiful, shit.

I was about to walk to approach a woman when Sunny approached me with an annoyed expression on her face. She hit me. I closed my eyes because I almost literally fell!

I immediately glared at her when I looked up at her again. I’m still holding my neck because it really hurts! “Bitch,” I mumbled while rubbing the back of my neck. Seriously, the way she did it hurts!

“Hey girl, I’ve been calling you for a while. You’re not even paying attention to me? Huh?” She said irritated while still frowning at me.

I crossed my arms. “How many times do I have to tell you that I’m a boy? B-o-y. Boy. That’s it, I spelled it right. You might not even know boy.”

Her frown disappeared but she gave me a hard time while sipping a shot of Jack Daniel’s. She even looked at me when she lowered the shot glass.

“How many times do I have to remind you that you’re a girl? You have a coochie.” She pointed to my middle part of my legs so I glared at her. “What? It’s true.” She laughed, mocking me.

“Don’t talk to me, after you called me ‘girl’? Tss. I am a boy.”

“Bitch, do you know sarcasm?” Her face was still irritated when he asked me that. He was still making his face until he couldn’t believe that I didn’t know that. “It’s a good thing I rejected you. You don’t know the meaning of sarcasm.”

We were no longer able to speak clearly when the music started playing again and the lights started flashing again from somewhere.

I drank three more shot glasses of Black Label. That’s one after the other. Is this my seventeenth shot? I don’t know.

After that I danced on the dance floor. A lot of people dance with me, mostly men. But I don’t pay attention to them and I just stay away because I really like women more.

“Rackhie! We’ve been looking for you for a while now. Please stop that! You’re already drunk! We’re going home. They’re looking for us outside Renzo, we’re just looking for you.” I looked at Celine who had been squealing for a while. Her voice was hoarse and she was clearly drunk.

I grabbed both of her shoulders, “You are the one who told me to go here, so let’s not leave now. Cheers!” I even raised the bottle I was holding and laughed even though nothing was funny. “Besides, I’m not drunk yet, we’re even dancing.”

“She’s right!” The girl who danced with me said that she grinded her waist again to me. She pushed it to Celine’s place so she could leave the dance floor.

Celine slapped her forehead. “Rackhie, we’re coming back.” She took my hand again to pull me. “Wendy needs us now, something happened at their house.”

But I removed her hand.

“Celine. You go first, I don’t want to leave. Tell Wendy that I won’t let her do it again. It’s always that girl. She’s taken us to their house a million times but we’ll ended up waiting outside for nothing again. She’s just acting that’s---”

“Oh really? Then stay here and be alone,” Wendy’s voice came from behind me. Her eyes were still red, obviously from crying. She took Celine’s hand and they left me there again.

I just sighed.

Less than a few minutes ago I immediately regretted not going with Celine. And what’s worse, Wendy and I will fight again.

I’m still holding my head. I really can’t do it anymore, shit. I wish I had just believed Celine that I was really drunk. I’m really stupid…

“Rackhie, is that you?”

I turned to my left and saw a familiar man there. I don’t know him but I know he’s from our school so I look like him.

“Who are you?” I asked when I found out I don’t recognize him.

“It looks like you’ve had too many shots. You look wasted. But seriously, how are you? It’s impossible that you’re not drunk yet, you’ve had too much drink. But seriously, you’re not a goddess from Olympus to be that high tolerance on alcohol---”

I really can’t. I’m sick of him.

“Hey! Why did you--- What the hell,” His voice was low as he looked at his t-shirt that I vomited on. “Tangina, if your brother didn’t really order me to pick you up. Ah shit! This is so expensive!”

He Immediately left in front of me. I also went down to the dance floor because my vomit was scattered on the floor and some people were leaving because of the smell that was coming from my vomit.

While I was walking, someone bumped into me. “Fucking hell! Aren’t you looking at what you’re walking by?!” The man shouted at me angrily, just like me.

He Is still holding a glass in his right hand while he is holding a black handkerchief in his left hand.

Even though my eyes were spinning, I could still see his handsome face. As in! He’s like an artist. I think I’m in love!

Wait, what did I say? Me? In love? No way! Erase… erase, erase. Why did I say that?!

“What? You want a fight?” He asked me even though his eyes were on the floor and he was wiping his red lips. “You fought wrong the wrong man. I don’t fight with girls.”

“Why? You want a fight? Let’s fight. You should thank your mom for that handsome face so I’m not hitting you,” I said and was about to pass him when I suddenly slipped.

There is vomit in there!

I was about to fall when someone caught me. That guy! He caught me!

And not only that, his face is still very close to mine! I can smell his strong perfume and it’s obvious that It’s expensive.

I looked down at his nose. To his reddened lips. I couldn’t stop myself so I grabbed his face.

“You are very… handsome,”

But I didn’t expect what happened next. He suddenly let go of me so I sat directly on the floor. That’s so painful!

People are already looking at us inside. The others are whispering to me--- or the man who caught me earlier who is now calling someone on his phone.

I just stood up even though my eyes were spinning because of the drunkenness. I can’t really do it anymore, I’m sleepy. I want to sleep! I need to find a room because I might wake up here tomorrow morning.

And since I couldn’t find anything, I just left the bar and then I looked for a ride on the side of the road. A lot of people catcalled me even though I’m obviously gay because of what I’m wearing.

Nothing passes in front of me but only cars. I tried to ride but no one allowed me to get into their cars so I just sat on the big rock next to the road.

I just want to cry, really.

“Miss, are you alone?”

I looked up at a man. He is also handsome and looking at me while smiling.

“No. I’m with someone. I’m just waiting for them here because they said they’re coming.” I said and looked in front of me again. Maybe he’s a bad guy and he might do something to me so I avoided him.

“I won’t hurt you, promise. There are so many idiots here. I might take you somewhere.” It said. “Besides, I’m studying Law. I will never break the law just because you’re alone and beautiful.” He added and laughed.

“I-Is that true?” I can’t think of anything. He’s my only chance so I can go back home.

He sat down so we could be in the same level. “Of course.”

“Where are you taking me? I will not go with you,”

He smiled at me again, his smile was wider. “Inside again. My friends are still there, I’ll take you to my car at the same time.” He scratched the side of his ear. “Can you help me take them to the car? I mean, you look strong even when you’re drunk…”  He asked again and laughed again.

“J-just make sure you won’t take me somewhere. My dad will kill you!” I threatened and stood up. He also stood up.

“Follow me,” he said and started walking again.

We went back inside. He’s right, he does have friends, it’s just that they’re all boys--- no. There was a woman, they were two women. This man’s girlfriend and his girl best friend, then his friend’s girlfriend.

His girlfriend even glared at me while holding her boyfriend.

“Babe, chill. I’m just helping her. She’s alone.” Her boyfriend said to her and kissed her on the cheek.

They have been drinking but they can still stand and walk properly but they are their friends. No longer.

“Where’s Ameer?” Asked a man who was also held by his girlfriend so she can support him. He’s drunk.

“I don’t know. He called me earlier and said he was just chilling. But he’s drunk, I’m sure. It’s obvious from his voice.” His girlfriend said so.

“Why did you he call you? He could’ve called me or Lester.” The man asked again. The woman just shrugged.

I approached the man who was supposed to help me. “Aren’t we leaving yet?”

He gave me a smile as if he was sorry, “Just wait for a few minutes. We’re just going to find our friend, because he’s missing.” He said and looked at his girlfriend. 

“Babe, let’s look for Ameer. Maybe some paparazzi will see him again and we’ll have another issue.”

He looked at me before nodding to the girl. “All right.” Then he ran and looked for that Ameer.

I held my head when it hurt. My vision is getting more blurry.

“Has he not been found yet?” I asked again after he returned.

“Are you okay?” He asked me back.

“Yes.” I answered even I know myself that I’m not okay.  “What does your friend look like? I might have seen it.”

He shook his head frustratedly. “He’s white, his eyes are light brown, his nose is pointed and he looks like a foreigner. He’s this tall,” He raised his hand to show how tall the man was. Taller than him. “He’s always holding a black handkerchief.” He added.

“I think I saw him…” I said while still holding my dizzy head.

“Where?” He asked me. Hoping to see his friend.

What he was referring to was the one who bumped into me earlier, the one I called ‘handsome’. He always has a black handkerchief in his hand.

“I don’t remember…” I answered.

He sighed. “It’s okay.” He said and looked around. “You stay here. I’m just going to help my girlfriend look for our friend. So we can leave right away.” He said and smiled at me.

I was about to speak when he immediately left me. I sighed again and glanced at their friends who were already sitting the chair. There are three of them. The two love birds and then another man.

And because I was bored, I decided to help in the search even though I knew I would fall at any moment. I have to go home.

I looked around from every side but I didn’t see anything that even looked like the man. I hadn’t gone far when someone suddenly covered my nose with a black handkerchief. I couldn’t rest because my eyelids were getting heavy.

I completely lost consciousness.