Chapter 21 Something

Chapter 21 Something
Angela’s unit was already a mess before we even started drinking. Pillows were scattered across the floor, the scent of barbecue-flavored chips mixed awkwardly with air freshener, and someone had already plugged in the speaker. The music thumped softly through the walls, vibrating in time with everyone’s laughter.

With finals approaching, the group had decided to hold a sleepover before the bloody battle of exams began.

“TJ, I swear, if you spill that again—” Angela warned, glaring at TJ, who was pouring drinks dangerously close to her couch.

They had almost come to blows earlier when TJ spilled on the couch cover. Good thing we stopped them. Angela was feisty; you’d never guess she was a girl from the way she acted.

“Relax, Angela. I got this!” TJ grinned, sloshing half the drink onto the table anyway.

“Yeah, you got it all over my tablecloth!” she groaned.

“You guys are too loud,” Kiefer snapped. “Some people are actually reviewing here. If you don’t want to study, just shut up. You’re hurting my ears.”

I glanced at Kian and Martin sitting on the floor. Martin held a sheet of paper with questions while Kian quietly answered them.

I threw a pillow at Kiefer, who was lounging at the end of the sofa. “You have the nerve. I thought you were the one reviewing, but it’s Kian and Martin.”

He shot me a dirty look and hurled the pillow back. TJ caught it before it could hit me. “Did I say I was reviewing? I said there are people reviewing!”

“Don’t make noise. His baby is studying properly,” Caleb chimed in from the balcony, where he was smoking with Sydney. He must have overheard our bickering.

Kiefer stood up and marched aggressively toward the balcony.

“I give up!” Caleb shouted.

We all turned toward the balcony at his yell. Kiefer had his arm wrapped tightly around Caleb’s neck. Even the girls who were busy cooking in the kitchen peeked into the living room when they heard the commotion.

“Who is it?” Samantha asked, still holding a knife and a tomato in her hands.

TJ and I exchanged glances and burst out laughing at the sight of her.

“I was just worried, okay?” she said defensively when she noticed us staring.

We all looked back at the balcony when Caleb shouted again.

Kiefer’s arm tightened even more around his neck. The idiot’s face was already turning red.

“Kiefer!” Kian yelled.

I turned to Kian, who now wore an irritated expression. He probably couldn’t focus on reviewing anymore because of Caleb and Kiefer’s noise.

“I’m done studying,” Kian grumbled, standing up and storming into Angela’s room.

“You’re in trouble, Kief. Go apologize,” Gabriella said. I hadn’t even noticed she was already in the living room, holding a ladle.

Kiefer walked back toward us and grabbed his phone from beside TJ.

“Looks like someone’s happiness is about to be cut short,” Caleb called out just before Kiefer disappeared into Angela’s room.

The moment the door closed, we all burst into laughter. We even helped Martin clean up the reviewers scattered around the living room.

“Show’s over. Back to cooking, you two,” Sydney called out, standing casually on the balcony.

Samantha and Gabriella shot her a glare before returning to the kitchen.

The energy was chaotic—our kind of chaotic.

Almost everyone was there. The only one missing was Yohan. Kian mentioned earlier that Yohan had texted saying he was busy and would make it up next time.

He better make it up. Before I make him pay with his life.

I hadn’t even seen that idiot’s face in almost two weeks.

I sat on the floor, leaning against the sofa, sipping my drink and letting the noise wash over me. Finals were only a few days away, and my brain already felt fried.

My phone lit up beside me. It was a message from Elijah.

Elijah Hale
Kuya Lucas, do you know anyone who makes cakes?

I typed a quick reply.

Lucas Buenavista
Yeah, why?

I didn’t put my phone down when I saw he was typing.

Elijah Hale
I wanted to order one. Elise has an idea for the design, and she thinks it would suit Kuya Ethan.

Ethan.

Just his name stirred something quiet but heavy inside me. I hadn’t talked to him properly in days. I had been… avoiding him. He texted sometimes, but I always found an excuse not to reply.

I kept telling myself it was because of exams, but that wasn’t the truth. My head was just a mess right now.

I sent another message to Elijah.

Lucas Buenavista
Sure. Send it to me.

After replying, I turned off my phone and slipped it into my pocket.

“TJ, help please! I can’t open this,” Samantha shouted from the kitchen, still busy cooking.

I lay fully on the floor and closed my eyes. I started thinking about what I could give Ethan for his birthday. I wanted a gift that would outshine anything Blake might give him. I was sure Blake would be there.

It didn’t take long for Samantha and the girls to finish cooking, and we started eating. Kian and Kiefer didn’t join us—they still hadn’t come out of the room. Kian’s sulking could last until next year when he was in one of his moods.

It was almost 10 p.m. when we finally decided to start drinking.

Someone’s playlist blared in the background—an old OPM song that everyone pretended not to know but still sang along to. The air was thick with the smell of chips, cheap liquor, and perfume. The tiny living room pulsed with warmth.

Kian sat cross-legged on the floor, arguing with TJ about something, while Martin tried to balance a pretzel on Caleb’s nose. Sydney and Samantha were giggling uncontrollably on the couch, their faces flushed from laughter and alcohol.

Angela, sitting between them, waved her hands like a referee. “Calm down or you’ll spill on my couch cover. You two will be doing laundry tomorrow. I’m not letting you go home.”

We burst out laughing at Angela. She was the one who invited everyone to sleep over at her place, yet here she was acting strict about her couch.

Everyone cheered, clinking glasses dramatically before taking another sip.

I sat beside the coffee table, leaning back against the couch and watching them with quiet amusement. I wasn’t the loudest in the group, but I liked being in the middle of it all—seeing everyone laugh, move, and simply live. There was something comforting about it.

Caleb, clearly tipsy, suddenly pointed at me. “Guys, Lucas is so quiet. Looks like he’s thinking about the family he goes home to now.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Idiot.”

“But seriously, man, you’ve been quiet and serious these past few days.”

Everyone turned to look at me. Great. I was the main topic again.

Angela pointed a finger at me, eyes wide like she’d struck gold. “Yeah, exactly.”

“Last time I saw him at school, he didn’t even notice me,” Sydney added.

“Sorry, bro. I thought you were a dog,” I grinned, dodging the pillow she threw at me.

Samantha leaned in, smirking. “Come on, Lucas. Spill the tea.”

The group erupted into exaggerated gasps.

“Here we go,” I muttered, rolling my eyes. “You guys sound like my mom.”

Samantha teased, “So there is someone!”

“I didn’t say that,” I countered quickly, though my ears felt warmer than they should have.

Everyone laughed, and I joined in, shaking my head. But the teasing lingered longer in my chest than it should have. Because if I was being honest, there was someone—someone I couldn’t quite define.

Angela suddenly started singing loudly.

“Angela, please,” Sydney groaned. “It might rain.”

Angela glared at her. “Idiot,” then continued singing anyway.

“Cold to the ears, hot to the head,” Kian slurred, his face already bright red from drinking.

We were all laughing again—the kind that made your chest hurt. Martin was doubled over, TJ clapped like a seal, and Sydney was half-crying from laughing so hard.

Seeing TJ this happy made me happy too.

And in between all the noise, I felt it again—that warmth that only came when you were surrounded by people who made life bearable.

“Wait,” Angela said suddenly, holding up an empty bottle. “Who finished the alcohol?”

Everyone stared at the bottle in her hand. The last one was completely empty.

TJ held up his glass like a detective. “Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have a crisis.”

He was clearly drunk.

“Already?” Sydney asked. “We just opened that!”

Kiefer laughed. “What can we do? TJ drank it all.”

“Blame me when I rarely drink,” TJ muttered, slumping onto the sofa.

“You rarely drink, yet you treat it like juice,” I added.

Angela groaned. “Ugh. We’re completely out.”

We all fell silent for a second, looking at each other as if someone might magically produce another bottle.

Then every pair of eyes turned to me.

I blinked. “What?”

Angela pointed at me dramatically. “You’re the only one still sober enough to walk straight. Congratulations, you’ve been chosen.”

Kian grinned, raising his empty glass. “The hero we didn’t deserve but definitely needed.”

I closed my eyes. They were all wasted.

Samantha started chanting, “Lu-cas! Lucas! Lucas!” and the rest joined in, banging their hands on the table in rhythm.

I groaned and stood up. “You guys are unbelievable.”

Laughter followed me as I grabbed my wallet and stepped out.

The door clicked shut behind me, and the noise disappeared. The silence in Angela’s building was oddly calming—just the hum of fluorescent lights and the faint buzz of the elevator at the end of the corridor. I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked lazily toward it.

I pressed the button and waited, staring at my reflection in the silver doors. I looked tired.

The elevator dinged and opened.

And then my heart stopped for a second.

Ethan and Blake were inside. My eyes immediately went to Blake’s arm draped casually around Ethan’s shoulders.

Ethan blinked at me, lips parting in surprise. “Lucas?”

He looked casual—hair slightly messy, hoodie unzipped over a plain shirt. Blake leaned against the elevator wall, holding a paper bag and grinning like always.

“Hey,” I greeted them.

As soon as I stepped inside, they stepped out.

Before either of them could say anything, I pressed the button.

I watched the doors slide shut, catching one last glimpse of Ethan’s back as he walked away.

Suddenly, the elevator felt too small and too quiet.

I grabbed a basket and started throwing in bottles—beer, soda, whatever was left. My reflection in the fridge door looked like someone pretending to be fine.

What the fuck is your problem, Lucas? I muttered to myself.

I distracted myself by gathering everything we needed.

But no matter what, I couldn’t shake the image of Ethan standing beside Blake—the way he smiled, the comfortable space they shared, the easy familiarity between them. It shouldn’t matter. And yet, it did.

The cashier smiled as I placed everything on the counter.

On the way back to the elevator, my thoughts wouldn’t stop. I wasn’t angry. Not really. I had no right to be angry at him.

Ethan had always been the kind of person who filled rooms with warmth. Maybe I had just gotten used to standing close to that light—and now, seeing someone else bask in it hurt more than I expected.

When I opened the door to Angela’s unit, the sound of my friends’ laughter greeted me immediately. I walked toward the living room where we were all gathered.

I stopped mid-step when I saw Ethan and Blake sitting on the couch beside Angela.

Blake’s arm rested along the back of the couch, right behind Ethan.

Angela spotted me first. “Lucas, you took so long.”

“I—uh, I’m here,” I said, lifting the plastic bag full of alcohol. “The line was long.”

I set the bags on the table, and everyone immediately grabbed a bottle.

Kian cheered. “Drinking round two!”

But even with all the noise, I couldn’t focus. Every few minutes, my eyes drifted to Ethan. Sometimes our gazes would meet, but I quickly looked away.

“Wait,” Samantha said suddenly, pointing at Ethan and Blake. “Are you two together?”

The whole group gasped and immediately started teasing them.

I looked at the pair. Blake’s arm was still draped behind Ethan.

Ethan’s face turned red as my friends teased him.

“We’re just fri—” Ethan started.

“We’re heading there, Sam,” Blake cut in smoothly.

Everyone screamed again, laughing even louder. Even Angela was giggling, clutching her stomach. And there I was—forcing a laugh that didn’t quite reach my eyes.

Really? Then go ahead. I’ll even tie the knot for you.

“You look good together. Both so handsome,” Angela said dreamily.

“I’m handsome too, you know,” I chimed in.

Everyone turned to look at me.

“What are you saying?” Caleb asked, confused.

“He’s drunk. Just ignore him,” TJ said.

When TJ spoke, I looked at him. I could see in his eyes that he wanted to ask me something, but he couldn’t because we were too far apart.

The teasing continued, now led by Kian and Samantha.

“I told you we’re a match,” Blake said, looking at Ethan.

Match. More like mismatch.

Ethan shot Blake a look—half amused, half embarrassed—but when he turned toward me, his smile faded.

His eyes kept flicking in my direction, just for a second at a time, as if checking whether I was still watching. And I was. I couldn’t help it.

I sat across from them, pretending to scroll through my phone. The noise around me blurred into the background. My thumb hovered over Elijah’s message again, but I didn’t reply.

When I looked up, Ethan was already watching me. There was a tiny furrow between his brows, like he was confused, annoyed—or maybe both.

The laughter around the table started to sound distant, almost muffled. Blake was sitting too close to Ethan—their shoulders brushing every time one of them leaned in. It shouldn’t have bothered me. It really shouldn’t. But the way Ethan smiled—so effortlessly, so genuine—hit something raw inside me that I didn’t even realize was still exposed.

I tried to keep my eyes on the empty bottle in front of me, spinning it slowly between my fingers while pretending I was still part of the conversation. Angela was talking about next week’s exam, and the others were laughing at some inside joke I barely caught. But all I could hear was the heavy, uneven thud of my own heartbeat.

Ethan leaned toward Blake again, whispering something. Blake chuckled, his hand briefly resting on Ethan’s arm. That small gesture burned more than it should have.

I stood up abruptly. “I just remembered I have something to do,” I announced.

I didn’t wait for anyone to respond. I walked straight out of Angela’s unit.

As I left, the sound of their laughter still lingered behind me—faint but sharp in my ears. I told myself it was nothing. That I was just tired. That the night had gone on too long. But the more I tried to convince myself, the less it worked.

Something about seeing them together didn’t sit right. Not in a way I could easily explain. It wasn’t exactly anger, and it wasn’t sadness either. It was just this strange, tight pull in my chest—an uncomfortable feeling I didn’t want to acknowledge but couldn’t shake off.

Maybe it was because they looked so at ease with each other. Because Ethan laughed differently when he was with Blake—freer, lighter, like the whole world softened around him. I should have been happy for him. I really should have. But instead, there was this quiet sting that followed me out the door, a heaviness I couldn’t name.

I tried to shrug it off, hands buried in my pockets, eyes fixed on the ground as I walked.

Maybe I was just overthinking again. Maybe it was nothing.

But deep down, I knew what I was feeling meant something else.

It was something—something I didn’t quite understand yet, and maybe I wasn’t ready to.