The Gay That Broke My Heart

Chapter 8.2

The dining room was full of people. The visitors had already taken all of the chairs. Some of them were already in the living room eating. Czarina was holding her plate with only three kinds of food on it. She was looking for Leah, Carlos, and Angelo so she could sit with them. But they were nowhere in sight—well, not at least in the dining room. She was about to go to the living room when she heard someone call her name.

“Czari!”

She turned in the voice’s direction and saw Leah by the door. It looked like it was the door to the kitchen. Leah was waving her hand and signaled her to go there. She smiled and walked towards Leah.

“Let’s eat here, Czari,” Leah said when she was near her. Leah held her right hand and gently pulled her towards the table with chairs just beside the woodstove. "At least here, it's just us. Eve and the others will join us shortly," she added when she noticed that Czarina was roaming around the area as if she was looking for someone.

"Oh, okay, but where are they?" Czarina asked while pulling the chair and sitting on it.

“Carlos went to look for Angelo and Eve—she’s with her parents, I guess. I’m not quite sure. But for sure, she’s with the other visitors thanking them for coming.” Leah pulled out the other chair beside Czarina too. “ I hope you don’t mind that we are eating here in the kitchen. It’s just the dining room, and the living room is too crowded,” she said apologetically while sitting down.

“Not at all. I’m not picky, so I’m all good.” Czarina started to scoop some food using her spoon and began to eat. When she noticed two figures outside the house, not too far from them, the lamppost light was covered by the nearby mango tree, but Czarina could still identify the two men—Angelo and Carlos.

The two looked like they were in a heated fight, just like earlier outside their house. However, this one looked super intense. She could see Carlos desperately brushing his hair upwards. And then, Angelo walked out again. Carlos put his hands on his waist and then scratched his head messily.

Czarina’s eyes didn’t leave the scene she had just witnessed. But Carlos turned his body towards their direction. And so, Czarina immediately focused her attention on the food in front of her.

“Aww, that’s glad to hear.” Leah sighed in relief. She didn’t seem to notice that Czarina was looking at something outside the house. She looked at Cytherea’s plate and noticed that there were only three kinds of food on it. “By the way, why aren’t there some desserts? Don’t you like desserts or local snacks?”

“Oh no! I actually love them. Why do you ask?” she asked, as if she didn’t notice Carlos, who was almost near them.

“There are local snacks on the table. Let me grab some for you. Maybe some of those you haven’t even tried yet.” Leah noticed Carlos and waved at him. “Hey, Carlos. You’re here. I’ll grab some desserts and local snacks. Can you accompany Czarina here for a while? I’ll get you food too.”

“Sure!”

Leah immediately rose from the seat and went to the dining room, where the food was neatly lined up in the corner. On the other hand, Carlos pulled a chair at the head of the table and sat on it. Their eyes met, and they both smiled at each other.

“How’s the food? Eve’s mother is really a good cook,” Carlos said, trying to start a conversation.

Czarina nodded. She scooped another spoonful of rice and viand before putting it in her mouth. She chewed it slowly to savor the taste as the flavors of the plain rice mixed with the sweetness of the beef kaldereta. Czarina couldn’t help but close her eyes because of the bursting flavors. It was really good!

“I can tell you really like it,” Carlos chuckled.

Czarina swallowed the food first before responding, “Oh, yeah. I mean, the beef kaldereta is really good. My mom used to prepare this for me––”

“Hey, are you okay?” Carlos asked when Czarina suddenly stopped talking.

She looked like she remembered something that made her sad, which made Carlos worried. He didn’t know if he had said something wrong that offended her. Czarina blinked her eyes a couple of times before looking at Carlos and forcing a smile.

“Did I say something wrong?” he asked.

“Oh, no, no… I just remembered something.” Czarina lowered her head and bit her lower lip. She felt a pang in her heart again when she remembered her mom. Her mom always cooked good food, and tasting someone else’s mom’s food made her miss her mother terribly. She stared at Carlos again and smiled again. “Sorry, did I make you worry?”

“Yeah, I thought I said something that could’ve offended you.” Carlos lowered his head and slowly scratched the back of his head.

Both of them become silent. No one dared to talk as if they had run out of things to say. Czarina was bothered about what seemed to be a fight between Carlos and Angelo, and so she asked him about it, “Are you and Angelo fighting?” Czarina sat up straight and coughed to clear her throat. “I don’t mean to be nosy, but I just noticed the two of you earlier beside the mango tree. You two looked like you were fighting. Is everything okay?”

Carlos’ eyes widened, and then, after a few seconds, he scoffed. “Yep, everything’s good. I’m sorry if you have to see that. We always fight, but you know it’s just petty things. Besides, we patch up things right away. He just needed some time to cool down.”

“That’s nice. I can see that all of you are close. I wish I had friends like that,” she said in between chewing her food.

Carlos leaned with his arms on the table. He looked intently at her, and Czarina couldn’t help but lower her gaze at the food. Carlos’ stares had a weird effect on her. It seemed like she was being drawn to him, as if she was being hypnotized. And the butterflies in her stomach were in chaos once again. But Carlos didn’t even seem to notice that effect he had on Czarina.

He continuously stares at her and asks, “Why? I mean, for sure, you have friends back in the city, right?”

Czarina cleared her throat and forced herself to look at Carlos without wavering. “Well, yeah. I do have friends back in the city, but I can only say that there is only one that I can trust. I was not even able to tell her I had moved here. For sure, she’s very mad at me,” she chuckled. “Well, no one really knows.”

“Why is that?” he curiously asked. His eyebrows crossed.

“Why do I only have one friend, or why no one knows I’m here?”

“Well, you can answer both if you don’t mind.” He smiled, showing his perfect pearly white teeth.

“Ummm, let’s just say the school I went to, the students there, their status are way more important. If you’re popular, people will swarm at you. People will give you favors even before asking them, but if you’re the opposite, they will trample you down until you can't get up.”

“Wow, that’s scary... though I think you’re popular there. You don’t look like someone’s been rude to you.”

“Oh, yeah?” Czarina asked. She raised her right eyebrow. Hearing what Carlos said made her wonder just what Carlos thinks of her.

“Yep,” Carlos replied, popping the letter ‘p’.

“Hmmn, that’s interesting.” Czarina crossed her arms across her chest and stared at Carlos. "Now, tell me. If you don't mind, of course, what makes you think I'm popular?"

Carlos straightened up and leaned his back on the chair. "Well, honestly? You are a beautiful lady, Czarina. You looked like a lot of men were waiting on your hand and foot. And even though we've just known each other for days... I can tell you’re a good person and you’re special. You see, it’s not hard to fall for someone like you, Czarina.” He bit his lower lip and leaned forward on the table. “Well, if things are only different….”

Czarina googled at him. Her lips were shut. She was trying so hard to put on a straight face though she was already screaming internally.

Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Is this a sign that we both have a mutual understanding?!