The Gay That Broke My Heart

Chapter 7

"Czarina! Are you ready, Dear?" Lola Rising yelled from the living room.

It’s already Friday night, and at any minute, Angelo and Carlos will pick her up so that all of them can go together to Eve’s residence.

"In just a minute, Lola,” Czarina yelled back. Her hands were on her waist while looking at the different clothes lying on her bed.

Czarina was actually contemplating what clothes to wear. She doesn’t know how she would dress up at a party in the province. Do they wear gowns? Casual clothes? House clothes?

Czarina doesn’t want to wear a dress and end up being overdressed or just wear a shirt and jeans, which do not seem appropriate for a party. She didn’t expect that it would be ten times harder to find what clothes to wear in the province, especially if there’s an occasion. When she was still in Manila, she was invited to her classmate’s birthday party, and it was a formal one, so they had to wear a gown. The more she thinks about it, the more she realizes that she hasn’t gone to a party that doesn’t require formal attire. And even when she snuck out for the first time to go to the bar, people there were wearing cocktail dresses!

“Czarina! What are you still doing?" Rosing suddenly burst into her room. She found Czarina standing in front of her bed, looking at the clothes on the bed. Czarina is still in her house dress—short shorts and a black cami top. “Angelo and Carlos are already here. Why are you not dressing up yet?”

Czarina looked at her grandmother, frowning. “Lola, I don’t know what to wear! This is the first time that I have been invited to a party—well, a province version. I don’t want to be overdressed.”

“Oh my goodness! You can just wear your jeans and that pink blouse.” Rosing put her left hand on her waist and used her right hand to point at the other set of clothes on the bed. “Make sure that you wear a cami top if you wear that. Don’t flaunt your cleavage! And stop wearing clothes that show too much skin. Remember, this is not a city. People here are still living in old age. That kind of clothing…” Rosing pointed to Czarina’s clothes that she’s wearing. “..is still being frowned upon here. So, to save us both any trouble, you are not allowed to wear that outside the house, understand?”

Czarina pouted and sighed. She doesn’t have a choice but to heed her grandmother’s warning, or else she will hear an earful nagging. “Fine, Lola Rosing, whatever you say.”

“Hurry up already! Your friends are here.” Rosing took the other extra dress from the bed and put them away in the wardrobe.

Czarina immediately grabbed the clothes that Lola Rosing suggested and immediately went to her bathroom. She has her own bathroom inside her room, which she was so glad about. Czarina dressed up as fast as she could. She took the face powder and lip gloss from her bag and applied them to her face. And when she was finally satisfied with how she looked, she went to her dresser and grabbed her expensive perfume, and sprayed the back of her earlobes and wrists.

"How do I look, Lola?" Czarina asked while slowly spinning herself in front of her grandmother. She was smiling widely.

"You looked decent. Now, go before those two leave you." Rosing motioned her hand back and forth to dismiss Czarina. But instead of leaving the room, Czarina opened her arms and hugged her grandmother tightly. She buried her face in her grandmother's chest. In which her grandmother embraced her as well.

"Thank you, Lola Rosing," she whispered. "Thank you for letting me go to Eve's party. I really thought that you wouldn't allow me, after all that happened."

Rosing smiled and gently caressed Czarina's back. "If you think I'd restrict you from doing something just because your parents died, you are wrong. You're a teenager, and I've experienced that age too. I know what it is like to be adventurous. You know...wanting to experience new things, and that's okay. That's part of growing up. However, you should always know your limitations. You know why I permitted you?"

Czarina looked up at her grandmother, and their eyes met. She slowly shook her head as a response to her question.

"It is because you asked for it and you introduced me to your friends. Now, I know what kind of friends you have, and I'm at ease knowing their parents too. I'm certain that they will not be a bad influence on you. And that's all that matters to me, Czarina... For you to be on the right path."

"Thank you, Lola. This means so much to me. Thank you for trusting me again," she said with a teary eye.

"Okay, enough of this drama. You have to go down. They've been waiting for you." Rosing held her shoulder and made her turn towards the door. Then, she gently pushed Czarina to exit the room.

Czarina giggled and went back to her Lola Rosing and kissed her already wrinkled cheeks before climbing down the stairs. There she saw Carlos looking at her. He was sitting on the couch with Angelo beside him. But to Czarina, all he could see was Carlos. He seemed so captivating in his tattered jeans and black shirt, pairing it with white sneakers as his footwear. His hair was neatly combed. Carlos actually looked like someone who just got out of the shower, so fresh.

Czarina was still at the last two steps of the stairs, but she could already smell the subtle masculine perfume of Carlos. It almost wanted her to close her eyes and enjoy his scent. She was trying so hard not to do that, especially since they were watching her.

“Good evening, Czarina. You looked so pretty,” Carlos greeted her.

Czarina’s face immediately reddened with Carlos’ compliment. He was smiling so widely that Czarina couldn’t help but notice the deep dimples on his cheeks. It’s like she was drawn to it.

Oh my god, Czarina! Get a hold of yourself, she reprimanded. If not for Angelo’s fake cough, Czarina might still have been standing in front of Carlos. She didn’t realize that she and Carlos were already having a staring contest.

“We have to go. Leah just texted me. They’re about to start the evening version of mañanita. They’re just waiting for us.” Angelo stood up and looked behind Czarina.

Czarina also looked at who was behind her and saw it was her grandmother, climbing down the stairs.

“We’re going, Lola Rosing. We will drop off Czarina after the party,” Angelo said. He went towards Lola Rosing and held her right hand. He then put the back of her hand on his forehead. Carlos also stood up and did the same thing.

Czarina couldn’t help but smile. Guys in the province are totally different from those who are in the city. Well, not all. Based on what she saw, Carlos and Angelo still know how to pay respect to the elders by doing what they did. Czarina could tell that her grandmother was delighted with the two guys’ actions because of her gentle smile and soft stares.

'If Carlos becomes my boyfriend, I’m really indeed a lucky girl,' she thought.

“Make sure that you bring Czarina home safe and sound. And you, Young Lady,” Rosing turned to Czarina. “Be home before 12 midnight.”

“What? Lola, what am I, a cinderella?” Czarina started to complain. Usually, the real party will not start till 12 at midnight. And yet, she needed to be home before the actual party started!

“Well, do you want to stay here instead and have no party?” Rosing strictly said. She even raised her left eyebrow.

Czarina heaved a sigh and apologetically looked at Carlos and Angelo.

“Oh, that’s okay, Lola Rosing. Don’t worry, Czarina. The party was already over by that time,” Carlos said.

Czarina confusedly looked at Carlos, but he just winked at her, which made her face turn red again.

“We will go, Lola Rosing,” Angelo, who looked to be pissed, bid goodbye before exiting the house.

Carlos also bid goodbye to Lola Rosing and hurriedly followed Angelo. Czarina was quite confused about their action, but she just shrugged it off.

“We’re going, Lola. Thank you again.” She wrapped her hands around her grandmother’s waist and then kissed her cheeks before exiting the house.

“Be careful! And enjoy!”

“Yes, Lola!”

Czarina was very excited about going to Eve’s house. It’s her first time to be invited to a party in the province. When she had her vacation at her Lola Rosing’s place before, she never got a chance to experience it. She was about to ask Carlos about the mañanita that Angelo mentioned earlier, then suddenly, her feet froze on the ground. She found Carlos and Angelo, who looked like they were arguing. They were already outside their wooden gate. She couldn’t make up what they were talking about. It was just mumbling sounds, but looking at Angelo’s reaction, it was evident that he was pissed about something. And there was Carlos, who looked apologetic.

“Is there something wrong, guys?” she asked carefully.

Carlos and Angelo looked at her at the same time. Both of them seemed so surprised to see her.

“Oh, nothing. Angelo was just telling me we have to hurry because they’re just waiting for us,” Carlos answered and forced a smile.

Angelo, on the other hand, scoffed, before turning his back to them and starting to walk away. Carlos just looked at Angelo and sighed.

“Oh, okay. C’mon…” Czarina also stared at Carlos’ figure walking further away from them. She then turned to Carlos. “Is everything really okay?”

“Yep!” He beamed, popping the ‘p’. He forced another smile and said, “Let’s go?”

Czarina had a hunch that something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t name it. So instead of worrying about it, she just nodded and started walking beside Carlos. Besides, this would be the start of a great night for her.