TWO DAYS before leaving for Japan, the crew agreed to have a barbeque party with Daddy Gee. A small gathering for eating and no drinking. We are also conditioning ourselves before hitting the battleground.
“Oh! Nick! No bedtime stories, okay! ” Daddy Gee cried out.
“Two weeks? Of course, I need a hole check! Hahaha! ” Nick replied, followed by a chuckle.
“You Ben?”
“Ah! No boss! I’m LDR! This time, no holes! Hahaha! ” Ben answered back.
“And how’s Clint? It’s nice to be Clint! ” Daddy Gee teased again.
“Tell us how to be you, Clint!” Paolo said. He was also a member of our dance crew.
I was surprised by what they were saying. I know they are keeping something from me.
“Nah! I want a girl like Trina! She’s all around! ” Said Daddy Gee.
“Never! She’s exclusively for Clint! ” Nick said, giggling.
I don’t get what they are saying. It was as if they all knew except me.
“Why? What? What’s with the laugh? Huh, guys? ” I asked, stunned.
Nick handed me a barbeque. “Trina will come to Japan!” he said.
“Why? What’s the point?” I said, after a smirk.
“Clint, she said she wanted to come with us because she wanted to watch us battle live! You don’t know? She’s your girlfriend! You can’t even flex your girlfriend! Why keep it secret? ” Daddy Gee said, laughing.
I almost choked when Daddy Gee said that. “Girlfriend? For real? That’s not a good joke! I don’t like that, ah! ” I said.
“Crazy! She’s crazy over you, brother! “said Nick. “And she’s staying at our place! For the whole stop! ” Nick totaled it up.
I stood up by what Nick said. I shook it out, holding the pineapple juice in the tin can, and drank it.
“Why with us? We’re all boys there? Where will she sleep? Our room is just right for the four of us! No space for her there! What the f**k! ” I cried out.
“Clint! Why can’t it be in your room? You will love it! But don’t overdo it, or you’ll know what’s next! ” said Nick. “And what are you worried about? We all know you f**ked her up here when we just got back from Japan! That’s okay! Just be careful, brother, but remember-never forget the rubber, okay? There’s nothing we can do about it.”
“Please, favor guys – don’t ever mention it to Mama Cha, huh? That’ll make her angry when she finds out. ”
“Aha! Why? She introduced you to Trina, didn’t she? So it means she’s okay with Trina for you! So it’s no problem at all! No worries, brother, you seem so worried about Clint! ” Nick said, tapping on my shoulder.
“Nick! Just don’t tell her, okay? ” I exclaimed. “Seriously please?”
The two just nodded. They are wondering why I act unexpectedly strangely.
I fell silent. I feel like I’m lost in space because of what I found out. I can’t let Ma know about this. Two weeks is a long time, and she will stay in our place for that long. Together? With me? Oh f**k! I’m doomed! Why didn’t they even inform me about that? And I hate the fact that she always says that I am her boyfriend, even in her crew. I don’t like that, so sometimes I don’t show up and then I hide in Mama Cha’s office! I also avoided her a few times. I haven’t been in her place much since something happened to us. I feel f**kin’ guilty about what happened that night!
What will I do now?
What if Mama Cha chooses to take me to the airport? I’m done with it again. We have been arguing lately, but not about anything that serious, just a little because of jealousy. And about Trina too! Then Aunt Maggie will tell more stories about Trina and me, and she will be angrier with me!
What will I do now? I do not know!
***
TUESDAY, the day of our flight to Japan tonight.
I have everything for two weeks. I don’t bring everything anymore because it’s easy to buy stuff there and then sometimes our clients provide all that we need. I was currently on the couch categorizing the armbands that we were going to use when I heard Mama Cha’s cellphone ring. She was currently in the kitchen having coffee. I didn’t understand who she was talking to at first.
“It’s seven minutes later because they need to be at the departure area earlier,” she said.
I can hear them talking and I know who she is talking to, but I’m not minding it because I’m busy with what I am doing and these armbands are important and can’t be forgotten. These are what we wear when it’s battle day. Every category has a color.
“Trina? What is it to do with Trina?” I heard her say.
I was distracted when I heard Trina’s name.
“Aah… So she’s coming to Japan for one week? Clint? Will she stay with Clint? My permission? Why ask for my permission, Maggie? ” Mama Cha said, then glanced at me, frowned.
“Well, okay, just drop her here so they can leave together later.”
After she finished talking and turned off the voice call, I was already standing in front of her. I know what’s next.
“Ma…” I mumbled.
She was just looking at me too. She just kept drinking coffee. And..
“Seriously? She’s with you? For a week? ” She said sarcastically with a smirk.
I moved toward her. I know where this conversation goes. I know that kind of look in her eyes.
“Ma, I didn’t know that promise!” I explained.
“Well…” That’s going to be so much fun, Clint! For the whole week? “F**k! ” She said, then grinned. “Ma..” I attempted to hold her.
“Clint, what’s wrong? You didn’t hear anything from me, did you? Okay, stop whining. Just go the f**k on! ” She yelled at me. “Do the f**k what you want! It’s your life anyway!” She yelled.
She didn’t finish the coffee she was drinking; she just went upstairs and left me.
“F**kin’ tired! I want to go to sleep early! ”
I even heard her say it as she passed by me.
I no longer followed her. I didn’t hold back because I knew I would only make her more irritated.
F**k! What now? It’s getting more complicated. The more we hide our relationship, the more Trina and I get along. She’s getting closer to me. She’s telling everyone that I’m her boyfriend. F**k! This is bad…
I know that the fake news reached Mama Cha because Nick told me that Aunt Maggie had legalized me. I mean, Trina and I are now officials. Officially, what?
I once confronted Trina about that issue, but I don’t know why it doesn’t bother her. Even if I ignore her, she always visits me at the shop or sometimes visits me at home and brings me some food and stuff. Fortunately, Mama Cha is not there often, so she wouldn’t know. She even talks to Mama Cha sometimes, like she’s trying to get close to her, but Ma is a sarcastic one and I know that she knows that kind of move.
I continued doing what I was doing at first. I need to finish organizing these armbands. I’d talk to her later, when her mood changes.
***
CHARI’S POV
What now?
The more Clint and I keep the relationship secret, the closer Trina gets to him. I know that she knows that I know everything that happens to them because Maggie tells me so. Maggie likes Clint because he is kind and strategic in life. She said that Trina said that she liked Clint so much. Trina asked for permission for Clint and her to become officials. Maggie allowed it because she didn’t think differently about it. But she said that she had never seen Clint visit Trina even once, but it’s understood because he was doing a lot and he was really busy teaching his dance talents. But why didn’t Clint tell me anything about them and Trina? Every time I asked him, he said he didn’t know what they were saying. Sometimes I think that he’s keeping us together! Me when at home and Trina when outside.
It’s not going to be easy, as we keep making it seem to get even more complicated. Like now, they’ll be together in Japan for almost a week. I don’t know, of course, what will happen there, because even his friends don’t know that we understand each other, so even if they put the two together, they think it’s okay. What annoys me even more is why he didn’t tell me earlier, so that when Maggie calls I know how to react! And I know how to fake it! Damn!
What did Clint and I get into? I thought that it would just be fun.
What now?
I’ll just be here pissed waiting for him to come back while the two of them are having their sweet moments abroad. F**k!
It’s up to him! That’s why I don’t want a boyfriend, because I don’t want a headache! I’d rather just eat and f**kin’ drink!
Well… Good luck to you, Chari! Your baby, Clint Kadie, is going on his honeymoon! Damn, it irritates me! Damn you, Clint! I hate you!
June_Thirteen