BCJ 25 • goodbye kiss

***

Pete had been rolling his eyes multiple times that he could already feel his eyeballs hitting the back of his head.

"Don't they just look good together?" Celeste giggled beside him.

He controlled the urge to hit Celeste with his elbow.

"Shut up," he growled through gritted teeth.

He rolled his eyes again as the crowd lauded Kavine and Kao who were up onstage as they were given their plaque of recognition

"Why are they even awarded together? Can't they go onstage on their own?" he hissed.

Celeste chuckled before lightly hitting his arm. "Just because you were awarded alone doesn't mean everyone else should be. Jesus. You're reeking of jealousy."

"Tsk. Don't you dare mock me. Remember, you're partly the reason Kao left me."

Celeste was obviously taken aback as her mouth was left wide open. "Excuse me?? All I ever did was help you get that ring. Had I known it wo—"

But Celeste's words were cut off as Pete carelessly placed a finger against her lips, smudging her lipstick. She immediately hit Pete's hand away.

"Geez, Pete!"

But Pete could no longer hear her rants as his eyes were fixed on Kavine who was holding the mic to give a speech.

"Hi, everyone. Thank you so much for this recognition. I totally didn't expect this one."

Pete rolled his eyes yet again.

"I just wanna thank everyone who made this event possible. To the orphanage for letting us be a part of this celebration. It's been years since I attended an event here in proxy of my dad and I believed it was the fate's way of bringing me here. To the volunteers and the children for welcoming us warmly and of course to my special someone, Kao, for letting me be a part of something that I'll surely treasure for the rest of my life."

"Roll your eyes again and I'll grab them out of their sockets," Celeste warned, her hand already in position, ready to do what she just said.

"Tss. I'm gonna do whatever I want with my eyes, Lest," he replied as he lightly tapped Celeste's hand out of his sight.

Kao was about to give his speech so he wanted to pay attention but the lesbian beside him was continuously annoying him, acting like she was about to grab his eyes.

"What the hell, Lest!" he couldn't help but laugh as Celeste started pinching his side instead, his tickle spot.

He tried to get away from Celeste but she was just too persistent.

"Okay, fine, fine. I won't roll my eyes again. Just stop tickling me!" he surrendered.

Celeste eventually stopped. She didn't say anything and rolled her eyes at him instead.

"You're the one doing it," he grumbled before facing the stage again but Kao was no longer onstage.

***

The event ended at 10. He was supposed to go home with Peter but Celeste offered to bring him home.

"Tss. I know you don't wanna leave him with the man. Let me take care of Peter."

He spotted Kao who was helping the volunteers in cleaning the area. He was about to approach him when someone held him back.

It was Kavine.

"Don't touch me, you bastard," he growled as he whisked his arm away.

Kavine snorted before sliding his hands into his pockets.

"Mom, wants to see you."

"But I don't," he immediately replied before turning his back on him.

"She's sick, Pete. Stage 4."

He stilled but eventually recovered.

"And then?"

"Don't you even care about him, Pete?"

He snickered. "Why? Did she even care when Dad was in his deathbed?"

"Pete, he's still your mother," Kavine said firmly.

With face contorted with hate, he immediately turned to face Kavine. "My mother? No, I don't have a mother, John Kavine. She stopped being my mom the moment she married that jerk!"

"Don't call my father that way, Pete."

"Oh, really? What should I call him then? Huh? John Kavine. Go on, tell me. How am I supposed to call the man that ruined my family?"

John Kavine didn't say a thing but his eyes were piercing through Pete.

"Just go on and take care of your mom, John Kavine. You won't get an ounce of pity from me," he said with finality as he turned to leave.

"Tss. This is exactly the reason I don't want to give Kao to you, Pete."

Kavine's words stopped him in his tracks. He was about to retort but Kavine had already left.

***

Pete puffed the cigarette continuously. His chest heaving up and down as he tried to consume the smoke to mask the guilt that was starting to creep into his mind and heart.

It was his third stick but he had no plans of stopping. He immediately flicked the butt to the ground before getting another one. But before he could even light it up, a hand snatched it away from him.

"What the he-"

His words were left hanging midair as he stared at Kao who was glaring at him.

"Are you trying to burn your lungs?" Kao hissed before snatching the pack of cigarettes from him.

Pete didn't resist but immediately gasped as Kao lit up one stick and puffed on it.

"What the hell are you doing, Kao?" he tried to grab the cigarette but Kao was quick to push him away. "Are you insane?"

"Said the man who finished three sticks in a span of two minutes."

"You were watching me?" Pete saw a glimmer of hope at the realization.

Kao didn't answer.

"I thought you didn't wanna talk to me," Pete said, his voice almost a whisper.

"I didn't want to," Kao paused as he finished his stick of cigarette. "But I guess, it's high time we officially put an end to this, Pete. It's been years. We've both moved on. I'm happy with my relationship and so are you. So can we just go back to being strangers?"

Pete swallowed the lump in his throat as he listened to every word Kao said. "I was never in a relationship other than with you, Kao."

"Oh, really?" Kao snickered. He was about to grab another cigarette stick but Pete quickly snatched the pack away from him.

"Since when did you learn to smoke, Kao?" Pete asked as he grabbed Kao's hand to draw him closer to him. His stare intense as he looked into Kao's eyes.

"Since when did you go back to smoking, Pete?" Kao asked back, his gaze equally boring into Pete's soul.

Nobody answered each other's questions. They just stood there with Pete still holding Kao's hand.

"Oh, there you are!" John Kavine's voice broke the silence between them.

But before Kao could answer Kavine, Pete immediately grabbed him closer for a kiss.

Kao gasped as their lips touched.

Both stayed still. Nobody dared to move.

Pete was about to move back but Kao started moving his lips in ways that sent Pete to a place he didn't know even existed.

All of their memories came crashing on him as they kissed under the moonlight, not even minding the man standing just a few meters away from them.

He was about to deepen the kiss but Kao quickly moved back and pushed him away.

"I hope that settles everything. Please, don't bother me from now on, Pete. Goodbye," Kao stated before turning his back on Pete.

Pete just stood there frozen as he watched Kavine wrap his arms around Kao.

***