Chereads / #allthistime / Chapter 18 - CHAPTER 18: ALL THIS TIME

Chapter 18 - CHAPTER 18: ALL THIS TIME

Everything backs to normal between Andro and Ferns and the group. Although, they never got the chance to talk again after that night especially about the confession of Andro because everything happens so fast and Andro was not sober as well during that time.

However, both remembers everything what happen and they realized that the label is not important at this point as long as they have mutual understanding and wait for the right time comes.

They are very civil in front of their friends but when they are alone they can be very sweet with each other. They are also sweet when they are alone with Randy and Jovs because they trust the couple a lot and see how the couple is very open-minded about them.

Andro receives a text message from one of his co-instructor in his for seminary. They are being invited to attend the seminary's reunion and annual celebration of the founding of the seminary. He let Ferns knows about it and he could not able to see and meet him on their regular date on the weekend. Ferns' understands him and said he should go and enjoy the reunion especially he could only see him once a year.

Andro went to the reunion and very excited to see everyone again especially his former professors, batch mates and former co-instructors. Of course former and current students are also expecting to attend the event since the celebration is both a reunion and the founding anniversary of the seminary.

Ken also attended the event.

Andro mingles and socialize a lot with his friends. Although, he knew Ken is in the venue as well he tries to avoid him even making an eye contact with him. But since Ken is a former student there is no way he could really prevent socializing with his former students.

Andro is chatty with everyone but not with Ken. Ken put up a smile a lot and although he has been observing and noticing Andro's treatment over him he tries to ignore it and faking act as everything is normal and doing his best to recall all the stories and happy moments in the group they had when they were still students of the seminary while especially stressing out how he and Andro are very close with each other. Andro tries to ignore and never response to Ken's stories because some of it were made-up even his former friends could not recall that it actually happens.

Andro is in the corner of the venue with his bottle of beer. He needs sometime alone for the meantime because he is texting Ferns and updating him what is going on in the event.

While busy texting Ferns back and forth he was not able to notice that Ken is approaching. It was too late for him to avoid because Ken is already in front of him. Ken stands beside Andro.

"I noticed you have been avoiding me." Ken whispers.

"I am not avoiding you. I don't think there is any reasons to hang out with you at all." Andro respond and tries to walk away from Ken.

Ken holds his arm and tries to stop him. Andro look at him and look down his arm and trying to say using his eyes to let him go.

Ken let him go but before Andro made another step to walk away from Ken, his former students join them and request to have some selfie photos with them. Andro happily give in to their request. Ken joins with them in the selfie photo as well. But before everyone leaves, Ken requested another student if he could take a photo of him and Andro. Andro is about to say no but Ken grabs his arm quickly and said, "For old time sake, please."

The student took their photo and returns Ken's phone back and leaves.

Just before Andro walks away from Ken, he said something like "I hope you never forgot about us?"

Andro stops and he feels that he needs to say something and clears everything to Ken for once and for all.

"There was never about us. I apologize if you have misunderstood about everything. I have treated all my students equal and special to me. Friendship is what I have given you but you crossed the line. That's all there is and nothing else." Andro clarifies and walks away.

Ken was speechless; he never expects that Andro will say that. He got teary eyes but realizes that he is in the middle of the event so he needs to hold back his tears.

After a few seconds, he took his phone out from his pocket and did something to his phone.

He opens his Instagram and posted his photo with him and Andro. He made a lot of hash tags line in his post and one of the hash tags was #iknowhimbeforeyou and tags Ferns in his post.

Ferns' receives a push notification from his Instagram and when he opens it he saw the photo of Ken and Andro together and read the hash tags.

He knew right away that the hash tag is directed towards him. He just raised his eyebrows and ignores it and closes his phone again.

Andro is not aware about the Instagram photo posted by Ken because he was not tag by him. He was also wondering why Ferns is not replying anymore after their last exchange of text messages.

He is on his way home when Andro receives a message from Randy asking if he already saw the Instagram photo of him and Ken especially the hast tag he wrote on it.

Andro quickly opens his Instagram and checks out Ken's Instagram and saw it. He was very shocked to see it and realize now why Ferns gone quiet.

He tries to call Ferns many times but he is not answering. He texted Randy and Jovs to check out Ferns for him. They try to calm Andro down and said maybe his phone is silent, or maybe he was already sleeping since it was already late too. Both advised him to go home and calm down and tries to reach out Ferns tomorrow and they will also try to reach out to him as well.

The next day as soon as Andro wakes up he checks his phone right away. He is expecting to see any text or miss calls from Ferns but unfortunately he doesn't. However, he has some text messages from Randy and Jovs. Both of them have the same type of messages. Jovs said Ferns and his family is currently not home and is out of town. Randy said the same thing and asked Andro to check Ferns instagram posts that he is indeed with his family and went for a long drive out of the city.

When Andro is about to get up from his bed his phone rings and see that Randy is calling.

"Yes, brother?" Andro answer the phone as soon as he heard it.

"Are you already awake?" Randy asks.

"Yes, just woke up. I saw your messages. Thanks for letting me know." Andro respond sadly.

"Get ready, Jovs and I will pick you up in half an hour. Will go for a drive and see Ferns in Tagaytay." Randy said while in the background Jovs is making a sound trying to cheer up Andro.

"Really? I will get ready now." Andro got up from his bed and becomes very excited.

"Yes, bro. We are actually on our way to your house." Randy said and hangs up the call.

Andro hurriedly go to his bathroom to get ready.

Tagaytay is a popular and closest tourist spot in the Philippines that is a couple of hours away from the capital city. The place overlooks the popular Taal Lakeand provides view of Taal Volcano Island in the middle of the lake through various vantage points situated in the city of Tagaytay

Andro is already outside his house when Randy and Jovs arrive. The couple is riding Randy's motorcycle. Andro is a little bit confused because he is not sure how are they going to fit in the motorcycle.

"Hi, Andro!" Jovs said.

"How long have you been waiting?" Randy asks.

"Not very long. I just actually came out." Andro respond while still looking confused.

Randy asked Jovs to get off the motorbike so he could take the motorbike inside Andro's parking in the house.

"Are you ready, bro?" Randy asks Andro while trying to pull his motorbike inside Andro's house.

"Yeah, hmmm, how are we going to Tagaytay by the way?" Andro said then asks the couple.

Jovs suddenly laughs and pokes Randy's head and said, "I told you he doesn't know yet because you didn't tell him!"

Randy scratches his head and gives Andro a quick smile and said, "I forgot to tell you bro I don't have a car. I am thinking that we will use your car instead to drive there in Tagaytay."

"Oh I see. I didn't know. Sure, I will go and see my father right away and ask for his permission and get the key as well. Come inside first and have something to drink." Andro who looks enlighten now.

Andro knows how to drive and since it was Sunday his father's car is free so that he didn't had the hard time to borrow it.

While on their way to Tagaytay Jovs from time to time checks Ferns instagram postings to keep them updated about his whereabouts. She is also texting Ferns every time just to make sure that they could reach the place on time while Ferns and his family is still there.

They reach the place before noon and currently Ferns and his family is having some snacks in a coffee shop. She just saw Ferns' instagram checking-in in Starbucks coffee and posted his coffee and cake photos.

It takes them a while to find a free parking space so by the time they walk in the coffee shop Ferns is already gone. So Jovs needs to check Ferns instagram again and saw that Ferns and his family is in the garden area of the place overlooking the Taal lake and getting some nice spots for their photos.

Ferns is sitting in the wooden barrier of the garden when he notices from a distance that there is a couple walking towards them. He is not very sure since it's still a little bit far from him but he could recognize them somehow. As the couple approaching he is now very sure it is Randy and Jovs. He looks very happy to see them although a little bit surprise and then he remembers now why Jovs is always texting him all morning and asking about him.

He introduces the couple to his family and his parents ask the couple to join them over the lunch later.

"How did you get here, guys? Don't tell me you drove all the way here with the motorcycle?" Ferns' asks the couple as they walks around the garden.

"We drove a car." Jovs answers.

"Whose car? Do you already have a car, Randy?" Ferns' excitedly asks the couple.

"Do you want to see it?" Randy responds.

"Of course, I would like to see it. Wait I'll just tell my parents that I will be gone for a while." Ferns' excitedly answers Randy.

The three walks towards where the car is parked.

As they walk closer to the car, Ferns notices that the car is running and someone is sitting in the driver's seat.

When they reach the car, the window in the driver's seat door starts to pull down and slowly Andro's face appears.

Ferns' is very surprised to see Andro. He does not expect to see Andro and that three of them are together and drive all the way from the city just to see him.

"Actually, it is not my car. It's Andro's father's car, we borrowed it and drove here to see you." Randy quickly starts the conversation when he sees Ferns shocking reaction.

"Ferns, can we talk please?" Andro begs Ferns.

The two couples end up in the same coffee shop where Ferns and his family went earlier. Randy and Jovs' had been dying for a coffee since this morning.

Randy and Jovs join Ferns family in the garden of the park and leaves Andro and Ferns so that they can get a chance to talk privately. Andro and Ferns sits in a higher bench and table facing the window of the coffee shop overlooking the lake.

Nobody wants to start the conversation but Andro feels that he should start first. He sips his cold drinks first, clears his throat and starts to talk.

"Why are you not answering my calls or texts?" Andro softly asks Ferns as he tries not to annoy him.

"What about?" Ferns pretending to be surprised then follow up his answer and said, "My phone is silent all the time and was busy all morning preparing for our trip...and I went to bed early too last night."

There was a moment of silence and Andro feels that he should talk first again.

"About last night..." Andro is about to talk about the event and about Ken's instagram post when Ferns quickly interrupted him and said,"What about last night?"

"There is nothing about that photo. I don't know what Ken mean by that." Andro starts to explain.

"Obviously it means he knows you first. And he is telling me about, indirectly." Ferns chuckles but he is not looking at Andro but staring directly in the window.

Before Andro said anything, Ferns quickly made a follow up. "So tell me, what do you think he really mean by that?"

"I don't know, I am not sure, I could not figure what is his intentions for posting that photo and say those words." Andro said while still trying to figure out about Ken's real intentions.

"How come you never talk about him? About your past with him?" Ferns' sounds hesitate to ask the million -dollar questions that he has been meaning to ask Andro a long time ago.

"Because there is nothing to talk about. We never had any past. I have never been in relationship with him if that is your real question?" Andro reacted firmly.

Ferns' looks at him and said, "How come I could feel he owns you and you owe him something?"

"Last night, again for how many times already. I have to repeat myself to him. And these what I have told him. There was never about us. I apologize if you have misunderstood about everything. I have treated all my students equal and special to me. Friendship is what I have given you but you crossed the line. That's all there is and nothing else." Andro tries to recall the exact words he said.

There was a moment of silence.

"Obviously the guy is very obsessed with you!" Ferns respond and he stands up and tries to walk away from Andro.

"If he said he knows me before you but I am saying to you now that I have already known you before him. A very very long time ago!" Andro quickly answers Ferns before he walks away.

Ferns stops and turns around to face Andro.

"We just have known each other, what? More than a year? How could you say you have already known me a very long time ago?

Before Andro said anything Ferns quickly answers his own question and said, "I know we met before 3 years ago."

When Andro hears it he looks very surprised.

"Are you surprise?"

"Do you think I don't remember?"

"Our first meeting is in the lobby of the office. We both have a scheduled job interview on that day."

Andro still said nothing as he continues to listen to Ferns.

"Do you want to hear more?"

"I know you are the same guy who has been my text mate for many months. "

"We finally agreed to meet for a coffee in a coffee shop near my review class."

"Unfortunately, it didn't happen."

"Because you never showed up." Andro recalls.

"I was there. I did actually saw you. You were inside and sitting in the table and you were waiting for me." Ferns respond.

Andro feeling shocked when he hears it and stare at Ferns with a questionable face.

"Sorry if I stood you up. When I saw you, I thought I saw someone else. I saw a familiar face from you. So I step back and took me a little while to decide whether I should go ahead, come inside and see you. But for some reasons, my feet walk backward until I realized I am already walking away." Ferns' sounds very apologetic while his face is looking down at the table.

Andro instead of feeling mad to what just Ferns confession, his face is clearer now and looks he understands Ferns and said, "Because you saw Gilbert in me?"

Ferns face turns red and looks very surprise when hears the last sentence of Andro and the name he just mentioned.

He moves his head and look at Andro with a questionable reaction from his face.

"Gilbert is my cousin." Andro says.

Ferns could not believe what he just heard. He could not take it. He thoughts his revelation is very surprising already but he has no idea that Andro' revelation is more shocking than him.

Ferns' is not very sure if he wants to hear more. His thoughts are a little bit mixed up already especially he is in the middle of a short trip and having a good time with his family and friends at the moment. So he stands up and very sure this time to leave Andro and joins his family in the park.

As soon as he steps out of the door of the coffee shop he hears the sound of a text message from his phone. He receives a photo message from Andro.

Ferns stops and quickly open the photo message. He saw a photo of him with Gilbert, Andro and Gilbert's family and relatives.

The photo was taken during the high school's graduation ceremony of Gilbert.

Ferns' was there in the graduation ceremony although he is still in his junior high because he volunteered to be an usher during the ceremony.

During that time Ferns and Gilbert is already together as boyfriends.

While Ferns is looking very hard to the set of photos that Andro sent him. One photo is with Gilbert's family and another one is a photo of him, Gilbert and Andro only. Someone speaks behind him.

"I came to Gilbert's graduation ceremony that day. You were there assisting the guests. I came in late and the ceremony already started. When I came in to venue, you were standing in the entrance door of the venue. I didn't recognize you at first but you are the first person I saw and I thought you are also standing there at the door to assist the guest. I approach you and when you turn around to me I am startled. I know I have to ask you for some assistance but my tongue suddenly moves backwards. When you noticed me that I can't seem to know what to say you asked me if you can help me, if I am lost and need to find my seat." Andro slowly approaches while Ferns is listening very hard.

"After the ceremony, Gilbert looks for you and when he found you he grabs your arms and he took you to see and meet his family. We took a photo with everybody and Gilbert calls me and asks someone to take a photo with us three and quickly introduce me to you. It was very quick introduction and I think you are still very much overwhelmed by the situation especially Gilbert grabs you everywhere. I don't think you still remember our own introduction."

"And that is the last time I saw you." Andro continues.

"What do you mean that was the last time you saw me? Are you saying you have seen me before that?" Ferns' sounds confuse again.

"You really don't remember me at all, do you?"Andro chuckles.

"Can you stop playing mind game with me?" Ferns' irritably asks Andro.

"Well, I can't blame you because you were madly in love with my cousin." Andro teases Ferns.

Ferns' gives a fierce look at Andro.

"We were at the same high school and we were on the same batch." Andro starts to continue the story again but before he said futher Ferns quickly interrupts him.

"Hang on. Same highschool? Same batch? How come I don't remember you?" Ferns' interrupts.

"Because I didn't finish my high school there." Andro quickly respond to Ferns.

"I move to the seminary in my last year of high school and continue my college there and eventually became an instructor in the seminary."

"I was there when Gilbert joins the Mr. and Ms. Campus school pageant. I am one of his assistants. You were also a part of that event where you also assisting your class' candidates."

"I know Gilbert already has eyes on you. Sometimes, he caught me staring at you but I quickly look away as soon as he notices me."

"Do you remember when you receive a box of chocolates and roses when you are trying to sell some tickets for the Halloween event? Gilbert was sitting beside you when I bought that tickets from you and handed you the chocolates and the roses. Gilbert was looking at me furiously. He confronted me later that day and asked to stay away from you."

"I told my parents if I could just finished up that year and move to the seminary to finish my last year in high school and eventually continue my seminary."

"Because you wanted to be a priest?" Ferns' interrupts.

"I don't know. I am not sure. I know I am very close to our church. But I am not sure if I am that religious. I thought if I could get to the seminary I should able to figure out if I really have the calling. But there is one thing I am sure about..." Andro inhales sharply.

"And what was that?" Ferns' interrupts.

"I have to be away from you both. I don't think I can able to see you together and feeling very hurt because I couldn't do anything to express how I feel about you. My cousin is very good looking. I am obviously too miles away in terms of his looks, his personality, his popularity. Whoever got his attention must be very lucky and I don't think nobody would resist him and his charm. And during that time, I know he likes you a lot and I feel that I don't have any chance to get noticed by you especially I could sense that you also like him too." Andro continues as he breathes shakily.

"So how is your cousin? Is he still alive?" Ferns' sarcastically asks Andro.

"I don't have any communication with him anymore after we saw last each other in his send off dinner party with his family. He is now working abroad." Andro sounds he doesn't care about his cousin.

"So did he tell you about us? That he disappears from me after he finished his college?" Ferns' pretends that he still cares about the separation.

Before Andro answers back Ferns quickly interrupts and said, "Actually, it is no longer important. I have already put that behind me."

But Andro feels like to say something and comfort Ferns, "Actually, I punched him when I learned that he disappears from you just like that. You don't deserve that kind of treatment. He doesn't deserve you." Andro took a deep breath and his knuckles crack.

Ferns hears it, turn around to face Andro and have a gasp laughs at him.

Andro realizes that he is being carried away, calms down and laughs also.

The laughs were quickly interrupted because a little kid wraps his arms at Ferns from his behind.

It was Ferns 8 year old youngest sister - Kaycee.

"Kuya Ferns I was looking for you in the park. Where did you go? I am already starving. Can we go for our lunch now, please?"

"Did you miss me already? Yes of course will go for lunch now, baby!"

"Kuya Ferns, who is he? Is he also your friend?"

"He is my special friend. His name is Kuya Andro!"

"Kuya Andro, can you join us for lunch also?"

Andro looks at Ferns first said while Ferns nod his head to say yes.

"Yes I would like that. What is your name sweetheart?" Andro replied and pat Kaycee's head softly.

"My name is Kaycee!" she replied then she raises both her arms and holds each one side of Andro and Ferns hand and force them to walk with her.

Andro, Randy and Jovs join Ferns family with their lunch just next door to the coffee shop. Ferns family is very welcoming with them while Kaycee is trying to get a lot of their attention and make a lot of cute and friendly gestures to everyone. She always sits at Ferns lap and likes to play with him a lot. Andro sits beside Ferns so Kaycee plays any hand games with him. Andro teases both Ferns and Kaycee in their hand games and always pinch Kaycee's cheek and Ferns alternately while Ferns is trying to act normal in front of his family but Randy and Jovs secretly laughs at them because they knew Andro is trying to take advantage of Ferns.

Later that evening before Ferns comes to bed, he is sitting in his sofa beside where his bed is. He is doing something in his phone. He is trying to edit and crop the photo of him, Gilbert and Andro during Gilbert's graduation ceremony many years ago. He wants to cut out Gilbert face in the group photo so that it would only leave him and Andro on it. When he finally done it, he giggles a lot and quickly posts it in his instagram. He posted the photo and wrote a caption with a hash tag #heknowsmebeforeyou.

A few minutes after, Ferns is ready to come to bed when he receives a push notification from his Instagram account. He opens the social media application and saw that Andro also posted something in his account.

As soon as he sees what Andro just posted, his huge smile is up to his ears and he feels so much joy!

Andro's post is a picture of Ferns and him that was taken a few hours ago in Tagaytay. Ferns was looking at the camera while Andro was not but looking at him instead and the caption says #allthistime.