Chapter Three

"Shoot!" Levi cursed after dropping the two melons he just picked up. He decided to do the shopping for him and his grandother while she headed to the Santillan's for work. He would be joining after he was done.

Levi almost snorted and laughed to himself when he remembered why he was buying the melons. Emery. He and his best friend made fun of this all the time for a reason so childish, the fruit being a sort of derogatory nickname for a woman's chest. Emery loved the fruit so much so he knew he had to get some before leaving him hanging on weekends while he helped his grandmother. He could have asked him to work with them but Emery hates Tricia to the bones that he probably would puke while he was there in the mansion. That is, if he sees her there. Then again, that's most likely.

"You dropped your melons and now you're utterly speechless." The store owner was looking at Levi funny as he helped him pick up the stuff he dropped.

"Hey, Benji." There was no awkwardness from his greeting even when he knew Benji had been showing interest in him. He wouldn’t have known himself until Emery pointed out the little gestures the store owner did were clear sign of hi showing interest. Perhaps because Benji was never gay before that Levi knew what he's doing wouldn’t last. His crush on him would go away and then he'd be back to chasing the beautiful girls of the province. Besides, he's like a big brother to Levi.

"Let me guess..." he said pausing as he tilted his head on me, “Emery is upset and you need to get his favorite fruit."

Levi flashed a grin. There was no need to tell him why. Let him assume whatever he was thinking of, he thought.

Telling him about the whole back story would just end up with Levi getting invited to a snack before he could finish what he came to the store for. Then, Benji would offer to take him home. Then, if he knew Levi would be going to the Santillans, he would also offer to drive him there.

"Hey, do you have any plans tomorrow afternoon?" Benji asked as Levi was finishing putting his groceries into his bike basket.

"Ah..."

"There is this basketball game in town. I was wondering if we could go together." Benji smiled, hopeful like always that Levi would agree.

Benji is a good-looking man in his early twenties. He graduated from a four year business degree at a university in another province and has been back in town to stay for his family business. When his parents decided to retire from managing their store in town, he was tasked to manage it. As a bachelor, girls often flock him which made Levi wonder at times why he was chasing him this way. He could have any girl in town. Why a boy?

Oh wel…

"I can't. I already have plans tomorrow," Levi said apologetically. "Sorry."

"If you're really sorry, at least let me take you home. Your bike won't be able to take all these..." Benji said pointing at the stuff Levi bought, "all the way home without one falling along the way.

He was right. The basket was loaded. Of course. It was the melons!

Benji helped loading the groceries into the backseat of his car and then put the bike in the back. He doesn't own a bicycle but for some reason he had a rack for it in his SUV. Emery said it must have been for Levi but that's just silly.

On their way, they talked about almost anything regarding Levi’s school or Benji’s store. Perhaps the other reason why Levi never felt awkward around the other was because he had never asked him if he had a girlfriend or a boyfriend like other boys would ask when they come on to him.

Emery said he shouldn't fall for it because he's way too nice and he might just turn gay for him. Good luck with that.

"This is me," Levi announced as the car stopped in front of his house. He heard Clay in the background, barking happily. He knew the sound of Benji's car. "Thanks, Benji."

"Anytime. Hey, can I go see Clay and say hi to him?" Benji asked.

"Sure," Levi replied before getting off his car.

They both unloaded the backseat after the bike was put to the side. Then, they headed inside where Clay was wagging his tail, very happy to see its owner. He barked twice at the guest and sat down, waiting for his head rub.

"I don't come here very often but he knows me," Benji said as he petted the dog. They say people who are liked by animals must be good people. Nah. Not all of them. There are ones whose souls probably need a lot of redeeming and saving that animals have to step in and save their asses.

"Well, I should probably head back now," Benji said as he followed Levi into the kitchen where he was depositing the stuff he bought. Benji was scratching his head while giving Levi an awkward smile.

Levi simply nodded and thanked the other again for taking him home. He looked like he was about to say something but stopped.

"I'll see you around, Levi..."

"You too, Benji."

Later, Levi got a text from his best friend before he got ready to leave and join his grandmother at her job. He called Emery earlier that he would be stopping by his house to give him something.

From Emery: Help me!

Levi’s brows creased after reading the text message. This is that kind of message where he should be running out of the house and pedaled his way to Emery’s house and see what was going on. And so he did.

"What the hell happened!?"  Levi bellowed after getting into his best friend’s house. His bicycle was thrown haphazardly in a rush to get inside and see what was wrong. His heart pounded.

Emery was standing in the middle of the living room, with mud all over his shirt and the clothes he was holding in one hand. They looked like they just left the dry cleaners. He seemed to be in shock as he stood there with a phone on another hand.

"R-Remember when I told you that we need to get our clothes cleaned and ready for the competition?"

Levi nodded, dreading what he was going to say next.

"Somebody just splashed water and mud all over it!!!"

There was no mud over his clothes for the competition. Levi could clearly see they were protected by the plastic bag it came with. But looking at his best friend, somebody just drove past him without caring what happened. If they did Emery wouldn’t be texting, "Help me!"

Emery in fact texted Levi same message for situations that weren’t as bad as this but who could the latter for worrying.

"Let's get you to the bathroom first, then we'll get to the bottom of this," Levi told Emery as he took his phone and the garment bag from him. "Why didn't you stop the car that did this and asked to pay for what they did?" he asked after they were done and he was in clean dry clothes again.

"I don't know," Emery replied, pouting. "What was I supposed to ask?"

Levi was shaking his head. His best friend was too good for the world. To make his mood better, he told him that he got him melons which he hoped didn't get crushed when he kicked his bicycle earlier. He was able to remember to bring them on his way there. "Where did you get splashed? What kind of car was it?” Levi asked.

"Half a kilometer?" Emery aswered. "Just before the road that leads to the Santillan's orchard." The corner of his lips curved upward. There's something about that family that just didn't sit right with him. "Ah, expensive car!" He added. "You know with that stupid symbol in the front."

If it wasn't one of the Santillan's cars which Emery would have recognized, then it must be one of their visitors. Either way, he might be able to know if he gest the chance to visit the orchard.

Could it be...?

Levi shook his head at his odd curiosity. Then again, if this person's car caused this chaos with his sweet best friend, he's already in his blacklist.