1 01: The Fuckboy

Despite of his young age, Zed Nuevas was a hell of a young fuckboy.

To be more specific, Zed Nuevas was a six feet eighteen year-old kid, with an incomparably diamond-like complexion, and a body count nearing a hundred since when he turned sixteen – magnetizing every cute girl he came in contact with on his way and confusing them of his real age.

Truly, has this muscular gain of someone who's been to gym for all his younger years: round biceps, wide chest, and big legs, which was proportionally even with his towering height: long legs, long arms, and small waist. The combo made his whole physique poised and noble, giving him that intimidating military demeanor. And his face was no question.

He'd been continuously featured on different magazines in recent years and made it in front page more times than any male celebrity there was. To be fair, his featured pictures weren't shot inside a studio but mostly paparazzi pictures outside. He'd be featured on little things like sitting on his motorcycle, hanging out with his friends, or just simply waiting in line in fastfood chains. He had made a name in the industry for his looks and presence alone, and producers would die just to cast him in any cringe drama. And once offered, Zed all turned it down. What did Zed know about showbiz? Nothing! He wasn't a celebrity to start with, he's just young and incredibly handsome.

His fuckboy side however, would only be / and was only triggered by some extreme factors, which would be discussed later on.

***

Zed was on a bar that night, a regular evening club party. He used to go to a place called the P.U.K.E Belt where the whole alley was filled with bars and clubs, and one just has to pick their favorite bar to go. For Zed, he doesn't have a favorite bar, and he didn't have his friends, he just pick and go alone, nothing's special about these bars anyways. They're all the same aside from the owners.

However, he did have one bar he hated, that bar in the last alley which among all the bars have a band instead of a DJ to play remixes; a bar where the band play the requested songs. The problem was Zed went there once and he almost puked with the sound of the vocalist's voice.

"What drink do you want aside from that beer?" The bartender asked him finally. Zed sat on a stall alone, in front of the bartender, sipping through his bottle of beer, and watching the lights dance to the rhythm of aggressive music.

"My favorite."

"You never mentioned any favorites?"

"Because there's none."

Bounce Party Mix played, and people were jumping and screaming on top of their lungs. "Ah… I wish I was also young."

There were nearly fifty people in that bar, some were there to have fun with friends and family, and some were there to have fun by themselves, but if they all have something in common, it'd be that all of them had stole gazes at Zed at least five times! Especially every time Zed would turn around and his white face would be beamed by white lights, it seemed people's eyes was magnetized to his face. Truly, his skin and handsome features were too hard to resist. It's almost like a spell casted on you once you see him!

Zed could only turn back and watch the displayed liquor on the shelf in front of him instead. No human liked getting stared at by everyone in the room, especially drunk ones.

The music was loud, if Zed could overhear conversations it has to be very close to him just like the bartender's questions earlier. And he did hear someone.

"I hate you!" The girl slammed her phone onto the table and cried, destroying the phone. "No one loves me anymore! Wah!"

If someone calls, she'd be unreachable.

Having nothing else to do, Zed looked over his right shoulder and saw that girl on a corner table next to him, alone, drinking straight from the large bottle. Her backless black blouse was tied in a knot on her long neck, her white back completely naked. Most guys would stare long on that bare skin and dream wildly while kissing it, but Zed nonchalantly sipped his beer and spent three seconds looking at her back before he moved his eyes away.

She was fair-skinned and Zed has a dignity of a fuckboy! So why hasn't he approached her, comforted her and go bang-bang in the car with her? First of all, Zed didn't have a car that time. And the answer was right on Zeds face, literally. With that handsome face of his, one should know he wasn't the kind to exert effort to seize girls. Girls bend to his mesmerizing gift. Not the other way around. To be honest, Zed was so handsome he hasn't even tried once to court a girl to sex!

The aggressive music kept playing and Zed just wait there, waiting for a girl to pounce on him so his night would be complete. After four minutes, the DJ spoke from his mic, "So? Are you guys ready to jump!" He meant to play another aggressive music.

Four minutes was long, and Zed got bored.

An idea came to his mind.

Zed stood from his chair and walked towards the DJ's station with a beer on his hand, and his phone on the other. "Hey, play this song." Zed showed his phone.

"Ha?" Disbelief ran thtough the DJ's face. He's probably in his 30s. "Love You Still? I'm sorry mate, I don't know what song that is."

"Your bar doesn't have wi-fi connection to search?"

"Our bar doesn't grant customers song requests." The DJ said fiercely. "You can go to another bar where they have bands to sing and play your weird song requests. This is not that kind of bar." The light spotted Zed's face, and it completely showed a foreign man with an incredibly handsome face. The DJ shot an insecure look to Zed. "What happened to the youth of today? They're all looks no brains." Truly, if it's not admiration you'd feel when you see Zed's face, it'd be fierce insecurity.

A cracking sound faintly echoed between them. It was only a matter of second before the DJ saw a fist stabbed through the foam of a speaker and that fist belonged to no other than Zed. Zed pulled his fist and the crushed internal devices inside made creaking sounds as he did. The speaker from that part died. "You're lucky I need something..." The guy's eyes shot fiercely. His hands went to his pocket and revealed a stack of cash with a small paper tugging it together with attached numbers that read: ten-thousand pesos. "Play the damn song and go buy a soap to wash your face." He threw the stack to the DJ's face.

A moment after that, Zed went back to his seat and shot a death glare to the DJ whose busy going through his equipments. The DJ roamed his eyes and saw Zed. He gulped and nervously spoke to his mic, "Okay guys, maybe we can save the jumps later and let's listen to this… um…" He doesn't know what the song was about. "Song. Ha… Ha…" He just said it simply, afraid to offend Zed. He just let the song played while scratching his head.

A certain someone also recognized the melody and raised her head from crying. She turned around and wiped her tears. "Love You Still? He's here?" She was looking for someone.

Her eyes roamed around the bar until she looked behind her and saw a guy with wide shoulders and tall stature sitting alone in front of the countertop. She stared with her eyes half-closed until the song finished. She stood and her world spun, but that didn't halt her to crawl her way to that guy. She was already so drunk and was half-awoke when she walked there.

***

After the song, two small white arms hugged Zed from behind. "You're so handsome tonight," said a cute voice behind him before a face fell on his shoulder and smell of alcohol waft his nose.

Zed sipped from his beer and gritted his teeth. He truly just needed to sit and wait for a girl to jump on him, but he didn't mean it to be literally hugging him straight from the back. As musch as Zed was straightforward, this wasn't something normal thinking person would do. This girl was obviously drunk.

He turned around, breaking the hug, and saw that same girl who was crying on a table not far from him step two steps behind.

She tilted her head and gazed lovingly at him. "You looked more handsome tonight." She smiled.

Zed squint his eyes in confusion. It sounded like she knew him. He tried to look closely, but nothing's clicking inside his head. Did he fuck this girl before? He couldn't say for sure, he just fuck and leave and forget.

Zed observed her even more, she owned a pair of fox-shaped eyes and she looked at him that way: the in love, vulnerable, nearly crying way. Zed couldn't remember seeing her once in the past. And if he did see her before, those fox-shaped eyes would be just too hard to forget. It was remarkable. At least a feeling of deja vu would conjure in his chest but there's none other than a small spark of admiration.

She still seemed she knew him. From the magazines? A die hard fan? No. Zed never saw anyone looked at him that way before, not even his crazed fans at his school.

Not unless…

Zed's gaze traveled down to her chest, they were like two Mayon volcanoes, triangular and tall, shaped under her black crystal dress. Not to mention her ass cheeks were visible from the front with that pencil skirt. Zed turned his chair fully, facing her. He took a final sip from his cup and asked, "What do you want?"

"You." She still has that compassion in her eyes, and he way she called 'You', it was as if she was calling someone, as if she was saying a name.

Zed took a sip of his drink while gazing at the girl's eyes, thinking carefully. Those loving eyes just made him anxious for some reason. "What's your name?"

"It's Tori."

Zed browsed his phone and went through his digital lists of issued NDAs (Non-disclosure agreements), a legally binding contract he makes his partners signs before he engage in sexual intercourse with them, binding him from sharing information of that other person and vice versa. This was crucial since Zed has a name.

But no, there was no 'Tori' on his list.

It gave Zed a feeling of relief. That meant the gaze was probably just some weird thing this girl does when she's drunk, not a mystery to ever solve or be anxious about. It means I can fuck her.

Zed threw the remaining cold beer into the girl's chest, "Guess I have to help you take off that dress," he said coldly and left his bottle on the countertop. There was this pure nonchalant tone in his voice, as if he was bored, as if he just wanted things to be finished, as if simply was not actually interested. Then why would he fuck her if he seemed not to be interested?

"Follow me," he walked off handsomely, leading the way, and the girl took her bad before she trailed behind him.

"Okay everyone let's party!" The DJ played his loud music. And Zed just happened to walk past by a speaker, hence, he didn't hear the melancholic whisper Tori spoke while she trailed behind him, "This was the first time I ever saw you become so cold, You."

***

The night was cold and silent when Zed left the hotel all by himself. The girl named Tori was sleeping, and dreaming of another guy when he left her all naked on the bed. Cuddling obviously wasn't Zed's thing and being called another guy's name made him loose interest midway of the sex.

The girl kept saying, "You. Harder, You!" until it dawned to him that You was a nickname of someone else, and not a word to refer to him at all.

It made Zed soft he felt like he'd be impotent forever after that, hence he gathered his clothes and left, not even glancing once to the girl, whether she's disappointed or what.

Soon, before Zed reached the parking lot of the hotel, it started raining. He quickened his pace and upon reaching a dark alley with no streetlights at all, he bumped into two guys. The poor strangers found themselves lying on the ground when Zed gazed at them fiercely.

"Watch your step," he said viciously while looking at the two silhouettes.

One of the two, who wore a black cap and a black mask that night (making it hard for Zed to remember its face) stood quickly and took two steps towards Zed. He seemed to have something cruel to say and seemed to be pissed so Zed prepared himself to fight but the other friend quickly pulled that other guy away and said, "Save the fighting for later bro, or else we won't catch them!" They left.

Zed just stood there under the rain and waited for them to disappear. He turned away too and rushed to the parking lot and found raindrops dripping on his motorcycle.

After a minute, Zed and his motorcycle went to a nearby shed and upon sitting, his phone belled. A text from a contact named "Auntie Fucker" displayed on his screen. "Be at home before 7 o'clock tomorrow, your stepmother and sister would be here. Show up and stop being a brazen shame to this family." If this person was the one Zed bumped with earlier, he wouldn't mind if that person fought him or not, he'd punch him right onto his annoying face closely similar to his.

The Auntie Fucker, was his father.

Zed snickered loudly and kicked a nearby trashcan. He hated the way his father boss him around, but what he hated more was the dialogue that appears every time he click reply: "Can't Reply To This Conversation."

"Damn!"

His father's phone number was like a government network agency: there's no way you could reply, or call. Hence, Zed could only grit in anger every time his father texts him this way. He could block his father but that would take away their only way of connection. "You want it this way, huh?"

Zed pulled out his phone and dialed another number.

"Hello?" A lazy low voice came out of the receiver.

"I'll sleep on your apartment tonight."

"Okay..." the voice said before Zed heard a bing sound. "It's open. Just come in and suit yourself like the usual, I'll go back to sleep." The next thing Zed heard was a loud yawn. "I'm always eating noodles and canned foods this whole summer vacation. I'd be happy to have you here." Snores came out of the other line at the end of that sentence. "Please cook something."

Zed snickered loudly. If not for the word 'please' and the fact that he would freeload to this person's place for awhile (and he also didn't want to eat noodles and canned foods the whole summer), he wouldn't have agreed. He loath it when people boss him around, thanks to his father who gave him bad connotations about that. But that'd be for another discussion

All that Zed knew was the difference between asking for a favor and bossing someone around was easy to recognize. But it's just a matter of being respectful that gave these two differences.

Zed started the engine and drove south to the wet market place to buy fresh ingredients for his friend. There's no way I'll eat canned foods.

***

The two guys Zed bumped earlier, was Aeiou and Nemer, Nemer was Aeiou's friend who pulled him away from Zed, and Aeiou was no other than... holy fucking shit... Tori's boyrfriend!

Aeiou Revelderio pushed the glass doors with his brown long arms and walked towards the counter with a pissed expression on his face. Not that his whole face was visible, it's just that his eyes and actions were enough to show what he came there for. Fight.

Seeing this visibly pissed youth, the lady on the counter took a deep breath and smiled forcibly to him.

Aeiou's eyes lit up, and his voice changed into a sweet voice, "Hey... umm... I want to know if someone named Tori checked in here?" "Unfortunately sir, we can't disclose that kind of information to you,"she said apologetically.

Aeiou removed his mask and cap, revealing his thick hair and sharp eyebrows. "She's my girlfriend and my friend saw her enter this lobby with another guy." Aeiou put his elbow on the counter and covered his eyes with his hands. "I just want to see her." Aeiou let out deep sobs. "I'm a week away from my college admission test and she did this to me... I... Ha..."

Nemer got the signal and appeared by his side. "Aeiou... don't cry. Can't you do anything?" He rubbed Aeiou's back.

The lady sighed intensely. After a few head scratch, nail-biting, and checking of their surroundings, she eventually realized there were only three of them who heard the conversation. She leaned to the other two and whispered, "I'm going to do this only for you, okay? I was also cheated on once."

"I'm sorry about that." Aeiou took her left hand inside his palms. It was as if he just didn't just cry.

The lady nodded to Aeiou and did her thing on the computer. Her eyes squint, "What time did you see her checked in?" She asked Nemer.

The attention was on Nemer. "I can't remember."

Aeiou pulled out his keypad phone, "Did you call me immediately after you saw her?"

"No. To be honest the back of the other guy was similar to yours, and I came to see if it was you and her to say Hi. But once got close enough, but still far away, I saw it was some guy with extremely white skin."

"Oh I remember that guy!" The lady smiled. "He was so handsome!"

Upon hearing that, Aeiou looked pained. Then he cried, "No wonder... Ha!"

The lady decided to just shut the fuck up and browse the time where that guy and a girl checked in, while, Nemer coax Aeiou. "Shhh…"

The lady couldn't be wrong. At 11:30, her lunch, she was having shawarma for midnight snack and a guy entered with girl that made her contemplate which was more beefy, the handsome guy checking in, or the shawarma on her hand. By the looks of those muscles and huge pecs of the other guy, the prior definitely was more beefy!

But stating her past that she'd also been cheated on, she'd happily see that handsome guy get humiliated.

"Here's the key and room number. Unfortunately, I couldn't disclose the guy's name but you're about to find out. Promise me you won't cause trouble and destroy things. Just go out the hotel peacefully first. Good luck."

While still crying, Aeiou took the key, "Huhu… I can't thank you enough," and walked to the elevator while still making eye contact and thanking the lady with words. Once the door closes he wiped his tears and his pissed expression spread on his face again. He checked the room number on the key.

Room 219

Upon reaching that door with 219 attached on a gold plate, Aeiou opened it and saw Tori covered in white sheet, naked. And when he was about to walk closely he saw a red spot on the white sheet that took his breath away.

Nemer entered the room next, panting viciously as he could barely cope up with Aeiou's walking speed. Then, he saw Tori naked and quickly turned back to the door and waited outside. He heard Aeiou's knuckles cracking even from the outside.

Aeiou was gritting his teeth in anger. He just wished the room was noise proofed before he locked the door and roared: "Get the fuck up that bed!"