Chapter 7 Batman

Amos still wanted to sleep in his bed because he felt like his head had been split open that morning. He covered himself with a blanket but the noise outside his room still didn't disappear. He jumped up from his bed but he regretted that action when he suddenly got a headache.

'I won't really get drunk anymore.'

He went to the door and immediately opened it. He seemed to want to strangle someone because of what he saw. His friends laughed.

"Amos, what's up?" Corn asked him, smiling.

"Are you guys out of your mind? This is where you actually laughed outside my room!"

"Don't worry. Next time, we'll laugh inside your room," said Huge with a very broad grin.

"I have a living area in this house. Why don't you hang out there?"

"Isn't it obvious? We are waking you up, sleepyhead!" Huge put his arms around Amos and was about to kiss him on the cheek but he immediately placed his palm on his face. His other friends laughed. Besides Barney, Huge was one of his friends that he can say was really close to him because they share the same passion.

"We should practice," Granite said seriously.

Amos' eyebrows met when he saw Granite in front of him. Of all his friends, he was the most serious. He became even more serious when the woman he loved left him.

"What practice? Where? Also, why is this broken hearted man here?" As expected, Granite didn't even react to what Amos said. There was a moment of silence but Huge immediately broke it.

"You don't seem to be broken hearted by Zelda? Who can bake an ampalaya flavored cake at the ex's wedding?" Huge teased him.

Amos immediately elbowed Huge hard causing him to wince.

"By the way, we are joining a basketball game here in the village. Every street has a representative," Barney informed him.

"So, where are the others?"

"They are at the gym." He just nodded at what Corn said. He ordered them to go down first because he would fix himself first. He took off his clothes when he touched her neck.

'Where is my necklace?'

Just shaking his head, Amos. He received it from Zelda. He shouldn't have searched the entire room for that item if he wanted to forget the woman, but he did. He wasn't able to view the jewelry. He inhaled deeply and exhaled.

Amos got himself together and then promptly sat down. He discovered his friends seated at the table, eating. He observed Huge and his nanny preparing food.

Amos immediately went to the kitchen and approached them. "You are depleting the food stock in my house again." He hit Huge hand when his friend was about to get meat from the fridge again. "What? Enough."

Huge snorted. "You hate it. You don't seem to use up the stock in my restaurant, huh?"

He just rubbed his nose. This friend of his was really naughty. He faced his Nanny Tasing who was making juice. "Good morning, Yaya Tasing."

"Well, it's one in the afternoon, Amos. Good afternoon," she spoke with a disappointing tone.

Amos just scratched his eyebrows. Fortunately, it's the weekend so he did not have work and so did his friends. "You're drunk again, you kid."

"I'm sorry," he softly whispered to the old woman. He sighed and just shook his head. "By the way, did you see my necklace?"

"Which necklace? Is that what you always wear?" Yaya Tasing frowned when she asked.

He immediately nodded. "I didn't see it. Maybe you lost it last night. Ask Barney 'cause he took you here."

His two eyebrows rose. In that case, it was Barney who picked him up at the bar. He was about to go to the dining area when Huge gave him the food warmer with cooked pork. "Why did you give me this?"

Huge took off the apron. "Bring that food to them," he ordered him.

His mouth just fell open. "Do I look like a maid?"

"Just bring that," he said laughing. Huge was already in the dining area.

What the heck, Eugenio?

He immediately put the cooked pork on the dining table and sat in the chair opposite Barney. "Barney?"

The man stopped chewing and turned at him. "Why?"

"Did you see my necklace?"

"Which one? The dream catcher?"

Amos immediately nodded before scooping up some rice. "Yeah, did you see it?"

Barney took a long time to answer. Amos stared at him for a few minutes as if studying his face. It's like there's more loading in Barney's brain. It seems that the connection has been cut so there was no function.

"No," he answered simply.

His friends laughed except him and Granite. Amos threw his table napkin at Barney out of annoyance. He waited for a long time for his response and then the answer turned out to be meaningless.

"Yaya Tasing mentioned that you brought me here last night so I assumed you knew where my necklace was." He was depressed. It looks like he really lost the necklace.

"Why are you still looking? Zelda gave that, didn't she?" Huge asked him.

Corn suddenly broke into the conversation. "That's why you can't forget her. You are still valuing your memories with her."

Amos let out a deep breath. He seems to have lost his appetite. "I don't know. I want to move on but that necklace... is important to me. I don't know why... but I feel that thing is just meant for me."

"You're just bitter," Corn commented.

A few moments later, Barney spoke again. "Honestly, I wasn't the one who drove you home." He took another bite of food. "She almost threw you on the side of the road if I hadn't come."

"What? Shut up! Don't make stories."

"Believe me. She will just leave you alone because you are too drunk," he said laughing.

Amos frowned. He didn't really remember anything when he was drunk too much. He only remembered when he talked to the person he was with at that time. "Who?"

Barney suddenly grinned. He even shook his head as if he couldn't believe what he was going to say. "Batman."

The sound of cutlery stopped as all his friends looked at Barney. "Batman?" They asked at the same time. There was still doubt in him, especially when the man's grin widened.

"Yes," Barney replied with a laugh. "I did laugh. I introduced myself to her then she told me she's Batman. Maybe he thought I was joking when I said my name was Barney."

"A woman," Corn said.

Suddenly, Huge stood up and stood next to Barney. "Your type? You have a different smile."

The man who annoyed Amos laughed even more. He didn't know but he was annoyed to see Barney's reaction to the woman he referred to as Batman. His grip on his spoon tightened as he spoke again.

"She's different? She's weird yet beautiful."

"I think you like that woman," Corn commented.

Amos swallowed. He put down the spoon. "Who is that Batman?"

He took his glass and slowly sipped his juice but his slowing down was pointless because he was still slurping from what he drank when Barney answered, making the other two laugh.

"Yeah, the lady with a black lipstick and a black outfit. Zelda's sister, isn't she? I don't know her name so I stick to calling her Batman," Barney answered innocently.

Amos stood up violently. Everyone looked at him. Even his Nanny Tasing's chest swelled in shock. "She's Zeinab and not Batman!"

Huge stared at him in amazement. "Relax, Amos."

His breathing quickened. His fists were clenched. "Do you like Zeinab?"

"What?" Barney asked in disbelief. Suddenly, Corn came to him and whispered something.

Amos' head became even hotter when Barney suddenly grinned. "What if... yes?" Then the three laughed.

Amos' eyes widened and he couldn't stop hitting the table. "Can not!" They stopped laughing. "She picked up me at that fr**king bar so you can't like Zein! You didn't even know her name. Your feelings toward her isn't like! That isn't even infatuation!"

"What's your problem?" Huge eyebrows met in question.

Corn approached him and patted his shoulder to calm him down. "The fact that Batman picked you up last night has no connection to the feelings of Barney towards that woman."

Amos lost his will more and more. He removed Corn' hand from his shoulder. "Don't you dare call her Batman again. She isn't anyone's Batman!"

"So, just whose? To you? When did you become a possessive man to a woman? You look like a lovesick dog!" Huge returned and his friends laughed again.

Amos didn't know why he was so upset when he found out about that. He did not want other men to have affection for Zein besides him. He wanted her attention only for him. He wanted to be the one to annoy her every day, not other men.

I'm not possessive of her. I am just...

Amos looked away. His face warmed up. He just chose not to finish the meal and went outside first. He felt completely embarrassed when Huge suddenly shouted.

"I think jelly ace is good enough for dessert!"