Truth Untold

3

Cat fight

I am often taken as the craziest bitch around for my face. This judgement happened far too many times than my ten fingers can count on that I had stopped caring days ago if they labeled me something worse than the bad bitch. I could care less for all they know.

Truth is, I cared. But then again, it really is none of their business if I'm offended by the label around my neck.

Living up to the label society had given me, I had always been the one to give cold shoulder every time things got a little over the edge. I once cared too much that now long before it could let me down, I stopped caring, before it hurt worse. So it came out unprepared one fine late noon when suddenly Efrain Harris gave me cold shoulder.

I had just finished photo shoot with the talents for one of my contents. My team had tons of unfinished works lining up for the week. It was one Friday of a very busy week. Surely it was exhausting to jump from one content to the other. I had meant to meet Efrain at the humongous shared workspace at the HQ soon after it ended, I promised him earlier before he went for his own itinerary of the day. As I sat across the table from him though, he kept mindlessly scrolling his phone, not sparing a single glance at my direction. I knew for sure he wasn't particularly looking at anything. Something was off.

"Hey," I greeted him, putting my best smile at his coldness.

He nodded, mumbling a quiet hey back. He didn't even lift his head, just kept scrolling through and through. I frowned, did I do something wrong?

"Are you... alright?" I asked him. Wrong question.

"I'm good." He finally looked up, eyes cold as ice.

I shook my head, "No, something must really be bothering you. What's wrong?"

"I said I'm okay." He snapped. It wasn't anger in his eyes. I knew what his anger looked like. But this one was something else. His eyes were distant. They were looking at me as if I was never to look at him.

The nicest people are the worst when they're mad. The same thing goes with Efrain Harris. He is sweet most of the time. Take one of his anger and you'll never want to know him anymore. The color on my face drained out. Had I done something so morally wrong that he pushed me away?

Quarter of an hour dragged by too slowly as I nervously chewed the straw of my drink. "New recruits, gather up." Saved by the bell, I thought. Miss Emily Young from HR division had to say a few words regarding to our last week's project, something that included the portion of paychecks we would get if we were chosen as the winner. Clearly, it wasn't any of my business since I wasn't meant to deal with our paychecks, Efrain had dealt with that.

Our team had won the previous project. As the self-proclaimed leader of us two, he volunteered to be in charge of the pay so he had to gather with the rest of the winning teams for further details.

I watched his back as he went with the other leaders, no parting words were said even though it was about five in the afternoon. He should have at least bid his goodbye so I could go back home already. The week was dead tiring and I did not need additional scowl from him.

Miss Young dismissed the rest of us, only the leaders remained but I had stayed back, prolonging my stay for nothing as I kept glancing back and forth at my watch. My dad promised to pick me up. We had family dinner that day and I couldn't keep my dad waiting. But something about Efrain was a little off and I could not just leave without his assurance that he'd be alright, that we'd be alright.

The leaders were dismissed not long after the others. Efrain made his way to me, one small white envelope was on his hand. I bit my lower lip, not really knowing what to say. "Have you discussed with her about our designs? Miss Julia, the blonde creative director, asked for you the other day." He asked, motioning to the chief of the new recruits.

I shook my head. I had meant to ask Miss Young about our mock up. HR team had asked us both for copyright and what not as our designs would be used for one of the brands that they were promoting for. But I hadn't had the time to sort it out with her. "I was meant to ask her earlier but things just got out of my hand these days and I just-- could you please stay behind for a while? I just need to make sure you own your part of copyrights and so do I."

I hadn't realized my hand was on his until I felt his thumb circling softly on the back of my hand. When did my hand get into his? None of us knew how, but somehow his knuckles were on the side of my cheek. One second he was mad, the next he dragged me to the Miss Young to sort the matter with her himself. At least he was no longer mad at me then.

The fight went out the drain just like that. He said some more words of goodbye and wishes that my weekend went fantastic. As the weekend folded out for more, he proved to be not mad or bothered by my usual text. The bickering went on as other days did. And I still had no idea why he was once again being an asshole. I knew for a fact he didn't lose his PUBG or whatever that name is this time. Something had to be really wrong if Efrain lost his grip of kindness in a sudden. I just couldn't pinpoint what was.

I hadn't tried to ask him what was wrong either. I was too afraid once I asked, there would be no turning back then. What if I was the wrong one and he had just to choose to ignore my mistakes for that one time? What if I brought it up again and I ended up with another cold shoulder? I could not afford to lose him again, not when I was in the brink of insanity from the amount of work I was in. Maybe some truth was better untold, some things unsaid and some reasons unheard. For now, his reason for being cold was forgiven in these truths untold, as long as he's staying.