Muted Love

"We will!" The children shouted in unison after Lance told them he would be back.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Guevarra." The chairperson, who is managing the orphanage, said.

"It is our pleasure to help them, Mrs. Garcia. We will be back next month. Just call me if there's any problem," He answered back. "Mikaela, let's go back to my office now." he added, referring to his secretary.

When they got back from the orphanage to his office, he silently sat in his swivel chair. Silently staring at the space, he reminisced about the fresh memories he had with the children at the orphanage.

He smiled at the thought of playing with the children. He had fun. He surely had fun today. The children who are living in the orphanage are the ones he loves the most. It has a special place in his heart and he would definitely stop whatever it is. He loves helping them and treats them as his little brothers and sisters.

He took his phone from his pants and stared at the picture. Smiling, caressing the phone gently. Years had passed when he started helping the children, as well as a different orphanage. He will make sure that he is the one who gives the gifts he bought for the children. He finds his joy in helping the kids, playing with them and telling them stories from the books or any funny stories that the children might like or love to see and hear.

He is known as the 'Orphanage Angel', because he will definitely help when he hears that somebody needs his help. He is the superhero of the children in orphanages.

"Hey, Lance! Lance to earth, over. Lance to earth, over. Get back to your senses."

Lance stopped, turning back to reality. He looked at the man who was talking.

It was Bricx, his childhood friend, and he was with Lizzy, his little sister.

"I told you he's out of this world when he looks at that picture. He is always like that when he is looking at her," Lizzy said, complaining, who is also looking at the photo. "Lance! You are back at it again!" Lizzy shouted near his ear when Lance returned his gaze to his phone, looking like he was in a trance again.

"What are you doing here?" Lance asked Bricx, irritated. He turned to his sister, "And you, why are you here? You should go home right away." he added, pertaining to Lizzy, who is still wearing her school uniform.

"Can't I visit you?" Lizzy replied, mad. "After that incident, you became like that. I haven't seen my annoying brother in you since then!" Lizzy added back, starting to get irritated too.

Lance went quiet and looked at Lizzy. She is now sulking in her chair, pouting and glaring at him as if he's the most heinous man on the planet.

He stood up and went to hug her, "I am sorry. I am just preoccupied," he said. "I am very sorry. Do not get mad." Lance said as he ruffled Lizzy's hair.

"Argh! Lance, not my hair! But that's it! That's the brother I know! Stay like that, do not change again." Lizzy yelled, as she emphasized every word that was coming out of her mouth.

Bricx clapped his hands like a seal and said, "You knocked some sense into him, Lizzy. Good job!" he commented, sitting comfortably on the couch.

Lance only rolled his eyes at his friend. "Tss. Next time, if you fetch Lizzy from her school, please bring her home, not here. Instead of going here, send her straight to our home." Lance warned Bricx.

Bricx was the one who was always fetching Lizzy. After fetching her from school, instead of bringing Lizzy home, he will surely go to Lance's office with Lizzy.

His friend only nodded, he even signed a cross on his heart. Lance thought that if making a sign as your promise would make you die if you ever tried to break it, then Bricx would have died long ago. That was how much of a liar his friend was.

Lance sighed, "Did you guys eat it already? I will ask my Mikaela to order us some food to eat since you are already here." He said and called his secretary on the landline.

After eating their lunch, Lance asked his driver to send Lizzy on their way home. Bricx chose to stay in his office.

"Bastard, the company employers thought that I was gay because of you," Lance commented, making his childhood friend laugh loudly. "Stop laughing Bastard! I would like you to explain to them that I am not a f*cking gay!"

"Calm down, Lance," Bricx answered while laughing. He was even holding his tummy because of laughing too much. "That is why you have to find a girlfriend, it's been years since I saw you with girls." he added, emphasizing the word 'girls' to tease his friend more. "And why are you talking as if you are homophobic? That's bad!"

He shook his head, "I do not hate gays, I respect them more than you. But I just hate the thought of being in the gossip with you. I want to puke just by hearing those," he explained his side. "I have been on thousands of blind dates, because you kept on asking my Mom! I will have it in the future, so don't push me to have one now." Lance trying to explain his side to his friend.

Since he broke up with his ex-girlfriend before, when they were still in their first year of college, he did not have any girlfriends after that. That's why Bricx is helping his childhood friend's mom set him up on different blind dates, taking a chance if Lance can find someone he'll be interested in.

Leaning towards Lance, Bricx asked, "Out of a thousand of your blind dates, no one gets your interest?"

Lance shook his head. "None, so stop helping my Mom okay? Mind yourself getting one. You do not have one either, so better find yourself first before me." Lance replied.

Well, if Lance had gotten one ex-girlfriend, his childhood friend had three and after that, he was not able to get one.

He laid back on the chair. "I will, if she can accept Lizzy and if Lizzy likes her." Bricx answered, laughing.

"Huh, you will be single forever. Lizzy's standards are quite high." Lance retorted.

He knows his little sister well.

"Nah, I am fine with it. Lizzy has been one of my favorite little sisters, together with Eunice." Bricx said.

Bricx is treating Lance's sister as his own little sister too. She also reminds him of his long-lost sister. That is why he loves to treat Lizzy.

"And because you already like someone, that's why you can't find them interesting." Bricx commented.

Lance looked at him. "And who is she?" Lance asked, wondering that he himself does not know who he likes.

He knows himself that he does not like someone, so how come his friend knows? What is he, a fortune teller?

"There is only one girl I know that you really like. You change, you become better because of her, and if you have not met her, you are probably still stuck at the university. I know, you know, who I am talking about," Bricx answered, but Lance only looked at him confused. "The reason why you are always preoccupied while looking at the picture on your phone is because it is her." he added, straightening it to the point.

He laughed. "Are you talking about Aera?" Lance asked his friend back.

Bricx clapped. "You got it right! Am I wrong with my claim, Lance?" he replied. "Do not tell me that you really don't. It's been years since you last saw her, but it looks like you can't forget her at all." he added.

"Stop your false deductions, Bricx. I do not like her. It's been years since I started to deny your claim. So do not push it any further, I will answer you the same thing and you will not get the answer you want to hear from me." Lance retorted, denying his childhood friend's claim.

"Oh, it is wrong? Then let me bother you forever." Bricx answered, grinning.

Bricx did nothing but annoy Lance inside his office, acting like a gay whenever Lance employees entered or walked in front of his office.

"Honey! Do not touch me there!" Bricx acted when he heard a footstep going to Lance's office.

"Sir. Lance, this is Mikaela. May I come in?" Mikaela, his secretary, said from the outside.

"Ah yes, come in." Lance answered back.

"Ehh, no fun." Bricx commented.

Mikaela came in. "Good afternoon, Sir. Bricx." she greeted Bricx upon entering the office.

"Hi, Mikaela. I hope I can trick you next time." Bricx said, smiling.

She nodded, "I am looking forward to that, Sir. Bricx," Mikaela replied. "Sir. Lance, here is the file you asked me for a while ago." she added and handed Lance a folder.

"Thank you, did you take your lunch already?" Lance asked, while looking at the folder that Mikaela had given.

"Yes, Sir. I did." Mikaela answered.

"Good then. Let's go home early after my meeting later," Said Lance. "You may now go back, thank you." he added.

Mikaela nodded, "No problem, Sir." she answered before she leave the office.

The moment Mikaela left the office, Bricx leant on the chair to say something to Lance.

"How about Mikaela?" Bricx suggested.

"How about her?" Lance asked back, as he checked the information in the folder.

"I mean, how is she? Are you not interested in her? You have been together in this company for three years. Maybe she is the one." Bricx shared what made Lance stop reading the document.

Lance threw the folder at his friend.

Finally, he was able to hit his friend perfectly.

"What was that?" Bricx asked, after defending himself from the flying folder. "I just suggested things that might help you." he added, feeling offended by what his friend did to him.

"You may now go out of my office. You are not needed and you are just a big nuisance here. Thank you." Lance replied, unbothered.

Bricx stood up, picking up the files that were scattered on the floor. "Come on, Man. We should not be single forever! If you are not yet taken, how can I find one? I need to take care of you before thinking of having my own." he explained.

"Do you really want me to kill you?" Lance warned as he got up from his chair. "I do not care if I die without a girlfriend. Mind your own to have one!" he added as he walked towards his friend, ready to kill him.

Bricx immediately walked to the door, opened it and went out hurriedly, as if he was being chased by the soul eater.

"This is what we call 'What are friends are for', I do not want you to get old without having a girlfriend. I am just concerned," Said Bricx, explaining his side. "I ought to never have one if you do not have one either, so how can I get one?" he added.

"I will put these things down, okay?" He told Lance, slowly crouching down to put the files he picked up on the ground, and he ran after that. "Please help my honey to find his future! I owe you my life. I promise to pay you big time." Bricx yelled as he ran out of his company.

"Do not let me catch you. I will definitely beat you." Lance muttered as he went back to his office.

Lance picked up the papers that Bricx had got and entered his office. He also picked up the folder he threw away and went back to his swivel chair. He got his phone and opened it.

"It's been a while," he greeted. "I wonder if you have changed. I changed a lot. Will I still be able to recognize you if I see you someday?"