Chapter 3: Davin and Victor

Vlad and I have been friends since we were kids. I know every inch about him so I really won’t believe he left willingly. I refuse to believe that!

Vic and I were coming up with a plan to retrieve those security footages but it’s been days. Vlad’s neighbors are familiar with us so I’m sure they would backoff the moment they see us. We have to be creative about it.

I remember a time when I left home because my parents and I had a fight. Mom had a fit because she didn’t approve of my sexuality. She embarrassed me in front of our relatives during a reunion and I had enough of it. I grabbed a few clothes and filled the only bag I saw and left. Got it my car, went straight to the nearest ATM and withdrew everything that I could. I didn’t want to go back anymore. I had enough of people who can’t accept me for who I am.

I got a plane ticket and went from Manila to Davao. All my cards were still active so I paid three whole months in a luxury hotel. When I got there, Vlad was standing up front looking as if he'd been waiting for me for hours.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well your Dad called me when you walked out of your mom and I stalked your online transactions. This was actually a long shot but when I saw that this was the first flight that one might book that wants to leave asap, I flew down here. Plus, the hotel alerted me that you’d be here.”

I just ran up to him and gave him a tight hug. I felt so down and defeated and I know having him there with me would make things better.

“Hey, let’s get you settled. I talked to the manager and gave us the presidential suite. Oh, and you should be getting your refund in a few days, given that your mom won’t cut you off”

“This is Dad’s line. So, I guess I’ll be good. But thank you Vlad. I really appreciate this!!!”

There’s only one bar in town that opens twenty-four seven. It was just a few blocks from the hotel. We went there after we got settled in our suite. It’s been awhile since we had a staycation.

We got in the bar and there were a few decent people. We found a spot near the bar and we just ordered the most expensive wine on the list and started pouring.

After a while, we were feeling a bit tipsy and people started dancing. All were looking the same. When a guy approached our table. He looks an inch or two taller than me. I’m just five feet six and he’s around five eight or five nine. Vlad’s always been the tallest. He’s six feet one.

“Hi, I noticed you two when you got in. I was hesitant to come over here at first but I just had to after a few drinks. I’m Victor by the way”.

He reached for my hand but I just stared at it for a minute when Vlad pinched my leg and it shook me off my zone. I reached for his hand and shook it but never said a word.

“Nice meeting you Victor. I’m Vlad and this is my best friend, Davin. I need to go to the men’s room so I’ll leave you to it Victor my man!”

Vlad left in a hurry. Acted as if I needed a man right then and there to fill the void that I have.

He seems like a good and decent guy so we had a few conversations about the place and how we have been in life.

It’s been an hour but Vlad’s still not back. I saw him fifteen minutes ago, he was talking with a guy as tall as him at the bar but they seem to have hit it off but he never leaves me unattended! I know we’re already nineteen but this is not how he rolls. A few moments after, he just popped up beside me and gave me a wink.

“Hey Victor. I’ll be calling it a night. Where are you staying here and what’s your room number?”

“Vlad!!!”

“It’s okay Davin. I’m staying at the Regis. Room 404.”

“We’re staying at the Presidential suite one. We have seperate rooms anyway. Do you mind sleeping there instead? My bestfriend’s a bit broken now and I would hate worrying about him at a time like this. At least I’ll still be able to supervise him”

“Vlad that’s so intrusive!”

Vlad kept ignoring me! He wants me to hook up with Victor but I can sense that he still wants to monitor me though.

“That won’t be a problem Vlad. I’ll bring him up there if he’s good here”

“Well we’ve established things here already. I’ll head on up now!”

“Alone Vlad? You better not hook up with the guy at the bar without introducing him!”

“Oh, Nathan? Yeah. He actually went to get his phone charger at his room. You’ll meet him at our suite when you get there anyway!”

Victor and I had a few more drinks then went back to the hotel and up our suite. When we got inside, the guy from the bar was seated at the couch with a champagne flute in his hand.

“Oh, Hi! You must be Davin! I’m Nathan. Vlad just went to the bathroom, I think he drank one too many of these already”

“Well knowing Vlad, a bottle or two won’t get him wasted. Not unless you drank more than two bottles of that at the bar earlier.”

“Well you can put it like that.”

“Hey Nathan, I’m sorry about that. I think I ate a bad oyster! Oh Davin, Victor! It’s about time!”

“Seriously Vlad? I thought you should be inside your room by now.”

“Nah. We really waited for you here. Nathan brought a box of champagne, apparently he had one too many.”

“I think it’s time to call it a day.”

“You know what. I think that’s a good idea Davn. Nathan! My room’s this way. Hey, Victor! Take care of my best friend tonight okay?”

We all decided to call it a night. We were about to lay on my bed when I heard a loud noise. It’s like a glass or bottle shattering on the floor. Vic and I went outside to check what happened when I saw Vlad on the floor and the shattered bottle of champagne beside his body.

“Vladimir! What the hell! Nathan! Nathan!!”

“Hey, what’s… What the hell happened here! Help me get him up Davin”

I find it a bit weird. Vlad was always the last man standing when it comes to late night parties so I’m sure he's not wasted but how on how or what on earth happened to him? I guess we really wouldn’t know until he wakes up later today.

The next day… I went out of my room to check on Vlad. His door was already open so I let myself in. VLad was lying in bed alone and it seems that the other side of his bed was untouched so It means Nathan must have left after he took care of Vlad last night.

I had to wake him up. What happened last night was really unusual and I had to get some answers right then and there.

“Vlad! Hey Vlad! Wake up!!”

“Hey!!! I still feel very dizzy! Go away!”

“I’ll get you some pain killers and breakfast but I need you up as soon as you can. We seriously need to talk. What happened last night was not a typical setting between you and me.”

I went out and called room service for our breakfast and some pain killers. After a few minutes, the hotel staff came knocking with our breakfast.

“Hey Vlad! Breakfast is here. I need you to eat now and take your painkillers so we can talk about last night”

“Why do we have to? It’s too early in the morning and I’m really not in the mood to talk. After I went to the men’s room last night I…”

“You what?”

“I went to the men’s room and…”

“You actually disappeared for a while and left me for like an hour or two”

“DAVIN!!!!”

“What?! Why do you need to shout?! I'm right beside you! You’re sort of freaking me out here!”

“What happened after I left for the men’s room?!”

“What are you talking about? You reappeared after a few hours and left the bar with Nathan! What the hell’s wrong with you?”

“ I don’t remember anything after that, Davin! I’m freaking out right now. What the hell happened?”

“Stop kidding around Vladimir! I’m an inch away from hitting you!”

“I AM SERIOUS!”

“So are you telling me that you don’t recall what happened after you left for the men’s room?”

“No, Davin. Not even a blurr! It’s just really blank! It’s like everything blacked out when I got in the men’s room. I am so confused and I think I’m a bit disoriented!”

“ I really don’t know. Here, you go on and eat, I’ll give you a sleeping pill instead of the painkiller to regain your strength or possibly your memory from last night okay? Don’t worry, I’m here and I’ll take care of things for a while, just rest up okay?”

Everything about last night doesn’t add up at all. Like how Vlad doesn’t even recall being with Nathan or why Nathan left in the middle of the night and didn’t even sleep beside Vlad for the night. Come to think of it, I didn’t even see the box of champagne that he brought last night. I remember Vlad saying he brought a box of it last night but never saw one, just that one bottle.

Eventually, after that night, everything went back to normal. We stayed in Davao for three months, as planned and went back home. I lived with him for a few weeks when my Dad came there to get me. He’s been in constant communication with Vlad and misses me every single day that I was away from home.

It’s been days yet we still can’t come up with any idea on how to retrieve those security footage but I will do the best that I can to find my best friend!