DISCLAIMER : I do not own Enrique Gil, Liza Soberano , or any of the characters that you recognize. I'm also not a professional writer. I'm only just making this up as I go along.
________________________
"Arrgh!" Hope muffled her frustrated scream with her pillow, as she plopped down on her bed. Today was a no-good-very-bad-day. One for the books. She hasn't had one this bad in a while.
She had five meetings so far, mostly for endorsement offers and storyboard pitches, all of which lasted for almost an hour each. On top of that, Rianne has been throwing tantrums all day and Justin was being a dick to her. She also had to pay a visit to both branches of her wellness centers earlier for a routine check. She was exhausted. And if that wasn't enough, she just got her period.
I'm aching, hormonal and very pissed off! She growled again, punching her pillow repeatedly. She buried herself under the covers and was ready to take a nap, when she heard a knock on her door.
"Hopie?" she heard her Tita Rinnai from outside.
"Come in," Liza replied, getting out of her bed.
Her stepmom entered her room. "Hey, okay ka lang?" she asked worriedly.
"I'm fine. Just exhausted," Hope simply replied. "Why are you all dressed up?" she asked.
"Your Dad and I have a dinner date tonight remember?" Tita Rinnai reminded her.
"Oh...was I supposed to babysit tonight?" Hope asked her.
"No, you don't have to look after Rianne tonight," her stepmom answered. "Your Ate Gaye volunteered to babysit. She said she needed a happy distraction daw. Besides, di ba meron kayong date ni Quen?" she reminded Hope.
"Date?" Hope asked confusedly.
"Di ba, you guys are supposed to have dinner tonight?" Tita Rinnai tried to make her remember.
There was a quick knock on her door, followed by her father's head peeking in. "We better go, Hon. Baka ma-late tayo sa reservation natin," Daddy John told his wife. "Hopie, why aren't you ready?" he asked his daughter. "I just saw Quen's car pull up before I came up here," he informed her.
Why can't I remember having plans with Quen tonight? she asked herself. She turn to her dad. "Don't worry about me. Just go and enjoy yourselves tonight," she told them, pushing them out the door.
As they were going downstairs, John and Rinnai ran into Quen, who has headed towards Hope's room.
"Good luck tonight," Daddy John told him patting him on the back.
Rinnai, in turn, gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Kaya mo yan, ha. Wag kang kakabahan," her words offered as moral support.
"Thanks po, Tito, Tita," Quen replied with a smile, hopping into the stairs two steps at a time, hurrying towards Hope's room.
"Hopie," Quen called her name in a singsong voice, as he knocked energetically at her door.
"Come in," Hope replied meeting him by the door. Hmph! Bungad pa lang, ngiting-ngiti na! "Why are you smiling like that?" she asked him.
"I'm happy to see you," Quen replied, his smile widening.
"Don't you get tired of smiling all the time?" she asked crankily.
"Uy...bad mood," Quen teased her, pinching that ticklish spot in her waist.
Hope irritably swatted his hand away. "QUEN!"
