Love, Pour on Me

Chapter 19

Working hard? I just wonder why everything in life requires hard work when we can’t even live with it forever.”

Chapter 19
the Worker, the Slacker, and the Lucky Enough

the Worker

GABRIEL woke up with the sound of the alarm. With eyes still half open, his hands landed on the corner of his mouth to wipe any disgusting drools that accumulated through the entire night. He yawned while organizing the papers on the table, stood up and stretched a little, then walked towards the bed and sat. He groped for the phone he left by the bed and turned off the alarm.

Today’s the weekend. He wondered why he didn’t turned off his alarm when he don’t have to go to work today. Staring at his phone blankly he murmured, “Not like you use weekends to relax.”

He fidgeted on his phone and turned on the data. He proceeded to twitter and checked the trending topics.

"What is she trending with again?”

He clicked the no.1 trending topic. Laisa’s name was mentioned for almost 30,000 times, and still counting. Holding his breath, he started to read the tweets one by one, loudly.

“I never knew she’s a good actress… I was moved by last night’s episode… This is her first time acting, but she almost looked like someone who had 10 years of experience… I became a fan…”

Gabriel laughed. He stabled his breath and lie down on bed.

“It’s always nice to see you go up. I loved seeing you on top. Though my neck could hurt looking up at you.”

Gabriel sighed. His eyes focused on the ceiling. He just look like someone who’s too absorbed at the movie he’s watching.

"But I wish you don’t have to look down so much just to look at me."

※※※※※

the Slacker

THE SUN is already high up but Ria’s place refused to oblige. Her thick dark curtains succeeded on blocking the blinding sunlight, which she intended for it to do for her. Ria closed the book she’s reading and stood to draw the curtains open. She glanced at the black digital wall clock ticking on her clean white walls. It says 6AM.

She failed to get a wink as she was so immersed at the romance novel she’s reading----the same novel she pasted a sticky note at with her handwriting. She squinted at the sky, and turned off her speakers that seems to be in protest with the sun. For the first time she saw how the dazzling sunlight and the raindrops sounds contradict each other. Not like that isn’t common knowledge, but she always thought they could still go together. No matter how opposite they seem.

She pulled a chair near her window and sat there. She continued staring at the sun though it hurt her eyes. As someone who preferred the rain and who almost loathed the sun, she’s quite enjoying watching it now.

Moving on, maybe it’s something that could actually happen naturally. And it could sometimes happen too out of a sudden and in a surprising way but not out of place at all. There are things that could happen on its own, but that’s not always true. For example, a mystery-thriller author penning a romance fiction.

Ria marched to the fridge and swung its door widely. She took an apple and started eating. She started stacking apples the moment she became guilty for not eating in schedule.

But apples never made her full. And that frustrated her more.

“I can go shopping, but I can never get my butt in front of the kitchen. I just hope the ingredients could cook themselves. Therefore I spent money for them.”

She took another apple and ate. Her complaints didn’t stopped though she’s filling her mouth.

“Determination, skill... will there be a time where we can still live comfortably even without those?”

She spat the apple seed she accidentally bit. The bitter aftertaste made her howl. “What nonsense are you saying? That won’t be living at all.”

※※※※※

the Lucky Enough

“WHAT KIND of preparation you did for this scene?”

Laisa looked at James scowling at the script he’s holding, the same script she had at her hands. His scowl was followed by a sigh, taking Laisa aback a little.

“We are shooting a romantic comedy television drama, right? But why this very dramatic scene? Why do they have to kiss while crying like they will never end up together?”

“Because that’s how it felt at the moment!” Laisa still looked surprised. She never saw James this worried over a scene it flabbergasted her. “And why are you complaining like you haven’t read the entire script beforehand?”

With eyes still on the script James complained, “I just hate dramas.”

“Just what kind of story do you have?”

“You will listen?” James removed his eyes from the script and faced Laisa. Laisa didn’t mean to say that out loud as she didn’t want to sound nosy, but she ended up pressing her nose. Laisa avoided James’ gaze and pretended to read through the script.

“So you probably can’t watch tragic stories at all?”

Laisa heard James chuckle. She glued her eyes on the script. “Yeah. And I can’t do melodramas at all.”

“You should be thankful you’re popular.”

James pulled the script from Laisa’s hands and pointed the newly arrived coffee truck. It was sent by her fans. She excitedly ran towards it and immediately took pictures. Seconds after it was already on her Instagram.

“Thanks for the coffee. I will repay it with hard work. Love!” James faced Laisa after liking her picture while reading the caption out loud. “You should have included me in your photo.”

“I told you we already have enough publicity.” Laisa asked for a cup of coffee from the truck. She took a selfie with it for her own remembrance. “You want some coffee?”

James nodded. His eyes are back on his phone and typed “shared well!” on the comment box of Laisa’s photo. He pocketed his phone afterwards.

“There is no such thing as enough publicity, actress Laisa Madrigal. Why do you think people use bad publicity even if it still tarnishes their reputation in one way or another?”

Laisa just shrugged the question and handed James coffee. Together they looked for a place to sit.

“But back to the script, what do you think about that scene?”

“We are still not done with that?”

They found a stone big enough for both to sit at. They continued their conversation while having their coffee.

“I’m not saying it is not needed, of course it will only be called true love if it sailed through all the odds. But personally I would never want to go through something like this just to say my love is true. As much as possible I don’t want to have a painful memory with someone I wish to spend my life with.”

Laisa nodded, agreeing to everything he said. She also voiced her opinion. “And this scene, I think it was made just to torment the characters---I get why you’re complaining. I hate things that looks so hard to achieve even if we say I’m capable. Because that means I need to work hard. It’s not like I want things for me to be easy, but sometimes I just want to escape the tiring process of achieving something.”

James nodded. Both clinked their coffee cups. “I definitely agree.”