Glimpses

Sleeping

Maine toed off her sneakers and threw her bag on the floor. It was almost one in the morning and she so wanted to soak her worn body in the tub. But time was of the essence; therefore, she opted for a quick hot shower before stretching on her bed.

Her phone rang as if on queue. Smiling to herself, Maine plugged the earphones and answered the call. A sleepy RJ greeted her on the screen.

"I'm home na."

"Good. Patulog ka na?"

"Hindi pa. Kakaligo ko lang kaya pahinga muna ako."

Maine saw RJ heaved a breath. "Oh? 'Nyare?"

RJ shook his head and smiled again. "Nothing. Biglang uminit sa room ko."

"Sira ba AC n'yo?"

RJ chortled. "Nope. Ayos s'ya. Hayaan mo na 'yun. Basta. Anyway, nag-enjoy ka tonight?"

"Yes! Sobrang-sobra. Malamang hanggang mamaya 'tong giddiness ko. Shoks...I'm so loved by other people. Nakaka-overwhelm. Alam mo 'yung gulat ko kanina when I went inside Centris? Sobrang nagulat ako talaga."

"Thalaga?"

Maine laughed. "Thalaga. Thobra thila. Malamang ang laki ng nagathoth nila dun. Nakakahiya."

"But you enjoyed it diba? They wanted you to so I think they're happy basta happy ka 'din."

"Oo nga. Nasabi ko pa kanina nung nag-speech ako, marami pa palang nagmamahal sa'ken."

"Huy! Huwag ganun! You're insulting their feelings if ganyan ka magdoubt sa sarili mo. How many times do I have to tell you Maine?"

Maine hummed, not knowing what to say. She knew what RJ meant with that question. It was really an endless cycle of him convincing her to stop with the pessimism.

And he will always tell her why she is worth every effort. Maine may not say it out loud, but she kind of likes when RJ turns all serious and list the things that he likes about her. Totally forgetting that he's talking about their fans and not himself.

"Eh alam mo na...I'm still new with this. 'Yun nga lang may mag-abot ng candy sa'ken before masayang-masaya na ako, ito pa kaya? Sobrang bongga talaga."

It was RJ's turn to hum. She saw him scratched the side of his right ear and knew immediately.

"You're gonna say something no?"

"Ah...not really. Actually, yes pero---"

"Shokoy? Ano 'yun? You can tell me anything."

"Talaga ba? Parang kapag sinasabi ko sa'yo lahat, bigla kang nagkaka-selective hearing."

Maine blushed. "Iba kasi 'yung sinasabi mong something eh!"

RJ laughed. The deep rumble made Maine's heart to beat quickly. This manly sound of him never fails to make butterflies on her stomach do the rumba. But of course, she never say this to him. Mahirap na, baka maka-ugalian. Gawin na lagi.

"Ano nga 'yon?"

"Wala nga. Basta enjoy your special day."

Maine didn't like RJ's tone. Is this what bothers him for the past few days?

"Tisoy? Ano...matanong ko lang huh? Baka mali din naman ako so tell me if I am. I was just...you know, I was just thinking that, pero if mali talaga ak---"

"Maine..."

"Sorry. Ito na nga. Are you really preparing something on Saturday? I mean, outside EB? Kasi you've been consistent about it pero these past few days parang ilag ka sa'ken? May problema ba? I mean, you really really don't have to do anything. Mababaw lang akong tao Shoks, alam mo 'yan. I mean---"

"Maine? Relax. Okay lang ako. Inaayos lang namin 'yung Canada tour but that's it. 'Yung promise ko sa'yong celebration, I'm really gonna do it. I informed them na. Everything's good and ready to sail. Ikaw na lang ang hinihintay ko."

"S'yempre game ako d'yan. Gift mo 'yan eh!"

"Talaga? Walang selective hearing sa Sabado huh?"

The question made Maine stop. She stared at RJ's face on the screen and suddenly felt heat creeping from her neck upwards.

RJ was seriously staring back at her. His sharp eyes bored a big hole inside Maine's heart and she felt that it might jump off her chest and wiggle helplessly on the floor. This was RJ's make-Maine-super-nervous-she-will-turn-into-a-puddle-of-goo.

"Oh? Mag-promise ka." RJ reiterated.

"Te? Gising ka pa? Matulog na kaya kayo. Anong oras na oh?"

Maine gasped when she heard Dean. She looked at the door and saw her youngest sibling poking his head inside her room. Dean looked pointedly at Maine. She nodded back.

"Shoks, pinapatulog na ako."

"Si Dean ba 'yun?"

"Yep. Tulog na tayo?"

"Okay. Sabi mo eh. Alam mo naman, ikaw ang kumander ko."

Maine gave an understanding smile. RJ responded back with the same gesture. Both of them stared at each other's phone screen and didn't say anything. Probably imagining that either of them were on each other's houses, no phone or even distance to divide them apart.

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Trivia: The last paragraph was the hardest part. Alam n'yo yung kelangan nakakamatay ang last words? Eh...sabaw eh. Hahahah!

Birthday na ni Meng tomorrow!!! *walang paglalagyan ng kilig at tuwa ko*

Please enjoy.