Melodious

Verse 11

A scorpion must've been living in her mouth.

That was Maine's first thought when she woke up, amazed that she found herself inside her own room. The blinds were still shut, and her room was only lit by a dim light. And it was already past ten in the morning.

Her head pounded with pain and she groaned, kicking her duvet off. "Ano, inom ka pa Nicomaine? Inom ka pa, ha?"

Dragging herself away from her bed, she directed herself to the kitchen where she found her friend making tea. When Patring noticed her, she laughed.

The nerve, really. "Aaaand Sleeping Beauty wakes up from her slumber! How was your sleep?"

"Don't me, Patring. Don't me."

"Hangover, hangover."

"I hate you."

"You love me," Patring smirked at her. "Especially because I made you tea. Here, drink it all up. That's my grandfather's brew; the alcohol expert."

And Maine was familiar with it; this was what they take overseas. "Alright, I forgive you. Ten percent."

"Whatever," Patricia patted her shoulder. "I need to make a call. Bye."

Maine just made a sound of recognition as her friend exited the kitchen, and almost downed the tea in one gulp. The effect wasn't instantaneous, but she can already feel her headache lightening a bit.

Ding dong.

"Dantes," Maine grumbled. "Patring! Door! Are you expecting someone?"

No one answered. The latter's probably in her room, busy talking. Almost finishing half of the tea, she stood and washed her face first before answering the persistent knocker and pulling the knob open.

"Hi."

"Shit!"

Maine immediately slammed the door, but the person on the other side blocked her and kept the door from closing.

Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitfuckshitshitfuck

Anongginagawaniyaditonyetahowdidhefindmewhathappened

"Maine! Maine, wait, gusto ko lang makipag-usap!"

Pangalan ko lang yung sinabi niya but it feels different. It feels so different.

She tried calming her heart down. Parang biglang nagtago yung hangover niya and she wanted to reason out that she's tired and not up for any kind of talk, pero ayun. She's not that good of a liar either.

Taking a deep breath, Maine glanced down at herself and made sure she's at least half-decent before letting the door creak open, and she peeked outside. "Ano 'yun?"

Gosh, he looks even more dashing in person. Sobrang mature na ng mukha niya eh mukha siyang limp noodle dati.

"Meron kayong naiwan kagabi."

"Kagabi?"

"Oo. Sa bar? You don't remember?"

"Would I ask if I do?" she snapped, but as soon as she did, she remembered. Oh.

Oh.

Oh.

Ohohohohohohohohohohoh.

Why didn't Patricia ever tell her? Whyyyy?

"Ano yung naiwan namin?" she asked softly, her voice smaller. He smiled—ay walang kaawa-awa oh—and held it out, clenched in his fist. Maine pulled the door wider and held out her hand, expecting that he'd drop whatever it was on her palm, but instead he grabbed her arm, pulling her out of her unit, away from the door that kept her safely from him.

Gulat na gulat siyang nasubsob kay RJ—Alden—dawho—at mas lalo pang nagulat nang naramdaman niya ang mga braso nito na pumulupot sa bewang niya. Maine cussed at herself, kasi hindi naman dapat ganito. Hindi na niya mabilang kung ilang libong beses niyang na-imagine ang pagkikita nilang dalawa, and each time iniisip ni Maine na ililigtas niya ang sarili niya this time. Each time iniisip niya kung anong mararamdaman niya once she sees him. Siguro galit, sakit, hinanakit? Kaba? Pero ngayon, nararamdaman niya lahat yun.

And she was transported back to thirteen-year-old Maine who just met a fifteen-year-old RJ.

Distance. She needed distance.

Instinctively she pushed him away (instinct daw pero five whole seconds. Late reaction lang.) by the stomach, stepping back from his arms and glaring at him. "What do you think you're doing?"

For the record, he looked embarrassed. And stupefied. Stunned. Then, a brief flash of hurt that almost made Maine guilty, and he looked away from her, pressing his lips into a thin line. "I'm sorry."

"For?"

"Everything."

"You should," Maine replied curtly, and she pursed her lips as she looked away from him, because she doesn't know if she can possibly take his dejected form. Baka lahat ng pinag-practice-an niya sa mga lumipas na taon biglang mawala. "Ano na ulit yung naiwan namin?"

"Camera. Here. Hindi ko ginalaw 'yan. I swear."

"Okay," she took the videocam from him and held it against herself. Wala na nga yung pinto, may videocam naman. "Thank you. Makakaalis ka na."

She was about to return inside when he suddenly spoke again. "My manager's coming to see you."

"Excuse me?"

"My manager's coming to see you," he repeated. "May gusto siyang itanong sa'yo. In fact, she's about five minutes away. Baka nagpapark na lang 'yun at paakyat na siya dito."

"Why would your manager want to see me?"

Alden Richards shrugged. "I don't know. But you might want to get ready."

***

so ayun this chapter should've been uploaded last night and it sucks I know, bashta kapit lang kasi kailangan muna magpabebe nung dalawa for a bit. Gusto ko na nga sila pag-untugin eh.