Remembering Sir Tisoy

Iced Tea

"Upo," Maine demanded sounding irritated, at the two of them.

They are in a cafe near earlier's venue. The rest of her family already went home, as she explained that the three of them just needed to sort some things out. They were already so tired, coming fresh from the flight, that they had no time to argue with Maine.

Richard and Fourth sat down, unable to look at her, whilst Maine continued to tower over them with her arms crossed.

"Do you have anything to say for yourselves before I start?" she queried whilst she sat down at a seat in front of theirs.

She was rewarded with silence, and shaking of heads. She huffs before she continued.

"Ano bang meron, guys?" she asked sounding exasperated.

"He started it," Richard argued.

"What? Why me?" Fourth replied, turning his body to face him, and raising both of his arms up in the air.

"The two of you sound like little children. And may I remind you, high-school teachers kayo," Maine uttered firmly. It surely shut them both up. "Seryoso, can't we treat this like adults? I already learned my lesson from arguing like this before with you, Richard. I mean, look where it got us? Nasuspend tayo pareho. And Fourth, you of all people should remember that too."

Still, they chose not to talk but to continue to listen to Maine. They became distracted when the waiter came with the drinks that they had ordered. The tension in the room was so evident that even the waiter herself became uncomfortable. Maine took her plastic cup from the table and took a sip of her iced tea before continuing.

"Ikaw naman, Fourth. Alam ko that you're trying to protect me as your little sister." Richard chuckles and chokes on his drink upon hearing Maine.

"Anyare sa'yo?" Maine asks him as she hands him a tissue.

Richard looks at Fourth as Fourth's eyes starts to widen and his cheeks started to go red.

"Bakit?" Maine continued to ask to try and get them to speak.

It was only when she saw how Fourth's face looked like a tomato, as he bowed his head to try and cover it from her.

"Wait, are you guys trying to say na? Fourth? Ano? Paano? That's not even possible," she said one word after the other.

"You really were clueless, weren't you," Richard stated as he took a sip of his coffee.

They both looked towards Fourth who continued to have his head bowed. Fourth soon noticed that they were doing so.

"Can you leave us for a bit," Fourth all of a sudden speaks out.

"Um, ok," Richard agreed, getting up immediately, a bit scared of how serious he looked.

"No, not you, Faulkerson. Si Mendoza," Fourth demanded.

Richard and Maine looked at each other for a bit and then Maine took to getting up.

"Sige, this is exactly why I wanted to get you guys together, anyways. To talk, to sort things out. Kaya, ayusin niyo 'yan. I think that it's also a good time for me to leave," Maine announces.