How To Move On In Two Weeks

XVII. - Two Days Later -

HOW TO MOVE ON IN TWO WEEKS

ULOL, WALANG GANUN.

Maine grunted and deleted her 26th draft. She spent the past two days squeezing every ounce of creative juice she could get out of her brain to start the article. But she wasn't able to get anything on the document. Every sentence felt untrue, every single word felt wrong. Maine sighed and closed her Microsoft Word once more.

She got up and walked towards her window. The street right below her apartment was filled with people walking home from nearby schools and workplaces. Maine looked at the setting sun and wondered what Richard was doing. She tried not to but her heart was longing for him. Maine closed her eyes and pictured his smile. She placed a hand on her chest and tried to feel the emotions he made her feel.

"Maine, you're so stupid ... why are you even thinking of him?" she asked herself before walking away from the windows. Her phone then started ringing. Maine looked at the screen before answering the call.

"Hello, Camille?" she asked.

"Hi, okay ka lang?"

"Yes ... bakit?"

"You've been silent since you got back eh. But don't worry, papunta ako jan sa apartment mo."

"What? Wag na ... I'm fine."

"3...2...1...."

"Camille?" Maine asked before hearing knocks on her door. She rolled her eyes and ended the call.

"You've gotta be kidding me," She muttered to herself. Maine opened the door and saw Camille on the other side. She raised two plastic bags filled with chips and bottles of beer.

"Game?" Camille asked. Maine smiled and stepped aside.

"Game."

--

"So ... wait ... nung nagpunta dito si Claire the other day, eh closure ang pinag-usapan niyo at hindi balikan?" Tristan asked after Richard told him everything that happened over the past two days.

''Yep, that's it." He replied.

"But why?"

"She's sick, man. We're friends though."

"And are you okay with that?"

"Obviously ... not, but at least now I know why she did what she did. Claire also made me realize that while I was busy mourning our lost love, I'm already losing someone who could have played an important role in my life. I ignored her, dude. I wasted her efforts .... I was too blind to see that she cares about me .... like genuinely cares about me."

"That girl who helped you." Tristan mumbled.

"Yes ... Maine." Richard answered before letting out a sigh. He called Maine several times over the past two days but she rejected all of them.

"Then call her."

"I already did but she rejected all of my attempts. I don't know her address ... I don't know where to find her ... I don't even know where to start finding her."

"But when you do find her ... what are you gonna do?"

"I don't know ... apologize? Ask if we could start over?"

"But dude, you don't love her ... right?"

"I love her as a friend but more than that? Masyado pang maaga. I just don't wanna lose her ... we bonded over seven days ... we formed something inexplicable." Richard said as memories of everything they did during their trip crossed his mind. He then stood up from the chair and started pacing back and forth inside the room.

"Dude ... I have an idea." Tristan said and so Richard looked at him.

"What?"

"I know what you need to do para mahanap mo siya."

--

"I knew it! Nahulog ka nga sa kaniya."

Maine just let out a sigh after hearing what her best friend had to say. She finally came clean about everything she felt for Richard. And the conclusion made her wish she never felt anything at all.

"Ugh ... my fatal flaw." Maine replied and scowled.

"Sinabi mo pa. But then again ... hindi mo rin naman pwedeng sisihin nang sobra ang sarili mo eh. You know why? Kasi yung mga matatangkad, mapuputi at mga pogi na guys ... mga pa-fall yung mga nesputang dalandan flavor na yan. Yes, gwapo sila and all but it doesn't mean na pwede nilang paglaruan yung feelings nang iba. Hindi pwede yung papansinin ka lang nila kung kelan nila gusto." Camille ranted before raising the bottle of beer to her mouth. She drank half of its remaining content before placing it back on the floor.

"Camille?"

"What?"

"Ako pa ba yung pinag-uusapan o ikaw na?" Maine asked and Camille asked.

"Of course, ikaw. Sorry naman, nadala lang. Kumusta na pala yung article mo? May nasulat ka na ba?" her friend asked and Maine moved her head from side to side.

"Bakit wala pa? Malapit na matapos vacation mo ah?" Camille asked again. Maine sighed and opened another bag of chips.

"Ewan ko ba ... it's like I've lost something. I'm so uninspired title pa lang ang nasulat ko."

"Oh my gosh,"

"No, really. I mean .... As in title pa lang ang meron." Maine said, she reached for her laptop and showed Camille the almost blank document in her files.

"What are you planning to do with that?"

"I don't know. Mag-resign na lang kaya ako?"

"No!" Camille protested.

"Why?" Maine asked her, already accepting defeat.

"Kasi kapag ginawa mo yun, you already accepted defeat. Maine, hindi lang ang ikaw ang madaling ma-attach sa mundong ito. Yes, it's a flaw ... pero kung susuko ka dahil sa flaw na yun then you're pretty weak. You have to move past it, Maine. You have to do better or else that flaw will define you forever." Camille told her. Maine took a deep breath and looked down at her hands.

"Then how the hell am I gonna start over?" she asked and the doorbell started ringing.

"Did you order Pizza?"

"Nope."

"Then I'm gonna order pizza." Camille said. Maine took a deep breath and stood up and walked towards the door. She opened it and saw a familiar looking dude on the other side.

"Hello, Maine."

"Oh God ... Richard?"

--

last 3 chapters na!!! :)

also, happy 2nd anniversary ADN! :)))