Just Live

Chapter 2

"Ha?? Eh bakit marunong ka mag-tagalog?" RJ asked as he caught up to her.

"Kasi hindi ako Pilipino kaya marunong ako mag-tagalog. Geez, people these days."

"Huh?" RJ stopped and stood there, all confused.

"Ewan ko sayo," Maine replied while walking. "Ugh, kainis. Panira ng moment. Bweset. Sarap sarap ng moment ko eh, bigla kang hahablotin," Maine muttered to herself while she walked briskly back to her car. "Kalma, self. Breathe."

"Miss, hold on! Sorry na! I really thought you were gonna kill yourself!" RJ said as he jogged behind her.

"Ano pa magagawa ko, tapos na eh. Sinira mo na moment ko," she called out to him and walked faster, opening the trunk of her black Cadillac SRX with the remote key.

RJ scratched his head again and followed her. "I'm sorry, okay? I wasn't gonna stand there and watch someone take their own life."

"But I wasn't taking my own life," Maine replied, turning around with a sharp look in her eyes.

"Okay, okay. I said I'm sorry."

Maine dried her legs with a towel and took a deep breath. "Look, kuyang tisoy, I appreciate you trying to help, but I'm fine. You can let me be now."

"Grabe ka naman maka-kuyang tisoy, I'm not that old. Teka nga, you sure?" RJ looked at her.

"Yes, I'm sure," she replied with annoyance coming back to her tone.

RJ nodded and walked back to his car a couple of meters behind her. He sat down and watched as she closed the trunk and got into the driver's seat. He didn't see anyone else in the car so he assumed she was also alone. He followed suit once she started driving. She must be heading to the mountains too, he thought to himself.

In the car, Maine watched him through the rearview mirror and couldn't help but smile. Tapos biglang kikiligin. Baliw ka, self, she told herself.

She remembered his tisoy features and his dimples were to die for. The thing that struck her, though, was the fact that he wasn't going to let her, a stranger, take her own life. She saw his genuine fear and concern in the way he was defending himself for disrupting her peaceful moment.

"Hay, Nicomaine, stop it. You're acting ridiculous and you're never going to see him again," she reminded herself.

She continued her drive while occassionally glancing at the rearview mirror, watching him keep a safe, yet close distance from her.

Maine turned onto a smaller road leading to town, while RJ remained on the highway. She got herself some breakfast and her phone rang just as she got in her car again.

"Hello, Nay."

"Nak, I'm just checking on you. Di ka pa tumatawag, sabi mo tatawag ka pagdating mo," her mother, Mary Ann said from the other line.

"Nay, sorry po. I just had breakfast and I was just about to call pero naunahan nyo po ako," she lied to her mom. She had completely forgotten her mother's request for her to check in with her parents once she gets to the mountains.

"I'm still in town, Nay, pero paakyat na po ako ng mountain. I'll leave voice messages throughout the day."

"Ang mga bilin namin ng tatay mo, Nicomaine, wag kakalimutan. I-send mo sakin yung itinerary mo bago ka mawalan ng signal," her mother instructed.

Mary Ann had gotten used to her daughter always following strict schedules, especially when she's training for a competition, so she readily assumed Maine would've made an intinerary for her trip.