Love, Elie

COFFEE SHOP

INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY

The cozy buzz of a coffee shop hums in the background. At a small, secluded corner table, Elie sits, positioning herself in a way that no one can peek at what she's writing. Before she starts, she opens her smartphone, quickly browsing through a familiar profile.

ON THE SCREEN: A video of her crush playing the guitar.

ELIE (V.O.)
(thinking)
Grabe... tumutugtog ka rin pala ng guitar?

She's engrossed in the video, but before she can finish it, a barista calls her name from the counter.

BARISTA (O.S.)
Elie, for Elie!

Startled, Elie closes the laptop and stands up to grab her order.

AT THE COUNTER

Elie picks up her drink, smiling to herself, then heads back to her table. She sits, takes a sip, and with a grin, pulls out her diary. Opening it to a fresh page, she starts to write, her excitement showing through every word.

ON THE PAGE:
Hi Crush,

ELIE (V.O.)
(as she writes)
Waah, I'm so happy today. Hihi. May nalaman ako ulit tungkol sa iyo... Tumutugtog ka pala ng guitar! Wait, myembro ka ba ng banda? Teka, maganda rin siguro ang boses mo noh? Grabe, talented pala ang crush ko.

She bites her lip, amused, then writes more quickly.

ELIE (V.O.)
Ako, kumakanta naman ako... kapag walang nakakarinig. Ako ang singing diva ng banyo. Gusto mo bang marinig ang boses ko? Sabihin mong huwag na lang, nako, baka kapag narinig mo ay batuhin mo ako ng tsinelas. Ayokong masira ang araw mo kapag narinig mo ang boses ko... baka ma-stress ka lang.

She signs off, a satisfied smile on her face.

ON THE PAGE:
Your Secret Admirer,
Elie

Elie closes the diary, locking it for extra security. Just as she places it down on the table, one of her colleagues, MIKE, suddenly plops down across from her.

MIKE
Uy, Elie! Anong sinusulat mo diyan?

Before she can react, Mike grabs the diary. Elie's reflexes kick in, and she snatches it back, breathing a sigh of relief—it was locked.

ELIE
(teasingly, but nervous)
Wala! Secret.

MIKE
Naku, malalim ata 'yan, ah. Baka love letter?

He grins, leaning back in his chair, amused. Elie just rolls her eyes, laughing it off. But before the banter continues, her crush enters the coffee shop.

Elie freezes, her heart skips a beat. Her crush glances around the room and—just for a split second—looks directly at her.

Their eyes meet.

Embarrassment washes over Elie. She looks away immediately, cheeks flushing. Without thinking, she gathers her things, stands up quickly, and makes a hasty exit from the coffee shop.

MIKE (O.S.)
(confused)
Uy, saan ka pupunta?

But Elie is already out the door, leaving Mike confused and her secret safe