ASYMPTOTES

Chapter 6

A/N: I had to tweak the timelines a bit. You do know you're reading fiction, right? Good. Lamyu.

*****

2 Years Ago

Richard is not much of a drinker. He is what people call a social drinker. His tolerance for alcohol is very low so tries to avoid it as much as possible.

But tonight is an exception. He just got his heart broken.

Julie had been in the States for barely a month now. She was talking to some big shot record producer, work on album, shoot a music video, and perhaps try her luck out there.

They were okay when she left. She was somewhat receptive to his gestures of affection. She was sweet and thoughtful when they're together. Except for the fact that her mom is not particularly fond of him and that some of her fans do not want him for Julie, everything between them was smooth-sailing.

Or at least that's what he thought, which apparently, was wrong.

A close friend from Julie's team informed him that she was dating a member of her dance crew. As if that's not enough, he found out that she had been bad-mouthing him all along.

He was hurt, not because he was deeply in love with her, but because he thought she was different. He and Julie had a silent agreement. They were not in a relationship yet but he was really hoping they would get to that stage of these days.

"But that's not going to happen anymore," he said as he opened another bottle of vodka.

He was in his room, sprawled out on the floor. He needed someone to talk to but it wasn't in his nature to spill his guts out to his friends especially on cheesy topics like his lovelife.

He reached for his home phone and unconsciously punched in the numbers he has committed to memory since he first saw it displayed on the caller ID screen.

The voice answered on the second ring. It's one in the morning and she was still awake.

"Hello?," she answered.

"Hi, miss," Richard slurred, "please huwag mong ibaba ang phone. Kailangan ko lang ng kausap."

"Who am I talking to? And are you drunk?"

"Hindi tayo magkakilala. You have every right to put the phone down kasi lasing ako and I'm a stranger. Pero please, kahit hindi ka na magsalita, makinig ka lang, okay na sa akin," he pleaded.

He heard her loud sigh but she did not hang up on him.

"So ano?," he heard her ask.

"Huwag mo'kong pagtawanan ha? Kasi maraming tao na ang gumagawa sa'kin nyan ngayon. Huwag ka nang makisali pa sa kanila."

"Bakit, komedyante ka ba?"

He smiled at that one. The girl is funny and her voice was out of this world.

"Huwag mo'kong patawanin. Broken-hearted ako."

She laughed so hard he thought she'd pass out. Her laugh was so unique it was very difficult to describe. Instead of letting air out, she sucks the air in, making her sound like a person having an asthma attack.

"Tangina, broken-hearted kaya nagpapakalasing ka? So ano, pagkatapos niyan, buo na ulit puso mo? Babalikan ka na ng jowa mo?"

"Hindi, pero at least hindi ko mararamdaman ang sakit."

"Ngayon lang, gago. Bukas masakit ulit yan. Pero kasama na ulo mo."

"Aba, kung maka-gago ka parang close tayo ah."

"Tiisin mo kasi wala kang choice. Eh kasi gago ka naman talaga. Sino ba yang babaeng yan? Sobrang worth it ba yan sa tindi ng hangover mo bukas?"

"Ayokong sabihin ang pangalan, kilala mo eh."

"Ikaw nga na kausap ko ngayon, hindi ko kilala. Yung ex mo pa kaya?"

"Oy, hindi ko ex yun. Ka-MU lang."

She laughed again.

"Ka-MU lang pala tapos nagkakaganyan ka. Letche, sayang lang oras mo. Umayos ka. Teka, umiinom ka pa ba?"

"Hindi na. Naaaliw ako sa'yo eh."

"Tigilan mo na yan. D kita kakausapin."

"Oo na, titigil na. Pero salamat kasi d mo binaba yung phone."

"Ay, no problem. Okay nga na tumawag ka eh. Hindi rin kasi ako makatulog."

"Bakit, insomniac ka?"

"Oo, slight. Pero kasi napagod ako sa pag-impake."

"O? Saan ka pupunta?"

"New York."

"Naks, jetsetter. Pero hindi nga, saan ka talaga pupunta?"

"Excuse me but I'm really going to New York. English yan, just to prove a point."

Richard laughed for the first time since he heard the news about Julie.

"Anong gagawin mo dun?"

"Titingnan namin yung options for my OJT para when I graduate, at least meron na agad."

"Ano ba course mo?"

"Culinary."

"Oh, ang galing. Well, goodluck. Sana mag-enjoy ka dun."

"So, okay ka na? You don't need mo anymore?"

"Inaantok ka na ba? Ayaw mo na ako kausap?"

"Ay ang arte. D bagay sa'yo."

"Uy, magaling akong umarte ha."

"Bakit, si John Lloyd Cruz ka ba?"

"Hindi. Grabeng level naman, John Lloyd Cruz agad?"

"Naman! Intense ang acting nun eh. Yung mga mata niya may sariling script."

"Eh hindi talaga ako si John Lloyd Cruz."

"Oh eh d sino ka?"

"Si Alden Richards lang."

"Gago. Alden Richards mo mukha mo."