Recap:
RJ sang Maine a song in gratitude of saving him and his friends from Mr. Yolaba's wrath. Maine thanked him through text as the attention unnerved her in front of those people.
***
"Ang pabebe mo naman kasi," Val was telling her, while she was busy arranging her food. Isang bagay yun na nakasanayan na ni Maine panoorin-- hindi kasi kumakain si Val nang hindi nakasalansan ng maayos ang pagkain, kutsara, tinidor, at inumin niya.
Maine rolled her eyes and started picking on her chicken. Totoo naman, she had no excuses for her behavior. But still... she's not used to be shoved in the limelight like that.
"May pawalk-out walk-out pang nalalaman," pang-aasar pa ni Val. "Parang nadisappoint tuloy si RJ sa'yo. Nako."
Maine cringed. "Nagsorry naman na ko tsaka nagthank you..."
"Saan? Sa text? Menggay please," Maine chortled at Val's deadpan look.
"Val, you know how I am around strangers," she mumbled under her breath. "Himala na yun kapag kinaya kong makipag-usap sa kanya nang hindi nauutal, namumula, o pinapahiya ang sarili ko. O all of the above."
"Well, you'd have to deal with that," Val suddenly whispered. "Meeeng yung RJ mo papunta dito!"
"Ano?" Nanigas si Maine at halos hindi na nakagalaw sa pwesto niya. "Papunta talaga dito? Dito? As in?"
"Oo nga!" Val hissed back in reply. Maine slightly shook and lifted the cup, almost forgetting that it was gravy and not the drink she originally intended to have.
Calm down, she told herself. Hindi ka naman papatayin. O kakainin. Kalma. Kalma lang. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exh--
"Maine?"
Inhaleexhaleinhaleexhaleinhaleexhale
Valeen kicked her under the table. Maine gulped and peeked at RJ, who stood by the table between her and Valeen. "U-uy. Hi po."
"Ehem hi din po, hello. Ako nga po pala si Valeen, kaibigan ni Maine," Val interjected, and Maine shot her a look of relief as the former shook hands with RJ.
"Hi," ngiti ni RJ dito, bago luminga kay Maine. "Okay lang bang makishare ng table?"
Maine nodded mutely. Kahit na pagtingin niya sa paligid ay madami pa rin namang bakanteng upuan.
"Ayy, nako, gusto ko bigla ng ice cream," simangot ni Val, tsaka lihim na ngumiti kay Maine.
"Akala ko ba diet ka at hindi ka muna magmamatamis?" Tanong ni Maine, na pinanlalakihan ito ng mata.
"May sinabi akong ganun?" Pa-inosenteng tanong ni Valeen, tsaka natawa.
"Ako na bibili," presenta ni RJ. "Libre ko na. Ikaw Maine gusto mo ng ice cream? Fries?"
"Fries! Paborito yan ni Meng!"
Sinipa ni Maine si Val. "W-wag na Kuya RJ. O-okay lang naman a--"
"I insist. Please."
Maine shyly nodded her head.
"Sige, sandali l--"
"Ako na bibili, ako na. Maupo ka na lang po diyan nang makapag-usap kayo ni Menggay," inabot na lang ni RJ ang pera kay Valeen na kinindatan naman si Maine. "Sige po, babalik ako. Meng."
Hindi nadaan sa nangungusap na mata ni Meng ang kaibigan at tuloy-tuloy na itong umalis. Naiwang magkasama si Maine at RJ na kapwa di makatingin sa isa't-isa.
"Um..." Maine swallowed. "Mag-isa ka ata? Sina Kuya Jerald?"
"Ah. Susunod yun dito. Nauna lang ako."
"Ah, ganon ba."
Natahimik ulit ang dalawa. Tinitigan na lang ni Maine ang pagkain niya. Parang nawala na yung gutom niya kanina.
"Palagi kayo dito ni Valeen?"
"Hmm. Ito lang naman nag-iisang McDo na malapit sa school."
"Mahilig ka sa McDo?"
Maine nodded shyly. She stared at her lap and her gaze flicked back up at him. He looked equally as uncomfortable as she was.
"Sorry," she blurted out, and that made him look at her, so she sank back turning red. "Sorry ano... Ang awkward. Tsaka ang walang kwenta kong kausap. Di uh... Di kasi ako talaga sanay makipag-usap sa personal tsaka sa di ko kakilala-- I mean hindi naman sa hindi kita kakilala kasi sigurado naman akong halos buong campus natin kilala ka tsaka hindi naman sa ayaw kitang kausap pero kasi kinakabahan talaga ako pag nakikipag-usap sa mga tao tapos sinulatan mo pa ko ng kanta tapos first time may gumawa nun para sakin tapos nagwalk-out pa ko tapos--"
Napasinghap si Maine. Akala ni RJ hindi na siya matatapos magsalita. She turned even redder than possible. "I... I'm rambling, aren't I? Sorr-- ow. Sorry ulit. Sorry."
Humagikhik si RJ at pinanood siya habang nakangiti. "Ang cute mo. Okay lang. Relax ka lang, hindi naman ako nangangain. Pakiramdam ko nga sobrang kabado mo eh. Tignan mo, di mo pa nagagalaw yung pagkain mo. Tsaka panong napunta 'tong kanin sa buhok mo?"
He reached out to take the stray rice from her hair, his fingers slipping through the strands. There's still a faint blush on her cheeks and RJ couldn't help but grin. Ang cute cute.
"Kain na tayo?" He offered kindly, and indeed they did, and that was how Valeen found them, this time with RJ's friends trailing behind her.
"Tubig 'teh," Valeen handed her a glass of water which Maine gladly took in with one gulp.
Relax daw. Mas lalo akong hindi marelax, tawagin ba naman akong cute. Loko 'to.
"Finally nameet ka din namin!" Aaron walked around the table to Maine's side. "Aaron Cheng pala. Nice to meet you, Maine."
She awkwardly smiled back even after he winked at her, then shook his hand. RJ glared at Aaron, who mimed raising his hands in surrender and stepping back. He cleared his throat when he saw Maine watching him. "Sorry. Pero if you value yourself layuan mo 'tong si Aaron. Wala siyang magandang maidudulot sa'yo."
"Aruuuuy," sabay-sabay na kantiyaw ng magkakaibigan kay Aaron na napakamot na lang ng batok.
"Eto si Jordan, tapos si Jerald, tsaka si Kaloy."
"Hello po."
"Wag mo naman kaming pino-po hindi naman kami ganoon katanda," puna ni Jerald, sabay dekwat ng fries. Unfortunately for him Valeen was watching, and automatically swatted his hand away. "Aray!"
Inosenteng ngumiti lang si Valeen tsaka bumalik sa pagkain.
"Damot," bulong ni Jerald, na narinig naman ng dalaga kaya inirapan niya na lang ito.
"Hoy Tsong bilisan mo naman," singit ni Kaloy. "Kapag kami kasama mo tatlong minuto lang tapos ka nang kumain. Dahil nandito si Miss Maine sampung minuto isang subo?"
Pabirong sinuntok ni RJ ang kaibigan kahit na namumula naman na ang tenga nito. Lihim na napangiti si Maine habang pinapanood sila.
"Pano, ikaw ba naman ang kaharap, mabilis talaga mawalan ng gana. Kaya dapat hangga't maaga pa ubusin na ang pagkain," pang-aasar ni Jordan, at siya naman ang nasuntok ni Kaloy, na natamaan si Jerald kaya nakisali na rin ito sa gulo.
RJ shot Maine an apologetic look before scolding his friends. "Uy ano ba? Ang gugulo niyo dun nga kayo sa labas! Matatapos na ko dun niyo na ko hintayin!"
"Yes boss ser RJ."
"Masusunod po."
"Bye Miss Maine tsaka friend ni Miss Maine."
"Ingat ka diyan kay Tsong RJ hokage yan!"
"Nangangain yan, wag ka maniwala!"
"Aalis na lang kayo ang dami niyo pang sinasabi!" Sigaw ni RJ, na halos mamula na ang mukha sa pagkapahiya. Maine and Valeen exchanged glances and burst out laughing, and when RJ noticed he started laughing too, tugging at his ear. It felt so warm, it must've been red. "Sorry ah."
"Okay lang," Maine smiled, recovering from her laughter. "Ang saya niyo ngang magkakaibigan eh."
RJ just smiled back at her, tenderly, and Valeen would've squealed at the moment if she didn't feel so out of place. "Meng, Kuya RJ, kain po tayo ano po? Fries pa?"
Val kicked Maine under the table. Maine kicked her back, still smiling. 🎵