Author's Note: Guys!! So, I made The Bucket List (the one shot from Into You) into a full fic so ito na yun!! I'm really excited and nervous about this kasi I really want you guys to enjoy this. If ever may mali with places and such, you can leave a comment or tweet me @fymaichard. But I made it a point na tama yung research ko. Hahahaha. Updates for this will be every weekends (werk, werk, werk ang lola niyo). Sana talaga maenjoy niyo!
Thank you to tidorareacts for beta reading!! 😊
**edit: I re-edited the interstate part on the list, making it to only one interstate since I think it's hard to pass by 3 interstates according to my research. Hahahaha! The route in this story is from California to New York so if someone who's in the US reads this, please let me know if the 3 interstates is still possible. You can send me a dm here or at my twitter, I'm @fymaichard. Thank you so much!
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August 2005
"Nicomaine! Ang tagal mo namang maligo bilisan mo na! May basketball practice pa ko!"
RJ has been pestering Maine to come with him to his basketball practice, much to the latter's dismay. Maine hates waiting, he knows that. Pero ito lang ang naisip niyang isama since may isang sophomore na nanggugulo sa kanya kada may practice siya.
"Oo na, saglit na lang!"
"Halos isang oras ka na kaya diyan sa banyo!"
"Manahimik ka nga, Ricardo! You only asked me to come with you an hour ago. Alam mong matagal akong maligo kaya magtiis ka!"
He groaned in frustration. More or less an hour talaga kung maligo si Maine kaya kapag inaaya niya ito o ng ibang mga kaibigan nila, give her at least 2 hours to prepare.
Matagal na silang magkaibigan ni Maine. When they transferred to the neighborhood, si Maine ang unang nakipag-usap sa kanya. He was a shy boy back then, pero nagsawa na siyang maglaro ng mga action figures niya sa kwarto kaya naman ng naisipan niyang lumabas para maglaro. But he was bullied by the bigger kids because of his stature. Matangkad kasi siya na payat, patpatin pa nga ang tawag sa kanya. Then Maine came in to somehow rescue him, one time he was being bullied by that bigger kid. Nilapitan ito ni Maine at binantaan, telling him to back off since wala namang ginagawa si RJ rito. Umalis naman ang bata at pinabayaan si RJ. He said his thanks and they started talking... and talking... and talking.. They became bestfriends since then.
"RJ! Nandiyan na nga pala yung physics report natin, natapos ko na kahapon. Please check it while I brush my teeth bilis!"
Oo nga pala, he said to himself, we have that physics report due next week. He went to her study table to look for it. Sa gulo ng mga gamit ni Maine, mukhang aabutin siya ng maghapon para lang hanapin yung physics report nila.
But something caught his eye, a yellow scented paper above her journal. Yung yellow scented paper na binigay niya kay Maine a few months ago. Alam niyang hindi ito ginagamit ni Maine unless it's important. It was crumpled, halatang tinapon na pero pinulot ulit. Kinuha niya ito at binasa.
The Bucket List.
It was her bucket list. It has 10 agendas, all of it needs to be done in the US.
a. Explore the Hawaiian Islands
b. Take a selfie at the Northern & Southern part of the US.
c. Watch the Alaskan Northern Lights
d. Go to Disneyland
e. Watch a Coldplay concert
f. Be in four states at once
g. Pass by an interstate
h. Visit 10 US landmarks
i. Sit and eat at the restaurant where Harry met Sally
j. Spend New Year's Eve at Times Square
Bakit kaya may ganito dito? He asked himself. Hindi niya nasabi sakin to ah.
Naramdaman niyang nagbukas ang pinto ng CR. He immediately kept the crumpled paper inside his pocket.
"Ayos ka na?" He told her.
"Oo. Teka, bakit ganyan mukha mo?" Maine told him as he put his right hand inside his pocket to hold the crumpled paper.
"Wala, ayos lang ako." He walked outside the room. He's still thinking about the list and why she wrote it. "Tara na oy. May basketball practice pa ko." Ginulo niya ng bahagya ang buhok ni Maine.
"RJ naman! Wag mong guluhin yung buhok ko!"
"Wala nang igugulo pa yang buhok mo sira."
"Tse! Tara na nga!"
Pagdating nilang dalawa sa basketball gym, RJ immediately saw Czarina, the almost crazy sophomore pestering him during his basketball practices.
"Ayan na ba yun?" Maine asked him as they went inside the locker room. Ito lang ang pinapayagan ng coach nila na pumasok since kakilala na nila ito.
"Oo. Ang kulit nga eh. Ikaw na bahala. Sinabihan na kasi yan ni coach dati pero hindi pa rin nakikinig."
"Sige. Ako na bahala. Dali lang niyan."
Lumabas na sila and he went straight to the court to do warm up exercises. Nakita niyang nilapitan ni Maine si Czarina, initiating a talk. He can't hear them though, but based on the look on Czarina's face, she was shocked.
Nasa kalagitnaan siya ng pagdribble when he saw the two walking outside the court. Hindi naman siya makasunod since he's in the middle of practice. Mamaya ko na nga lang itatanong, he told himself.
After an hour, he asked for a 10 minute break to his coach, and was given permission to do so. Kaya naman lumabas agad siya ng gym to find Maine, only to see her at the gazebo right in front the basketball gym.
"Maine."
Nagulat ito pagkakita sa kanya. Tinabihan niya ito sa upuan, nudging her head slightly on hers.
"O, anong nangyari?"
"As you wish, sir. Ayos na ho." she said, smirking like an idiot.
He can't believe her. Saglit lang yun ah? Naitaboy niya agad yung babaeng yon?
"Weh? Di nga?
"Oo nga! Ito naman walang bilib sakin!"
He laughed at her and messed her hair slightly. "Oo na. Thank you ha? Kain tayo mamaya diyan sa Pop's. Libre ko!"
She beamed upon hearing Pop's. It was her favorite diner just outside their school. "Sige ba! Oy, practice ka na don para makakain na tayo! Bilis!"
"Ito naman makataboy agad!" He remembered then the crumpled paper he saw at her room. "Teka, Menggay. Bakit may ganito ka?"
He showed her the paper he got from his pocket.
"Bakit hawak mo yan?" She asked him, a little bit shocked upon seeing the paper.
"Nakita ko lang kanina habang hinahanap ko yung physics report natin which by the way hindi ko rin na—aww! What was that for?!"
"Why are you rummaging around my things?! Nasa ibabaw lang kaya ng bed ko yung physics report natin!"
"You didn't tell me, you idiork! Sabi mo lang kanina hanapin ko! Aba malay ko bang nasa kama mo e lahat ng school things mo nasa study table!"
She groaned in frustration before pinching him on his shoulder. "Kainis ka!!"
"Masakit Maine ah! Nakakarami ka na!"
"Nangunguha ka ng gamit eh!"
"Fine, I'm sorry. Para saan ba kasi yan? Saka bakit puro sa US? Aalis ba kayo?"
She fell awkwardly silent. "Hindi naman. Pero alam mo naman diba na gusto kong libutin yung US kahit malaki?"
"Oo. Weird mo nga eh. Yun talaga napili mong ikutin. Sobrang common."
She pinched his arm again. "E ano naman!!" She pushed him to go back inside. "Bumalik ka na nga don! Magpractice ka na, nangangalawang na basketball skills mo!"
He put the crumpled paper back inside his shorts bago pa agawin ni Maine ang papel. "Wow. Ayos ka rin no? Biglang mang-aasar?"
"Go, Richard. Kakain pa tayo sa Pop's mamaya!"
He smiled at her and kissed her temple. "Thank you for earlier, Menggay. Laking tulong mo kanina, hindi na ko kukulitin ni Czarina. What did you tell her by the way?"
She smiled sheepishly. "That you're secretly gay?"
"Oh no you didn't."
She burst out laughing, yung tawang akala mo hinihika na. "If you can see your face right now, Faulkerson. That's priceless! Sana pala nakunan ko!"
"Di kita ilibre sa Pop's niyan eh."
"I'm kidding! Go na, RJ. Antayin na lang kita rito while I read a book."
"Fine. Diyan ka lang ah!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Pero yung bucket list mo gagawin mo ba?"
Nag-isip pa ito ng kaunti bago sumagot. "I don't know. Maybe. Naisipan ko lang din naman siyang isulat."
"Oh. Okay."
"Why did you ask?"
He smiled at her before walking back the gym.
"Nothing, Menggay."