paynali, lastly;
***
RJ woke up from his slumber abruptly when he heard the footsteps come into the common room.
It was Valeen, obviously freshened up. Maga ang mga mata nito pero RJ knew better than to point that out. Hello, mahal niya pa buhay niya. Napaupo ng diretso si RJ at inihilig ang ulo dahil sa ngawit na leeg.
"Si Maine?" Valeen casually asked. "Tsaka 'yung iba?"
Tinignan ni RJ ang phone niya at napasimangot ito nang mapansing wala pang text ni reply si Maine. "Kasama ni Maine si ano..."
He watched her expression carefully. "... Si Je. 'Yung iba, naghanap ng kakainan na."
"Bakit hindi ka pa sumabay sa kanila?"
"Sabi ni Maine hintayin kita magising eh. May nakahain na pagkain sa kusina, kung nagugutom ka na."
Valeen pursed her lips and nodded afterwards. "Sige, ako na—"
"TAO POOOOOOooooOOOOOO!"
Valeen and RJ turned towards the ungodly sound and found Jerald slumped against the doorframe, his face completely red and a little cross-eyed. "Hello, hello!"
"Jusko Napoles," RJ shot to his feet and helped Jerald from the door and onto the long couch. Jerald sprawled himself and grunted, chuckling to himself a few times. RJ slapped his face lightly, his eyebrows furrowed. "Si Maine, asaan?"
"Malay ko! Gerlpren mo tapos ako 'yung tinatanong mo?"
"Napoles! Kayo magkasama eh! Uminom ba kayo?"
"Halata ba?" Jerald grinned lazily at him. "Lakas nga ng gerlpren mo eh! Nilibre niya ko maraaaaaaming-maraming bote!"
Valeen walked in on them bringing a basin with water and a face towel. Jerald immediately shut up when he saw her, following her movements with his gaze. Valeen scowled at him throwing the wet face towel at his face. "Tigilan mo nga kakatitig sa'kin! Kinikilabutan ako!"
"Jerald," RJ tapped his arms repeatedly, trying to shake him back to senses. "Si Maine, nasaan? Nakainom din ba siya? Bakit mo iniwan? Jerald, wag mo ko tulugan!"
"Ugh, paps naman eh ang ingay ingay! Hanapin mo sa labas! Nung naglalakad kami pabalik dito sabi sa'kin mauna daw ako at may dadaanan lang siya saglit!"
"What? May dadaanan lampas alas siete na ng gabi?!"
Valeen worriedly frowned at the sober guy. "RJ, tara hanapin natin si Meng, baka kung mapa—"
"Vaaaaaal!"Jerald suddenly pulled Valeen before she can even turn away—he clung on to her arm, pulling her towards him so she fell completely on top of him, and he wrapped around her waist tightly. "Wag ka aalis, dito ka lang!"
"Napo—hmm—ano ba! Argh! Bitawan mo koooo! Argh!"
"Ayaw. Dito ka lang. Akin. Dito."
RJ sent Valeen a sympathetic look, but Jerald was far too stronger than her to get out of his grip, so all her efforts were futile. "Ina naman eh!"
"Val, si Maine—"
"Sige na paps! Hanapin mo na si Menggay mo! Dito lang kami ni Valeen, di ba labs? Gusto mo ba labs? O honey? Kaya lang baka sabihin ni Aaron gaya-gaya tay—"
RJ shook his head at Valeen's scream of frustration and hurried out of the villa, already sending out messages to their other friends if they saw Maine.
Maine, saan ka na nagpunta?
***
Hindi na maalala ni Maine kung paano siya napadpad sa may pampang. Parang kanina lang magkasabay pa sila ni Jerald maglakad, tapos alam niya pupunta siya sa... pupunta siya sa...
Hindi ko na maalala argh! Pero paano nga ako nakarating dito? Hinatid ng mulawin? Dinala ng unicorn?
Lumapit si Meng sa dagat at huminga ng malalim.
Sayang naman, hindi ko napakilala sina Valeen sa unicorn. Gawa kaya saan ang unicorn? Gawa kaya sila sa mais?
"Alam ko na!" she shouted to no one in particular. Taking off her loose top and her shorts, Maine piled her hair up into a top bun and started walking towards the sea, shivering when the warm water hit her bare skin.
"Nicomaine!"
Eh? Oh! May lalaking tumatakbo papunta sa'kin!
Binilisan ni Maine ang paglalakad kaya hinampas na naman siya ng alon, dousing her from head to toe. She gasped for air as she broke through the surface of the water. The waves were unbelievingly harsh that night.
"Nicomaine!" sigaw ulit nung lalaki. Palapit na nga siya nang palapit kay Maine. Damn hot too, kasi mukhang galit na galit siya. "Ano bang ginagawa mo diyan? Delikado na oh umahon ka na!"
"Hindi pwede!" sigaw ni Maine. "Hinihintay ako ni King Triton at ng mga kapatid ko!"
"Ano?" singhal ng lalaki, na sadyang hindi pa rin nakikilala ng malabong utak ni Maine. Baka si Prince Eric 'to? "Fuck, hindi ka si Ariel, bumalik ka dito!"
Maine gasped, offended. "Mukhang naimpluwensiyahan na ni Ursula ang pag-iisip mo, mahal na prinsipe! Wag kang mag-alala, ililigtas kita!"
She swam back towards him and reached out to meet his outstretched arms, but another giant wave came over and hit them both.
"Stop it, Ursula!" sigaw ni Maine sa mga alon. "Nagmamahalan kami! Lubayan mo na kami!"
Prince Eric rose from the water and spluttered, coughing. Agad siyang hinila ni Maine papunta sa pampang. Hindi pa naman ako sirena ngayon, hindi ako makakahinga sa ilalim ng tubig. Lalo naman siya.
Nang pakiramdam niya ligtas na silang dalawa, hinang-hinang humiga si Maine sa buhangin. Si Prince Eric, basing-basa pa rin at bakat na bakat... yung katawan niya. KITA MO NANG NAUUBO PA YUNG TAO PINAGNANASAAN MO NA AGAD? KONTING DELICADEZA NAMAN!
"Ano bang ginagawa mo doon? Ang dilim dilim na tapos lumalangoy ka pa sa dagat! Paano kung walang nakakita sa'yo tapos nalunod ka?"
"Hindi ako malulunod, dahil ako si Little Mermaid," she confidently replied, in a matter-of-fact tone. "Hinihintay nga ako ni King Triton eh, at pabalik na sana ako, kung hindi mo lang ako tinawag. Bakit ba? Hindi mob a kayang wala ako?"
"Alam mo, kung hindi lang kita m—" he paled nung napansin niya kung anong suot ni Maine. "Ano yang suot mo?"
"Bikini! Bakit, may nakita ka na bang sirenang nakapajama?" she beamed at him, even posing for full effect. "Bagay ba? O palitan ko na lang ng seashell?"
"I really do not need that kind of visual right now."
"Ha?"
"Ang sabi ko, umuwi na tayo." Maine noticed how he fought to keep his eyes on her face, so she pouted, crossing her legs in order to sit properly and turned away from him. "Ayoko. Hindi pa nga natin nakikita si Nemo uuwi na agad tayo?"
"Nemo?"
Maine turned back towards him and pulled the most earnest look she can muster. "Yung anak mo, Marlon? Nakalimutan mo na? Si Nemo? Akala ko ba ako ang may short-term memory loss? Kailangan natin mahanap si Nemo!"
"Susmaryosep, Maine," he sighed, and then went back to staring at her. "Kanina, Ariel. Ngayon, Dory. Lasing ka talaga, 'noh?"
"Tanungin mo 'yan sa sarili mo. Adik ka ba? Kailan pa natutong uminom ng alak ang isda?"
Sumeryoso ang mukha ni Marlon at lalo siyang nilapitan. Dory—este, Maine, stared right back at him with the same intensity. She quite didn't understand what happened, but he pulled back so suddenly, his eyebrows furrowed. "Nakainom ka nga! I thought Jerald was joking! Susmaryosep, bakit ka naman mag-iiinom? Anong—"
"Hay. Ang hirap mo naman akitin."
"Hah?"
"Wala," she muttered crossly, covering her eyes with an arm. Humiga na siya ulit sa buhangin at hindi na tinignan si RJ. "Kung gusto mo, mauna ka na doon. Dito na muna ako, manonood ng bituin tsaka makikinig sa alon."
Nakarinig si Maine ng buntong-hininga. At matapos ay naramdaman niya rin itong tumabi sa kanya, kaya palihim siyang napangiti. "RJ?"
"Hmm?"
"Bakit mo ko hinintay?"
"Anong ibig mong sabihin?" She was studying the stars, so she really didn't know that he was studying her, the curve of her nose to the plump of her lips. He was surprised when she looked back at him, a bit smiling. "Alam mo naman ibig kong sabihin eh. Gusto mo na namang mapahiya ako sa harap mo."
"Uy, hindi naman. Ang cute mo kaya kapag nahihiya. A blush spreads over your cheeks like that, tapos you cast your eyes down. Really cute."
Maine snorted. She sighed, and then turned back to looking at the stars. "Fine. Since gustong-gusto mong nahihiya ako, may isa pa kong kahihiyan na aaminin."
"Oh?"
"I was actually hoping hindi ko na lang sasabihin sa'yo... but I realized you needed to know, at least, 'di ba? Since ikaw 'yung naghintay ng limang taon mahigit... I was stalling all these time... nag-iipon lang talaga ako ng lakas ng loob... Kasi hindi naman ako katulad mo na kayang i-channel agad si Andres Bonifacio atapang a-tao," Maine took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Naaalala mo yung sinabi mo sa'king dahilan kung bakit nasabi mo sa'king lumayo sa'yo?"
"Oy, hindi kita sinabihang lumayo sa'kin ah!"
"Ganun na rin 'yun," Maine waved him off, peeked at him for a bit, and then closed her eyes again. "Basta, 'yun! Naaalala mo?"
"Oo. Hindi ko naman ata makakalimutan 'yun eh," she heard him mumble.
"Yung narinig mo, kulang kasi 'yun. Hindi mo lang siguro narinig yung next part kasi umalis ka siguro agad o nahinaan ko nang bonggang-bongga yung boses ko," Maine chewed on her lower lip. She already felt herself trembling. "Pero may kasunod yun."
"Nung araw na 'yun..."
RJ sat up and glanced at Maine who had her eyes closed.
"...ang sinabi ko..."
He moved so he was over her instead, caging her between his arms, but her eyes were still closed.
"Hindi siya mahalaga sa'kin at hindi ko siya gusto..." Maine continued, completely unaware how he traced his gaze all over her face. "...kasi mahal ko na siya."
RJ froze. He watched her face (nope, never getting tired of that) for any signs of a joke, but Maine was completely serious.
Shit, loading.
Tama ba pagkakarinig ko?
Wait, I wasn't paying attention! "P-pwede paulit? Hindi ko narinig."
Maine opened her eyes and smiled tenderly at him, placing her hands over his shoulder. "Ang sabi ko, mahal kita."
That stupefied look on his face really did nothing to ease her nervousness. "You're... you're not saying this because you're drunk right? Right, you're probably drunk. Tara't uminom ka muna ng kape..."
In one swift movements their positions were reversed. Maine straddled his waist, arms on both sides of his head as she leaned over him, a smirk playing on her lips. Then she brought those lips closer, to his forehead—"I love you"—his nose—"I love you"– to both of his cheeks—"I love you, I love you"—and then to his lips, dangerously close, but not quite touching. He felt more than heard her whisper. "I love you."
RJ was barely breathing when she pulled back. He kept her hands on either side of her waist, his throat suddenly running dry. "You really are much more aggressive when you're drunk."
"And you're going to tease me about this in the morning. So I'm making the most of it. Habang makapal pa mukha ko."
"Hindi mo babawiin 'yung I love you mo sa umaga? You said it six times tonight, not that I'm counting."
"Hindi ah! Gusto mo ulitin ko pa sa umaga eh."
"I love you too, then."
"Seriously? Hindi ka talaga naniniwala sa'kin? Par—ah? Ano ulit sabi mo?" But she was already grinning, the moonlight fully illuminating her face. She looked so radiantly happy that he wanted to kiss her senseless.
"Sabi ko, I love you to—"
And this is the part wherein we cut the story, because aggressive Maine had decided to ravish the poor defenseless RJ, under the moon and the stars, with the sea as their companion, and the waves as their melody.
And it wasn't like RJ was unwilling either.
***
ay em sleepy sorry for the typos? Autocorrect may kasalanan niyan lol. Comment away, yes?
Epilogue na lang, mga bes.