Credits to KS (38th weeksary ep) for some of the lines used in here. Use #YU15 for your comments on twitter. Thank youuu 💛
•MAINE•
"RJ, hindi ganyan! Buhatin mo muna ako saka tayo umikot, hindi ikot saka buhat!"
"Ha? E sabi mo kanina ikot saka buhat!"
"No, baliktad ka na naman eh. You're not paying attention."
"Sabi mo talaga ganun!"
"Hindi ah! Hay naku, kung saan saan kasi nakatingin eh! Magfocus na muna kasi, RJ."
"Ito na nga oh," sabi niya habang nagkakamot ng ulo. Frustrated RJ is somehow cute but I'm getting frustrated as well.
We both decided na sumayaw na lang, an interpretative dance. We'll use the song Paraiso since kailangan nature themed daw. I don't know why the other contestants didn't use this song. Overrated, yes, but I think it's still the best choice for something like this.
I saw RJ slumped on the floor, his face buried on his hands. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked as I sat down beside him.
"I'm fine, Maine" he answered. "Just a little bit frustrated. We've been practicing for 2 hours now, Maine. Hanggang ngayon hindi ko pa din makuha yung steps."
"RJ, alam ko naman na hindi madali for you kasi you don't do this as much as I do, but you'll get it eventually," I told him. "I'm not pressuring you naman to understand the steps agad agad."
He looked at me with those puffy eyes of his. "Gusto mo bang magpahinga muna? Kanina pa rin naman tayo dito saka pawis ka na oh," I grabbed the towel inside my bag and gave it to him. "Magpunas ka kaya muna ng pawis mo?"
Tumayo ako para magrefill ng water sa water dispenser na nasa tabi ng pintuan. We opted to practice right after class since alam kong mag-uunahan kami ng ibang contestants na magrehearse dito. I heard there are 2 other pairs na sasayaw. Buti na lang nauna kami kasi tumakbo talaga kami from our classroom to here right after the bell rang. We only have two weeks to practice this
"Maine," RJ called. "May itatanong ako sa'yo."
My forehead creased a little. "Ano yun?"
"May sinabi kasi sa'kin sina Gio and Karla kahapon..."
"Tungkol saan?"
"Ano kasi..."
"RJ sasabihin mo ba o sasapatusin kita?" I told him as I started to lose my patience. "Ano ba yan?"
"Totoo bang crush mo ko nun?"
Nanlaki yung mga mata ko sa tinanong niya sa'kin. "Sinabi ba talaga nina Gio yan?!" he nodded at me, a smile creeping on his face. "Grabe ka! Yan yung nakita kita nun eh ugh. E kasi ang cute mo!"
"Hala hindi naman sinagot. Oo o hindi muna. Saka anong nakita? Saan mo ko nakita?"
"Freshman enrollment. Cute ka nga kasi non!"
"Oo o hindi tapos may follow-up question."
"Okay sige....cute ka!"
Grabe tumawa talaga siya hay nako. "Oo o hindi—"
"Nakakainis naman to oo na nga eh!"
He scooched beside me and pinched my cheeks. "Cute mo," he told me. "Pero anong nagustuhan mo sa'kin?"
"Napaka-fishing, RJ ha," I answered. "Cute ka nga kasi! Sabi ko pa kay Gio nun may aparisyon na nakapila sa bilihan ng uniform. Pero ang cute mo talaga non kahit payat ka. Saka yung dimple mo talaga yung nagdala....kaya kinilig ako." I grinned at him as I thought of something to ask him. Two can play this game, Faulkerson. "Syempre ibabalik ko sa'yo yung tanong mo diba? Ikaw ba...naging crush mo ba ko?"
He scratched his head and his ears turned red as I asked him the question. "Inaano ka ba?" he said while laughing. "Inaano ka ba, Meng? Pero seryoso, noon pa man kasi, nakita na kita sa school, hindi nga lang tayo classmates. Tapos napapanood ko din dati yung dubsmash videos mo-"
"Hoy!!!! You watched those?! I deleted those na juskopo!!"
"Napanood ko na kahit idelete mo pa. Saka I saved one on my laptop, yung pinakagusto kong compilation mo."
"Ewan ko sa'yo, Richard," I pouted, making him laugh. "Nililihis mo yung sagot sa tanong ko eh."
"Ganito, gantihan lang tayo. Kanina paligoy-ligoy ka, edi paligoy-ligoy din ako."
Binato ko siya ng towel. "Wag ka nga! Ano nga kasi?"
"Oo na!"
"Oo?" I asked, amused. "Seryoso?"
He shook his head. "Kita mo to, magtatanong tapos hindi maniniwala."
I'm still amused na naging crush niya din pala ako before. Ako naman kasi, nung nakita ko siya nung freshman enrollment, oo naging crush ko siya tapos nawala ulit. 3rd year highschool na kami nung bumalik yung crush ko sa kanya. Kaya syempre, nagulat din ako.
"Pero anong nagustuhan mo sa'kin?" I asked him.
"Matagal na kitang nakikita, elementary pa lang tayo. Hindi mo lang siguro natatandaan kasi payat pa ko nun—"
"Oy hindi ah! Nahihiya lang akong lumapit sa'yo kasi ang talino mo eh."
"Ang OA naman nito, mabait naman kaya ako."
I sighed. "I know. I just don't feel confident talking to you knowing how brilliant you are. Matalino ka kasi, saka dati feeling ko hindi swak yung mga ugali natin. Sobrang baba kasi ng self-confidence ko eh."
"Maine, you're one of the brightest persons I know. There are so many things that you can do and I admire you for that."
I smiled at him. "Thank you. O, balik tayo sa question ko kanina."
"Akala ko naman next question na," he chuckled. "Ayun nga. Hindi pa tayo nagkakausap noon pero feeling ko...kakaiba ka sa lahat." I smiled when I felt his hand on mine. "You're this girl whose radiant smile reaches everyone. Kapag nandiyan ka, you lighten up everybody's mood. Chill lang, masaya. Lalo na ngayon, kapag kausap kita. Kahit down yung mood ko because of something, basta nandiyan ka, nagiging okay ako. You always calm me down kapag ganun eh. That's what I like about you," he stopped and looked at me intently. "I don't think you realize how you easily make me smile, Maine."
Nakikinig lang ako sa kanya, my face flushed with his words. Hindi ko inexpect na ganun yung mga sasabihin niya kasi nag-aasaran pa kami nung una. I'm just amazed on how this guy can sweep me off my feet with his words. He stood up and reached for my hand. Nagulat ako nung niyakap niya ako.
"Thank you, Maine, for coming into my life."
I stroked his back and smiled. I felt him smile too. "Ditto, RJ."
•RICHARD•
Yesterday's dance practice was a bit more productive than the first one. Mas naging komportable na rin kami lalo ni Maine sa isa't-isa pagkatapos nung mga napag-usapan namin. I felt good after opening up to her, something I don't really do even at home. Ngayon ko lang din talaga ginawa yung ganun and I'm happy to have done it first with Maine.
"Kara, sa talent pala we don't need anything grand naman," I heard Maine as she talked to Kara. Pinayagan kasi kami ni Ms. Santos, yung Physics teacher namin, na gumawa ng costumes muna at mga backdrop na gagamitin namin ni Maine for the pageant. "Kami na ni RJ yung bahala sa costumes namin since plain white shirt and black na shorts lang yung kailangan dun. Yung white shirt kailangan lang dumihan ng konti. Ay! We need new clothes pala, clean ones."
"Sige, kami nang bahala sa clean clothes niyo," Kara answered nonchalantly. "Yung backdrop ilan ang kailangan niyo?"
"We need two, yung polluted saka clean and maganda na. And we need a black cloth too, medyo malaki sana."
"Okay, sige. Kami nang bahala."
"Okay! Thanks Ka—ow," hindi na natuloy ni Maine yung sasabihin niya kasi tumalikod na si Kara sa kanya. I saw Maine's forehead crease. "Problema non?" she asked me.
"May nasabi ka ba? O baka naman bad mood lang?"
"I didn't say anything, RJ. We were only talking about the props na gagamitin natin sa talent show," she sat down on her chair. "Talikuran daw ba ko?!"
"Oh, kalma. Hayaan mo na. Wag mo na lang pansinin."
I heard her sigh as she grabbed her things below her desk. Then I saw Karla walking towards our seat. "Bakla," she called Maine. "Samahan mo naman ako sa baba. CR tayo."
Lumingon sa'kin si Maine para magpaalam. "Samahan ko lang si Karla ha?"
"Ay ano kayo na? Jowa na papaalam na ganon?"
"Paolo si Karla oh!" I said loudly. Napalingon si Paolo bigla sa akin eh.
"Hay nako, Pokerson! Ewan ko sa'yo!" hinila na niya si Maine na natatawa sa kanya.
Habang wala si Maine, at busy yung ibang classmates namin, I decided to play word hunt. Lagi akong may dalang ganito in case na wala akong magawa at bored ako sa mga bagay bagay.
I am focused on this word hunt when I sensed someone sit beside me. Paglingon ko, si Kara pala.
"Uy, Kara," I closed the word hunt book and turned to her. "May problema ba?"
"Uhm, ipapasukat ko lang sana to," she said, smiling. Hawak na niya yung suit na gagamitin ko. "Check natin kung may adjustments pang kailangan."
"Ay sige, sure." Kinuha ko na sa kanya yung suit at sinukat. She helped me with it since medyo mahirap siya isuot kasi baka mapunit. Tetra packs lang kasi siya.
"Okay naman tong suit, Kara," I told her. "Ayos naman yung fit. No need to adjust na siguro." Hinubad ko na ulit yung suit para ibigay sa kanya. She looked as she grabbed the suit back.
"Yung sa pants pala, I'll give it tomorrow," she tapped my back and smiled. "Thank you, RJ!" she turned and went back to her seat.
Nagulat ako na tinawag niya akong RJ. Pero mas nagulat ako na nandun si Maine sa may pinto, ang sama ng tingin kay Kara.
Lalapitan na sana niya si Kara pero pinigilan na namin ni Karla. "Bakla, wag mong patulan," Karla said to her as she pulled Maine back.
"Maine," I called her. I held her hand and intertwined her fingers with mine. "Maine, huy."
"Ano bang problema non?" she asked, her gaze still on Kara.
"Wag mo nang patulan. Tara na doon sa upuan natin." I guided her back to her chair then I sat down beside her. Hindi ko binitawan yung kamay niya until I feel that she has calmed down already. I heard her sigh.
"Sorry," she said, her head down. "Nainis lang kasi ako."
I held her chin up and turned so she can face me. "I don't know why she called me that. Nagulat din ako. Hindi ko kasi alam kung nang-aasar ba siya or what. If she is, then don't let it get to you okay?" she nodded. I pinched her nose and smiled. "Wag na mainis po."
She smiled at me, yung smile niya na pang-grade 5, kaya natawa ako ng malakas. "Pucha, Maine. Buti na lang hindi ako umiinom ng tubig kundi naibuga ko sa'yo sa sobrang tawa ko."
"Bwisit ka," she said, pouting. "Sama rin ng ugali mo eh, no?"
"Hindi na, hindi na. Joke lang eh, ito naman. Relax na, okay po?"
She nodded again and smiled, yung totoong smile na. Hay, Maine.