Of (Heart)Beats and Bylines [Completed]

Chapter 17- Quarter-Life Crisis

"Hey Zoe. Are you guys all together?" I asked my friend over the phone while on coffee break at my desk.

Zoe, who just arrived from Spain, is bonding at the mall with the rest of our high school buddies Chrissy and the-just-got-back-from-honeymoon Emily.

"I was hoping you'd be here with us. I'm excited about your first big assignment, and it's an overseas one at that. I was hoping we could do some shopping for it," Zoe offered.

Zoe is a budding fashion merchandiser whose job is to predict and persuade customers on the clothes and accessories that they would want, even before they realize it. This job suits her, as she gets to combine her flair for fashion and her knack for marketing.

"Anyway," said Zoe, "you still have a week before your flight. We still have time to plan your outfits. You got to look your best. Malay mo, ma-recruit ka dun ng international media company."

That perked up my ears. The thought of it is so exhilarating, but at this point in my career, it is still so farfetched. I'm not ripe for it just yet.

"And you gotta look your best for RJ," she teased.

"Huh?"

"Chrissy's been filling me in with more details," Zoe revealed with mischief in her voice.

"Yang babaeng yan talaga o! Ako dapat magkukwento nyan sa iyo e."

"Hey, no worries. The details are nothing censored," Zoe teased some more.

"Sus! That, I'm not worried about at all. Dahil wala naman talaga mga ganung kaganapan," I stated as a matter-of-fact.

"Hahaha! I look forward to meeting him tonight. See you later."

We ended the call. I chuckled while recalling the kind of outfits Zoe said she wanted to put together for me. At the same time, I'm wishing that I could take a leave from work as easy as they could.

A daily newspaper reporter's job is hectic. It entails keeping your senses on the lookout for newsworthy materials. We work under enormous pressure of meeting deadlines to deliver the most accurate, detailed, and fair news. We contend with all these while being mindful of our writing skills.

We have to keep our days long and flexible that taking a leave for non-emergency reasons is almost next to impossible. I have been on the job for almost two years, but I have yet to pay the so-called proverbial dues before I can go on proper vacations.

The past few days have been tough for me. I'm questioning if I'm really cut-out for this reporter job. Maybe I'm better off writing for a magazine where there's less controversy... and less danger.

It's not just the riot last week that's eating me up. It's also that issue with Senator Lee that worries me. Will I get bullied or harassed if I make an expose?

It feels that everything is unstable lately; like I'm going through quarter-life crisis.

Then there's this thing with RJ, which I've pushed at the backburner. I'm taking Chrissy's advice to just enjoy the friendship. But this gets more difficult when he has been calling every night since the day of the riot. And after every conversation with him leaves me wanting more than just friendship.

The recollection of RJ left me still smiling that I could hardly hear what was going on around me. Everything seemed to be just background noise.

"Maine."

"Hey Maine."

"Earth to Maine."

John. I almost forgot about this guy.