Encore at Midnight (Chances Series 1)

2 🌃

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Laurene's new favorite place is the 7/11 near the jeepney terminal dahil doon siya dinala nito.

Binilhan siya nito ng tubig upang tumahan sa kakaiyak at kakasinok. She's a mineral water kind-of-girl, ngunit nilagok niya ang binili nitong bote ng distilled water.

Kahit painumin pa siya ni River ng tubig-poso at balon, idadahilan pa niya ang organic benefits at lalagukin lahat ng walang pakulo. Ganoon siya kahibang. Binilhan rin siya niyo ng siopao.

Dinaldalan niya ito, kung paano niya napansing nawala ang kanyang wallet at cellphone, kung gaano kasayang ang bag niyang may sentimental value at kung ano at kaibahan ng distilled, purified at mineral water.

She talked, he listened.

"Thank you, Riv! Can I tawag you "Riv?" 'Ilog' sounds nice too. You know, baliktad your name, it would be "Revir." Ang cool, di ba?"

"Una't huling beses na 'to, Miss."

Bumagal ang nguya niya sa siopao, at nilunok iyon. Laurene tilted her head, a habit she has when processing things. "The libreng siopao?"

Pumikit si River, tila ba nagdadasal para sa mas mahabang pasensya. "I mean... this should be the last time you follow me in my gigs. Please, stop."

"Oh." Binaba niya ang pagkaing nangangalahati. Pinuno ng katahimikan ng kanilang mesa ang chime ng 7/11 sa papasok na grupo ng customers. "Okay," sagot niya, tila pabulong ngunit rinig pa rin ni River. Sa wakas ay iniangat niya ang tingin at sinalubong ang titig nito. "But can I pwede next week ulit?"

"No."

"Next mont—"

"Kahit kailan."

Laurene gasped. "Not pwede!"

Nahilamos ni River ang palad sa mukha. "Putangina hindi kita maintindihan please. Kung gaano kabaliko ka magsalita, ganoon naman katigas ulo mo."

"I get that a lot," she giggled. "Bobo things."

Hindi ito umimik. Laurene felt conscious when he stared, in his pensive silence. Ibinuhos niya ang atensyon sa pag-ubos ng siopao ngunit nasa kanya pa rin ang atensyon nito. "I'm maganda, I know. Pero stop staring, I'm melting na."

"Melting amputa," bulong nito. "Bakit mo ba ako gusto?"

"Bakit hindi?" balik niyang tanong. She could write him a book about why he was worthy of admiration.

He's hot without trying, his voice is heavenly and he sings his own songs. The phrase is overused, but "tall, dark and hand-fcking-some" as one of the girls from her batch described him. Kaya nga nakipagsabunutan siya sa quadrangle dahil nagpang-abot silang intense fangirls.

"You know your halaga," sabi niya, matapos tupiin ang papel ng siopao at paperbag. "You perform anywhere, as long as they let you play your music, paid or not. Tapos you work nightshift pa here after each gig. Then there's school and the student council duties."

Laurene waved her hand in dismissal. "I don't like you coz you're blindly hardworking. You decline song requests, you refuse overtime work and you leave the council on time. I like you kasi selfish ikaw. Self-love and self-respect looks so sexy on you kaya."

Well, totoo namang crush niya ito noon dahil pogi at maganda ang boses nito nang kumanta sa school event. Women are visual and auditory creatures, they gravitate to what they think is pleasing to the eyes and ears.

Kaya naman ilang taon ring tumagal ang "secret-crush-observation" era niya kay River. Not until the end of third year. Both of them will be graduating soon, so Laurene, on one drunken occasion she attended his gig for the first time, confessed.

She was rejected, of course. Nakainom man siya noon, natatandaan pa niya ang sinabi nito bago umalis at ibilin si Laurene sa kanyang mga kaibigan.

"Hindi ko deserve ang love confession ng lasing sa bar. Sober up, Miss, you deserve better too."

"Gosh, that was so hot of you, saying no in your own terms, I mean... I wished I could do that too."

Hindi na nagdagdag paliwanag si Laurene at inubos ang tubig sa bote. The hiccups stopped and her eyes and cheeks were now dry. This time, siya naman ang tumitig ng matiim, tila palapit, hindi alintana ang nakapagitang mesa. "Uyyy, you're quiet. Are you falling for me na?"

"Kaka-siopao mo yan," anito at tumayo. "Bilis na, ihatid kita."

"How about your shift?"

"May thirty minutes pa."

"You're falling for me na, 'di ba?" aniya at tumayo, sumunod sa nakaparadang motor nito.

Panandalian silang nagkatitigan, nag-alangan si River na abutin ang buhok niya at binawi agad ang kamay nito.

"You can," ani Laurene. "You can touch me all you want."

Napakamot si River sa batok. "Dahan-dahan naman sa mga sinasabi mo."

Kung anumang sigla ni Laurene ay agad nabawi nang maingat na inipit ni River ang hibla ng buhok niya sa likod ng tenga, at dahan-dahang isinuot ang helmet sa dalaga.

"Wait," sambit niya sa waka. "Kinikilig me."

"Dami pang sinasabi." Ibinaba nito ang salamin ng helmet ni Laurene, tapos ay sumakay sa motor at binuhay ang makina. "Angkas."

She obeyed. "Payakap please. With consent."

"Kanina ka pa nakapulupot sa beywang ko, ngayon ka pa nagpaalam."

"I was emotional you know," depensa niya, higit na hinigpitan ang kapit. "You smell nice."

Hindi ito lumingon at nag-utos, "Kapit."

Minutes passed and they were at her condominium building. "How did you know?" tanong niya matapos makababa at matanggal ang helmet.

"Tinatanong pa ba 'yan?"

She's notorious for escaping and sneaking in the dorms beyond the curfew hours. Sa ilang beses na siyang nahuli, napatalsik siya sa dormitoryo. What made bigger news was when she and her friends who helped her move, paraded her suitcases in broad daylight during school hours, cross the street and entered the condominium building in front of the university.

She became famous for being petty, buying an expensive unit in the building to spite the school admins.

"Right." Tumango-tango si Laurene at umatras. "Anyway, thank you crushie. See you sa next gig!"

"Kakasabi ko lang na wag—"

"Nope, I'm bingi. Can't hear you. Bye!" then she ran to the entrance and greeted the guard a chirpy "Magandang midnight, Kuya!"

She then waved at River from the inside, seen through the glass. Pinaharurot na nito ang motor bago pa makita ang kanyang flying kiss. "Boyfriend, niyo Ma'am?" tanong ng guard na lagi niyang naabutan ng shift.

"Soon. Kuya Bong. Malapit na mag-soon!"

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Idk why but River's "Angkas." and "Kapit." is just so sexy for me (?) Like, Yes father, I do agad. 

('｡• ᵕ •｡') ♡

Anyway, here's the update schedule:
Wednesday and Friday afternoon.

~Ellena