Pieces of Me

Four and Three Quarters

"So..."

"So..."

"That was awkward."

Aba eh natural awkward. Ibalandra mo ba naman yang kiss mark eh... juskolord... ano ba naman kasi self? Ginawa mong mainit na sabaw yung leeg ni pogi kung makahigop ka. Napaghahalataang Team Tigang ka neng. Sayang yung tinurong GMRC sayo ni Misis Magpoc.

"Maine?"

"Ay puta. Ano ba?! Bakit ganyan kalapit mukha mo sa mukha ko? Sinapian ka na naman ng *Death Eaters no?"

"*Death Eaters? I don't remember you looking so sad and hopeless after we kissed last night. Quite the opposite actually."

Wow kuya. Taas ng bilib sa sarili ah. Mulawin ka ba? Hiring ang KFC.

"Do you regret what happened?"

"Uhm... "

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"

Amoy chicken nuggets. Nag drive thru nga talaga ang mokong.

"You're not. Well okay maybe you are. Pero seryoso, you really need to move back a little. Hirap makipag usap ng hangin lang ang pagitan. Uso ang space."

"Can I ask you a question?"

Pag sinagot kita ng NO anong gagawin mo? Iiyak? Maglulupasay? Magpa-pout? Ay o nagtatanong na siya. Ang serious ng face! Sarap lamutakin sa sobrang cute!

"What do you think?"

"Ha?"

"Seryoso ka ba? Saan ka ba nagpupunta when you check out of conversations like that?"

Sa Mars. Joke. Sa Saturn talaga.

"Sorry. Sorry. Ang dami ko lang talagang iniisip. My editor has been bugging me for more chapters pero wala pa rin akong nasusulat. As in wala. There's a Young Adult Authors' Convention in LA next month that I really want to attend but that's like saying bukas I'm going to be an astronaut. Tapos ayan dagdag pa yang kiss mark na yan. I'm pretty sure naikwento na ni Coleen kay Ate Niki yan. It won't be long before word gets around and I'll get a call from Nanay. Ano isasagot ko diba?"

"Where's your phone?"

"Uhm.. here. Why?"

"Passcode?"

"1234"

"Are you serious?"

No, I'm Maine.

"Yes. What do you need my phone for?"

"Looking for an app. There. Paki-enter password mo."

"HabitRPG? RJ, I don't have time for mobile games!"

Ikaw lang gusto kong paglaruan. Hala naman uy. Ang utak, Nicomaine.

"It's not a game. Well okay, it's kind of a game pero it's really a daily tracker made for people who have a hard time adulting. Basically you set daily or weekly goals and when you finish them, you get a reward. And your avatar levels up."

"So essentially ginawa mo kong tamagotchi."

"Don't knock it till you've tried it. Let's give it a week, okay? Sasabayan kita. We'll also set PT goals. It helps when you have a clear view of what you want to happen."

"One week?"

"One week. If by the end of the week eh you don't find it helpful, uninstall it."

"Wait so I'm going to get rewards if I reach my goals?"

"Yes. From the app."

"Pffft. Digital rewards? Lame. Wag mo na i-install yan."

"Gusto mo ng real life rewards?"

Oh but afkars. Kisses ganon. Ang harot mo Nicomaine jusko. Kung naririnig siguro ng magulang mo tong mga iniisip mo, matagal ka ng ipinamigay sa bumbay.

"I'm going to exert real life effort so hindi ba dapat lang na real life din ang rewards? Lalo na pagdating sa PT goals. Alangan namang pahihirapan mo ko tapos yung avatar ko yung may reward na bagong sapatos. Unfair yun, dude."

"Okay. So what kind of rewards are we talking about?"

The kind that will leave me breathless. Charot.

"No idea, actually. I guess it depends on the goals? Like, dapat appropriate yung reward sa degree of difficulty nung goal."

"Sige. I'll set your PT goals and the rewards for each one. Hindi na muna kasali yung today. We need to make up for yesterday."

Anudaw? Make out?

"Make up. Hindi make out."

PUTANGINA I SAID THAT OUT LOUD!?!

*•*•*•*

Author's note: I know it's meant to be Dementors. The Death Eaters is on purpose. It's an inside joke. Sorry po for the confusion.