Melodious

Verse 14

Recap: Binato ni Valeen ng unan si Meng. Abangan kung effective ang unan para mabalik ang sense sa utak ni Menggay.

***

Three days after the meeting with Alden Richards and his manager, Maine had to forcibly slap some sense into herself. Dumating na ang araw para bumiyahe papunta ng Laguna, kung saan gaganapin ang kasal ni Valeen. They were to stay for one night sa lola nila Maine and move to the resort the next day. It was a good thing na rin, at ang tagal na rin niyang hindi nakikita ang lola niya.

"Meng! Matagal ka pa ba diyan?"

"Ito na, tapos na nga eh!" she zipped up her bag and swung the bag over her shoulder, tsaka itinali ang buhok sa isang bun bago lumabas ng kwarto. Valeen and Patricia were outside the unit already, waiting for her.

"Oh my god Mendoza," Valeen gasped upon the sight of her.

"Ang OA ah."

"Seryoso kasi! Ano 'yang nasa mata mo, black-eye? Natutulog ka pa ba?"

"Wag mo nang ipaalala," Maine grumbled, tsaka ikinabit ang sunglasses niya. Sinamaan niya ng tingin ang tumatawang si Patring tsaka sabay na naglakad papunta ng elevator. It went down once and the elevator opened once again, revealing a—yep, guess who?

"RJ?!"

"Valeen!"

"Uy!"

The two of them hugged and even bussed each other's cheek. Maine, meanwhile, has frozen from shock and moved so Patricia's tall form can hide her. The latter rolled her eyes and tried to step aside, but Maine was quick to hold her in place.

"Dito ka rin pala nakatira?"

Oo nga, dito ka rin pala nakatira?!

"Yep, just a floor below. Dito ko for work. Getting married, huh?"

Just a floor below daw tjnkNNASnkdas

"Ah... oui. Hindi rin ako makapaniwala eh. Sasabay ka ba pa-Laguna? Balita ko big-time ka na ah?"

He tugged at his pinked ears and chuckled shyly. "Hindi naman, tama lang."

Yes naman, humble. Ang cu—hmm, nevermind.

"Prince of Serenades ng Pilipinas, tama lang sa lagay na 'yan? So ano nga, sasabay ka ba?"

Maine didn't hear him answer but he might have nodded, because Valeen squealed excitedly. "Mabuti naman pinayagan ka?"

What? So kasama siya papuntang Laguna? Padgeshe!

"Kasama ko naman manager ko eh, so habang nagii-scout pa ng mga lugar na pagsho-shootan ng music video, pwede pa kong magliwaliw."

"Ah! Yung manager mo na fiancé ni Aaron?"

"Oo, haha."

"Mabuti naman! Ang tagal na rin nating hindi nagkikita-kita! Oh, si Patring nga pala—Patricia Tumulak."

"Yep, we've met before," Patring quipped, sending a nod at his direction. Alden nodded back, slightly smiling when he saw the girl behind Patring. "Si Maine ba 'yang nasa likod mo?"

Hindi, si Chewpacabra 'to. Wag mo nang tignan.

Patricia stepped aside and Maine caught Valeen's narrowed gaze kaya tumayo na rin siya at ngumiti nang malaki kay Alden. "Hi!"

"Hi?" Alden seemed weirded out by her brightness. "Ready ka na?"

This time Maine was genuinely confused. "Ready saan?"