Versus our Youth

002 ALT

Maine wanted to laugh at how her words obviously made RJ more uncomfortable than he already was, but instead she felt hot tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

I can still make your ears go adorably red, RJ.

Her urge to nibble on his ears, like she often did on the past, was so bad that she had to bite her lip.

And yet, he has changed so much.

RJ pretended to ransack his backpack for his journal and pen and Maine noticed how cluttered and messy his pencil case was and how starkly different it was from their high school years. She also noticed the light stubble on his jaw; very far from his gentle, faithfully-shaved face from when they were still teens.

"What do you...what do you mean Erotica?" He stammered.

"Gusto mo bang i-demo ko?" She whispered, never taking off her gaze away from his ears.

That made RJ finally look at her in the eye. Maine felt her own breathing hitch as she melted in his piercing, angry stare.

"I don't hook up with random strangers." He replied.

Did I hurt you this bad? Ikaw lang ba ang nasaktan, RJ?

"Buti na lang di kita type, kuya." She told him as she finally focused on the workshop speaker.

"This workshop is about Creative Scriptwriting and that's what we're gonna focus on for the next three days. In the past two months we've had seminars for Plot Conceptualizing and Story Development so I would just like to thank those folks who've come back for this month's workshop. To the new guys, welcome, and for whatever purposes you may have, I hope you'll have a productive time with all of us."

There was a polite applause and Maine kept stealing glances at RJ who was growing more bored by the minute.

"So, DIALOGUE. Why is it so important? Because it can either be the most powerful tool of a writer when written well, but it can also be the main reason why your audience or readership would abandon your work if it was written poorly. Miss Mendoza, can you please stand up?"

Maine stood up startled at being called out, afraid that she was caught for not focusing on the subject at hand.

"Mr. Faulkerson, Mr. Monasterio, please stand up. Thank you. Alright. The two of you, please come up with a one-liner to ask Miss Mendoza out on a date. You have ten seconds. Go."

RJ gulped in both nervousness and discomfort.

KINGINA ANO BANG GINAGAWA KO DITO PUNYETA GUSTO KO LANG NAMAN PUMASA SA THESIS.

"May gagawin ka ba this weekend? There's this movie I've been hearing rave reviews about, will you watch it with me?" Derek Monasterio, an aspiring drama/ soap opera writer, was the first one to answer.

"Good try, Derek. Mr. Faulkerson? Don't overthink. Kahit ano lang, at the top of your head."

"I...I...uh...I want to...spend time with you, Maine."

"Excellent, RJ. Both of you can sit down, thank you."

Maine wondered if she can sit down too but she was once again startled when Direk Juancho strolled towards where she stood and intimately whispered something in her ear, making her laugh. RJ looked on furiously as Maine whispered something back at the speaker's ears and giggled.

KAILANGAN BA TALAGA SA HARAPAN KO PA, MAINE??!!

After a couple more exchanges, Direk Juancho walked back towards the podium and smiled as he once again addressed the class.