Chapter 8: Ewan

After my long discussion with Mila, I left the living room to take a shower. I'm considering everything we have discussed about Maxine while hot water falls on me. My main objective is to relax, nevertheless, the hot shower only makes me desire her even more. Revives the memory of how warm her body is and creates new ones, as to how delicious she would be under it.

All this talking and thinking about sex left me starving. I took my phone and headed my way to the kitchen, distracted by my hunger, I haven't seen the new message displaying on the screen from an unknown number.

Hi Quinny, it's Liam. I hope you have arrived home safely yesterday. I was wondering if you would like to have a drink with me tomorrow night?

Me: Hi Liam. Sure, I will love to.

I tried to be polite, but not to look too excited about it. What Maxine told me yesterday remained in my mind. I keep asking myself if Liam is inviting me on a date or just to have drinks as friends. If it was a dinner invitation would be obvious, but drinks are open to discussion. I didn't have the courage to ask about it tough. I prefer to let it like that, I like the guy and I could use a friend, just hope he has the same intentions.

Liam: Nice :) we can leave directly from college if it is ok for u? ;)

Me: ok! See you tomorrow!

Mila is already in the kitchen, happily singing a song by a band called bini I don't know. She is good at discovering new good bands no one knows.

"Hope you don't mind, I put a frozen lasagna in the oven. It should be ready in abt 20 mins".

"Oh, God bless frozen dishes! Sure, I don't mind, Tinatamad din naman akong magluto e, pagod nako argh."

I and Mils had dinner together discussing our favorite topic: people and why they behave in a certain way. I know it is weird. But we enjoy trying to understand people and the reasons they act the way they do. Why they are selfish, why they have chosen this and not that, etc. We believe everything has a reason, and of course, Mila as a good psychology lover adores figuring it out. My excuse is I do it to please her, but the truth is I really enjoy doing it as well, and it is truly my curiosity that drives me doing it. Tonight, our focus is, of course, on Maxine's behavior. The possible reasons why he is such a player.

We haven't analyzed the reason why she is so bossy, hope it will be the next topic. We decided it is probably because of a broken heart she could never recover from. Too cliché to be true though, however, so far, we have barely acknowledged her. The reality is we know nothing about her, our entire analysis was based on the discussion Mila has heard between her and the desperate girl.

***

I sleep early after dinner, waking up in the middle of the night feeling sore. The terrible pain that keeps visiting me once a month came again. It is a strong colic ache; it seems my period is coming. I usually have strong cramps one or two days before my period. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit madalas akong nagtatago ng isang malakas na pangpawala ng sakit sa loob ng aking cabinet sa kanang bahagi ng aking kama. I take the last one before going back to sleep, trying to keep in my mind I have to buy another one tomorrow.

***

I wake up feeling better, the sun shines again after a dark night of pain. I prepare myself and go straight to class, no time caring about if I'm maganda ako o hindi. My little friends, the cramps, came back in the middle of the morning, making me almost scream in pain during lunch break. I decided to go to the college clinic to have some painkillers. I'm already at a pain level allowing me to stay only in a squishy position if I want to avoid an acute wave of pain attacking me.

"Oh, Quinn inumin mo'to." The college nurse told me, giving me some painkillers with a glass of water.

"Salamat po" I replied breathless, with a grimace of pain. It was so strong; I was afraid to take a long breath and make it even worse.

"You know what?" The nurse said she is an old lady, always smiling with a grandma aura. "Umuwi kana nak, Mukang masakit na masakit na talaga yang puson mo, it will do nothing to stay. Sabihin mo lang sakin kung ano ano yung mga afternoon class mo, and I will make a note to give to your teachers". I'm not in a position to discuss, neither am I someone who loves classes that much.

"I have Energy with Mrs.Watson and then soccer practice with Coach Muller".

"Baliw lang ang pupunta sa soccer practice ng ganyan ang kalagayan. Umuwi ka na nak, I will take care of informing your teachers".

I walk out and head home, I waste no time and go directly to bed to sleep the pain off.

Waking up again, I see a red

horizon through my window. The sunset is ongoing, it reflects in my white room turning it into beautiful orange.

Ang ganda.

The painkiller effect must have ended it, I shrink myself in pain realizing it was what woke me up. I have no hesitation in taking another pill. Before my hand even reaches the cabinet to search for a painkiller, a feeling of déjà vu comes remembering me I took the last pill last night. I want to scream. Fuck, I'm dying here.

I remain in bed and call for medicine delivery, the pharmacy informs me they are really busy, having only one delivery guy working today. Unfortunately, they won't be able to deliver my painkiller in at least two hours.

My desperation makes me cry on the phone, begging the guy to give me a priority.

He had no mercy though. I'm screwed, I wish it was a woman who has picked up the phone, she would for sure understand.

I go take a shower to find if it eases the pain, setting the water as hot as possible. It could be burning me, but my womb is already doing so much damage to me I couldn't feel anything else. I hoped it could distract me, yet it didn't work.

I need someone who can buy a painkiller for me, no way in hell I would be able to go to the pharmacy or wait two hours for delivery. I put my dark brown hair in a bun and wearing only my pajamas I decided to ask my sister for help. Mila has classes Thursday nights, she usually arrives late, I can't wait for her.

May susi parin naman ako, Kaya pumasok nako ng apartment directly searching for Col.

Hey, Cols?" I called her after passing through the door, almost crying in pain.

Scanning around the living room, I face Maxine, working on her notebook on the dinner table, in all herglory, Wearing a slightly oversized black blazer set the tone. Beneath it, a crisp white dress shirt was untucked, with the top buttons left undone, revealing a loosely knotted black tie with a pair of black pants extended down.

Poganda talaga tangina

She raises his eyes from the computer to look at me.

"Where is Col?" I ask in a hurry looking her in the eyes.

"Hello to you too, Quinn" She answers me calmly analyzing my facial expression.

"Sorry, Kailangang kailangan ko talaga si col, Nandito ba siya?"

"No, May gagawin siya para sa work niya ngayong gabi"

Damn, it is not my day. Thinking about the possibility of a painkiller materializing in front of me in case I concentrate enough, I turn around grimacing, preparing myself to leave the apartment. Before I could reach the door, I felt a hand in my arm preventing me from moving.

I found myself face to face with Max, who has a concerned expression on her face.

"Anong nangyare sayo quinn? Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm just not feeling well." I'm not going to tell her I have menstrual cramps.

"Sure ka? It looks more than that. What do you need from Col?" She is watching me intensely, I feel like she already knows what I'm feeling without even telling her like she is sort of seeing through me.

I calm myself before responding.

"I just wanted her to buy a painkiller for me. I tried to call the pharmacy delivery, but they won't be available in at least two hours." I spoke failing to block the pain in my voice. Damn, I'm just being attacked by a strong wave of pain now. I keep my hand on my stomach as it could protect me from it.

"Tell me what you need, Bibilhin ko".

I gave her the name of the drug I'm used to buying expecting him to leave and go to the pharmacy. She takes her phone instead and soon she is on a call.

"Hey, how are you?" I can't hear the response on the other side of the line.

"I'm fine too, look I need a quick

delivery again, can you come really fast?" I think the guy has agreed so I heard him requesting my painkiller and giving our address to the person.

"So, we will receive your painkiller in fifteen minutes. Go sit on the couch, I'll be right back." She tells me while heading to the kitchen.

She comes back ten minutes after with a cup in one hand and with something looking like a cloth on the other one.

"Here." she says giving me what I think is a cloth. In fact, it is a hot cloth, not a big difference.

"Put this on your belly under your pajama." I do as she says

"And drink that."  She said giving me the cup, which I imagine contains tea.

Thank you, it was the pharmacist who told you what to do?" I asked while taking a sip of my hot tea.

"Oh no, I have a younger sister who used to come crying in my room once a month." He said showing affection. I could comprehend that he loves his sister with just this sentence. I didn't think he was able to have feelings for someone.

"Oh" It's all I said blushing, realizing now she knows I'm having menstrual cramps. I try to hide my blush from her, when the doorbell rings at the right time, helping me hiding it.

Maxine gets up and in no time, she is opening the door greeting the delivery guy.

"Hey Max!" The delivery guy greets with a big smile "Pinapalita mo na yung habits mo? Laging condoms binibili mo dati e, Tas kailangan bilisan ko pag deliver sayo AHAH, I think is the first time I deliver something else to you." He finishes giving a package to Maxine.

Maxine turns to look at me uncomfortable with what the guy just said. I didn't know what to respond after that, or even what to think. She is for sure a really active, there is no doubt about it.

At least he uses protection diba?

I search for my money in my nonexistent pajama pocket, I had nothing with me. I left my wallet at home.

"Shux! Nakalimutan kong dalin ung wallet ko. I'll be right back." I said getting up rashly.

"Don't worry, nabayaran ko na," Maxine responded in a hurry

making a sign with her hand for me to return to the couch.

"Thanks, Ibibigay ko nalang ung pera sayo later."

"No need Quinn, you can give me another time. Just stay on the couch and take one pill." She said giving me the package. "Here, Inumin mo na to"

"Well, thanks gabe i appreciate it" Maxine returns her attention to the delivery guy; "I think you just saved a life. the comment about the condoms is unnecessary though." Max said giving him a quick hug.

It seems they are close, really close. Do they know each other only from deliveries? I keep wondering, how many packages of condoms have Maxine bought from this guy?

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