How long has it been since June said those words? A few weeks? Or maybe months? Truth be told, Mae has lost count already. It has been too long for her to remember and too frustrating for her to know until when temporary means.

She didn’t ask for this. Right from the start, they knew that their situation would be difficult but he told her that it would just be temporary. As always, she believed every word that he said, but right now, Mae’s not even sure if it was right to trust June on this one.

From: June
Happy birthday Mae!
I don’t think I could make it.
Shoot’s going to last longer.
I wish I was there with you right now.

“What did he say?” Monica asked and Mae just shook her head in response. It has always been like this—June missing up on special events because of his busy schedule. Mae expected it already, but for once, she thought that June would make her birthday an exception. That he would take some time off from his work to be with her. She wanted to celebrate her birthday with him and their close friends but it’s pretty obvious that it’s not going to happen.

“Again?! Where on earth is that guy? I’m going to give him the bitch slap that he deserves!” Monica continued, anger and disappointment evident in her voice.

“It’s okay, Mons,” Mae timidly answered.

“What? It’s not okay Mae! I would have accepted his excuse any time but not today. He’s not acting like your boyfriend at all!” Monica told her and that’s when she realized that her friend was right. This is definitely not the way a boyfriend acts. Heck, he’s not even acting like her friend right now. June was Mae’s boy friend before he even became her boyfriend. So, what has changed now?

Flustered upon this realization, Mae walked straight towards the bar and asked the bartender to give her drinks after drinks after drinks. After gulping down two bottles of beer, three shots of vodka and four glasses of margarita, Mae started babbling like crazy.

“Who does he think he is? He’s not even a star yet for Pete’s sake! He doesn’t have the right to treat me this way!” She shouted to no one in particular. A few people in the area gave her knowing looks but at that moment, she didn’t give a damn. All that’s in her head right now is that her boyfriend traded her and her birthday for a goddamn shoot.

“If this is how it goes, then good riddance! From now on, I don’t have a boyfriend named June Lee!” Mae screamed again and after a few seconds, she collapsed on the countertop.

Upon seeing her friend collapse due to drunkenness, Monica immediately called June to give him a piece of her mind. She already expected him not to take her calls so she took Mae’s phone and called him again. After five rings, June surprisingly answered.

“Damn you June! Is your shoot that important compared to the birthday of your girlfriend who’s actually drunk right now, huh?” Monica straightforwardly asked.

“Wait, what?” June asked, not even bothering to hide the shock in his voice.

“Do I really have to repeat myself June?” Monica asked and when she got no response from June, she continued, “Fine. For your satisfaction, I’m going to repeat what I just said. Your girlfriend is drunk right now, thanks to you.”

“Damn it. Why did you let her get drunk?!” June screamed from the other line. Monica shook her head in disbelief.

“Damn you too, June. It was your fault why she’s acting like this. Don’t you think putting her on the sidelines for nine whole months is a little bit too much?” Monica asked which made June shut up.

He told her that this was just temporary. It seemed that she was fine the whole time that they were together. How come he did not notice that she was feeling this way? A lot of questions ran on June’s mind but all of them were forgotten when the director called for him.

“I hope you rot in hell June. Mae doesn’t deserve a guy like you.” Monica said as she ended the call.

If everything was temporary, then why does it have to be this f__ked up?

 

 

SEND US YOUR POETRY AND FICTION

Super publishes poetry and fiction. Please send a piece of short fiction (or an excerpt from a longer work that is 500-800 words) or three poems in English or Filipino to [email protected] or to Ruel S. De Vera, Literary Editor, Super, c/o Philippine Daily Inquirer, 1098 Chino Roces Ave., Makati City 1204 Metro Manila.