Narda Custodio rushed out of the ambulance at a furious pace and plunged herself into the havoc while big droplets of rain starts to pour down na ani moy binabagyo na sa lakas ng pagragasa ngunit patuloy parin siyang tumakbo papalapit sa mga gusaling nasira ng dahil sa lindol

"Narda!" Someone shouted but she didn't react at first

"Narda Custodio?" Muling pagtawag sa kanya.

Lumingon siya sa pinanggagalingan ng boses. "P-Po?" Ramdam na ramdam niya ang pag-agos ng tubig sa kanyang mukha pababa sa talukap ng kanyang mata habang umaangulo at tumatapat sa liwanag at pinapantayan ang pigurang kanyang naaaninag.

She blinked the rain away from her eyes. Water had gotten inside her collar while her bun felt like a soggy lump. Her hand were to full to tucked her ruined shirt.

"Akin na yang mga Medical Kit ako na ang pupunta sa loob! Puntahan mo si Ma'am Regina doon sa puting convoy para maituro mo itong likurang bahagi ng gumuhong gusali!" A tall, chic looking man said, wearing a police officer attire, He shouted to her over the roar of the rain while his fingers are pointing wildly behind him

"Per-" naputol ang kanyang pagrereklamo ng talikuran siya ng lalaki at agad agad na pumasok sa nasirang kabahayan.

Kamot ulo siyang pumunta sa puting convoy upang puntahan ang babaeng nagngangalang Regina Vanguardia na madalas niyang nakikita sa poster at social media bago siya pumasok bilang isang Emergency Medical Technician ay matunog na ang pangalan ng batang abogada dahil sa mga maiinit niyang patutsyada sa Mayor ng Nueva Esperanza ngunit sa halos apat na buwan na pagtratrabaho ni Narda bilang EMT ay hindi niya pa ito nakikita ng personal.

Narda almost reached the parking space where the van was located but a puddle of mud was the villain of the story she slipped and wait for the ground to be kissed

"Putangina" pabulong na sambit niya sa kayang sarili

She's ready to meet the tragic fall but someone wrap their hands around her waist supporting her balance and slamming her body against each other "Shit" She whispered and when she opened her eyes.

"S-sorry.. I..." She stopped, taking in the other woman's warning look. Regina gave her the most minute of head shakes. Narda's eyes flew wide at the realization of what that meant "Pasensya na ho Ma'am hindi ko ho napansin-" she was cut off once again while she's trying to straighten her thoughts

"Next time be aware sa surroundings mo" Regina said while the other one was still in haze causing her to raise her voice and said "Ano pang tinatayo mo jan? Wag kang tatanga tanga lead the way" Naiinis na ani nito habang inagaw ang payong sa kanyang kasamahan

Agad na tumalima si Narda at naglakad patungo sa mga nalindol na gusali at paalis sa mata ng camera

"CUT!"

Umalingawngaw ang malakas na boses ng derector kasabay ng pagtigil ng ulan mula sa mga hose ng firetruck na kanilang nirentahan para sa set ng kanilang sinushoot na teleserye.

Jane de Guzman licks her lower lip habang sinalubong ang mga mata ng kanyang Co-Actress na si Janella at muli sanang hihingi ng paumanhin ngunit nagsalita muli ang kanilang director "I like the adlib pero iretake parin natin yung nasa original na script and let's see kung alin ang mas maganda para sa storyline"

"Yes po Direk, Pasenya na po"

"It's okay" The director gently tap her shoulder and clap her hands "Everyone break muna for forty five minutes"

"Excuse me, I need to change my Jeans" Janella Maxine Santillian Aka Regina Vanguardia whispered causing the other one to look down and winced at the sight of her Jeans covered with splattered mud

"Sorry" Jane said but she received a single nod paired with a tight smile

Napabuntong hininga nalamang si Jane habang pinagmamasdan ang likod ng dalaga "Tsk Tsk Tsk Bad Shot ka agad unang shoot palang natin with her" Joshua one of the co-star said while wiping his wet hair "Hindi ko naman sinasadya" buntong hiningang depensa ni Jane

"Alam mo ang balibalita sa Showbiz industry High Maintenance daw siya" He said then he softly shrugged "Hindi ko naman siya masisi kasi galing siya sa mayamang pamilya kaya Prima donna ang attitude niya tska mabait naman siya" Umiling nang bahagya si Joshua sabay dadag "High Maintenance nga lang"

Natahimik nalamang si Jane while she opens the water bottle and chug it in one go.

________

Janella stare at her reflection after seven hours of continuous shoot under the fake rain and eight hours of shoot indoors the day was finally ended "Did i really make the right choice?" she asked her manager over the phone while she frowned and sighed "or dapat ba nakinig nalang ako sa iba and be a vlogger and stop pushing my self in another teleserye"

"C'mon darling we already touch this topic months ago and hindi mo na pwedeng iwan ang project na to, I'm sure naman after this you will gain you momentum once again"

Janella rolled her eyes "Yeah right and people will mostly hate me, because let me remind you i'am the foe in this story"

"Listen, after big the announcement that you bag this well known comic turned into a TV series a lot of endorsement are knocking in my emails so darling tiis tiis na lang we will get through this and everything will be done, after all what happens in the shoot stay in there okay?"

"Yeah" She whispered and hung up.

She pulled a long and heavy sigh while she stared at the ceiling after that she tightly shut her eyes when she felt the throbbing pain in her head. Almost two years nung nawala siya sa showbiz industry and in that two years she experienced a lot of emotional and mental stress from her lovelife, from her career and from her traumas but before the memories could comeback ay may marahang kumatok sa pinto ng kanyang dressing room.

"Yes?" Tension flood back into her shoulders habang rinig na rinig niya ang pagpihit ng doorknob, ang bawat galaw ng orasan at ang mga halakhak ng mga kasamahan niyang artista at crew sa labas.

"Um, hi?" A woman with damp messy hair stood before her. She wore jeans, a T-shirt, and a strained look. "It's Jane. Jane de Guzman?"

Was she asking or telling? Janella peered at the young woman, waiting for something more but nothing follows so her eye fell to the hands clutching a steaming paper cup. The girl gazed at her with wide, innocent, regretful eyes.

"What do you want?" Janella asked but ended up biting her tongue when she realize that it came out a little snippier than she'd intended to.

"Nandito ako para humingi ng tawad kasi ng dahil sakin medyo na delayed yung shoot at nakarami tayo ng retake" Jane shrugged and cutely scratched her cheeks then she waggled the steaming cup in her hands "And nagdala ako ng alay para sayo"

Kumunot ang noo ni Janella sabay tanong ng "Mukha ba akong santo para alayan mo?"

Jane nodded and hummed "Siguro?" pabirong ani niya

Janella rolled her eyes and shut it again habang prente paring nakaupo sa sofa suot ang robe na binagay ng kanyang stylist dahil kumukuha pa ito ng damit sa kanilang van "Hindi ako umiinom ng kape"

"Endorser ka ng kape diba?" Jane statement made the other one to look at her and raise her brow "But don't worry because i'm sure na favorite drink mo to" Jane added causing Janella to be curious

Janella pursed her lips and held out a hand for the cup, willing to test Jane's claim out of curiosity and nothing else. Their fingers brushed as the cup exchanged custody, and Jane snatched her hand back as if was bitten.

Goodness. Was her reputation so awful that new the new star magic sweet heart believed that she was the High Maintenance Bitch? Janella thought but her mind was cut off when the heavenly scent hits her nose the nutty and rich smell of cocoa with the hint of cinnamon clouded her mind and bring back the memories that she have in Spain.

She drew the cup to her lips. Paused. And then sipped.

Her taste buds exploded. The wash of flavors flowed through the perfectly hot choco drink and she can drink this cocoa in one shot but she force herself to lower the intoxicating drink, Janella looked at her expectant colleague in astonishment. It had been years since she'd been home to taste this. The thought that she could have it here, somehow, on hand, was overwhelming.

"Saan mo to nakuha? And paano mo nalaman na paborito ko to? And i need the name of the store particularly sa brand ng cocoa na to"

Natawa nalamang si Jane sa sunod sunod na tanong ni Janella habang naupo ito sa isang monoblock chair "Apology accepted na ba kapag sinagot ko yang mga tanong mo?" She playfully asked

"Will you tell me?" Janella arranged her features and crossed her legs then she lean a bit and sultry whispered and beg "Please"

Jane's gaze dropped to her feet as red crept up her neck and ears causing the other one to smile "I-I uh" Jane cleared her throat "I got the info from the internet and sakto may ganon akong cocoa kasi a friend of mine gave me dozen of boxes kapag umuuwi siya sa spain" she purse her lips and look around maliban nalang sa nakakaakit na pigura sa kanyang harapan "Yon..ummh.. yun na yon"

"Ahh" Janella nodded and lean back against the sofa at tahimik na ninamnam ang tamis ng cocoa sa kanyang mga labi and after draining the cup with one last, satisfied sigh she put the cup on the table and lick the remaining taste on her lips

"Apology accepted" Ani ng Batikanang actress habang pinagmamasadan ang dalaga sa kanyang harapan, hinayaan niyang maglakbay ang kanyang mga mata sa hubog ng dalaga at ng matapos ang ilang sigundo ng malayang pagmamatyag ay sinalubong niya ang mga tsokolateng mata na mariing nakatitig sa kanya. Jane's eyes are full of hope, determination and sparks and Janella remembered the old times when her eyes look like hers

Jane cleared her throat sabay tayo sa kanyang kinauupuan "I'll go now"

Isang munting tango lamang ang binigay niya at pinagmasdan niya itong umalis sa silid bago huminga ng malalim dahil sa kakaibang tension na nararamdaman niya sa kanyang emotion.