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36. INT. CHANNEL 8 STUDIO A – HALLWAY – THE NEXT DAY

Curiously enough, the hypothetical “walking in on Lilith taking a dump” scenario posed by Jake, bursts into reality the following day.

Luis and GEORGINA ZAMORA (the Starburst Final Four are guests on RSVP’s Sunday Spectacular today) have just finished their dance number, a high concept Tarzan in bondage production number, complete with dancers in patchy gorilla suits, and a live python.

Naturally, Luis is Tarzan, clad only in a loincloth (and complimentary Hanford briefs, artfully concealed by said loincloth), and armed only with a puny foil-wrapped plastic knife, while Georgina is some slinky, evil panther queen in black furry bra and panties, and a whip.

They have just finished gyrating to Britney Spears’ “Toxic” (Luis thinking the whole time, In your face, Patrick Swayze!), effectively raising the temperature of the already sweltering studio to dizzying heatstroke heights, and reducing the audience to a shrill wall of keening banshee sound.

Now Luis, still clad only in his loincloth, towel draped over his prominent traps, walks down a hall backstage.

He feels strangely purged now, having finally achieved some modicum of clarity of thought, at the production number’s finale, at the center of the screaming, and clapping, and whistling, as if he’d sweated out all his confusion in his exertions.

Though he’d spent long sleepless hours last night weighing and considering, it was only at that precise moment that he came to this realization: I am not that person Cassandra described last night. I am trying my best not to be that person. I believe I was raised to make the right choices so I don’t become that person.

But.

I am only human, and thus, can be weak sometimes.

I do not want to become that person, though, my personal Tagabah: I will not become him.

So a tentative plan is formulating, even as he walks to Georgina’s dressing room to congratulate his dance partner, a plan that will not only help Lilith (by placing him in a position to save—or, at the very least, protect—her), but also help him as well, and, perhaps, help so many other people too.

Luis, excited, elated, adrenaline still raging through his system, raps quickly on Georgina’s door, then opens it without waiting for a reply.

37. INT. CHANNEL 8 STUDIO A – GEORGINA ZAMORA’S DRESSING ROOM – CONTINUOUS

“Hey, Georgina,” Luis calls out merrily, “ang galing—“

He stops, suddenly, not quite believing his eyes.

Georgina is sprawled out on a couch, a sleep mask over her eyes, still in her furry bondage outfit (this is usual for Georgina, the whole diva-reclining-on-a-sofa-with-sleep-mask-on-right-after-coming-off-stage bit, though the furry underwear is a new and novel twist), and there, bending over and kissing Georgina on the forehead, is Lilith.

Absurdly, Luis thinks, Pucha, lesbiana si Lilith!

Then it dawns on him, in all its glacial horror, and he shouts (her name? He shouts something) and rushes forward, grabbing Lilith, throwing his arms around her in a semi-tackle, and suddenly, he feels the weakness, as if all the adrenaline (and energy in his body) is being siphoned out of him, the way he’s always imagined it would feel for Habagat when the hero is exposed to criptonatz.

He stumbles, clumsy jungle man, Tarzan shot with a tranquilizer dart, and Lilith pushes him away with startling ease, taking a step back.

Painfully, Luis slams against the wall.

“Don’t touch me!” she screams shrilly. She catches a glimpse of Ruben, at the door, right before he quickly slams it shut.

Dizzy, slumped against the wall, Luis looks up at Lilith, who is hugging herself, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Wh… why…?” he asks weakly.

“Na-selos ako, Luis! Every time she touched you, while you were dancing…” She shudders.

Leaning against the wall, Luis struggles to get to his feet. “Is she…?” He looks at Georgina, on the couch, then locks gazes with Lilith. “Papatayin mo ba dapat siya?”

“I don’t know,” she says, her voice shrill, hysterical. “I just… I was so jealous!”

Slowly, Luis walks to Georgina’s side. “I’m just… titingnan ko lang yung pulse niya, ha?”

He lays two fingertips on Georgina’s wrist, breathes out a huge sigh of relief, then, “Tulog lang yata siya.”

Luis, careful he does not brush up against the sleeping Georgina in any way, sits down on the very edge of the couch, looks up into Lilith’s tear-streaked face.

He speaks, slowly, not really knowing precisely what he’s going to say, not until the words have left his lips.

“You know you don’t have to be jealous. Not of Georgina. Trabaho lang `yun, yung sayaw. Performing.”

Luis looks at her, frail and forlorn, and his heart aches to see her like this, wanting to throw his arms around her, pull her to his chest, to comfort and shelter her, junkie shudder doing a centipede crawl up his spine, from tailbone to neck, but knowing better. (Still, that does not lessen the ache, and the urge…)

“I think,” he begins, then pauses. Breathes in. Sabihin mo na.

“I think I love you, Lilith. And I think you love me.” He searches her face for something, exactly what, he’s not entirely sure of. “Tama ba? Hindi lang yung ego ko yung nag-akalain na mahal mo ako?”

Lilith nods. “You’re right.”

A smile creeps out on Luis’ face. “Right na you love me, or right na nag-delusyon yung ego ko?”
“Right that I love you,” she says softly.

“Why? Why do you love me?”

Lilith is taken aback, clearly not having expected the question.

“Because I feel safe with you,” there is a certainty in her voice that, under normal circumstances, would thrill Luis to no end. “Kasi alam ko you would never, ever hurt me. Even if, in the end, ikaw yung masasaktan.”

Lilith looks into Luis’ eyes, and he sees a warmth there, some sort of turmoil that hadn’t been there when he’d first met her.

“Ang daming rason, Luis.” She shrugs, and it’s still divine, that shrug. “Why does anybody love anybody else?”

Luis takes a long, deep breath, lets it out through his teeth.

“So it’s not because you want to… to…”

Lilith looks at Georgina. “Hindi ko siya mahal,” then, looking back at Luis. “I would rather die, if I could, than do that to someone I love.”

There is suddenly a lump in Luis’ throat, and he coughs, eyes blinking, and Lilith thinks, Umiiyak ba siya?

But he is back in control in a heartbeat.

“Okay,” Luis nods, resolute, looking to Lilith so much like Habagat. “Okay. Kailangan ayusin natin yung problema.”

And Lilith, trusting, nods as well, knowing if anyone can solve this problem, Luis can.

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