"Hey hey, lapit na Valentine's Day."

"You're implying?"

Switched to what I call a dreamy voice. Spoke in an uninterrupted, breathless fashion.

"Rae, I would've dated you, but you're there, and I'm here, and you're young, and I'm old, and..."

"Are you being sarcastic?"

Switched back to usual voice. "I'm being shallow."

"Oh, right." She laughed. "You're so... seriously. I can't even say it."

"So..."

Confused. "What?"

"Wait, wait, are you single?"

That was an unexpected question. Voice in head. "Come on, Rae, say it, say it..."

Actual voice. "Yeah. Why?"

"I can't believe you're single. How can a smart cookie like you be single?"

Because we're dorks whose social ineptitude render us incapable of getting to grips with our romantic feelings, more so acting on them, even if the subject may very well be a dork, only with less social ineptitude?

"You've probably caught someone's eye by now."

"Where are they?" Sarcasm. "I am admittedly unattractive. Or, the idea of guys having to get there first. You get me?"

"Yeah. That's sad. Well, I find you attractive."

Eyes rolled.

"I adore your intelligence."

See, I am a dork.

"I almost wrote 'well, that sucks' before you said the last bit. Now I'm forced to blush!"

Tried, probably was successful. I don't know. I probably looked constipated.

"Wow! I made a guy blush!"

"Virtually?" Thought bubbles race. "You haven't made your... ex-boyfriend blush?"

"I guess not. It's either that or his skin's too bronzed. Either way you felt flattered."

"I need flattering. Really." I really meant it. "But really, Rae, if I could date you, I would. If only I knew how."

"Well, that's why I'm here." Even if she's in Dallas and I'm in Manila, and she's 17 and I'm 20. "As your female friend."

Whispered to self. "Sayang, hanggang dun lang."

"You would? That would be cool. We're miles apart. I think I'm unattractive myself."

"Nonsense."

"No. Its sense is plentiful." This case sounds familiar. Very familiar. "I wonder how many girls you've said that to."

"I haven't encountered a woman who said she's unattractive. Either she's quiet or she goes, 'I'm gorgeous!'" Ale suddenly sprang to mind.

"No. Seriously. Haven't I told you that I'm strange? Just like you? Great. We match."

Whispered to self again. "Oh, good Lord, why the distance?"

"Are you really serious?"

Do I look serious? Do I have to explain that I joke like this sometimes?

"This is such an awkward conversation. But I like it."