sentimental overdose

last night i finally saw the notebook. the movie, silly -- not the school supply. and i wouldn't have seen it if not for a few well-masked bribes and persuasion. you see, i'd heard from somebody that it's a five-hankie movie. and my pragmatic facade protests over too much drama.

i wasn't surprised when my best friend asked for some tissues like half an hour into the movie (i had to give her my handkerchief). i was reasonably skeptical when my other friend (who was a guy) kept muttering jokes to himself at possible mini-climactic scenes. and i was privately amused when the guy sitting beside me (and who was not a companion) started sniffing and (gasp!) wiping his eyes. but when it came to the crunch, i betrayed the truth about my hopeless-romantic sentimental nature and broke down. yep, i meant it. not just a few tears shed or a few sniffs. but i so did not bawl. that would be too much.

afterwards, you would think we'd been watching a comedy from rise and fall of laughter you'd hear. from everyone. and no, it wasn't because of some blooper scenes shown at the end. we'd all been laughing at the way we'd succumbed to the drama. and laughing hysterically. i'm sure i wasn't the only one who had a male seatmate who shed a few tears. or who had to borrow my own hankie back because i was so overcome with emotion.

so when my best friend and i got home, after hearing her wax enthusiastic about the story and my other friend sarcastically pointing out that we'd been had, i thought i had enough for one night. but nooooooo. i had to ask for more punishment. as if reading can ever be that for me.

my best friend bought a novel two weeks ago, the newest title of one of my favorite authors. i had converted her into a fan when i lent her two of my better titles. but i was taken by surprise when it finally sank in that she has only read four chapters in the whole two weeks she's had the book. my curiosity was piqued. i had never been able to resist the books i had bought for more than a weekend, especially if they're romance novels. and i considered it as a challenge. at 11.15 last night i dared myself to finish the book during the night. for however long it took to read the whole thing.

and the result? i sent a text message to two of my friends when i had just finished reading and was still unable to sleep. the time was 5 am.