"And then the chair thumped against the wall," I gushed, "Gosh, it was so awesome!"
My family members stared at me, not sure how to react.
"Awesome?" Adam echoed.
I nodded, "What?!"
"He ditched you right on, Winnie." Adam added, walking towards me and putting his palm against my forehead. "Are you feverish?"
I slapped his hand off. "Pfft, no! The point is that I stood up for myself. Anyway, he likes skimpy jeans that writes BIG BUTT all behind it." I snorted, still remembering how stupid it looked. And how much more stupid of me to actually liked him. Geez.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Dad asked, his face creased with concern. "I don't exactly approve you going to some stranger's house," he paused to glare at my mum's now guilty face. "but I'm glad you're not upstairs slamming the door and crying."
Okay, hold up - how did he know what girls do when they get dumped anyway?
"Dad, what did you work as before you were a manager?" I asked, curiosity shot through me. I was afraid he'd be rather mad at me for asking him some question that was related to how he was so good in the Teen Girls Department.
"A psychologist," he answered, smugness in his voice. "very nice job. But then, your Mum thought it was too easy."
That figures.
"You mean," I asked again, fidgeting in my seat, "girls come to you and spill their problems?"
He noticed, "Why are you suddenly asking me these?"
I shrugged indifferently. What was I supposed to tell him? Something like, "I don't know, you just sound like a 15 year old best friend," I stopped, "a girl's best friend."
He rolled his eyes, and I laughed. Mum still had her guilty and stricken expression plastered across her face.
We were at the diner table, Mum's cooking on everyone's plate. Adam had already left when I slapped his hand. Perhaps to get his palm covered with tape or plaster or something, considering he's so fragile. Literally.
I touched my mum's shoulder who was seated beside me. "Mum, I'm not playing a charade. I'm really okay."
She shook her head vehemently, although she never stopped chewing her beansprouts. "I was going to stop you, but I let you go."
There was a short silence.
"It must be hard, Winnie. I know." She smiled sadly. "I can't believe I let you get into so much of pain, what kind of mother am I?"
"A very caring and thoughtful one?" I tried to guess, flinching. I sink into my seat, hoping to not go through it. Back then, I was blabbing about what happened. Now, I just hoped I had lied about everything. Anything but hurting Mum. Mum wasn't supposed to get hurt in this situation. I was, but strangely, there was no pinch or a snap that would go off anytime that the pain would flow and fill up my whole sense.
"Yes, I agree with you, Bing." Dad said, still glaring straightly at mum. "You weren't responsible and I'm actually very disappointed."
"Oh come on Dad! Give Mum a break." I whispered loudly. Mum's name was Francis, but ever since Dad saw FRIENDS and how everyone called Chandler, he found that name 'Bing' pretty interesting. I chuckled at how ridiculous that idea was.
Mum sighed, "I'm not going to do that anymore, I promise."
I silently shrieked. This is what Dads do. Break Mums' trust in their daughters, and their daughters can never date again. Ugh. "Until you're ready," Dad said, "And I think I'll be the one who would determine that."
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."
Mum let out a gust of breath again, and she said, "Okay."
I hugged them both goodnight, since it was 9 already. No way would I want to drag that conversation, because currently I won't ever think about dating. Not after what happened. Though it was not entirely tragic.
Climbing up the stairs, I heard my phone ringing from my phone, the ring tone muffled. I strode faster and landed on my big purple bed and reached for my handphone. Flipping it up, I answer it with a very frustrated tone.
"Hey?"
There was a little pause at the other end, and I heard Taylor Swift's 'You Belong With Me' in the background. Bebe was on the other line. Did she know she called me or was she playing a silent treatment game with me?
"Bebe!"
"Oh, hey! What's with the coldness?"
"My tone, you mean?" I asked, a little embarrassed. I didn't expect her to call me. "Nothing, just very stressed now."
"So where have you been? 6 feet under?" she asked, acidic.
"No!" I shouted, "I'm not dead, you witch! I was just busy and everything, okay?"
"Oh really? So busy that Dame and I haven't heard from you since eons? Yeah, that busy."
Gosh, Dame!
"Bebe, did you call to argue?"
She sighed heavily. "Noooo. I just missed you, you know?" WOW, she really did thought I've died.
"I'm so sorry, Bebe. And to Dame, too. I miss you guys so much, but I haven't had time to uhm, talk much. I know, I've been sucha bad friend. But it's just this Ian guy and..." Before I realized, the whole story was laid in front of her.
"And you're not mad!?" She was as surprised at me as I was.
I shrugged, and noticed that she couldn't see me do that, so I talked into the phone, "Yeah."
"Whoa."
"Yeah, whoaaa." I didn't have much to say anymore. "Well whatever, he's not worth it. One evident: He's with Lynette." And another tale flowed out. I slapped my mouth shut but it was a wee bit too late.
"Lynette, huh?" she sounded very attracted, "Can I -"
"No." I knew what she was about to do, grab her and snap her head or something like that. In the previous school I was in - since she was still studying there - I was never the victim, because everyone knew I had a mortal protector, Bebe. Okay, so she looked tiny and clumsy, but her flawless self could bring anyone down. Especially Lynette.
Oh, and Bebe is way good in comebacks. She had to tutor me about that once, but I didn't catch on. It was - if sensible - too hard.
"Pfft," she continued, "you're so no fun."
"Hey anyway, how's Dame?"
"Uhhhh...."
"What?!" I asked, suddenly alarmed. What? What? Did he crash? Did he flunk? (He's very particular in his academics, unlike every other male population I've ever seen of, or heard of.)
"Wait, let me tone the radio down." She tried to make an excuse.
"It's not even loud."
"It is to me."
"Bebe."
"He crashed and burned."
"WHAT."
She laughed out loud, and I had to keep my phone away. Her laughter was deafening. Crashed and burned? What the?
"I'm just kidding!" She was laughing as she said this, and it didn't keep me from fuming.
"Girl, I swear! If you ever make any stupid comments or something reaaaally horrible, I'll snap your neck. At the very moment."
She laughed harder, because she knew I couldn't. Not to her, never. I was that pathetic and helpless. I sighed.
"Okay, fine. How is he?"
"Sipping chocolate milkshake." She replied casually.
"He's at your house?" I asked, sounding as casual as her though I was kind of taken by surprise. What does that make them? A couple? Lovers? That was when I've gotten it: I've missed too much of my best friends' lives. And I feel terrible. I could have admitted that I actually forgotten about them completely. I'm an animal.
"Yeah, we're waiting for someone." She said again, her voice teasing.
"Who?" I couldn't bare my patience anymore, I wanted to know just everything. Every meal they had when I was gone, everything they wore, what time they've slept, everything.
"Gosh," she said, "you really don't know?"
I deliberated. Maybe I should keep cool, lying to her that I knew, when of course, I didn't. Or should I just say no? 'Fly On The Wall' was now playing in the background as she still waiting for my reply. The suspense was driving me crazy. My mouth suddenly twitched as I put my puzzle together, could it be?
"I'll be there." I answered. They were waiting for me, of course!
"Awesome." I could almost hear her hiding her smile away, afraid that I could suspect her. And then she hung up.
Maybe the pain that Ian has caused me haven't come flooding over me, but I'm pretty sure it will. I'll be meeting him everyday in school. Unless, something changed. Something big. No, nothing big. But could I survive? I'm pretty sure if I could bring Lynette the Queen of Babble down, I could. I smiled widely as I grabbed my sweater, and climbed down again.
I could survive, that much, I knew.
My family members stared at me, not sure how to react.
"Awesome?" Adam echoed.
I nodded, "What?!"
"He ditched you right on, Winnie." Adam added, walking towards me and putting his palm against my forehead. "Are you feverish?"
I slapped his hand off. "Pfft, no! The point is that I stood up for myself. Anyway, he likes skimpy jeans that writes BIG BUTT all behind it." I snorted, still remembering how stupid it looked. And how much more stupid of me to actually liked him. Geez.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Dad asked, his face creased with concern. "I don't exactly approve you going to some stranger's house," he paused to glare at my mum's now guilty face. "but I'm glad you're not upstairs slamming the door and crying."
Okay, hold up - how did he know what girls do when they get dumped anyway?
"Dad, what did you work as before you were a manager?" I asked, curiosity shot through me. I was afraid he'd be rather mad at me for asking him some question that was related to how he was so good in the Teen Girls Department.
"A psychologist," he answered, smugness in his voice. "very nice job. But then, your Mum thought it was too easy."
That figures.
"You mean," I asked again, fidgeting in my seat, "girls come to you and spill their problems?"
He noticed, "Why are you suddenly asking me these?"
I shrugged indifferently. What was I supposed to tell him? Something like, "I don't know, you just sound like a 15 year old best friend," I stopped, "a girl's best friend."
He rolled his eyes, and I laughed. Mum still had her guilty and stricken expression plastered across her face.
We were at the diner table, Mum's cooking on everyone's plate. Adam had already left when I slapped his hand. Perhaps to get his palm covered with tape or plaster or something, considering he's so fragile. Literally.
I touched my mum's shoulder who was seated beside me. "Mum, I'm not playing a charade. I'm really okay."
She shook her head vehemently, although she never stopped chewing her beansprouts. "I was going to stop you, but I let you go."
There was a short silence.
"It must be hard, Winnie. I know." She smiled sadly. "I can't believe I let you get into so much of pain, what kind of mother am I?"
"A very caring and thoughtful one?" I tried to guess, flinching. I sink into my seat, hoping to not go through it. Back then, I was blabbing about what happened. Now, I just hoped I had lied about everything. Anything but hurting Mum. Mum wasn't supposed to get hurt in this situation. I was, but strangely, there was no pinch or a snap that would go off anytime that the pain would flow and fill up my whole sense.
"Yes, I agree with you, Bing." Dad said, still glaring straightly at mum. "You weren't responsible and I'm actually very disappointed."
"Oh come on Dad! Give Mum a break." I whispered loudly. Mum's name was Francis, but ever since Dad saw FRIENDS and how everyone called Chandler, he found that name 'Bing' pretty interesting. I chuckled at how ridiculous that idea was.
Mum sighed, "I'm not going to do that anymore, I promise."
I silently shrieked. This is what Dads do. Break Mums' trust in their daughters, and their daughters can never date again. Ugh. "Until you're ready," Dad said, "And I think I'll be the one who would determine that."
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."
Mum let out a gust of breath again, and she said, "Okay."
I hugged them both goodnight, since it was 9 already. No way would I want to drag that conversation, because currently I won't ever think about dating. Not after what happened. Though it was not entirely tragic.
Climbing up the stairs, I heard my phone ringing from my phone, the ring tone muffled. I strode faster and landed on my big purple bed and reached for my handphone. Flipping it up, I answer it with a very frustrated tone.
"Hey?"
There was a little pause at the other end, and I heard Taylor Swift's 'You Belong With Me' in the background. Bebe was on the other line. Did she know she called me or was she playing a silent treatment game with me?
"Bebe!"
"Oh, hey! What's with the coldness?"
"My tone, you mean?" I asked, a little embarrassed. I didn't expect her to call me. "Nothing, just very stressed now."
"So where have you been? 6 feet under?" she asked, acidic.
"No!" I shouted, "I'm not dead, you witch! I was just busy and everything, okay?"
"Oh really? So busy that Dame and I haven't heard from you since eons? Yeah, that busy."
Gosh, Dame!
"Bebe, did you call to argue?"
She sighed heavily. "Noooo. I just missed you, you know?" WOW, she really did thought I've died.
"I'm so sorry, Bebe. And to Dame, too. I miss you guys so much, but I haven't had time to uhm, talk much. I know, I've been sucha bad friend. But it's just this Ian guy and..." Before I realized, the whole story was laid in front of her.
"And you're not mad!?" She was as surprised at me as I was.
I shrugged, and noticed that she couldn't see me do that, so I talked into the phone, "Yeah."
"Whoa."
"Yeah, whoaaa." I didn't have much to say anymore. "Well whatever, he's not worth it. One evident: He's with Lynette." And another tale flowed out. I slapped my mouth shut but it was a wee bit too late.
"Lynette, huh?" she sounded very attracted, "Can I -"
"No." I knew what she was about to do, grab her and snap her head or something like that. In the previous school I was in - since she was still studying there - I was never the victim, because everyone knew I had a mortal protector, Bebe. Okay, so she looked tiny and clumsy, but her flawless self could bring anyone down. Especially Lynette.
Oh, and Bebe is way good in comebacks. She had to tutor me about that once, but I didn't catch on. It was - if sensible - too hard.
"Pfft," she continued, "you're so no fun."
"Hey anyway, how's Dame?"
"Uhhhh...."
"What?!" I asked, suddenly alarmed. What? What? Did he crash? Did he flunk? (He's very particular in his academics, unlike every other male population I've ever seen of, or heard of.)
"Wait, let me tone the radio down." She tried to make an excuse.
"It's not even loud."
"It is to me."
"Bebe."
"He crashed and burned."
"WHAT."
She laughed out loud, and I had to keep my phone away. Her laughter was deafening. Crashed and burned? What the?
"I'm just kidding!" She was laughing as she said this, and it didn't keep me from fuming.
"Girl, I swear! If you ever make any stupid comments or something reaaaally horrible, I'll snap your neck. At the very moment."
She laughed harder, because she knew I couldn't. Not to her, never. I was that pathetic and helpless. I sighed.
"Okay, fine. How is he?"
"Sipping chocolate milkshake." She replied casually.
"He's at your house?" I asked, sounding as casual as her though I was kind of taken by surprise. What does that make them? A couple? Lovers? That was when I've gotten it: I've missed too much of my best friends' lives. And I feel terrible. I could have admitted that I actually forgotten about them completely. I'm an animal.
"Yeah, we're waiting for someone." She said again, her voice teasing.
"Who?" I couldn't bare my patience anymore, I wanted to know just everything. Every meal they had when I was gone, everything they wore, what time they've slept, everything.
"Gosh," she said, "you really don't know?"
I deliberated. Maybe I should keep cool, lying to her that I knew, when of course, I didn't. Or should I just say no? 'Fly On The Wall' was now playing in the background as she still waiting for my reply. The suspense was driving me crazy. My mouth suddenly twitched as I put my puzzle together, could it be?
"I'll be there." I answered. They were waiting for me, of course!
"Awesome." I could almost hear her hiding her smile away, afraid that I could suspect her. And then she hung up.
Maybe the pain that Ian has caused me haven't come flooding over me, but I'm pretty sure it will. I'll be meeting him everyday in school. Unless, something changed. Something big. No, nothing big. But could I survive? I'm pretty sure if I could bring Lynette the Queen of Babble down, I could. I smiled widely as I grabbed my sweater, and climbed down again.
I could survive, that much, I knew.
