Although the sun was up, it was quite cool. The leaves were swaying to the gentle breeze.
Reina never went back to sleep after Chrissie’s phone call. She immediately packed her things, knowing it was going to be a long drive.
The address Chrissie gave her was somewhere in the outskirts of Taipei. The travel time would be around 3 and a half hours.
After her things were packed, she left a note for Daniel on the side table. With a last glance on his sleeping form, she blew a kiss and went on her way.
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It was 6 in the morning and Reina’s been driving for the past 3 hours. As it was a clear day, she opted to wear something comfortable and light: a plain white tank top, a pair of low rise jeans, and snakeskin GUCCI boots. She wore a white headband to keep her long hair in place and a pair of Jackie-O sunglasses.
She decided to call Ruth, her secretary. After the fifth ring, a groggy and annoyed voice answered the phone.
Reina smiled to herself before speaking, “Ruth, sorry I called quite early. Did I wake you up?”
Ruth’s voice changed and hastily offered an apology.
Reina laughed. “It’s okay Ruth. I called to tell you to cancel all my appointments today.”
“I’m on my way to attend a more important matter. Thank you, Ruth,” she said and ended the call.
She was taking a left turn off the highway when suddenly, her phone rang again.
“I’m expecting you to be here in 30 minutes and not a minute later!” Chrissie said on the other end.
“Okay.. okay… I’m actually taking the dirt road towards the address you’ve given! Just hope I won’t get lost…” Reina laughed at her friend and shook her head. She was obviously in some kind of distress for her to order her like that.
========================================================
It’s been five years since she had seen Chrissie. Their parents firmly decided to separate both girls fearing that they would get into more catastrophic scenarios.
Although, it broke Michelle Yan’s heart, she and her husband decided to send Chrissie to live with her maternal grandparents in Geneva, Switzerland.
True enough, the girls’ separation subdued their unconstrained personalities for the meantime.
Without the Yan and Yang tandem, Reina focused more on her academics. Although she partied every now and then, it wasn’t the same as having her uncontainable best friend around.
Aside from that, she had been issued a severe warning for the stunt she pulled on one graduation ceremony. Until now, she still wonders why she never got expelled from ABAC. That particular scenario of adulterating Sherwin Xu’s reputation almost ruined the university’s morally upright impression and uproar indirectly embarrassed Thailand’s Princess.
She could still remember that day…
“Well, what have you got to say for yourself, Miss Yang?” Dr. Komolmas asked in a stern voice.
Reina looked at her feet. She had never been this scared in her entire life! Her heart was pounding like crazy and felt like it was going to burst! She wished the earth would open up and swallow her whole!
“My God! Raindrop! What have you done this time?!” Jeri Stahl said in a bewildered voice as she opened the door into rector’s office.
Reina gazed up to her and bit her lip. She was almost about to burst into tears.
Jeri scolded her daughter, “Don’t give me that puppy dog look! Your father is fuming! He’s blaming me for everything!”
“Who do expect to be blamed?” Drei Yang cut in, as he strode in the room, with a calm face but a murderous look. “After all she just took after you!”
“Why do you always blame me? Haven’t you realized that you’ve allowed her to become as she is? Indulging her every whim and fancy? What was she supposed to think with all those women you keep on flaunting at her face?” Jeri rattled on and on, waving her hands at him.
The rector coughed to gain their attention. “Mr. Yang, Miss Stahl, may I remind you that you’re in my office. If you want to settle your domestic disputes, discuss it someplace else.”
The parents both apologized for their behavior and took their seats.
“No wonder this child turned out to be quite a problem,” thought the rector regretfully. “Her parents are but children!”
“Now regarding the matter at hand, Mr. Yang, Miss Stahl, you do know why she’s here, don’t you?” Dr. Komolmas began.
Jeri and Drei just looked at him with a blank expression on their faces. They were clueless as to what their daughter had done.
Dr. Komolmas narrated what happened at the commencement exercises. Pausing every now and then, meeting the parents’ eyes and occasionally looking over at Reina.
Beep! Beep!
“Sorry..” Reina said, and took out her hand phone. She switched it to silent mode and checked her SMS.
SMS: Yang, still alive? Are your parents done killing each other? Who won the round this time? –Chrissie
Reina giggled which caused Dr. Komolmas to look sharply at her.
“Miss Yang, this may seem like a joke to you but this is no laughing matter. It seems that you still find the turn of events amusing. I would like you to step out of the office while I speak to your parents privately,” he addressed Reina in a calm but angry voice.
Embarrassed, Reina went out and immediately called Chrissie.
“Unfortunately, both of them are very much alive but Dr. Komolmas won the round. You should have seen them, Chris. They were like children reprimanded by the rector! It was hilarious! Good thing that Dr. Komolmas asked me to step out or I would have burst out laughing!” Reina relayed the information to Chrissie with much amusement.
Just then a familiar elegant woman rushed pass Reina into the rector’s office.
Reina’s brows furrowed as she tried to recall where she saw that same woman before. She made a face and shrugged.
“Where are you anyway?” she asked her friend.
Chrissie tapped Reina’s shoulder and said, “Right behind you!”
“Then why didn’t you say so in the first place?” Reina pouted and turned off her phone.
“It was fun watching you talking on the phone,” Chrissie replied with a smile.
“Idiot!” Reina exclaimed and hit her friend with her bag.
They were both laughing and tickling each other when Reina’s parents went out of the rector’s office. They stopped as soon as they saw the grim expressions on their faces.
Reina thought at that moment that she was expelled and her parents had decided to split Chrissie and her up. But they did not and wonders of all wonders she was not expelled.
“Hmmm… Maybe Dad gave a huge donation for the school multimedia equipment,” Reina thought.
Later she learned that Dr. Komolmas decided to give her another chance, as her parents pleaded, on the condition that Reina and Chrissie comport themselves responsibly, bearing in mind that they carry with them ABAC’s name.
Although they have not quite mellowed out, Reina and Chrissie tried to keep themselves away from trouble, meaning, no pranks as audacious as the Sherwin episode.
Semesters had passed and the girls were enjoying their lives as young adults until one day…
“What’s wrong with you, Yan?” inquired Reina, as she sat next to Chrissie.
“Feeling a bit under the weather?” she added, taking a look at her friend’s pale face.
“PMS….” Chrissie replied, with much effort. She didn’t really want to talk now. She would rather be left alone.
“Hey, didn’t you say that you were having PMS a couple of weeks back?” Reina asked again, shrugging her shoulders.
Chrissie paled even more. Her eyes grew large from the realization!
“OH MY GOD! Oh my God!” Chrissie exclaimed, fear registering on her pretty face….