Mei: Saturday, February 5th.
"They're gonna kill me!! If they keep giving me work, I swear to God, they'll kill me. I took this group project to engage with everyone, and look at what I've gotten myself into. Literally, I'm doing all the work, while those lazy bums just give me orders."
Carla: Listen carefully, I'm with you. The due date is in 2 days, and we can finish it quickly.
Mei: I know we can, but isn't this supposed to be a group project? It feels more like a duo project to me.
Carla: Ugh, once we get things done, we'll talk to them about it.
Mei: No, I'm gonna talk to them right now. If they want good grades, they better help me out.
Carla: Ugh, Mei, you're as stubborn as always. By the way, ah... did you see Jen Feng's post? He looked so handsome in that white shirt and gray pants.
Mei: Well, yeah, kind of... umm, yeah, he was... actually hot...
Carla: Oh, come on, I know you're hiding something. Everyone knows you have a crush on him. Like, duh, isn't that obvious?
Mei: Hey, stop it... it's nothing like that... Oh, I completely forgot, I need to take my overcoat from the dry cleaner and return it to the guy from the cafe... It's been like 2 days, duh.
Carla: Fine, I know you're diverting the topic. It's fine; I'll talk to you later. I have some work to do too.
Well, that didn't end well. This lady always pulls my leg. But she's the only true friend I've got. She understands me. When I left the US to study here, she came along with me. She's a typical white American woman, but somehow she fits in this Asian country. Well, I have my roots here, so I can adjust a little. She even took the burden of learning Mandarin with me all these years.
I guess it's time to go. I open the door and step out of the dorm. I feel... strange. It's like... someone is watching me every day. The cameras in the dorm hallways are creepy. God knows what these security personnel be doing watching us... (chills) Urghhh, creepy... thinking about that... I wonder how people feel while posting online... millions of people watch them without their consent... well, they post it to get likes... so it's voluntary... but what about those online creeps... eeee., i wonder if the guy is still working there or did he get kicked out?.. oh shit i have to hurry.
but can't help but watch the beautifully colored streets and enjoy it, especially this time of the year, the lunar new year for you.
As I walked, I saw the cafe didn't look so suspicious. I felt like everything is okay over there. I peek from the glass window, looking for the guy... while I was doing that, there was a pat on my back... I jumped with embarrassment and looked back... there was this drowsy yet energetic man... I guess he works here... he has a name tag... it says... umm ahhh... huu...yaa...nggg.
Huang: "It's Huang... hard time reading Mandarin, huh?" smirked Huang.
Mei: Ah, yeah, kind of. I am a student. I was raised in the US, but my roots are from around here.
Huang: Well, having roots isn't enough. Having an identity is what matters. So, what brings a suspicious-looking stalker to the store, huh?
Mei: Hey! I am no stalker!! Well, I was looking for someone.
Huang: Someone?
Mei: Yeah... (I take out the overcoat from the bag and show it to him)
Huang: Ah, it rings a bell. You're the girl Chen was talking about.
Mei: Was he?
Huang: Ah, never mind. Well, Chen has been sick for the past 2 days. Give that to me, and I'll make sure he gets it. You can trust me; he's my goddamn roommate.
Mei: Poor soul. I'll pray for his health. I hope he gets well soon.
i partially feel that i am too responsible for this... ahh stop it Mei pull it together i have a job to do, to teach them lazy bums a lesson
Chen
(later that day)
*knock *knock
ha come in!.. oh its huang he looked happy for some reason i guess something happened to him,
Huang: yo! look i brought some thing for you
i looked at his hand he had a bag with him i wonder what's that,
Huang tossed the bang onto the messy bed "its your lucky day Romeo"
i sat up instantly despite the headache and opened the bag it was the coat, it had a faint smell of her perfume, "ha-ha look i told'ya she did come back, in your face dip shit,.. she came back because she knew we had a connection "
Huang: she was looking for you i said u were on sick leave , she said she will pray for you
this bought a smile on my face
Huang kicking his shoes off collapses on his bed his voice muffled with the mattress "yeah yeah you two childhood lovebirds reunited ,.. wake up man .. she is way beyond your league, you are just overthinking about it
Huang didn't understand it nobody did i fall back clutching the coat against my chest
Mei
Saturday February 5th night
I lay on my bunk bed, staring up at the ceiling. The dorm room was completely still, but my heart was still racing. There was a pin-drop silence so quiet I could hear every squeak of the mattress and the wind brushing against the window. But inside, a looming horror echoed through my chest.
knock-knock
i gasped and startled i get up slowly and stare at the heavy wooden door
i crept my foot against the cold tiles and my hands shaking as i reach the door knob
when i opened the door slowly i looked around .. no one .. i swallowed hard and thought i was paranoid, when i was about to close the door , a dark shadowy figure lunged at me , i screamed out of terror throwing my hands up shutting my eyes closed and stepping back
But instead of a threat, I heard a laugh. A loud, hysterical, painfully familiar female laugh.
i opened my eyes it was Carla, laughing her ass off, holding her stomach wheezing "your face " She wheezes points at me
i yelled as my adrenaline rushed across my body
"WHAT THE HELL CARLA!!!"
she enters inside the room laughing and shutting the door with her foot, and throwing her bang on the floor
Clara: bitch you jumped like a cat *laughs*
Mei: SHUT UP!
Clara: okay okay i am sorry
she saw my face still with terror and turned blue and my hands shivering she asked me
Clara: you alright babe
Mei: i have to tell you something about last night
Clara looked at me as if i got her full attention she didn't say a word
Mei: remember yesterday u had to get to the dorm early cos u had to meet someone
Clara: *hesitant* ye..eah...
Mei: i had to walk alone at night you know the usual route we take ...
Clara: ye.....ah....
Mei: i was not alone Clara
Clara: bitch WTF!
Mei: Yeah. When I was walking down the street, heading into the alley, I felt these ominous eyes looking at me. And every footstep I took echoed in the dark... but the other footsteps right behind me were heavier. Stronger.
When I sped up, they sped up. When I stopped, it was just dead silence. I was so panicked to get out of the dark that I rushed toward the main road. I wasn't even looking at the street. I was about to step right off the curb into the intersection...
Clara: then?
Mei: A hand. A warm hand clamped around my wrist and yanked me backward. Hard. A second later, a delivery scooter blew right through the red light. It would have killed me.
Clara: Jesus!.. who was it?
Mei: That's the thing. I spun around to thank them... and the alley was empty. There was nobody there. Just... nothing.
Clara came closer to me held my hand and took a closer look, and she stood up and held my head against her chest embracing me ... it felt safe and comforting
Clara: it's okay, babe... there is nothing like that, okay? You're alright. I am here... I would never leave you alone, ok babe?
i held her tighter, the tension in my shoulders finally dropping.
Mei: yeah...
Clara suddenly pulled away, a burst of energy replacing her serious tone.
Clara: you know what? Let's watch a movie. It's girls' movie night, bitch!
looking at Clara's enthusiasm changed my mood instantly. the looming horror from the alleyway faded away, and i nodded yes to her suggestion.
Mei: ok, now real question... which movie?
Clara: hmmm, lemme think.... oh! Oh! The Godfather!
i look at Clara with a look of absolute disapproval.
Clara: what?
Mei: i don't like The Godfather movies... in fact, it's overrated.
Clara: bitch, what? How can you even say that? It's a perfect movie!
Mei: that is what everyone says.
Clara: Robert De Niro! Al Pacino! ROBERT DUVALL!
Mei: such great actors... but i didn't like the movie.
Clara: ok, what didn't you like about the movie?
Mei: it insists upon itself.
Clara: what does that even mean?
Mei: it takes forever getting in, and then you spend like six hours of them just talking.
Clara: have you seen the ending?
Mei: yeah, the one where everyone sits around.
Clara: i love that scene!
Mei: i don't even know what they're talking about!
Clara: bitch, you don't know what you're talking about... ok, what sort of movie do you like then?
Mei: in my opinion, Breaking Bad has better pacing than The Godfather... and i love thrillers. Bone-chilling horror films... the ones that make you not sleep at night.
Clara: you are a tasteless human being... Thriller, heh? Why don't we watch the series You?
Mei: seriously! You had to go there, huh... bitch, I hate you.
Clara: haha, got you bitch! Okay, hmmm... let's watch Ip Man. What say?
Mei: that's a fun watch.
we finally settle onto the bed, the comforting glow of the laptop screen pushing away the darkness of the room. i feel safe. for a brief, peaceful moment, i completely convince myself that the warm hand in the alleyway was just my imagination.
and then, the silence shatters.
BAM! BAM! BAM!