Chapter 14

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"Sis, lunch time.   Let's go?"

Joey looked up from the pile of papers on her desk.   Ched was eyeing her intently, waiting for her reply. Joey smoothed a hand over her forehead and stifled a yawn.

"I'll pass, Sis.  Neck-high."  She pointed to the paperwork before her.

Ched set her mouth in a firm line and widened her eyes at her friend.  "I'm not taking No for an answer.   C'mon."

"Sis—", Joey started to protest.

"Get moving."  Ched moved around her desk and held Joey's arm.   Sighing in resignation, Joey stood up and allowed her friend to lead her out of the faculty room.  Ched led her along the hallways, firmly holding Joey's arm.  When they walked past the cafeteria, Joey started to protest again, but Ched shushed her.  Joey sensed her friend's serious, don't-mess-with-me mood.  She was always like this when she needed to get something off her chest.  Knowing her best friend all too well, Joey meekly ambled along.  They soon reached a cozy little house-turned-restaurant called Simon's Kitchen, a block away from campus.

As soon as they ordered two of the house specialties, fish stew and sizzling pork sisig, Ched lost no time in telling Joey what was bothering her.

"Sis, do you ever get to sleep?", Ched asked.

Joey looked at her in surprise.   "Of course. What kind of question is that?"

Ched eyed her in disbelief.  "Really?  You bury your nose in work all week.  Those dark circles under your eyes?  You're starting to look like a raccoon.   What gives?"

"I do get sleep.", Joey said defensively as her best friend arched her eyebrows.  "It's just...when Adrian calls—"

"Which is almost everyday.", her best friend butt in.   "And you don't let up until dawn."

"'Cause that's his only free time.  He's busy."

"Too busy, to be exact.  When did he leave?   Three weeks ago, right?"  Joey nodded.  "What did he promise you?  That he'd come visit after a week.  See what I mean?"

Joey sighed weakly.  "He did explain – something came up.  And we talked this morning.   He's picking me up next weekend.  He has a mall show coming up."

"Sure?"

Joey nodded.

"Then why is it you don't look excited?"  Her friend challenged her.

The waitress interrupted their conversation as she arrived with their meal.   Joey pondered on Ched's question as they quietly nibbled at their food.  Of course, she was excited to see Adrian.  These past three weeks of merely seeing him through a webcam only made her miss him more.   The pain of missing someone far away was all too familiar.  She had lived with this kind of pain so many years ago. The only difference now was that she would be with Adrian during the weekend.  But there was that inexplicable sense of foreboding eating away at her.  She shrugged it off.  Maybe it was just lack of sleep.  Maybe it was just the mountain of paperwork at school and at her uncle's office.  Maybe it was just apprehension at seeing Adrian's world for the first time.

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Adrian arrived before 7:00PM that Friday night.  He stood at the doorway of Uncle Laom's studio, dressed in a plain white shirt, black denims and black boots, and a wide grin on his face.  Joey walked into his open arms and he buried his face in her hair.

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