Since Summers

forty four : caring fella

Did I lose myself or did I gain you?
I started to run to the lake
Inside, I saw my face
Please, don't say anything
I hold out my hand to cover your mouth
But in the end, spring will come someday
The ice will melt away
- Singularity, BTS

AUTUMN

I wanted to stay. I wanted to hear his decision, what he was going to do next yet before I could, my phone rang. My first thought was to reject whoever calling but when I glanced at the picture on my screen, I knew I had to accept the call. It probably cost her a lot to even call me. I got up from my chair and quickly walked out of the bar, knowing full well if I started talking there, the boys would notice my voice.

Once I got outside, I pressed the green button and Mey's face filled the screen.

"Autumn!!! I miss you!!"

I nearly cried. She looked exactly like she was months ago yet at the same time she looked different. I could not really pinpoint what it was but she looked a tad more mature than she had before. "Mey! I miss you too! How are you? How's school and how's Hunter?"

When my friend had decided to stop being a Chinese who did not speak Chinese' and gone to Taiwan, her boyfriend (who was also Tyler's best friend) Hunter Jones packed his bags and went with her. With the timezone difference and our busy schedule, we did not have time to call let alone video call although we did send each other text every once in a while.

"I'm doing fine. School starts to get interesting but my classmates are rather frustrating but overall I'm good. Hunter is good too, he actually wants to see you but he's going for a pee break." Mey chuckled then adjusted her bangs.

I walked towards the elevator and then pressed the call button. A few seconds later an elevator arrived and I stepped inside. Since I had to retrieve my purse anyway, I decided to go back to Frazier's suite so I pressed number twenty and leaned against the back of the elevator. "Why frustrating? Are they giving you a hard time?"

Mey heavily sighed. "Yeah. They're a bunch of foreigners, well, there are definitely not Chinese and they found it funny that I am a Chinese but need to learn Mandarin." I could see tears in her eyes. It was difficult for her during high school too and that was why she did not have any other Chinese friends back in Carlton High but again, Carlton High was in D.C. and we used English so I could understand how difficult it must have been for her to be in China, being a Chinese yet could not speak Mandarin (Chinese).

"Well, tell them to stop giving you a hard time or I'll buy the first flight to Taiwan to kick their asses!" I hated the fact that she was so far away that I could no longer protect her.

"I hope you're not talking about me." I heard a male voice and my best friend turned around. From the happy look on her face, I knew it was Hunter. She moved a little to her right, giving Hunter more space on the couch so that I could see both of them. "Hey, Autumn. So whose ass are you going to kick?"

Mey gave me a 'don't tell him' look but I saw that a little too late as I already answered him, "Mey's classmates, of course."

Hunter frowned then raised one brow as he turned to look at Mey. "Why? What's wrong with them?" When Mey did not say anything, he slid his gaze back to me. "Tell me, Autumn."

"They're giving her a hard time for being a Chinese who doesn't speak Mandarin. I thought the whole point of having you there is to protect her, be her knight in dazzling armor and all those stuff."

Hunter groaned. "Why didn't you tell me, Princess? I would love to smack some sense into their heads and smack their teeth too in the process."

"That," Mey finally spoke again, "is why I didn't tell you. You cannot pick a fight, Hun. We're not in America, that thing can get us kicked out from here."