I know my family will be worrying...about where I am, but I'll tell them later.
If I tell them where I went they'll just do everything in their power to keep me from going. It'll most likely work too, Zoe has a way with words that can ease everyone onto her side. Even if I disagree I can't convince everyone as well as she can.
At first...it didn't seem wise to come here.
But now that I'm here, I feel even worse. My jet lag is very bad. I didn't think there'd be such a bad reaction. To be honest, I thought jet lag was fake.
Not anymore.
As I began to go down the escalators I didn't even need to look that hard even though there were so many people here. I stood out like a sore thumb and the stares were just evident. No one tried to hide it...it's fine I guess.
It's not like I know what their mumbling under their breathes or talking about.
Once I was down I still knew where he was already.
I stood here, seeing Mimi standing at the exit. He had a grin on his face and I just stared at how...beautiful he still looked. It startled me how on camera he looked great, but I couldn't ever look at him that night.
The night he called was interesting. Because that was a night where I was really down. I go through phases of depression at times. It's not a joke at all.
I just have no drive and I want to just sit still. Forget about my career and all of that! Just want to give up.
I don't even try to make friends. The people I do speak to they think we're friends, but in my mind I see them nothing more than just people I happen to be around. My view on things is twisted and dark.
Maybe I'm just being overdramatic, but it doesn't feel that way. I can go some days or even weeks feeling fine and I can do things. I can fake it so well, but it hurts.
I really have no body. The one person I trusted the most and loved disappears and on the day I really was down, he calls...
I don't know how he does it-.
"Travis!"
I flinch, looking as I see Mimi rushing at me. My eyes widen when he just bolted towards me with so much speed. I saw him begin to open his arms and I didn't get it.
I wanted to dodge it because I could. Except I saw his smile and I became distracted.
How could he look so happy?
Before I could get back into reality he pounced onto me. I feel him hug me so tightly as his face hid itself in my chest. My eyes divert down onto my arms that hung limply at my sides.
I move them, patting his back some. Only for him to pull back and look up at me so happily.
"I...I can't believe y-you're here." He breathes, grasping my face abruptly. "You look amazing. That time we w-were on a call I took a screenshot of your f-face. You looked so good, but you look just...immaculate now!"
I found my eyes...softening on him. This old feeling was starting to come back the more he spoke to me as if we were never separated.
He stuck to me very closely despite everything. His hands felt on my face and he just kept such a smile on his lips.
"You look-."
"Min-Jun, I parked the car!"
I flinch when I hear a male voice. I look up to see some mixed guy power-walking over. He looked out of breath as he stood next to Mimi, soon looking at me and bowing.
That's when I pull away from Mimi, and he looks at me in confusion.
"Kyler how far? I told you to j-just wait." He whines, causing him to pout.
"B-But they made me park! I can't just hog the entrance. That's only for when your dropping people off. You were taking too long and I couldn't fool them anymore. I'm not trying to get in trouble." He folds his arms and shakes his head. "Besides, I didn't park too far. Don't worry."
Kyler smiles brightly at him only for Mimi to look away.
"Travis, this is Kyler. He's probably one of the only people you'll m-meet that have African American descent. He's half Chinese and half of the other - grew up here all his life. He knows all the good places for us to go to." Mimi nods firmly at me.
I look at Kyler and see him give me a firm nod too, smiling. Except I wasn't all that enthusiastic.
"I am fluent in English so you don't have to worry about me not knowing what you say. I'll help anyway I can. Oh!" Kyler took out his phone, and I see him point at an app. "Do you have WeChat?"
"What?"
He glances at Mimi who was just gazing up at me. That's when he looks back at me awkwardly.
"WeChat is a messaging app. It's a free download and an easy way to keep in contact. Min-Jun and I have our whole tennis team added and possibly more. I have about eighty. He has hundreds though." Kyler snorts when Mimi seems to smack back to reality.
Mimi began to shake his head fast.
"I don't r-really talk to them though. I just felt bad because they'd ask for it-."
"That's why you should've just said bùshì." ( no. ) He shrugs, and I'm assuming that meant no.
"I don't mind." He smiles only for Kyler to shake his head. "What?"
"Travis, did you know that he is the most popular student at our uni currently? The girls and boys call him the 'Wang Qiu Wang Zi'," Kyler begins to chuckle when Mimi sighs, "Prince of Tennis."
"Absurd. That's a TV show a-and manga."
"Yeah, but you're so good that they called you it even though it is. You said for them not to call you king, so... It's to be expected." Kyler purses his lips as Mimi shook his head fast.
That's when I found myself becoming annoyed. I saw them speaking to one another on and on about useless shit.
I'm learning from Kyle here that he plays tennis. They are very close it seems...I've never seen this side of him.
It began to hurt again...
"I'm tired of standing here and hearing you guys talk." I say, and Mimi flinches. Kyler just raised his eyebrow at me. "I didn't come here to hear you guys do this."
"What exactly did you come here for? Min-Jun you never said." Kyler grips his chin and looks at me for a bit.
"He's here for me." Mimi says fast, about to grab my hand until I pull it away. I saw the pain that flashed before his features, but I just look away.
I just look forward...not wanting to stand here any longer.
"Looks like I'm the only one who suffered." I state, and I see Mimi just look at me like I was crazy. Kyler turned really fast and nodded forward.
"Let's go. I'll take you both home. There's no point in you two speaking here, it's...uncomfortable." He just chuckles some as he goes walks a little faster.
I roll my suitcases along and could see Mimi watching me from my peripheral vision. He looked pained still and I was just confused at that point.
He is doing just fine, clearly. Why must he put on this act like he's really hurting?
It's too fake for me to handle.
____forty min. later____
I stood in Mimi's apartment, seeing Kyler and him argue about something tennis-related.
Could see Mimi showing him some racket and Kyler seemed to be jealous of it. I don't was just disappointed was all.
"Okay, okay!" Kyler exclaims out of nowhere. "I'll buy one. I just wasn't sure if they were good quality. The gripping is very good though and it ices through the wind. I'll buy one, okay?"
"G-Good! I knew this was a good idea. Now to convince everyone!" He smiles happily as Kyler took a picture of it.
That's when he begins to walk towards the door where I stood. He hands me a note and I look to see his stupid WeChat username and someone else's.
"I insist, add me and Min-Jun. Regular numbers won't always work. See you!" He waves goodbye and I don't say anything.
Right when he left I saw a cat rush at his feet. He bent down some, petting it's head.
That's when it hit me.
"Goodbye Rosie, I will definitely see you later." He gushed. Once he left I saw Rosie look up at me and I just...look away from her.
I see Mimi removing his jacket, and still watching me. Once it was off he rushed towards me just to pick up Rosie.
"Travis...it's-."
"Rosie, I know." I interrupt him, looking around. "This is a nice place."
"Y-Yeah..." Mimi drifts a little. "You can sleep in my room if you want. I want you to sleep in the same bed as me, that'd be so nice."
"That won't be necessary." I answer fast and his smile fades. "It really isn't. I just got here."
"Even more r-reason...as to why you should." Mimi murmurs and I shook my head. "Okay...you can have this room."
I follow him as his room was taking up on big area. The other rooms on the completely other side. He gives me the second largest it seems as he nods into it.
As I go in I feel him grab my sleeve. I look over at him and he just looked at Rosie.
"Travis when y-you're done, come to the balcony...let's talk, okay?"
I just look at him, and once he actually looks up at me I was just at a loss for words again.
He looked so beautiful. I couldn't even deny that and never would. Just I was at a loss still and will continue to be.
I don't understand...why is he holding such pain. He was happy not too long ago.
Doesn't even feel right.
But I still need to listen...I owe him that much. I'd be crazy not to listen.
"Okay."
____Mimi____*
"You've changed."
I look over my shoulder to see Travis walking towards me. He stood beside me now and I smile.
"For better? Or f-for worse?" I question him, and he shrugs. "I would s-say I'm more...cool."
I smile, and he doesn't say anything. I grab my old tennis racket now as I start to examine it some. When I look at him again he wasn't even looking at me now.
"Listen, my p-parents sent me back here around Halloween. They s-suggested that it be best I finish here because I had d-distractions in the US. I didn't want to leave, I-I didn't; but I had to. They let me live by myself though and go to school, and I w-went into tennis to distract myself from the fact I was taken from you. I c-couldn't say a word, but it wasn't up to me. But...it's weird that I'm kind of th-thankful they sent me back." I confess to him, and I see his expression still blank.
I could tell he got much better at hiding his expressions. Probably because I was abruptly taken...and he couldn't do anything about it he hid how he really felt. At least...that's how I'm seeing it.
"I did miss y-you, promise. It might not seem that way, but I did. I'm just...I don't wish to b-be back in that mindset like back then. No..." I look off now, and I saw him look away from me. "B-But I do consider us to still be together. What about y-you?"
I wait for his response, but he didn't answer. My lips tighten together because I knew he was upset. It was even worse because I couldn't read him anymore. He's definitely changed into a negative person.
"Well, that's fine. I d-don't need an answer." I smile at him, and he finally looks at me. "L-Look, want to see how good I've g-gotten at tennis? I actually have some f-friends who I practice with."
Swinging my racket playfully, I see him not even react to me doing so. I just grin awkwardly as I nod at the door.
"Look, um, follow me." I walk us out of my apartment, going to the elevator. As we stood there I saw him looking the other way completely opposite of me.
That's when I look and saw two of my friends making their way to the elevator too.
"Hǎi-Yún, Liu!" I call their names, and they were quick to rush towards me. I smile at the both of them but saw their eyes divert onto Travis so fast. They looked at him kind of nervously, but it seemed to be more in awe.
"Who...who is that?" Liu questions me quietly in English, and I look over my shoulder at Travis. His eyes were still cast somewhere else even when there were people.
"This is Travis." I say softly, nodding at him. "He's-."
"A friend from the US. Yeah, that's me." He interrupts me fast even though before he couldn't seem to utter a word to me. Now he speaks just to say that?
"Friend? Min-Jim you never once said you had such a cool friend!" Hai blushes at him and he doesn't even smile back.
"I bet, I'm no one important." He lies to them. I look at him in confusion because I never once said that. I didn't understand what he was trying to do. "We only knew one another for...what was it...? Three...almost four months. I don't think it was a long enough period of time for me to be considered 'cool' or be brought up again."
"I guess that could make sense." Liu grips his chin, practically checking him out; but not in a rude or weird way. "You're quite tall, how tall are you?"
"He's 6'7." I mumble, and they gasp.
The elevator opens and we all go inside. They continued to talk with him about silly...things. When they'd ask anything about me he'd give vague or barely an answer.
I was going to say we were boyfriends, but he interrupted me before I could like he didn't want me to. I know that they aren't ones to hold your preferences against you, but still!
When we get to the bottom floor they both walked out, and before he could I stop him. I block the exit off from him and he looks away from me.
"Liu, Hai - I need to talk to him really quick. We'll see you on the court okay?" When I say that to them they nod. Once they walk off I close the elevator doors and look at Travis. "Wh-What are you doing?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're...you're saying that you're not important to me. That those th-three to four months o-of us together weren't the most important m-moments of my life."
"I never said that."
"It's coming off that way. Don't be rude." I tell him calmly, and he doesn't doesn't change his expression. "Travis...I'm n-not doing this with you. You didn't just come here to be r-rude, right?"
His hand slammed on the button, opening the elevator doors. He was quick to rush out and I had to stop myself from collapsing again. I refuse to go back to that weak state!
He...he has to know I didn't leave because I wanted to, right? I said so too, so why is he behaving this way?
I go after him now and saw him make his way to the tennis court correctly. I thought I'd have to show him, but he didn't seem to need help. There were English and Mandarin signs so...that's probably why.
Before we went inside I see him stop as if he was opening the door for me. Only for me to be shocked when he walked right through. I had to grab the door before it closed. Walking in now, and kind of feeling irritated.
"Did you two talk?" Liu asks as I made my way up. "Because we warmed up. I don't think you need to warm up though. You picked this sport up easily, you're too good. Our college worships you."
"Oh, no they don't." I smile shyly as I stretch some. "You should see how Travis plays at his college. He's the best one, he could beat everyone on our college team."
"Can he now?" Hai just looked absolutely intrigued by him as he didn't seem to care about the facts I was stating. "Did Min-Jun ever play?"
I look at her in confusion because I've told her before I have. She always teases me about it though because she didn't understand how someone as short as me could make it. I'm not even that short, just kind of short for a male.
"Yeah, he did. He made it on the team, but then he left so." He just tells them plainly. Except I look at him in shock. I had made it?!
I smile excitedly at him as I grab his arm, holding onto it. When he looks at me I saw him not even change his expression. It was as if he was still talking to her. He didn't see me any different than her...an acquaintance?
"I really made it on the team?" I inquire excitedly as I lean forward some.
"You did, but I didn't think you cared to know you did at this point-."
"Of course I would!" I gasp, glancing at Liu and Hai who looked between us both awkwardly. "That sport was so lovely to play. I was certain I was very good at it. I think I still have what it's got, might be kinda rusty but nothing I can't overcome."
I see him shrug as he faced forward, causing me to feel my face heat up. I...I don't understand-.
"Liu didn't we have stuff to do earlier?" Hai bumps elbows with him, and he frowned.
"No-." She smacks his arm only for him to have a look of realization across his face. He smiles as he nods at her. "Yeah, we did. I forget all the time, I don't know why. Let's go!"
The both of them ran off now. Leaving me alone with Travis who just snorts, unzipping his jacket.
"Those friends of yours are horrible actors. They weren't fooling anybody, they had nothing to do." He rolled up his sleeves as he looks around. "Your parents spoiled you with this place. Must be full of spoiled kids huh?"
"I don't know...I only know fifteen here." I mumble as I grab a ball.
"Oh that's not a lot." He mocks, snorting again at me. "Is there a basketball court around here? I want to dribble some-."
"Wait! I wanted you to see how I play." I say to him fast. "Does tennis...bore you?"
He just looks at me and doesn't say anything. I stood here awkwardly because I didn't know what he was going to say - honest! His expression honestly made me nervous because I couldn't read it.
"I'm happy to see that you seem to have done great without me and made lots of friends and are making a name for yourself. I don't seem to be missed all that much besides the normal stuff. You were forced back, but you seem to be happy and moved on. You don't regret it, you're thankful for them sending you back here. I can tell...why must you rub it in and make me suffer more-?"
"S-Suffer? Travis what? I'm just showing you my friends and trying to get you into my life again." I state firmly.
"I have no friends. I couldn't trust anybody and didn't want to get hurt by anybody again... You didn't seem to have that problem-."
"Travis you don't know what I went through. Yes, I made friends. Yes, I am happy now that I was sent back. Yes, I am doing many things! But that doesn't change the fact that I missed you. No one told you to not better yourself from this experience, but I didn't think you'd become this cold..."
"Not cold, just hurt." Travis mumbles, and I see him look away again. "They were right...it wasn't a good idea coming here."
"Who said that? Louis?" I say with irritation in my voice. I wanted him to hear it and he seemed to.
"No." He snorts. "My sisters, remember them?"
I flinch, remembering them all right. Zoe and Diane...they're probably furious with me.
"Of course I do, they're so sweet." I saw him walk away from me and I grab a tennis ball. That's when I bounce it on the ground and hit it in his direction.
When it hits the wall harshly and he stops walking as it bounces back to me. He looks over his shoulder at me and I grin.
"Don't do that, what if you had hit me?"
"I wouldn't have, that's the p-point."
"I didn't see a point besides you trying to knock my head off."
"It's a t-tennis ball Travis." I raise my eyebrow because he was being ridiculous. "Is this all this will be? You...despising me for something I couldn't fight against-?"
"I don't despise you, don't be so conceited." He interrupts me, sighing as he pops his neck. "I was actually...happy to see you. When you said for me to come I was so excited and thought you'd be in the same state as me...broken and missing you. Except you're not, and then you say you're actually happy they sent you back? What about me?"
I look away from him because now I realize where I messed up.
"Doesn't even matter. I want to go back to the room, what's your code?" He asks me plainly as if he wasn't just acting hurt earlier. I don't even want to be outside anymore either.
He isn't going to watch yet.
"I'm going up t-too."
The both of us head back to the elevators now. Neither of us taking, but we both had different reason as to why we weren't talking. I wasn't talking because I didn't want to make it anymore awkward than it already is.
He seems to despise me, yet says for me not to be conceited and that he doesn't. Then what is it then? He holds anger towards me, and maybe...what?
I can't find the word, but it's something.
Even if I figure it out...I'd never tell him I did anyway. I think it'd...either make him upset or hurt him. I don't want either.
I just want my old Travis back.
___________________🥺
old Travis, huh? 😲
wonder when he'll come back. 💀
you're in for it. 😶
- yolo✨