Distraught LinLin

"Girl at the back there. The one wearing black jumpsuit. Hello..hello there..."

"-Hey, Madam called you. Hey..hey.."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

LinLin jolted from her wandering mind and looks questioningly at her side. Her classmate points towards the front with her lips. So she turns to the front and startled when she saw the angry glares from her lecturer and the other students mocking eyes.

"Are you done daydreaming?"

"I'm very sorry, Madam. Won't happened again."

"Better not. Or I'll kick you from my class. Pay attention!"

"Yes, Madam."

LinLin struggling to focus on what her lecturer's teaching at the front until her last class. Last night conversations kept repeating inside her mind. It makes her want to cry again.

...

Last night.

A list of pop jazz songs played in the room. Because of Wang Hua absence, LinLin felt bored, thus she decided to listen to some music. Her housemates were busy with their own tasks and assignments. She enters the kitchenette and fetched a jar of cookies.

She hummed the song along while doing her assignment when suddenly her phone ringing. 'Chien-jie' flashing on her screen.

"Hello, Chien-jie," she excitedly greets.

".."

"What's wrong, Jie? Your voice didn't sound good."

".."

"What happened to mom? Jie?"

".."

LinLin jumped from her bed when she hears what her sister relayed. Several drops of tears fell on the floor.

"I want..want..to go back, now," she choked.

She rushed towards her closet and pulls out a small luggage. What her sister said next cease her movements. She dropped on the floor, hugging her knees and crying a bucket.

"But..but...."

"No, LinLin. Just stay there and focused on your study. Listen to me. Mom won't be happy if you skip classes because of her. I'm here with her, alright. I was just informing you before, because I don't want to keep you in the dark," the woman said over the phone.

LinLin just nodded her head robotically, unable to utter a word to agree or refute her sister's argument.

"I'll take care of her properly, don't worry too much okay. It's nothing serious. I want to let you talk to her, but with your obvious sobs, mom will be worried. She already warned me not to tell you, but you're her daughter too. So I don't want you to be in the dark. Be a good girl, okay. I'll let you talk to her tomorrow. Bye for now. Take care of yourself too."

The call was disconnected but LinLin tears doesn't seem to cease.

...

She didn't even remember how she went to bed last night. When she woke up this morning, her eyes were puffy with how much crying she had. Fortunately her class doesn't start early as usual today. So she managed to reduced her swollen eyes by the time her class start.

"Hey, stinky girl!"

"..."

"Hey..hey..."

"..."

Plonk!

"Fu*k! It's hurt. Who the hell knocked the book on my head?"

LinLin turns to the side and saw a grinning Jason standing there with a thick book.

"You! Do you want me to kick your balls?"

"I called you numerous time but you didn't answered. So I was left with no choice but to knocked you."

"Don't disturb me buffoon."

"Hey, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. What do you want?"

"Are you going to the street foods square today?"

"-Hey class. Our lecturer can't come, so the class was dismissed."

"No."

LinLin picks up her bag and strode off.

Jason rolled his eyes with her attitude before he walked out too.

...

"Hey, hey, hey..I'm back."

Micheal throw his bag on the couch and slumped his body.

"Hey, are you guys going to the street foods square today?"

Calvin and Danial just shrugged and continue playing game on their phone.

"Don't know yet. You want to go?" Jason asked.

"Yes, it's quite boring to eat the cafeteria's food everyday. Oh~ how I missed Wang Hua's cooking."

"Yeah..me too."

Danial's fingers paused before he continue tapping on the screen. He missed her too, each day felt incomplete without her presence. Although before they didn't met everyday, but at least he knows she was in the campus. So he felt content. But now, she was so far away, and they can't communicate with each other. Supposedly she came back last night but she didn't. He silently sighed.

"Come on, come on..let's book the bike. Ask LinLin to join us too."

"She don't want to."

"How did you know?"

"I asked her before the class was dismissed. That grumpy girl," Jason harrumphed.

"Maybe because Wang Hua isn't here, so she didn't has the mood."

"Probably."

Jason thought back to LinLin's distraught countenance.

'She seems okay last few days. What could happened? Ah! Why did I thought about her? It's not my concern how she fares.'

"So you want to go or not?"

"Yes, but using my own motorbike."

"Great! Wake me up later when you want to go. I want to nap first."

....

Late at night.

A figure looming over LinLin's bed and tucked her blanket properly before sit on the vacant bed across her.