The Real Friends
In the last chapter, Ai Yue starts to become friends with Ning Xue, Ling Xiao, and Yun Xia.
After the first conversation with the three of them, Ai Yue saw hope in the eyes of humanity again. From the time she was bullied, to the time that she was diagnosed, she started to trust humans less. Honestly, ever since all of these, she has faced everyone with a facade. She didn't know how she could be herself anymore until she met these three friends.
That day she went home and documented what she had experienced.
"Dear Journal,
I have made new friends today! I never thought I would say this but I never once thought that I would be able to make new friends anymore. After the first fallout, I was very determined to be alone. No joke, it was a serious thought. I never thought they would come to me LOL. They helped me out during the first fallout but, I never once appreciated their help. Well, this is a valuable lesson I guess. We ate and laughed. The atmosphere was so comforting and so calming. They always seem so chaotic but I never thought I would be able to like this atmosphere.
Yours truly,
Ai Yue"
Ai Yue kept her journal and started scrolling on her phone. The next thing you know, she is added to a group chat with Ning Xue, Ling Xiao, and Yun Xia.
"AI YUE! WELCOME TO OUR FRIEND GROUP!", Ning Xue texted.
Ling Xiao and Yun Xia also greeted her in the group.
"Thank you for having me here!", Ai Yue replied politely.
Ai Yue was again shocked at how generous these girls can be. She never would have thought that these girls would accept her as a friend again, let alone be in the same group chat as them. Well, in Ai Yue's life, she was never in group chats. I mean she was. But, she wasn't in many of them. She never had many friends to begin with so having them add her into the group chat was a pleasant surprise to her.
That night, they texted about everything from what they like to eat to when they would be meeting up. It was a fun conversation that Ai Yue had never experienced many times before.
As the conversation ended, Ai Yue placed her phone next to her and looked up at the ceiling, "I am very lucky to still have friends after this whole ordeal."
The next morning, she woke up with a text. It was from Ning Xue.
'Do you want to grab breakfast with us?'
Ai Yue did not know how to reply, she stared at her phone not knowing what to say. Should she go? Should she not? Should she just sleep? These questions started popping up in Ai Yue's head. What should she do?
Eventually, Ai Yue confidently replied, 'Sure, give me a few minutes to get ready!' She thought, may as well go for this to bond as friends. Being isolated for a long time can indeed give you a brain block.
Ai Yue went into the shower telling herself, "There is nothing to be nervous about…I will act fine, I will be fine."
Ai Yue then puts on makeup and a dress to wear to class. She wanted those three bullies to know that she was not suffering and that she was doing fine. She wanted a glow-up. She wanted them to feel guilty.
'We are outside of your dorm!', Ning Xue replied. Ai Yue saw the text and opened the door, wearing a black dress and carrying a backpack. Ning Xue, Ling Xiao, and Yun Xia were really surprised at her outfit. It was like a breath of fresh air. Who would have thought Ai Yue could wear something like this and rock it? Ai Yue never wore something like this before and well she got some advice from her sister on how to look confidently in this kind of dress.
"YOU LOOK AMAZING! Let's go grab some breakfast!", Ling Xiao exclaimed.
As they went to the canteen for breakfast, the four of them saw the three girls who bullied Ai Yue. One of them looked at Ai Yue with disgust, "You can get new friends now? How pathetic!"
"That's not for you to say, with that face of yours!" Ling Xiao looked at her angrily.
"We don't need to care about people like them. They don't deserve a second of our time." Ning Xue held Ling Xiao back.
"Well, let's just say, they deserve what they deserve!", Yun Xia looked at the three of them disgustingly.
"Let's just leave, Ai Yue does not need these disgraces in her face.", Yun Xia said as the four of them left.
As they buy breakfast from the canteen, Ning Xue, Ling Xiao and Yun Xia are worried that Ai Yue will be upset about the whole situation. However, Ai Yue assured them that she was doing great.
After the day of classes, Ai Yue went back to her dorm and called her best friend, Jia Yu. Jia Yu is Ai Yue's best friend from formal schooling years. Whenever Ai Yue needed Jia Yu, no matter how busy Jia Yu could be, she would text her.
"Ai Yue! I am so glad to hear you again!"
"Me too! How have you been doing?"
"I am doing great with accounting school! I am currently preparing for exams. How are you doing? I remember you telling me about the three of them bullying and
Ai Yue started sharing all of the details about the three with Jia Yu and well, Jia Yu was furious. How could people do this to Ai Yue.
"Girl, this is nonsensical behaviour. What are they trying to do?"
"I don't want to know. But, after the whole incident, I made new friends. Hopefully, this will work this time."
"I am praying for you! All the best! I need to study for my accounting exam…I haven't started…"
"GIRL, go and study! Bye! Talk to you soon!"
After this, Ai Yue closed her laptop and slept that night feeling wonderful.