The Tea is Spilled

Kath scrambled to her feet, her face red with embarrassment. "Nope! Never seen her before!" she said quickly, brushing herself off as though nothing had happened.

Freen's eyes softened immediately, a look of disbelief and longing flickering across her face. Her voice was quieter this time, almost tender: "Becky…"

Everyone froze. The room went completely silent, save for the faint hum of the air conditioner. Freen took a step forward, her hand half-raised like she wanted to touch Becky.

Becky's eyes widened slightly. She took a step back, bumping into the bed frame. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered.

"Becky, stop playing around. It's me." Freen's voice cracked slightly, and her eyes were growing watery. She took another step forward.

Becky instinctively backed further away, shaking her head. "I don't know you!" she said, a little too loudly.

Orm, who had been quietly observing the scene while sprawled on one of the beds, sat up with exaggerated excitement. "Oooh, this is juicy! Let me grab a notepad. Someone's spilling secrets today!"

Becky shot her an annoyed look. "There's nothing to spill. I don't know her!"

Freen's frustration suddenly bubbled over. She crossed the room quickly and grabbed Becky's face with both hands, squishing her cheeks like she was a toddler. "Don't know me?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising. "Do you think I don't recognize this face? These cheeks? Huh?! Look at me, Becky! LOOK AT ME!"

Becky struggled to free herself, her muffled protests coming out in a string of nonsense: "Let go! Mmph! Stop it!"

Orm was now laughing so hard she almost rolled off the bed. "Wow, Becky! You've been here for one day, and you're already facing domestic violence! This house is wild!"

Ling, who had been silently watching with crossed arms, clapped her hands sharply to get everyone's attention. "Alright, enough!" she barked. Her serious tone immediately silenced the room.

She stood in the middle of the room, her expression stern as she turned her gaze toward Becky. "Now," Ling said firmly, "spill the tea. Who are you really? Because I don't think your name is Kath."

Becky shifted uncomfortably under Ling's intense gaze. She lowered her head, staring at the floor as if it would save her from the interrogation. "I told you. My name is Kath," she muttered weakly.

Ling raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "You're lying," she said flatly.

"I'm not!" Becky insisted, her voice rising defensively. She reached into her bag and pulled out her ID card, holding it up like a shield. "Here! Look! This says my name is Kath!"

Before Becky could say anything else, Freen snatched the card out of her hand, her movements quick and deliberate. "Oh, so you're Kath now?" Freen said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she examined the card. "And you're from…" She squinted at the card. "Pai? Really? You're from Pai?!"

Becky folded her arms tightly across her chest. "Yes. I'm from Pai. And my name is Kath," she said firmly.

Freen narrowed her eyes. "And you're here for…?"

"Job," Becky said curtly, refusing to elaborate.

Freen took a step closer, her voice rising again. "So let me get this straight. You're 'Kath,' you're from Pai!"

Before Freen could continue her tirade, Orm slid off the bed and gently pulled Freen back by the shoulders. "Alright, alright, let's not scare her to death," Orm said with a grin. "Look at her! She looks like she's about to cry!"

Becky glared at Orm but said nothing.

Ling stepped forward, crossing her arms. "Listen, Kath—or Becky, or whoever you are. I'm sorry, but we can't keep you here. You seem suspicious, and for security reasons, I think it's best if you leave."

Becky's face turned defensive, her eyes narrowing. "I was the first one here," she shot back. "If anyone should leave, it's Freen." She pointed directly at Freen, her voice laced with bitterness.

Ling's eyes widened slightly, her tone turning icy. "Funny, because we never told you Freen's name," she said slowly.

Becky's jaw tightened. She froze for a moment, clearly realizing her slip-up.

Ling smirked. "So, you were eavesdropping. You're a liar and a snoop?"

Becky clenched her fists, her face red with embarrassment and frustration. "Fine. I'll leave," she said sharply. "I also don't want to stay here."

She stood abruptly and began pulling her clothes out of the closet, throwing them into her bag in a huff. "Thanks for the help, but no thanks," she muttered.

Orm, watching all this unfold, leaned back on the bed with a satisfied grin. "This is better than TV. Somebody grab me popcorn!"

Ling shot Orm a sharp look. "Can you take this seriously for one second?"

Orm shrugged. "What? I'm enjoying the show!"

Ling pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling deeply. "Alright, enough. Freen, come with me," she said, motioning toward the door.

Freen hesitated, glancing at Becky, who was angrily shoving clothes into her bag. Ling grabbed Freen's arm and tugged her out of the room, muttering something about needing to "get to the bottom of this."

Ling closed the door behind her and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "Alright, Freen. Who is she?"

Freen hesitated, glancing at the closed door. "She's…" She trailed off, fidgeting slightly.

Ling raised an eyebrow. "She's what?"

"She's… a good person," Freen said finally, her voice firm.

Ling blinked. "That's not what I asked."

"It's all you need to know," Freen replied, avoiding Ling's gaze.

Ling sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You're so frustrating sometimes."

Freen chuckled softly. "You're not the first person to tell me that."

Ling rolled her eyes. "Fine. Whatever. But if she's staying here, I need to know that I can trust her."

"You can," Freen said quickly, her tone earnest. "I promise you, Becky—Kath—isn't a bad person. She's… complicated, but she's not dangerous."

Ling studied Freen for a moment, trying to gauge if she was hiding something. Freen's expression was calm, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—something Ling couldn't quite read.

"You seem to know her well," Ling said finally.

Freen hesitated before nodding. "We… we've crossed paths before."

Ling frowned but decided not to push further. Instead, she changed the subject. "You know, your voice gets all serious when you're trying to convince me of something. It reminds me of my grandmother."

Freen's face lit up with a soft smile. "Your grandmother? The one who used to live in Pai?"

Ling nodded, a nostalgic smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah. She used to boss me around like crazy when I was little. 'Don't run on the stairs, Ling! Don't forget to brush your teeth, Ling!'" Ling mimicked her grandmother's nagging voice, and Freen laughed.

"She was a legend," Freen said warmly. "She used to tell me stories about how you were always causing trouble."

Ling's jaw dropped. "She told you that?!"

Freen nodded, smirking. "Oh yeah. She said you were the most mischievous kid she'd ever met."

Ling groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Why does everyone betray me?"

Freen chuckled and patted Ling's shoulder. "Relax. It's endearing. I like that you were a troublemaker."

Ling rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Whatever. Let's just go back before Orm burns the house down or something."

Meanwhile, back in the room, Becky was pacing back and forth, muttering under her breath.

Orm, lounging on the bed with her legs crossed, watched her with interest. "So," Orm said casually, "you and Freen seem to have… history."

Becky shot her a glare. "Shut up."

Orm raised her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay! Just saying."

Becky sighed and sat down on the bed, rubbing her temples. "This is a nightmare."

"Tell me about it," Orm said with a grin. "But, you know, if you need help dealing with Freen, I'm your girl."

Becky raised an eyebrow. "You? Help me?"

"Of course!" Orm said, puffing out her chest. "I'm great at dealing with chaos. I am chaos."

Becky snorted. "You don't say."

Orm leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "Come on, spill it. What's your deal with Freen?"

Becky hesitated, glancing toward the door. Then, after a moment, she sighed. "Fine. I'll tell you a little bit. But you can't tell Ling, okay?"

Orm nodded eagerly. "Scout's honor."

Becky rolled her eyes but continued. "I've known Freen for years. We… we used to be close. But she's…" She paused, searching for the right word. "She's a total crackhead."

Orm burst out laughing. "What?! Freen? The serious one?!"

"I'm not joking," Becky said, her tone dead serious. "She's a complete disaster. You should've seen her in the old days. Always running into things, picking fights she couldn't win…"

Orm's grin widened. "Oh my god. She's like me!"

Becky rolled her eyes and smacked Orm lightly on the head. "Shut up and focus. I'm trying to explain something here."

Orm rubbed her head, still grinning. "Okay, okay, I'm listening. Continue, Miss Mysterious."

Becky sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Look, all I'm saying is that Freen isn't as perfect as she seems. She's… complicated. And I don't know what to do about her."

Orm tilted her head, her smile softening slightly. "Sounds like you still care about her."

Becky didn't respond, staring at the floor in silence.