Chapter 10 – Unforeseen Connection
The ten sisters had no intentions of simply letting go of the fact that the most popular guy in school had just presented their little sister with roses. That spelled romance to them. And the fact that Gui Gui (鬼鬼) adamantly denied it only cement it more in their minds. The more she protested, the more determined they were to seek out answers.
Ah Ben (阿本) winced and turned back to the barbeque pit to trade pained looks with Li Quan (李銓). "Maybe one of us should rescue her?" he asked tentatively, hoping that Li Quan (李銓) would be the braver of the two of them.
Li Quan (李銓) opened his mouth to agree but the sight of Tong Tong (彤彤), Xiao Man (小蠻) and Da Ya (大牙) suddenly standing over a protesting Gui Gui (鬼鬼) made him hesitate. Those girls were scary individually; the collective group was enough to make any sane man pause. "Um… maybe we should… um…" He didn't want to leave poor sweet Gui Gui (鬼鬼) in a bind but self preservation was a great deterrent in going over there.
"Boy, they're really grilling her," Ao Quan (敖犬) commented as he flipped meat over the pit. Da Ya (大牙) liked her meat well cooked but not so well done that it was tough. He'd have to watch it closely.
"Wish I knew what Gui Gui is saying, (真想道什鬼鬼說什麼)" Xiao Yu (小煜) murmured as he threw bread onto the foil A-Wei (阿緯) and Wei Lian (威廉) were holding over the open flames. "Must be interesting. (應該非常有趣.)"
Ah Ben (阿本) wondered how angry his cousin would be if he simply left Gui Gui (鬼鬼) to the tender mercies of the feared ten sisters. Chances are he'd be in the dog house if Ting Wei (廷威) found out Ah Ben (阿本) had left his precious little Gui Gui (鬼鬼) to get picked on. With a sigh, he put down the fork he had been using to cook food with and braced himself to be sacrificed. It couldn't be helped – Ting Wei (廷威) was his favorite cousin and Gui Gui (鬼鬼) was the only thing right now that made him smile.
"Are you guys done? (妳們有完沒完阿?)" Wang Zi (王子) yelled suddenly at the chattering girls. The stunned silence from the others only seemed to fuel Wang Zi's (王子) simmering annoyance. "Gui Gui (鬼鬼) doesn't owe you an explanation so leave her alone." No one was more shocked by Wang Zi's (王子) outburst than Gui Gui (鬼鬼), who stared wide-eyed at him as if he's grown another head. Angry at her and probably at himself as well, he got up and walked away with a sharp, "I'm going to go buy more drinks. (我去買飲料.)"
The entire class turned and stared at the drinks table which was currently groaning from the weight of all the bottles piled on there.
Wei Lian (威廉) looked at his brother's back. "Er Ge (二哥), we already have…"
Xiao Yu (小煜) grabbed his younger brother by the face, covering Wei Lian's (威廉) mouth with his hand and watched Wang Zi (王子) leave then turned to Wei Lian (威廉), "Are you stupid?" his hissed.
"What?" Wei Lian's (威廉) confusion was understandable… to some.
"Um…" Ao Quan (敖犬) looked around the class and gave a painful smile. "Gui Gui (鬼鬼), Li Quan (李銓), this is a celebration for you guys. You don't need to do any of the work. Why don't you guys go to the swings or something? Take a break."
Li Quan (李銓), surprisingly smarter than he looked, agreed with a nod and held his hand out to Gui Gui (鬼鬼), who instinctively took it without thoughts of how it may appear to the others for her to be so familiar with yet another guy. She didn't even so much as blink when Li Quan (李銓) casually dropped his jacket over her shoulders and lead her away. The other sisters, on the other hand, were still staring wide-eyed in shock and quickly started whispering amongst themselves the minute they thought Li Quan (李銓) and Gui Gui (鬼鬼) were out of ear-shot.
"Shouldn't one of us go after Er Ge (二哥)?" A-Wei (阿緯) asked hesitantly. "He looked pretty upset."
"Wang Zi (王子) is an idiot," Ao Quan (敖犬) made a face and got up. "I'll go find him." He walked away muttering to himself.
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"Why is Wang Zi (王子) so angry?" Gui Gui (鬼鬼) asked as she kicked the tire swing. All her good mood from winning the competition had been spoiled by Wang Zi's (王子) outburst.
Li Quan (李銓) shrugged his shoulder, confused by the sudden change in their classmate as well. "Maybe something happened today and he's just in a bad mood," he suggested, pushing her gently on the swing.
"Do you think so?" she asked innocently.
Smiling, Li Quan (李銓) nodded his head. "Don't let him upset you. I'm sure he'll be fine."
"I hope so," she commented, her fingers playing with the red string she had dug from her collar. "I wonder if there's anything I can do to help?"
Observing the usually cheerful girl so very thoughtful, Li Quan (李銓) smiled. "You like him a lot don't you?"
She looked up, good enough friend now for him to tease. "You're not going to make me do a public confession like Xiao Yu (小煜) and Wei Lian (威廉), right?"
Li Quan (李銓) grinned goofily at her. "Do you want to?"
"No!" she gave him a look as it that should have been the most obvious thing in the world. "That's too humiliating, even for me. And it's not like Wang Zi (王子) doesn't already know that I like him."
Shrugging his shoulders, "Well, I'm not sure if it'll work for a girl anyways. My dad always said that girls and boys think differently."
"You dad sounds like a wise man," she nodding and continued to wound the red string from her neck around her finger as she attempted to puzzle out the problem with Wang Zi (王子).
"Sometimes." Feeling his good mood slipping, Li Quan (李銓) forced himself not to think of the inevitable move to come. He didn't want this moment spoiled.
"What's wrong?" she looked at up him with wide curious eyes.
"Nothing," he shook his head and forced a smile. "So when do you think we can eat? I'm starving."
Gui Gui (鬼鬼) scowled at him. "Don't brush me aside like that," she pointed a finger at him daring him to. "And don't lie to me. What's wrong?" she asked again.
Because she was a friend and Gui Gui (鬼鬼) genuinely cares about her friends, Li Quan (李銓) found himself unable to give his usual answers when faced with unpleasant thoughts. Sitting down on the same tire swing with her, he sighed and pulled out his cell phone to show her all the missing calls. "My dad is upset with me because I won't answer his calls right now."
"Why aren't you…"
"I don't want to hear him tell me that we're moving again."
"What?" shocked by the prospect that her newfound friend was going to leave her.
He shrugged. "We move around a lot." The disappointment was evident on his unhappy face. "I just wish… I wish he can understand why I don't want to leave."
"I don't want you to go either," Gui Gui (鬼鬼) said with sad eyes. She touched his arm, "Who would teach me to dance if you leave?"
Li Quan (李銓) smiled, touched the hand on the arm with the tips of his fingers. She was so sweet. "Thanks, Gui Gui (鬼鬼). I'm glad I got to know you before I leave. I'm going miss you the most I think.
"Don't go," she whined, her fingers tightening on his arm. "Don't go…"
"I wish…"
"Hey," Ah Ben (阿本) stopped short of the pair, concern by the look on Gui Gui's (鬼鬼) face. She was clearly upset again about something. "Food's ready. Want to come back and join us?"
"Great," Li Quan (李銓) said, taking breath and push back the negative thoughts from his mind. He was going to enjoy his first picnic with the class, and that was that. "Come on, I'll make you a plate," he told Gui Gui (鬼鬼), reassuring her with a smile. "What would you like?"
"Anything is fine," she answered lacklusteredly as he got up. "I'll be right there."
"Gui Gui (鬼鬼)," Li Quan (李銓) said, catching her attention, "Thank you for being my friend." Making a face like she wanted to cry, Gui Gui (鬼鬼) launched herself at him. Li Quan (李銓) caught her on instinct. Alarmed, "Are you all right?"
"Don't leave us, Li Quan (李銓)," she sniffled against his school uniform. "I'd miss you."
He smiled and hugged her back tight. She was so very sweet. Saying nothing because there was nothing to say, he patted her back, set her back on her feet and went to get her some food. It was the only thing he could for her.
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All the blood rush to Wang Zi's (王子) head as he watch Gui Gui (鬼鬼) throw her arms around Li Quan (李銓). And instead of backing off, Li Quan (李銓) merely stood there holding her like she was the most important thing in the world. The two of them locked together in a manner that made Wang Zi (王子) want to commit murder.
"Hey," Ao Quan (敖犬) slapped a hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "I thought you were going to bring Gui Gui (鬼鬼) some…" then finally saw the same scene Wang Zi (王子) was watching. "Oh," then turned to see the reaction. His second brother's face was storm cloud ready to burst. He wouldn't talk earlier and now… Well, looks like new transfer student was correct. It would seem that Wang Zi (王子) didn't dislike their friendly little class ghost after all. But now it looks like things might be too late. "Are you alright?"
Handing the plate of food he had intended to give to Gui Gui (鬼鬼) to Ao Quan (敖犬), Wang Zi (王子) turned around and walked back to the group by the picnic tables. He couldn't answer his older brother's question because he didn't know the answer himself. And it was probably better if he didn't say anything right now.
But really, how can he be all right when the girl he's finally seeing for the first time, and meant something to him, was now in the arms of another?
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"You alright?" Ah Ben (阿本) asked, digging into his pocket for a tissue.
"Why do people have to go away?" she pouted and stomped her feet, throwing herself back at the tire swing in frustration. "I don't like it when people go away."
Leaning against swing set pole, Ah Ben (阿本) watched as she kick her feet in irritation. "Sometimes it can't be helped."
"I don't have to like it though," she replied, looking at him with wide sad eyes.
"If it's any consolation," Ah Ben (阿本) offered, "I don't think Li Quan (李銓) does either."
She kicked a pebble on the ground and reached up to wind her finger around the red string at her throat. "I wonder if Li Quan (李銓) can stay with friends or something. That way he doesn't have to transfer again. Wouldn't it be nice if no one had to leave?"
"Yeah, I suppose it would be nice. It's certainly be an ideal solution, one that I would have liked to have had a long time again. I know how Li Quan (李銓) feels. I'm staying with my uncle now so I don't have to move any more. Otherwise, I'd be just like him… always going from place to place, never staying long enough to make any actual friends."
"That's so sad," she murmured as she gazed at him with soft liquid eyes. "I cannot imagine not having the ten sister. I wish Li Quan (李銓) had someone he could stay with," cutting off the circulation to her finger as she wound the red string too tightly on her finger, her face reflecting her sympathy for her friend.
"Hey, stop that. You're going to hurt yourself," taking her hand and pulling at the red string. The jade pendant attached and usually hidden under Gui Gui's (鬼鬼) shirt slipped out from behind her collar. If not the for the ultra unfeminine size of it, Ah Ben (阿本) wouldn't have even looked at it. As it was, the pendant fell right into his hand. He stared at it for a full minute then turned it around. His face was impassive.
Suddenly uncomfortable with the intensity of Ah Ben's (阿本) gaze and the fact that he was now holding a string around her neck, Gui Gui (鬼鬼) slowly try to pull away. "Hey…"
His hand tightened on the pendant and string. "Where did you get this?"
Pulling on the string trying to disconnect herself from him, Gui Gui (鬼鬼) frowned in confusion. "This? I've always had this… since I was little."
"How little?" he asked, grabbing her arm as she tried to pull further away.
Frightened, "How would I know?" pushing at the hand he had on her. "What are you doing?"
"Gui Gui (鬼鬼), I need to know." He got a little too close to her face, pulling her closer than was acceptable under any circumstances. "How long have you had that pendant?"
"I don't know," she answered almost in a panic, pushing against his shoulder. "What are you doing? What is wrong with you? Let go, you're scaring me."
Ah Ben (阿本) let go quickly, watched as Gui Gui (鬼鬼) scrambled away, keeping an eye on him as if he'd pounce on her again any second. And though he could understand her reaction, vaguely surprised by his own thoughtless reaction, he couldn't quite bring himself to reassure her. Too many thought were crowding his mind, the most important of which was the pendant still hanging around her neck.
Running back to safety among the ten sisters, Gui Gui (鬼鬼) didn't look back as she grabbed Ya Tou's (丫頭) arm and sat down as far away from the strange new guy as she could. She had thought him to be so nice before…
Ya Tou (丫頭), for her part, looked at her best friend with concern All the color had drained from Gui Gui's (鬼鬼) face. "What's wrong? Why do you look like you've just seen a ghost?"
"Gui Gui (鬼鬼) ?" Li Quan (李銓) sat down next to her, placing a plate of food into her lap. "What's wrong?"
She shook her head at both of them, still keeping a wary eye out for the Ah Ben (阿本).
Staring after her, Ah Ben (阿本) took a moment to collect himself. He hadn't actually believed his own wild imaginings before, chalking them up as wishful thinking for this fractured family. But now…
No, he wasn't mistaken. He knew he wasn't.
And he wasn't sure why he was hesitating at all. This wasn't something that could or should wait. Reaching into his back pocket for his phone, he dialed out.
"Hello?"
"You need to come to the park, right now."
"Ah Ben (阿本)? I'm in the middle of something. I can't just…"
"Biao Ge (表哥), you need to come to the park, RIGHT NOW," Ah Ben (阿本) repeated urgently, his voice taking on the hard tone he's heard his cousin take at times. Then he told him the one thing that would get him to comply without question, "I found Xiao Xing (小星)."
To be continued….
Author's Note: I'm so glad someone figured out where I was going with this before I actually posted it. I thought I was just not giving enough hints or something.
