Julia squinted at the numbers on the digital alarm clock and saw that it was about ten thirty. Putting on her glasses, she noticed that Xiaoyu was awake, too. She lay on her back and stared up at the ceiling.
"Morning," Julia greeted.
"Mmm," was her friend's only response.
"The guys' fight is at two."
"I don't care." The Chinese girl rolled onto her side, her back to her. "I'm not going. "Her voice was muffled by the covers she was tightly wrapped in.
"Not going?" Julia sat up. "What do you mean you're not going?"
"I'm just not going. Jin hates me now, and I'm not allowed to be friends with Hwoarang, so why should I bother?"
"Xiao, Jin feels really bad about what happened."
"He should."
"Point taken. But he knows he screwed up. He wants to fix things with you. Last night, I was terrified he would... do something stupid."
"Julia, you're not going to convince me to go, so you might as well just give up now." She burrowed deeper into her blankets. Julia sighed and rolled out of bed. She fetched her things and headed into the bathroom.
The hot shower gave Julia a short vacation from the world around her. She closed her eyes, savouring the feel of the water cascading over her body, sliding down her long hair and dripping off the ends. Her shampoo, despite its awful smell, felt delicious. For a brief moment, she felt like one of those girls in the commercials who would moan and scream just from washing their hair. When she felt sufficiently clean, she turned off the water and stepped out into the steamy bathroom. She dried and dressed herself, popped her contacts in, and braided her hair.
Xiaoyu hadn't moved an inch. Julia yanked the covers off her bed, and the girl sprang up to a sitting position. "Give them back!" she shrieked.
"Nope. We're going to lunch. Are you planning to go like that, or will you put on some clean clothes?" Scowling, Xiaoyu pushed herself to her feet and stormed over to her suitcase. Julia sat on her bed, politely facing the wall as her friend dressed.
"Fine," she huffed at last, "let's go." They left the hotel and walked to a small sushi restaurant several blocks from the hotel. Julia watched her small friend ear, desperately racking her brain for something to say that would cheer her up. To her surprise, though, Xiaoyu was the first to speak.
"I kissed Hwoarang last night," she said, not looking up from her plate.
"Why?"
"Because I felt like shit. I thought it would make me feel better."
"Did it?"
"No. He said it was wrong, and it wasn't fair to Jin."
"He's right."
" I hadn't told him yet that we broke up. He thought we were still together, that's why he said that."
"He's still right, because Jin still loves you. And plus, it's not fair to Hwoarang, either. You can't just use someone like that."
"Jin certainly didn't mind using Anna for a rebound fuck."
"Blow job," Julia corrected.
"Ooh, big difference. All I did was kiss Hwoarang. I didn't rip his clothes off and jump on him."
"Xiao... you were both confused at hurt, and you did things you regret. But you still love each other, and that's what's important. I know you guys can work through this and come out a stronger couple."
"You sound like a bad movie."
"Perhaps, but you know I'm right. So you fucked up. Learn from your mistakes."
Xiaoyu stared at her now empty plate. She knew Julia was right, but she was not yet ready to admit it. She wiped furiously at the tears that were starting to fall from her eyes. Julia reached across the table and squeezed her hand. Xiaoyu threw her money on the table and hurried out of the restaurant. Julia followed her example and, once outside, drew her friend into a tight hug. The Chinese girl sobbed against her shoulder. Passersby stared quizzically, but Julia ignored them. When Xiaoyu calmed down, the two girls linked arms and walked back to the hotel.
Upon entering their room, their eyes immediately landed on a single rose which rested on Xiaoyu's pillow. She walked slowly to the bed and picked up the glower, staring at it for a long time before turning to Julia. "I would like to be alone for a little while," she said softly. Julia nodded and left the room. Sighing, she checked her watch and, deciding that she had plenty of time, headed down to the hotel bar and ordered herself a Shirley Temple. She took her drink out to the balcony. Hwoarang leaned against the baulistrade, smoking a cigarette. Julia leaned her hip against the bars and met his gaze. "I think Xiao's doing a little better today," she informed him.
"How about Jin?"
"Haven't talked to him yet." She eyed his smoke. "Got an extra?"
"Uh, yeah." He pulled the pack from his pocket and opened it. She took one and put it in her mouth, and he lit it for her. "I didn't know you smoked."
"Very rarely. Only when I'm really stressed. Calms my nerves." She took a deep drag and blew the smoke skyward. "It's been about a year." He nodded, and they finished their cigarettes in silence. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?" she asked finally.
"I want to save my energy." They looked out over the city, enjoying the brief moment of peace.
"Morning," Julia greeted.
"Mmm," was her friend's only response.
"The guys' fight is at two."
"I don't care." The Chinese girl rolled onto her side, her back to her. "I'm not going. "Her voice was muffled by the covers she was tightly wrapped in.
"Not going?" Julia sat up. "What do you mean you're not going?"
"I'm just not going. Jin hates me now, and I'm not allowed to be friends with Hwoarang, so why should I bother?"
"Xiao, Jin feels really bad about what happened."
"He should."
"Point taken. But he knows he screwed up. He wants to fix things with you. Last night, I was terrified he would... do something stupid."
"Julia, you're not going to convince me to go, so you might as well just give up now." She burrowed deeper into her blankets. Julia sighed and rolled out of bed. She fetched her things and headed into the bathroom.
The hot shower gave Julia a short vacation from the world around her. She closed her eyes, savouring the feel of the water cascading over her body, sliding down her long hair and dripping off the ends. Her shampoo, despite its awful smell, felt delicious. For a brief moment, she felt like one of those girls in the commercials who would moan and scream just from washing their hair. When she felt sufficiently clean, she turned off the water and stepped out into the steamy bathroom. She dried and dressed herself, popped her contacts in, and braided her hair.
Xiaoyu hadn't moved an inch. Julia yanked the covers off her bed, and the girl sprang up to a sitting position. "Give them back!" she shrieked.
"Nope. We're going to lunch. Are you planning to go like that, or will you put on some clean clothes?" Scowling, Xiaoyu pushed herself to her feet and stormed over to her suitcase. Julia sat on her bed, politely facing the wall as her friend dressed.
"Fine," she huffed at last, "let's go." They left the hotel and walked to a small sushi restaurant several blocks from the hotel. Julia watched her small friend ear, desperately racking her brain for something to say that would cheer her up. To her surprise, though, Xiaoyu was the first to speak.
"I kissed Hwoarang last night," she said, not looking up from her plate.
"Why?"
"Because I felt like shit. I thought it would make me feel better."
"Did it?"
"No. He said it was wrong, and it wasn't fair to Jin."
"He's right."
" I hadn't told him yet that we broke up. He thought we were still together, that's why he said that."
"He's still right, because Jin still loves you. And plus, it's not fair to Hwoarang, either. You can't just use someone like that."
"Jin certainly didn't mind using Anna for a rebound fuck."
"Blow job," Julia corrected.
"Ooh, big difference. All I did was kiss Hwoarang. I didn't rip his clothes off and jump on him."
"Xiao... you were both confused at hurt, and you did things you regret. But you still love each other, and that's what's important. I know you guys can work through this and come out a stronger couple."
"You sound like a bad movie."
"Perhaps, but you know I'm right. So you fucked up. Learn from your mistakes."
Xiaoyu stared at her now empty plate. She knew Julia was right, but she was not yet ready to admit it. She wiped furiously at the tears that were starting to fall from her eyes. Julia reached across the table and squeezed her hand. Xiaoyu threw her money on the table and hurried out of the restaurant. Julia followed her example and, once outside, drew her friend into a tight hug. The Chinese girl sobbed against her shoulder. Passersby stared quizzically, but Julia ignored them. When Xiaoyu calmed down, the two girls linked arms and walked back to the hotel.
Upon entering their room, their eyes immediately landed on a single rose which rested on Xiaoyu's pillow. She walked slowly to the bed and picked up the glower, staring at it for a long time before turning to Julia. "I would like to be alone for a little while," she said softly. Julia nodded and left the room. Sighing, she checked her watch and, deciding that she had plenty of time, headed down to the hotel bar and ordered herself a Shirley Temple. She took her drink out to the balcony. Hwoarang leaned against the baulistrade, smoking a cigarette. Julia leaned her hip against the bars and met his gaze. "I think Xiao's doing a little better today," she informed him.
"How about Jin?"
"Haven't talked to him yet." She eyed his smoke. "Got an extra?"
"Uh, yeah." He pulled the pack from his pocket and opened it. She took one and put it in her mouth, and he lit it for her. "I didn't know you smoked."
"Very rarely. Only when I'm really stressed. Calms my nerves." She took a deep drag and blew the smoke skyward. "It's been about a year." He nodded, and they finished their cigarettes in silence. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?" she asked finally.
"I want to save my energy." They looked out over the city, enjoying the brief moment of peace.