CHAPTER XXXV

IT’S TOO LATE

Tiffany found herself in the darkness. Everything was pitch black. She could feel her hands and her legs, she could feel the wind blowing her hair, and she could feel the cold hard floor under her feet, but she couldn’t see anything. And it was all quiet. It was peaceful at first, but soon she started to panic. She started reaching out her hands, trying to find something to grabbed onto. And when she couldn’t find anything, she started to scream.

“Hello?” Her words were trembling with fear. “Is anyone there?”

“Hello…?”

And just when she was about to cry, suddenly a bright light shone from above, illuminating everything in its path. Tiffany found herself standing in the middle of a huge room. The place was so big that the light couldn’t reach the far corners of the room. The crescent eyed girl noticed the floor was made from solid marble, and had a black and white checkered pattern. She noticed that she was standing on a white tile in the middle, behind some tall black figurines shaped like a pole with huge round heads, which were made from the same material as the floor, and she recognized those figurines as chess pieces. Not that she knew how to play chess, but a long time ago she had seen them when her father was playing the game on his computer. She looked down and found she was wearing an elegant looking jet black dress, the ones royalties in eighteenth century used to wear in the movies, with dilated hip and detailed flower ornaments, and puffy shoulder sleeves. She looked further down, and the shiny marble tile reflected herself like a mirror would; she looked stunningly beautiful with her hair up and black lipstick, black smoky eyeliner and a beautiful golden tiara on her head. She took the time to admire her reflection and wondered if anyone could look so beautiful.

Tiffany then turned to her left and found Hyoyeon was standing there, wearing a black royal uniform with golden ornaments and crown, and a determined look on her face. She looked like absolutely regal like a prince from the middle age. The brunette had her eyes set across the room, and she was holding a huge orange toy hammer made of rubber.

“Hyoyeon!” She was happy to find a familiar face in that odd place. “What are you doing here?”

“Gather yourself, Princess.” The dancing queen said without taking her eyes off what was in front of her. “This will be our final battle.”

“Our final what?” Hyoyeon’s words made her wonder what was going on.

“Princess!” Another familiar voice to her right. “We have no time to chat; we have to prepare ourselves for the battle!”

“Tae-tae!” Tiffany said as she found the slanted eyed girl standing next to her, wearing a black chest armor decorated with golden ornaments and a black chainmail underneath it. The short girl was wearing a black leather pants and her arms and shins were protected by black and golden guards. “You’re here too!”

“Of course I’m here, Princess,” Taeyeon smiled at her, and she was holding the same toy hammer as Hyoyeon. “I wouldn’t miss this battle for all my life’s worth.”

“What battle?” She was still confused. “And why are you calling me Princess?”

“I’m not a princess…” She said sheepishly as she covered her cheeks with her hands. “… Oh, you’re making me blush…”

“Princess Tiffany!” Yuri scolded her from the far left edge of the room, in her huge black full heavy-armor, waving around the orange toy hammer she was carrying. “This is no time for pleasantries!”

“You have to address our troops for this battle!”

“Y-Yuri?” She was startled when she noticed Yuri was there too, and looked around nervously. “W-What troops?”

And then she saw them; next to Hyoyeon stood a taller, slimmer pole like the ones in front of her, and next to it another tall black marble figurine shaped as a horse. Next to the black horse, at the far left edge of the room, stood another tall figurine shaped like a miniature castle tower. Tiffany turned to her right side and found another horse figurine next to Taeyeon, and another castle tower at the far right edge of the room. They were all standing behind the smaller black pole figurines she saw earlier.

“Is this chess?” Tiffany wondered. “But I don’t know how to play chess…”

“Play?” Sooyoung’s voice could be heard from across the room. “Do you think this is some kind of a game?”

“How dare you!”

“O-Oh, Sooyoung!” The black haired American girl saw the tall tanned girl stood many tiles across from her.

Choi Sooyoung stood directly across from Hyoyeon, behind the same tall pole-like figurines. The only difference was they were white. The tall tanned girl was wearing the same uniform with golden ornaments like Hyoyeon was, only hers was white, and she was pounding the same colored toy hammer into her palm.

“The enemy is underestimating us.” Yoona said as she was swinging around her toy hammer, clearly annoyed with Tiffany’s remark. The deer eyed girl was wearing the same heavy armor as Yuri; but in white, and she stood across the tanned girl. “Let’s teach them a lesson.”

“I don’t particularly support violence,” Seohyun, who was standing next to Sooyoung, and was wearing the same outfit as Taeyeon, but again hers was white, said. “But the enemy seems to deserve it.”

Next to them were the same horse and castle towers figurines, and they were protected by the smaller pole-like figurines in front of them. But then Tiffany’s eyes caught the person who was standing at Sooyoung’s left side, right across from her. The person was wearing the same beautiful dress as her, but hers was blinding white, and her whole head and tiara were shining, making it hard for anyone to see the details of her face. But the crescent eyed girl knew exactly who she was, even though she hadn’t known her name. She was the same blonde girl who kept showing herself in her dream; a dear friend who had shown her magical places and creatures.

“Oh, you’re here too!” Tiffany exclaimed in joy. “It’s been a while.”

“Silence!” The shining girl sounded annoyed. “Don’t act like you’re my friend!”

“But I am your friend!” The black haired American girl shouted, upset that the blonde girl acted like she didn’t know her.

“Silence!” The shining girl shouted again. “You’re my enemy!”

“W-What are you talking about?” She was getting more confused. “What is this?”

“This is a battle, Princess!” Hyoyeon reprimanded her. And Tiffany was surprised that the dancing queen understood English. “And they’re our enemy!”

“But why are we fighting?” The crescent eyed girl shook her head. “We’re friends!”

“No, we’re not!” The shining girl shouted from across the room. “You left me!”

“I left you?” Tiffany turned to the blonde girl once more. “But I didn’t leave you!”

“What are you saying?”

“You liar!” The blonde girl sounded very upset. “You promised you’d never leave me!”

“I-I’m not a liar!” She wanted to cry now. “I didn’t leave you!”

“Liar-Liar-Liar-Liar!” The shining girl kept shouting frantically.

“S-Stop that!” Tiffany screamed. “I’m not a liar!”

“Liar-Liar-Liar-Liar…!”

“Enough!” Hyoyeon finally snapped and she shouted to her supposed princess. “This is getting nowhere!”

“Princess; the pig and her goons are our enemy!”

“Get it through that thick head of yours!”

“B-But…” Tiffany was still having a hard time accepting it.

“Who you’re calling pig, you ugly fat ogre?” The tall girl shouted back.

“Ugh, fat ogre?” The brunette glared. “I’m not fat!”

“You’re fat!” Sooyoung pointed at her. “You’re fat, Yuri’s fat, and Tiffany’s fat!”

“You’re all fat!” The slim tall girl stuck her tongue out. “You and your big ugly butts!”

“M-My big ugly…” The black haired American girl was taken aback. “… ?”

“Oh, and you’re just a jealous pig!” Hyoyeon retaliated.

“Heh, why should I be jealous of you?” Sooyoung smirked.

“You’re jealous because you don’t have these!” The dancing girl laughed as she grabbed her own chest and in a provocative way. “And these!”

“W-Why would I be jealous?” The tall tanned girl looked intimidated by Hyoyeon’s assets. “W-Why would I want those?”

“Aww, you don’t have to deny it, Sooyoung-ah…” Yuri joined the fray, as she seductively grabbed her own pair of bosom. “You’re jealous of our mature and y bodies!”

“I-I’m not…” The tall girl took a step back and she looked like she was about to cry. “I’m not jealous…”

“Lieutenant Sooyoung, be strong!” Yoona tried to comfort her superior. “They’re just trying to mess up our heads!”

“Aww, look at you two…” Hyoyeon giggled and continued to tease. “Two washboards trying to comfort each other…”

“H-Hyoyeon, stop it!” Tiffany tried to step in. “That’s not nice!”

“Why not?” The dancing queen looked like she was having fun. “They’re the one who started it, by saying we’re fat…”

“Yeah, but the truth is they’re just jealous because they don’t have what we have!” Yuri laughed.

“Y-Yuri!” The crescent eyed girl glared at her tanned friend, signaling her to stop making fun of their opponents.

“You should show them your assets too, princess,” Hyoyeon continued. “Yours are the best!”

“Aargh! Enough!” Sooyoung lost it and she screamed to her troops. “Attack!”

“That’s what I’ve been waiting for.” The dancing queen smiled her widest and turned to her soldiers. “Troops; advance!”

“B-But wait, Hyoyeon!” The crescent eyed girl didn’t want their friendships to crumble like this. “C-Can’t we talk about this?”

But it was too late; as both Sooyoung and Hyoyeon looked determined to fight each other.

“Kill them all!”

The smaller figurines in front of Tiffany’s side started to move forward, and so did the figurines in front of the opposite sides. The black haired American watched in horror as the opposite colors figurines slowly but surely met in the middle of the room, and some of them started to bump into each other.

“Take no prisoners!” The tallest girl in the room yelled.

The figurines started to bump into each other violently; no side willing to yield. After a few bumps, the figurines started to move backward, to prepare for one last bump, before charging forward. The result of the impact caused a loud thumping sound, but neither side lost. Instead they just stood there in the middle of the room, stuck with their opposites.

“How lame…” Yoona giggled when she saw the troops stopped moving.

“Ugh, I guess we have to take care of them ourselves.” Hyoyeon sighed as she carried her toy hammer on her shoulder and started to walk to the center of the room.

“Colonel Hyoyeon, wait!” Yuri shouted and started to move forward too. “Let me handle these kids, Colonel!”

“Oh, you think you can take on all of us, Yuri?” Sooyoung seemed amused.

“Taking on a bunch of kids?” The tanned girl in black heavy armor smirked. “Yes; I think I alone would be more than enough.”

“Oh, you friggin big butted monster—“ The tall girl was cursed, and was about to move when the deer eyed girl stopped her.

“—Let me deal with her, Lieutenant.” Yoona said as she moved forward and pointed her toy hammer at Yuri. “I’ll teach her for mocking our youth.”

“As you wish, Private.” Sooyoung nodded and let the deer eyed girl advanced.

Yuri and Yoona started to walk confidently to the center of the battlefield, making a few steps forward and then a few steps aside. Both were clinging onto their toy hammers like they were real weapons. Soon they met face to face at the center, and both girls smiled in satisfaction.

“I guess this is it, huh?” The tanned girl said.

“This is it.” The deer eyed girl nodded and gave her sweetest smile. “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for.”

“To see who’s the best.”

“Well, good luck then.” Yuri smirked. “Because I’m going to beat you.”

“I’m going to make you eat those words.” Yoona’s face turned serious at that comment.

“Very well then.” And with that both girls took a deep breath and prepared for their showdown. The atmosphere suddenly turned so tense that Tiffany was shivering.

“One…” Yuri started the countdown.

“Two…” The crescent eyed girl prayed no one would get hurt.

“Three!” Both girls shouted and threw their fists at their opponent. “Rock-Paper-Scissor…!”

Yuri showed rock as Yoona threw a paper, and the tanned girl’s face quickly turned tense when she knew what it meant.

“Aha!” Yoona shouted in glee, and quickly swung her toy hammer and pounded Yuri’s head. “Take that!”

“Ouch!” Yuri whimpered as she covered her head. “That hurts!”

“You don’t have to hit me so hard!”

“This is war, unnie!” The deer eyed girl laughed out loud. “I’m not going to show you mercy!”

“Ugh, I’m going to get you!” The tanned girl raised her fist and started to count again. “One… Two… Three…!”

Paper against rock. Yoona won again.

“Take that!” Yoona’s laughter filled the room. “And that!”

“Hey, you hit me twice!” Yuri screamed as she tried to protect her head from Yoona’s merciless double attack.

“You cheater!” The tanned girl shouted as she violently swung her own toy hammer, trying to hit her opponent’s head.

“Doesn’t matter; I won!” The deer eyed girl shrieked in excitement and kept attacking her older friend.

“Ouch! Ouch!” Both girls kept attacking each other. “Take that!”

“Ouch! Why are you hitting my ?” Yuri stopped for a while and rubbed her behind.

“Can’t help it; it’s sooo big!” Yoona laughed her widest.

“Take this! And that!” And they immediately resumed their fight, but both girls looked like they were having so much fun. Even Taeyeon started to giggle at their silly antics, while Tiffany just stared at them dumbfounded.

“Ugh, amateurs…” Hyoyeon clicked her tongue and turned to the slanted eyed girl. “Taeyeon, you’re next.”

“I am?” The short girl was surprised by the sudden order.

“Yeah, you are.” The dancing queen said as she pointed to the field. “Now get out there and kick some !”

“O-Okay…” Taeyeon looked timid as ever, but she carried out the order and started to advance.

“Seohyun, you deal with that short kid.” Sooyoung said to the youngest girl, who looked like she was having fun staring at Yuri and Yoona silly fight.

“Huh? Oh…” The maknae slightly pouted as she headed to the field; clearly disappointed she couldn’t watch Yuri and Yoona’s fight anymore. “… Okay…”

“Answer me properly, soldier!” The tallest girl scolded Juhyun.

“O-Oh-Yes, Sir!” Seohyun quickly fixed her stance and saluted her superior, and headed to the battlefield.

Taeyeon and Seohyun proceeded slowly and carefully, since they both were quite timid in nature. But there was something a little odd about the way they advanced; they were moving diagonally across the room. Both girls strode to their left, effectively creating more distance between them.

“What are you doing, Sergeant Juhyun?” Sooyoung shouted from her post.

“I-I don’t know, unnie!” Seohyun whined as she tried to change her direction, but failed. “I can’t move straight!”

“Taeyeon, you’re getting farther from your target!” Hyoyeon yelled in frustration.

“I-I know!” The slanted eyed girl shouted back, but she couldn’t bring her feet to move straight.

“Taeyeon, get a grip!” The dancing queen looked stressed out. “Move to your right!”

“Seohyun go right!” Sooyoung also gave instruction to her sergeant. “Go right!”

“Like this?”

“To the right-to the right…”

“Taeyeon, take a step back first!” Hyoyeon kept yelling. “You’re getting farther away-God, do you even see where you’re going?”

“I get it, I get it!” The slanted eyed girl looked flustered.

“Seohyun, just stay there!” Sooyoung shouted again. “Just stay there and let Taeyeon come to you!”

“O-Okay, okay, unnie…” The youngest girl looked equally flustered and she let out a sigh of relief when she knew she didn’t have to move around anymore.

“Taeyeon, go to her!” The dancing queen ordered; her voice was hoarse. “Go to Juhyun!”

“Unnie, over here!” Seohyun waved to the short girl. “Over here!”

“Got it! Got it!” Taeyeon turned around and started to move to Seohyun’s direction. But soon the slanted eyed girl stopped walking and started laughing. She was soon laughing so hard that her whole body was shaking.

“W-Why are you laughing?” Hyoyeon seemed confused by her sudden burst. Even Yuri and Yoona stopped their fight for a while, and all the girls exchanged glances with each other, puzzled by Taeyeon’s sudden and odd laugh. The girls had never seen Taeyeon laugh like that before, and the slanted eyed girl who was wiggling around holding her stomach in front of them was different from the cool, shy and reserved girl they knew.

“T-This… This is so funny…” Taeyeon kept laughing, and soon Juhyun started to laugh too, and the others started to laugh too, and Yuri and Yoona went back to their fighting.

At that time Sooyoung’s gaze met Hyoyeon’s, and they both sighed; clearly they were disappointed that the battle didn’t turn out the way they’ve been expecting.

“I guess if you wanted things be done you have to do them yourself…” Hyoyeon muttered under her breath.

“I guess it’s you and me now.” Sooyoung shouted from across the field; she looked pretty excited.

“I guess so…” The dancing queen smiled and raised her toy hammer above her head.

“Come at me, you pig!”

“You’re going to regret that, Fiona!” The tall tanned girl shouted as she dashed forward.

Hyoyeon rushed forward too, gritting her teeth. Soon the two arch enemies met at the center of the battlefield, and they both started to swing their toy hammers around violently, trying their best to beat their opponent with them.

“S-Stop!” Tiffany screamed. “Don’t fight!”

“You guys are friends!” But both girls wouldn’t listen.

Soon their screams and the squeaking sounds from their toy hammers echoed throughout the huge room, while the crescent eyed girl could only witness their violent fight. Both girls were so hot headed and stubborn, and both didn’t want to lose to the other. Sooyoung kept hitting Hyoyeon on her head, since she was way taller than the latter, and the dancing queen retaliated by hitting Sooyoung’s body. One hit to the stomach and Sooyoung whimpered, but before Hyoyeon could hit her again, the tall girl grabbed the brunette’s toy hammer with her free hand, and resumed to hit Hyoyeon on her head.     

“Ouch!” The dancing queen tried to protect her head with her hand, while trying hard to pull her toy hammer from Sooyoung’s hand. “That’s cheating!”

“No holding your enemy’s weapon!”

“Says who?” The tall girl laughed as she kept hitting Hyoyeon’s head. “There are no rules in war!”

“Ouch-Why you little…” The brunette then tried to grab Sooyoung’s hammer, and succeeded, and both girls then got into a wrestling match trying to take away each other’s weapon.

“That’s what you get for calling me a pig!” Sooyoung laughed as she pulled Hyoyeon’s cheek.

“Ouch-But you are a pig-Ouch!” The dancing queen tried to break free.

“You’re just a jealous pig!” Hyoyeon tried to trip Sooyoung, but the latter was too tall and she failed miserably.

“That’s for calling me a fat ogre!” The dancing queen quickly changed tactics and pulled Sooyoung’s nose.

“Ouch-But you are fat-Ouch!”

“I am not! Ouch!”

“Yes you are!”

“Once this is over I’m going on a diet!”

“Then you should’ve done that sooner! Ouch!”

“But no one would want to go on a diet with me!”

“Can’t you go on a diet yourself?”

“Then you should go on a diet with me! Ouch!”

“But I’m not fat! Ouch!”

“Do it and I won’t call you a pig anymore!”

“Deal! Ouch!”

“Ouch-Stop pulling my hair!” Hyoyeon cried when her hair got tangled in the middle of their wrestling match. “Soo! My hair!”

“I’m not pulling your hair!” Sooyoung yelled back as she tried to keep her balance. “I’m not—“

But in her effort to free her hair from Sooyoung’s uniform button, the dancing queen pulled too hard and her feet got tangled with Sooyoung’s and made her loose her balance, and both girls went down to the ground, hard.

“Ouch, my !” Hyoyeon screamed again as she landed on her , with Sooyoung falling on top of her.

“Soo, I can’t breathe…!” The dancing queen whined as she felt all the air in her lungs got pushed out all at once.

“Oh, sorry, let me—“ The tall slim girl tried to get up, but Hyoyeon’s hair was still stuck with her uniform.

“—Ouch, my hair!” The brunette cried louder. “Stop moving!”

“Sorry-Sorry!” Sooyoung panicked. “What should I do—“

“—For God’s sake; stop moving around, Soo!”

Two minutes later, after a few painful efforts, the dancing queen finally managed to free her tangled hair. And as both girls sat on the floor staring at each other, the tall girl reached to Hyoyeon’s cheek and wiped her tears.

“You okay?” Sooyoung looked concerned and apologetic.

“I’m fine…” The brunette gently brushed Sooyoung’s fingers aside, and they both had nothing to say for a while.

“Ouch!” Sooyoung whimpered as Hyoyeon suddenly hit her head with her toy hammer.

“Are you done resting?” The dancing queen giggled as she stood up and raised her toy hammer at her.

“Oh, I was just letting you catch your breath.” The tall tanned girl picked herself up and grabbed her toy hammer, and soon both girls continued their fight; screaming and laughing.

“They…” Tiffany said as she watched her friends out on the field. “… They look like they’re having fun…”

But then her eyes caught the blonde shining girl, who looked like she had no interest in the fight, and was standing with her arms crossed all along. Somehow she knew the shining girl was staring at her from the beginning.

“H-Hey…” The crescent eyed girl said timidly. “Let’s stop this, okay?”

“Why?” The shining girl was still upset. “You just said that they look like they're having fun.”

“W-Well, they are…” Tiffany tried to smile at her. “… But it’s better if we stop fighting…”

“Oh, really?” Her words made the blonde girl upset even more. “How can you say that when you’re the one who started the fight?”

“W-What?” The black haired American girl was shocked by her comment.

“You’re the one who wanted this!” The shining girl took a step forward, and Tiffany took a step back.

“I-I…” Deep inside she knew she was the one who started all of this. “… I didn’t mean to…”

“I didn’t mean for any of this…”

“Well you should’ve thought it through before you left me!” The shining girl’s words were trembling, and Tiffany knew the little girl was trying hard to hold her tears.

“I-I’m sorry, Jessie…” She said weakly as she stared at her own feet. “I’m sorry—“

“—I’m not Jessi!” The blonde girl screamed. “I’m not Jessica!”

“Why do you keep calling me by that name?”

“H-Huh?” Tiffany was confused.

“Is your brain filled only with Jessica?” The shining girl took another step forward. “Can’t you think of anything else but her?”

“I-I…” The crescent eyed girl realized her mistake. “I’m sorry…”

“Is that all you have to say?” The blonde shining girl clenched her fist; she sounded furious now. “Sorry?”

“Aren’t you tired of saying sorry?”

“T-Then what else do you want me to say?” Tiffany got upset too. “What else do I have to say to make this right?”

“There’s nothing you can say that can make this right again!” The blonde girl yelled as she took out another toy hammer from her back, and for a second Tiffany wondered if it just appeared out of thin air. “It’s too late!”

“I hate you!”

And as the blonde girl screamed those words, she lunged forward, running with all her might, with her toy hammer above her head. Tiffany watched in silence as the shining girl quickly got closer, and everything felt like in slow motion.

“I hate you!” And as the blonde girl screamed those piercing and painful words, the lights on her face gradually vanished, and the crescent eyed girl could finally make out her face. And it was Jessica’s face. It was Jessica’s crying face. It was “her Jessie.” That sad and broken face of hers made Tiffany’s heart stopped, and her whole body felt weak that she dropped to the floor. But it couldn't possibly be Jessie, now could it? The blonde girl had just denied that she was her, but then why would she had Jessie's face?

“I hate you!” The girl with Jessica’s face screamed once more, before she raised her toy hammer, ready to pound her head. Tiffany couldn’t do anything but close her eyes and took a deep breath, and wait for her punishment to be delivered by her supposed best friend.

I hate you! Those words echoed inside her head. Those words were what she was hoping to hear from Jessie after what she had done; those words were what she deserved. And she thought that those words would finally end all her confusion, all her longing, all her problems. She thought those words would end her feelings for Jessica, and if the blue eyed girl had any for her, those words would end them too. But now when she heard it, those words became the thing she feared the most. Those words took all her light, took all her strength, and ripped her heart to shreds and destroyed her hopes. All that was left was regret.

I hate you!

It’s too late!

“It’s too late!” Tiffany woke up screaming those words. The crescent eyed girl looked around and found herself sitting up in her bed in her shared dorm room. The sun was already up and it shone through the small window at the corner of the room. The crescent eyed girl wiped her neck from the cold sweat she was having, and then lazily got up from her bed and then went to the bathroom.

I hate you! Those words kept ringing inside her head. It had been one week since the civil war started, and no side seemed to want and try to make peace with one another. She tried to talk to her friends and told them that they didn’t have to make a big deal out of it; that it was between her and Jessica, and they didn’t need to pick a side, but her friends wouldn’t listen. Hyoyeon and Sooyoung seemed hell bent on blaming the other side, and there was nothing poor Tiffany could do to change their minds.

It had been one week since Jessica stopped talking to her, and started to avoid her too. And that one week had turned into a living hell for the black haired American girl. At first Tiffany was relieved when she found that Jessica wouldn’t talk to her anymore, and the blonde wouldn’t as much as look at her direction. At first she thought she was finally free of her problem, and at last she could concentrate on killing her feelings for the blue eyed girl. But somehow she felt empty. She wondered why she felt so lonely; like she had no reason to get up in the morning. But she already knew she knew the answer. Since she first moved to this country, half way across her birthplace, Jessica had been the one to fill her days, to fill her heart. Not the trainings to become an idol; which was her sole reason to leave her home in Los Angeles. And she wondered why she felt that way, when training was supposed to be the only thing in her mind right now.

And so with a heavy heart she went through the front door of her dorm, into the elevator and out again, to the busy and crowded Seoul street. And she looked up to the sky, trying to find a silver lining. What was the reason she stayed here? What was she supposed to do now? How would she face today knowing that Jessica was no longer by her side? Was this the thing she wanted the most?

If true; then why was her heart aching?

If not; how could she make things right again?

It’s too late! The words echoed inside her head once again.

I hate you!

And with a heavy step she tried to kept her tears from flowing, and kept walking to the bus stop. In her mind she had no doubt that now Jessica hates her. In her mind she had no doubt there’s no turning back.

At least now you have the time to figure out what you’re going to do next… Her mind spoke.

And her cell phone rang and she stared at the screen and a faint smile formed on her sad tired face.

Maybe I need a different point of view... A different opinion…

Maybe she would know what I’m supposed to do next…