“Luda, come on! This many artists and DJs only come together once in every blue moon!” Mei Qi pleaded.

Luda looked up from her laptop and found her friend right behind her laptop’s screen, puppy eyes staring at her expectantly. God, can her eyes get any bigger?

“No, Mei Qi, getting together every blue moon is not a thing also I’ve already told you. I haven’t been to a music festival in a long time. I’m not used to it anymore. I don’t appreciate being around jumping sweaty strangers anymore. I don’t even know how I coped with it before.” Luda said, returning to her Good Mythical Morning marathon.

Mei Qi whined even louder. “You haven’t don’t anything remotely productive or fun for the while spring break. Get out there! Have fun! There’s more to life than Rhett and Link, Luda.”

Luda glared up at Mei Qi, appalled and insulted by the inconceivable statement.

“Don’t give me that look. Don’t even lie.” Mei Qi said, eyebrow cocked.

It was times like these that Luda really questioned why she was friends with this girl. But Luda couldn’t meet Mei Qi’s eyes. Where was the lie? Luda had literally spent  ¾ of her spring break either sprawled on the couch sleeping or on her desk watching GMM (like right now). She knows Mei Qi was doing this for her but she just wasn’t 100% sure she’s ready to go back into the circle. She used to go to a lot of music festivals and parties without any casualties. Everything changed when one night she threw up on some strangers’ table, almost got into a fight with a girl that thought Luda was flirting with her man and almost slapping the out of said man that was flirting with her. Luda didn’t even swing that way which made it more of an excruciatingly uncomfortable experience. A series of misfortunate events lead to Luda breaking her arm and racing her to the hospital. She’s all healed now but she doesn’t think she can handle going through that again.

“Also, don’t worry about sweaty strangers. You’ll be with me! And more or less Cheng Xiao too!” Mei Qi said, a little too enthusiastic for Luda’s taste.

Oh, whoopty doo. Cheng Xiao’s gonna be there. Don’t get Luda wrong; she loved the girl with all her small heart. Cheng Xiao was very sweet and caring to her like a big sister would be (despite Luda being the older one) but whenever Mei Qi and her were together, they were hella  sweet, calling each other baby or babe, feeding each other on dates, each other’s faces off whenever they had the chance (something Luda would want to unsee but the image was burned into the back of her mind). She’s not gonna lie, she has baby vomited in at how clingy they were to each other. Maybe it was just Luda being the salty single she was but she didn’t need a constant reminder of how tragically and romantically lonely she was. But Cheng Xiao makes Mei Qi happy and vice versa so who was she to get in between them?

“Hey, tiny.” Luda heard Mei QI say and then she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders.

Mei Qi was suddenly beside her, looking down at her.

“Is this because of what happened last year?” Mei Qi asked, genuinely concerned.

Luda looked up at her friend with a frown and sad eyes.

“Awww, lil baby, you’re still afraid of that happening again?” Mei Qi said, rubbing Luda’s shoulder comfortingly.

Luda bats her eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling, and sniffled.

“Hey, hey, stop beating yourself up over that. Not all of it was your fault.” Mei Qi said, Luda’s hair soothingly.

Luda wrapped her arms around Mei Qi’s waist, “Mei Qi-yah, I don’t wanna go through that again. But I know I shouldn’t let one bad experience ruin my life.”

Mei Qi chuckled at how cute her small friend could be, “Don’t worry, lil baby, Mei Qi’s gonna make sure you’ll have the best night. I won’t let anything happen to you, alright?”

Mei Qi held Luda’s face in her hands and looked into her eyes.

Luda sniffled for like the tenth time, “Alright, I better not become end up in the hospital again, Mei Qi.”

Mei Qi brushed a tear away from Luda’s cheek and said, “I got you, tiny.”

After a few moments of comfortable silence had passed, Mei Qi pulled away to look at Luda’s face, “Now that you’re going, you wanna come along? Cheng Xiao and I were planning to go to the mall to buy new clothes for the festival. I want you to come so I can buy you clothes to make you look bomb for your return. It’ll be my treat.”

“You’re the best.”

Mei Qi and Luda met up with Cheng Xiao at Starbucks. As they entered, Luda spotted Cheng Xiao across the room contently sipping from a coffee mug. She was just wearing black, ripped jeans, a white shirt that was tucked in and cream sandals but Luda still couldn’t bring herself to believe a girl this pretty existed. They were halfway across the room when Cheng Xiao spotted them and raced towards them in a flash. Next thing Luda knew, Mei Qi and she were being pressed against each other in a really tight hug, courtesy of Cheng Xiao.

“My faves! I missed you guys sooo much!” Cheng Xiao said pulling away, her hand on Mei Qi’s shoulder and the other on Luda’s.

“Especially you, Luda! I haven’t seen you in such a long  time.” Cheng Xiao said, pulling in Luda for a solo hug, head on the smaller one’s head.

Luda wrapped her arms around Cheng Xiao’s waist (because that was what she could reach) and smiled, “I missed you too, Xiao Xiao.”

A very fake cough emerged beside them and Mei Qi was there looking at them like Yeah, sure. I’m not the girlfriend. Luda is. Obviously.

Cheng Xiao laughed and let Luda go. She moved over to Mei Qi and smoothly s her arms around her girlfriend’s waist.

“I didn’t forget about you, babe .” Cheng Xiao flirted, slight smirk on her lips.

Cheng Xiao gave Mei Qi a tight squeeze and a kiss on the nose.

“Better now?” Cheng Xiao asked.

“Much better.” Mei Qi smiled sheepishly, “Alright, alright. We should probably go now. We need to get to those cute clothes first!” Mei Qi said, grabbing Luda’s hand and started walking.

“Let’s go! Luda, we’re gonna make you look so lit for this festival. Mark my words; people won’t be able to keep their eyes off you.” Cheng Xiao exclaimed, taking hold of Luda’s other hand.

As they walked away from the store, Mei Qi and Cheng Xiao looked like the cutest couple with their child in the middle.

They went through a lot of clothes and a lot of stores. Luda found it hard to keep up. It was either because the people she was with took really big strides when walking or her legs were just too short to compete. Either way, she was dead tired.  How was she supposed to party her stress away when she can’t even walk around a mall without panting.

Right now, they were at Forever 21, Mei Qi and Cheng Xiao both stood outside the fitting room stall that Luda was currently occupying.

Cheng Xiao spoke through the curtain, “Luda-yah, you done yet?”

“Ummm, I don’t know who to feel about this.” Luda replied, sounding slightly uneasy.

“You say that about a lot of things.” Mei Qi rolled her eyes, “Let’s have a look, lil baby.”

Luda hesitantly brushed aside the curtain and slowly stepped out. Mei Qi felt like she could almost tear up.

Luda stood in front Mei Qi and Cheng Xiao wearing a white, cropped, spaghetti strapped tank with lace on the hem, high waisted, washed out, skinny jeans with clean cut slits on the knees and a pair of white Adidas Superstars.

“Cheng Xiao, hold me.” Mei Qi not so quietly whispered, just like a mother at a loss for words of how proud she is of her child, “You look great. I’m gonna cry.”

Mei Qi threw her arms around Cheng Xiao’s waist and sniffled onto her girlfriend’s shoulder, “The kids grow up so fast. I need a tissue.”

Cheng Xiao pat Mei Qi’s head and chuckled at her girlfriend’s goofiness, “You look amazing, Luda.”

Luda turned around to look back into the mirror and she had to admit, she hasn’t felt this good in an outfit in a long time. The outfit made her look taller than she actually is. It made her look like she had good proportions and completely deflected her lack of height. Not that her height bothered her. She has learned to accept it. But it was just a very new experience and she was liking it.

Mei Qi hummed in content, “Yeah, I know you like it too.”

The smaller girl let out a breath of disbelief and satisfaction. She nodded which earned her another proud smile from her mother Mei Qi.

Cheng Xiao walked closer to Luda and gave the latter’s a little pat, “Alright, enough gawking at yourself. Get changed and lets get to the counter.”

It was the day of the music festival and the three girls stepped onto the concert grounds. It was about 45 minutes from the start of the event which was at 6:00. Luda scanned the area and felt a very vague sense of familiarity towards her environment. She saw the food stalls spread across the edge of the concert grounds, the tables and chairs for chilling and the people who have already laid mats onto the grass. Luda hasn’t been outside for so long she forgot how grass smelled like. Crazy, ain’t it?

Cheng Xiao took hold of Luda’s hand and gave it a little squeeze, “Luda, Mei Qi and I are gonna buy food before the first performer, alright?”

Luda nodded as Mei Qi followed up another question, “What do you want? There’s a bunch of food stalls to choose from.”

“I’ll just have a drink, maybe iced tea for now. I’m not really hungry right now.” Luda said, giving her stomach a little pat.

Mei Qi and Cheng Xiao started walking towards the food stalls, “Grab us a table before people fill up the place, alright, Luda?”

“Gotcha.” Luda waved them off.

Since it was early, it wasn’t that hard for Luda to look for a table she and her friends could sit in. But as she sat down, she already found herself trouble. A guy sat across the table facing her, red solo cup in hand, black hair all tussled up and, to top it all off, a eating grin plastered on his face.

“Hey.” He greeted, nodding his head, winking at Luda, earning him a not so subtle scowl from Luda.

There was still daylight but Luda could smell the alcohol in the guy’s breath all the way across the table.

“Uh- hi, yeah, the seat’s are taken. So, if you could kindly go-“ Luda said, a mixture of discomfort and irritation.

“I don’t see anyone. Besides, I wanna spend a little more time getting to know you, cutie.” He said placing his cup on the table, running his hand through his hair.

Luda knew what kind of guy this was. It was the kind of guy she didn’t want to be associated with in any aspect. It was the kind of guy that just wanted to get in her pants. It was the kind of guy that she really, truly, despised. Luda really tried to hide the face she was making but she didn’t have the patience anymore. Her face was now visibly showing distaste and annoyance.

“Well, I don’t want to get to know you, so get lost.” Luda grimaced.

The guy let out a laugh and Luda never would’ve thought she would hear in a million years a laugh as cocky as that laugh. It made her cringe on the inside.

The man got up from the chair and walked closer to Luda. Luda froze in her chair, looking up at the man who was getting a little too close for her comfort.

“Don’t be like that. I just want to play. You seem like the kind of girl who gets hella wild.” He said, voice low and lecherous.

“Boy, I don’t swing that way. So please get lost and don’t make me say it another time.” Luda snarled at the man causing her discomfort.

The man just raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding the situation due to his thick head.

“I’m gay.” Luda blatantly said.

The man stepped closer, which made Luda’s blood boil even more but she couldn’t do anything about, she froze and she doesn’t know why.

“You just haven’t met the right man, baby.” He whispered, leaning closer

Luda shivered at how disgusting a human being could be. Why can’t this guy just leave me alone? Is respect even in his vocabulary? I shouldn’t have come here in the first place. The world hates me; I should’ve known that. Stupid guy, stupid Luda, stupid decisions, stupid-

The man was abruptly pushed away from her and Luda swears to God it wasn’t her. She didn’t even want to touch t