JESSICA

I woke up to the voice of a woman, yelling. I opened my eyes and found out . . . “WHERE IN THE HELL AM I?”

I shoot a death glare the one who just came in but it softened when I get to know it’s really a woman. She smiled at me and walked in.

She’s not familiar. I looked around. I gaped when I noticed where I was. It’s beautiful.

“Hey, you’re awake,” I heard her say.

“Obviously,” I said. “What happened?”

She handed me a bowl of noodles and handed it to me. I hesitated at first but I was too hungry. It feels like didn’t eat for the whole day.

“You collapsed. Took you here and had you get a rest,” she said before sitting down on the wooden stool. She’s really nice. I can say by the way she is towards me. She smiles like we know each other.

I opened my own noodles and started eating. But I was burnt. It’s too hot.

“Oh! Be careful, it’s still hot,” she said. She took off her scarf and coat and put them away. I started studying here.

Right. I’ve never met her in my entire life.

“Excuse me, but, who are you?” I asked.

She looked at me. As realization hits her, she smiled and extended her hand. “I’m sorry. Hi, I’m Tiffany. Tiffany Hwang,” she said.

“Asian?” She smiled and nodded her head. I reached for her hand and said, “Jessica. I’m Jessica Jung.”

“Well, great. So, do you want some iced tea or water?”

I raised an eyebrow. “I’ll take the water,” I answered. She handed it to me. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

I drank from the bottle and sat straight after. “So, where am I?”

She put down her drinks and looked at me. “Still in Jackson, but almost outside of it.  And, it’s kinda great here than living in a city.”

“So, you came from the city? Which one?”

“London,” she said, almost with that British accent. “So, you?”

I was tempted to say I’m from Sylvania but that would put me in much trouble. And it’s not that we know each other so well. Nope.

“Jackson, the place where I found myself and where I am rooted on,” I answered, trying not to sound like I’m lying.

“And I find it really great here. So, how about we grab a dinner?”

I am really hungry. That’s for sure. “Okay,” I agreed.

“So, fix yourself now, Jess. Ohh, your coat is over there,” she pointed to the rack. She started putting on her coat and scarf. She faced me saying, “Have a good look of this place. Appreciate and love it. I know your gonna miss this.”

After telling me that, she opened the door and closed it behind her. I pouted. She got a big mouth and a loud voice. I got and wear my coat before heading for the door. I hit it but I looked back, around the full interior of the shed.

It’s beautiful. It’s like paradise. It required too much effort for this to be build and I salute that person. I smiled but it faded when I saw a painting. I walked near the painting as tall as my height; it’s been hang on the wall. It’s really beautiful.

It’s a princess. She has her tiara on. But she’s facing sideward so I can’t really see her features. But she has a small but lovely nose, and a little bit small eyes. Her lips are so thin and you can really say it by first observation.

It has to be a name!

I was about to find and read the name when Tiffany shouted. “Hey, Jessica, you’re not gonna let me wait for too long, right? Hurry!”

I, then, walked out the shed and found Tiffany in her car. She smiles at me when she sees me. “Get in the car, Jess.”

I did. I sat in the front seat and now, we’re heading to the main town of Jackson. Some time when we were heading for the main town, I found myself thinking if I wasn’t kidnapped. You know. After what had just happened few days back then, I couldn’t help myself thinking.

“So, what do you do?”

A sudden question of Tiffany pulled me back from my train of thoughts. I looked her way and said, “I bake.”

“Really? I should really try that.”

“I have a bakeshop,” I added.

She smiled. “That’s cool. How about I visit some time since we’re friends by now? Are we now friends?”

I hesitated at first but I asked myself why I should. I guess having another girl friend would be great.

I turned to her and smiled before saying, “Yes. We’re friends.”

“Really? That’s great.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I guess so.”

We pulled by the driveway of the only fine dining here in Jackson. I looked around. Then something just hits me. Does everyone worried about me now? What time is it?

It’s 7 in the evening. I’m gone for almost 10 hours.

“So, let’s get going, Jess?” I looked at Tiffany.

After all I couldn’t disappoint Tiffany and I won’t. It’s nice to be her friend so I pushed that away. I’m still in Jackson anyway so nothing to worry about. “Okay,” I said.

“Great!”

We got out of the car and went it to the resto. We took the seat at the far east of the place.  I decided to tell her about how good the food is. After all, I’ve been here more months and I surely love their food.

“How about this Loved-red fish with cucumbers?” She asked me.

“Oh my~ Don’t. I’m allergic to that,” I said, almost had the urge to throw up.

made an O and she uttered, “Sorry. I guess I’ll go for the beef.”

We settled our own food, then and the waiter jotted down our orders. I know her. She’s Ashley, the kindest waitress here in Jackson. She has this attitude that all of her customers love and admire about her.

When I looked at Tiffany, I found her staring at me. Then she smiled. “So, how are you?”

“Me?”

Tiffany scowled. “Jessica, will you stop being shy around me. I don’t bite, you know.”

“I’m sorry. I just had a rough day,” I said.

“Oh, really? It seemed to me that you loved that place,” she said, almost looked like she just tricked me to go to a blind date.

Then I remembered the place. It was so beautiful. “Yeah, I kinda like it. It’s beautiful. Is it yours? Oh! What am I asking? Of course it’s yours!—“

“It’s okay. It’s not mine, though,” she said and held my arm to stop me.

“Wait, what? Then, who own it?”

She leaned backward and was silent for a moment. She let a sigh. “Just someone who’s really in love that he’d built it for his lover,” she said, almost like feeling unhappy or . . . I don’t know. Maybe sad? It’s the same!

But what? Man-made? “What were you saying? He built in on his own for his lover?”

She pouted. “Yes, and it’s beautiful, right?”

“Yes. It really is. I never imagined it that it was built by a man,” I said, truthfully.

“Yeah, me too. But love conquers all, right? It pushes someone to do anything impossible to do.”

I nodded as recognition to what she said. It’s true, though. Just then, since it’s getting really late, we decided to take our dinner fast. She still has a long road to take.

As we finished, I decided to go home by myself.

“Are you sure?” Tiffany asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure. It’s really okay.”

“Okay,” she then got in her car. She rolled down the window and said, “Take care, Jessica.”

“Yeah, sure and thank you, Tiffany,” I said, bidding goodbye. Her car zoned out to the main road and soon it disappeared. I let a deep sigh.

I find my way back home. It’s near so I used some walking to get to the porch. I was about to hit the doorknob when it swung open. There’s Suho, with his worried expression.

“Jessica,” he said, shocked.

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Apr 13 #2