Another busy week had gone by for Amber. It is finally Friday afternoon- time to enjoy some company. Earlier she had told Eric to wait for her in the parking lot near Starbuck. There they will drive back to her house and have dinner along with Mama Liu. Right when the clock turns five, Amber left her work place. And five minutes later she was at the parking lot.

Amber opens the passenger side door, "Hey, man! What's up?" They did a fist pump as Amber enters the vehicle. 

"Not much," Eric turns his body and reach to the backseat, "I brought an apple pie for dessert tonight. Do you think your mom will like it?"

Amber slams the door shut. "As long as it is edible she will like it."

Eric starts to drive off.

"How are you and Kevin doing?"

"Um... the same old stuff. You know how jealous Kevin can get, and my mom never stops with the blind dates. So what about you? Krystal complained about you the other day." He grins as if he know about something that he shouldn't have.

"What did she tell you?" Amber alert that there is somthing going on.

"Nothing. Nothing," Eric laughs. "She just tole me that you were inconsiderate the other night when you two where doing it."

"What!! Krystal would never tell you something like that. Stop lying." Of course, a scorpio is overly secretive. How could something so personal slip through . "Tell me Eric what did Krystal told you?"

"Nothing. I'm just playing with you. Geez," Eric shakes his head as he drives through the green light. 

After driving down two more blocks Eric makes a right turn.

"Wait, why did you turn here? My house is four more blocks down the road." Amber thought Eric had forgotten where her house is at. 

"I know." Eric quickly answers. Soon he stops infront of a brick house and press the horn.

"Why are you stopping at Krystal's house!?" Amber looks out her passenger window and sees her girlfriend coming out of the house.

"Huh?" Eric appears to be clueless. "I thought Krystal told you about it. She said you invited me and her over to your house for dinner tonight."

"What the ! No. I did not say that." Amber curses. That was rare for the tomboy since she does not normally swear. Poor her, she must be in total shock right now. Well done, Krystal.

The long-haired girl walks to the rear door on Amber's side and open it. "Hello guys." She puts a plate of homemade brownies on top of Eric's apple pie, and sat down beside it.

"Hello, Krystal." Eric greets her, but Amber did not. "Hey Amber, why don't you say hi to your girlfriend?"

The tomboy looks at Eric and answers sarcastically, "I totally look like I want to greet people right now." 

On the way back to her house, Amber actually wanted to jump off the car and go somewhere else, but too bad Mama Liu is expecting Eric tonight. Maybe Eric and Krystal could pretend to be a couple- she thought. However, it is unlikely that Krystal will actually cooperate. Whatever. Mama Liu's english is poor anyway, Amber would probably make it if she purposely tweek the translations. 

For Amber, the drive back to her house seems like eternity even though it was only a two minute journey. Amber's heart rate rises as Eric enters the driveway and parks the car. The people inside the vehicle unbuckles their seatbelts. 

"You two better not do or say anything stupid, or I might actually find the courage to murder you." Amber warns, and she means it. If Mama Liu finds out that Krystal is Amber's girlfriend, then the world would literally ends for her.

Ding Dong. Mama Liu opens the front door. "Hi~!" She happily greets them. "Eric long time no see!" She hugs him warmly as if he is her son. "And-" She slightly pauses. "I haven't seen you before. What's your name?"

"I'm Krystal, Amber's friend." She gives the old lady a loose hug. Their interaction feels awkward, somehow.

Amber starts speaking in her broken mandarin, "Ma, she is also a Korean like Eric. We are all really good friends." Amber try to make it clear that Krystal is not only her friend, but Eric's too.

"Well, come on in. The food is ready." Mama Liu pull them into the house and close the door herself. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she makes her way back into the house. It was Krystal's t-shirt that made her confuse. She remember Amber wore the same one earlier this week; that night when she came home late. That shirt was also red and it had white prints on it. Amber never shares her clothes with other people, so how can Krystal be wearing that exact same shirt. Could it be a couple t-shirt? Hmm... Mama Liu is sure getting suspicious.

In the dining room Amber, Eric, and Krystal were sitting at the dinner table, chatting. Mama Liu brought out the bowls of soup out from the kitchen. She took notice of how Krystal was sitting especially close to Amber; Eric is sitting on the opposite side of the table.

"Thank you, Ma." Amber takes the first bowl of soup from the tray and gives it to Krystal, then Eric, and the last one for herself. It is very natural of her since she is forever the gentleman woman. However, Mama Liu is getting more suspicious because of such small interaction. 

In mandarin, "Amber tell your friends to go ahead and eat first. I will bring the bring the rice out right now." Mama Liu heads back into the kitchen.

A minute after, Mama Liu comes back out with the rice. This time she hands out the bowls herself, and then she sits down next to Eric. "Let's eat. Don't be shy." The youngsters only pick up their chopsticks after the elder did so.

"Amber, does Krystal have a boyfriend?" Mama Liu asks in mandarin so Krystal could only make out her own name. The girl looks at Amber for the translation.

"Uh, my mom just asked if you have a boyfriend or not." 

"Oh." Krystal looks back at Mama Liu and shakes her head, "No, I don't have a boyfriend."

"How can your friend be so pretty and not have a boyfriend? Does she like girls?" Mama Liu asks jokingly. 

Immediately Amber is taken back by her mother's question, "Ma, how can you ask something like that?" Thank goodness the Koreans at the table does not understand any mandarin.

"I'm just joking. I thought young people like to joke like that." Mama Liu reasons with her daughter. "Then ask Eric if he have a girlfriend or not."

The boy heard his name so he looks at Amber, waiting for the translation.

"My mom ask you if you have a girlfriend or not."

"Haha, is your mom trying set me and Krystal up or something?" 

Amber translates that for her mom.

"Oh, I think they will make a good couple. Ask them is they like each other or not." Mama Liu, what are you trying to do?

"My mom just said that you two should date."

"Eww, no!" Krystal's reacted as if she's disgusted.

"Why? Does she not like Koreans?" In Mama Liu's perspective Eric would be a great husband and son-in-law. She's curious in why Krystal responded in such a manner. Maybe she's gay?

"Ma, she's Korean herself. Why would she not like her own people?" Amber asks, finding her mom quite ridiculous.

"Then why don't she like him. Does she like Taiwanese people then?" Hmm... who else is Taiwanese? Amber?

"My mom just said that there a lot of single ladies and gentleman in our family and she wants to introduce some of my cousins to you guys." And of course Amber would make up something like that.

Eric and Krystal chuckles.

...

"Bye!" Amber stands at the front porch and waves goodbye as Eric drives away along with Krystal. Then she walks back into the house.Tonight's dinner was nerve wrecking, but even until now she have not let her guards down yet.

Sitting in the living, Mama Liu starts to ask her daughter about Krystal.

"Amber."

"Hm?" The tomboy is laying on the couch with her feet on her mom's lap.

"How come I never heard you talk about your friend Krystal before? Is she your new friend?"

"Nope. I met her while doing charity work with my friends- about two summers ago." Amber is flipping through the channels.

"Ooh... are you two really close? She seems to know alot about you."

The girl pauses for a moment. "Mm, we are okay." Then she sits up on the couch. "Ma, I am going to sleep now. Are you going to watch some more tv?"

"No you can turn it off. I have to finish doing the dishes." Mama Liu watches her daught gets up from the couch.

"Okay, goodnight then." Amber makes her way to the bedroom.

Alone in the living room, Mama Liu spots her daughter's cellphone laying on the other end of the couch. She stares at it for a few moments. Should she snoop on Amber's phone or not? Temptation is hard to fight. The password is not a problem because she know it- '1992', Amber's birth year. If she does and finds something suspicious between Amber and Krystal, then what should she do? Confront Amber about it? What if Amber comes out to her? Is Mama Liu ready for the truth?

TBC...

What do you guys think? Not much about the sign since the story needs to be push forward.