What People Don't Know...

Gui Gui was on her way to the bus stop. She had just enough time to drop off her bag at home, before she should meet with Aaron.
She had never felt that happy before.
It was like the sun shined brighter and clearer than ever, even though it was late in November, and the cold wind bit deep into the bones. But she still felt a warmth run through her body every time she thought of him.
The bus opened its doors with a warm blow towards her. She stepped in, showed her ticket and sat down. There used to be totally crowded in the bus, but today it seemed that the most people had taken the car or the bike instead. It was only half filled up. So much the better. Then there was more space for her daydreaming.
Gui Gui looked out of the window, but didn’t see the houses they drove buy, nor the busy Friday traffic. She only saw Aaron’s smiling face. He had started in the parallel class a month ago, and she had finally pulled herself together to ask if they should meet after school. They had chatted a lot in the school breaks, but never alone. There had always been two or three friends with them.
She had travelled so far into her thoughts that she nearly forgot to get off the bus. She quickly jumped out, right before the doors closed. Her school bag was nearly stuck in the door opening.
She walked the last distance home to their detached house. The silver-grey car was parked in the driveway – then her dad was probably home. Her mother used the black car. Gui Gui normally used to cycle to school, but the wind had been too cold in the morning for her to take the trouble to. Luckily, the bus held nearly in front of the door. Her bike was very new, and had been very expensive. But as her father had said; they had the money for it.
She hurried upstairs to her room. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach awake. They had been slumbering all day, but had now sensed her nervousness. She took a deep breath, grabbed her handbag (which she had prepared the day before) and took a more expensive jacket and some nicer shoes on. She threw a look in the mirror and straightened out her hair with her fingers, before she ran downstairs again. Her father was in the study room.
“You look really fine today. Where are you going?” he asked, obviously turned to the computer, but the question was for her.
“Uhm... Just to the town with a friend,” Gui Gui answered. There was no reason to give him all the details.
“Have fun,” he wished her, but she was already on her way out of the front door.

Gui Gui and Aaron walked together down the street. Gui Gui tried to talk relaxed and look like that too, but it was hard when her heart beat to loud. To her joy she also noticed that Aaron also didn’t look that leaned-back.
“It’s so annoying that the dark comes so fast,” she said, when they around five o’clock tried to read what was written on a sign in front of a shop. The darkness made it hard to see.
“May I see?” He bended down and pinched his beautiful eyes together to be able to catch a glimpse of what was written.
Gui Gui moved a bit to the side to give him more space. After a short time, her attention was distracted from the sign, and instead she started looking at Aaron’s facial features. His nose was just the right size, and his cheekbones emphasized his dark eyes. She could see his breath, because his mouth was open in concentration. It looked like smoke, but she knew it was just because of the cold that his breath became visible. She started breathing out in the air to see her own breath in the cold night.
“What are you doing?” Aaron suddenly asked. Gui Gui had not noticed that he had watched her blowing out air to the night the last half minute. She quickly stopped. Good thing that it was dark, so he couldn’t see that she blushed.
“Nothing,” she said.
“That’s the best thing about the cold,” he said, and exhaled a few times with open mouth. Gui Gui laughed a little.
“Could you interpret the sign?” she asked.
“The special offer it describes was in last week,” Aaron answered, and pulled her along through the crowd.
They chatted while they walked, and Gui Gui felt happier for every word she said, and every word she heard him say. Aaron looked like he was just as immune towards the carving coldness, which filled the air around them.

Gui Gui could still feel her cheek burn at the spot where Aaron had kissed her goodbye. She walked smiling up to the front door. She locked herself in, took the shoes off and was on her way to her room, when her mother called her from the dining room.
“Hurry up and come down when you’re done, the food is ready!” she yelled. Gui Gui took note of it and quickly ran up with her bag and jacket, before she walked back to the dining room. Her parents had already started eating. She was hungry, so she immediately took some pieces of meat.
As always, her parents wanted to chat while eating.
“Who were you in town with this evening? Mary and Amanda?” her mother asked, who of course had gotten information from her father.
“No, someone called Aaron,” Gui Gui answered.
“Aaron? Have we heard about him before?” her father asked interested.
“The new one who started in the parallel class,” she said, with food stuffed in .
“I’ve said it before; finish eating before talking. It gives a bad impression to speak while you’re in the middle of a mouthful,” her mother commanded.
“It was him who asked,” she grumbling talked back. The father sat a bit in his own thoughts.
“Listen, this Aaron’s father doesn’t happen to be the son of Edward Yan?” he asked.
“He actually is.” How did he know that?
“How good is your relationship?”
“Pretty good,” Gui Gui admitted.
“I will seriously advise you to stay away from him from now on,” her father said. It was like a chilling stream ran down from her ears to her feet. What?
“What?” she repeated loud.
“I don’t want you to run around with him,” the father said with a serious expression.
“Why?” Gui Gui wanted to know. Her mother soundlessly continued to eat.
“The Yan Building Company is our company’s biggest rival. What won’t people think if my daughter fools around and flirts with the heir of that company?” he said strictly. Gui Gui didn’t get it. Where was the happiness she had felt all day? Gone. Jumped out in front of a truck and driven over. A building company truck.
“Couldn’t people just not think?” she asked obstinately, and laid down her knife and fork on the table.
“Stop it, Gui. It’s not only what people think. It is the whole company and our reputation that could get lost.” Her father spoke calmly and controlled, which was more than what Gui Gui could do.
“And whatever?! Why is that so important?”
“Do you want us to go bankrupt?” He talked a bit louder.
“It can’t be that bad!” she nearly shouted. She was also mad at her mom. Her mom just sat and intensely cut out her beef.
“You’re not old enough to understand it yet! We have build this firm from the bottom, and it has taken more time and powers than you can imagine,” her father said loud.
“I don’t care! You can’t forbid me to be with Aaron!” she yelled.
“You bet I can. Go to your room! Now!” he said determined, and pointed at the stairs.
Gui Gui stood for a moment and fought with her breath and tears, before she ran upstairs to her room. She threw herself at the bed and let her tears flow out in the pillow.
The company, always the company. Maybe she could buy expensive clothes and shoes, but her father always sat in front of the computer and her mother was late home every day. And now she couldn’t even be together with Aaron. Not even be friends with him. Just because his dad was just as crazy as hers.
She dried her eyes and took out her mobile. She called Aaron.
“Hello?” he answered.
“It’s Gui...” she sniffled.
“What’s wrong?” Considerate as always.
“It’s my dad. He doesn’t want me to see you anymore,” she forced the words out.
“Why not?” Aaron asked worried. She could hear that he scraped his feet on the floor, as he always did when he became nervous.
“Obviously because he has a problem with your father’s company.”
It took a few seconds before Aaron said something.
“What’s your father’s name?” he finally asked.
“Gustav, but the company is called Wu Building Inc.,” Gui Gui said softly.
“I think my father mentioned it once. He is not that positive about it either,” he said hesitating. There was silent again, before he continued:
“What shall we do?”
“I have no idea. I fought with my dad a moment ago, but he wouldn’t even let us be friends,” she said, and sniffled again. Now she suddenly noticed how cold it was in her room, and got on her feet to turn on the radiator.
“What about your mother?”
“She didn’t say a , but she is probably on his side. She always is,” Gui Gui sighed.
“And you still called me immediately?” She could nearly hear him smile.
“Of course,” she said, and also smiled a little.
“I haven’t mentioned it in front of my parents yet, luckily. I think they would be just as mad.” He sounded thoughtful.
“Do you have any ideas?” she asked.

Gui Gui could again feel the butterflies in her stomach. She and Aaron were going to an amusement park together, but none of their parents knew it. Gui Gui had told her father that she was going with some friends who were all girls, while Aaron had refrained from mentioning her real name in front of his parents.
How long it could be this way, she didn’t know, but she was ready to spite everything and everyone. That was what she had decided. Her friends had jumped on the idea, but apart from them, no one should know.
They jolly discussed how idiotic their fathers were, and what they would do if they got caught. Gui Gui thought that this actually made it more exciting.
But she would enjoy it as long as she could. What people didn’t now, they didn’t bother about.
She leaned closer to Aaron. Not because she froze. She didn’t feel the cold.
She only felt the warmth from Aaron.

**********
:D
The end of this one-shot. I am SO in winter mood. (Hot chocolate 8D xD)
If I have time, I will maybe make a sequel if you would like it.
But I will soon have a Christmas present for you all! Check this out: /ChristmasDream
I won’t say more yet, but subscribe to the fanfic, and then I’ll soon post the forewords.
Hope you enjoyed this short one-shot :) please let me hear what you think.
- Blitz