[ CHAPTER 1 | Meet Where? ]

Too many people...

She thought while wincing at the intense heat that seemed to envelope her wherever she went. The inner square of the mall was filled with different stalls marketing different products, food mostly, and from afar she saw stuffed toys of different sizes displayed and hung on the facade of one stall. She squinted and grazed her gaze first at the neighboring makeshift shops on her right, hoping to find a shop that would interest her, perhaps an accessory store or a book sale at least. 

 It was the bazaar's second day, and knowing this made her understand why the area was extremely cramped with people of different ages. The colors presented before her were aesthetically appealing: there were touches of mint green, peach, beige, coral pink, and aquamarine blue coming from the cotton candy stall and the shop merchandising women's blouses and dresses. The entire covering of the tents were all in a uniform color of white, which allowed the braided crepe papers dangling like curtains on the base of the roof stand out beautifully. She had to admit she missed going out to places like this, but with the temperature that seemed to be at its peak, so many people bumping into her and her entire body feeling greasy, such circumstances didn't allow her to enjoy the experience of being there at all.  

"Hey Tarin hurry up!" A female voice called out at her. There was a tinge of irritation from the demand, but nonetheless didn't suggest a dictatorial-like kind of order.

Upon hearing her friend's voice, she suddenly snapped back to reality and remembered why she was there in the first place. However, all she knew was that they were about to meet her friend's best friend from Thailand, but for some unknown reason, the meet up was to take place in such a strange location. It bothered her that she barely knew what was in her friend's mind every time she'd get dragged like this. This is just one out of the many occasions where she had received a last minute call from the older female asking if she could come with her to run an errand, only to hear their doorbell ringing seconds later to see the person on the other end of the call beaming at her in front of their gate. It left her with no choice; it was hard to refuse her invitations when her friend's already dressed up and looking expectant. Tarin sometimes wondered how come she ended up being inseparable with this person for four years ever since she other moved in to their neighborhood, a friendship which started when she muttered a polite "hi" towards Tarin when she was reading Sense and Sensibility in a park one day on a swing.

They surprisingly clicked, despite the prominent differences between the two. It would be safe to say that her friend was more outgoing and bolder than her, commendably athletic, though they share that same soft side whenever they're just alone, almost on a daily basis having heart to heart talks on the phone or alternately hanging out in each other's homes. Although unfortunately for Tarin, this would involve constant nagging from the older female for her to go out more often and to stop herself from settling with the label of being an introvert. "It isn't bad to be who you are and I never asked you to change," she had said, "but how can you live life to the fullest and meet the man of your dreams if you won't at least explore the outside world?"

She knew her friend meant well, she had a point and it was kind of her to regard introversion as a part of Tarin with respect. Although putting that aside, it was also hard not to question her plans, not with a memory of the older girl setting her up for a date without her knowing. It was on a summer day when she pleaded Tarin to come with her, said that she had plans on meeting a high school friend, which Tarin expected to be singular. By the time they settled in one of Burger King's booths, three minutes later she was left practically alone with a guy who came aside from Rina, the high school friend who was originally the only person she knew they were supposed to meet. Her eyes widened with panic when she saw the two girls sneaking a look from a corner wall at the far end of the restaurant, giving her "fighting!" gestures and winks. She figured it was a set up date which made her stomach churn out of anxiety, and she was more than relieved when the boy had to leave thirty minutes later when his mother called him to come home. At the very least she thought it was cute when she noticed that he was polite with her and his parents, which made him a not-too-bad company. Unfortunately, she did not feel any sort of blooming romantic fondness over him, much to her friend's dismay.

"For the twentieth time I am going to ask you this and it probably wouldn't be the last until I am satisfied of your answer. Do we really really have to meet there?"

The other female glared at her, and Tarin felt her tongue move back down , regretting she spoke again. "And for the twentieth time I'm saying 'yes'. Now can't you just please follow me?" She released an exasperated sigh. "Look, I don't know why of all places, my friend chose that spot. He could be strange at times. But trust me this wasn't the strangest and the most unpredictable thing I had to deal from him."

Tarin made a face. "You both are undoubtedly best friends, sharing the same traits of being strange and unpredictable."

This earned the younger girl a light slap on her forearm, which made her cackle due to her friend's unusual taut demeanor.

"Seriously, you look fi