“So how did the night end?” Amanda asked.

JaeBeom was fiddling with his phone and Mark was still sipping his beer.

“He sent me home after like the gentleman he is. Mandy, you were there; you met him.” Gwen said.

“I was home?” Amanda scratches her head. “You sure?”

Amanda recalls the night Gwen came home with a guy standing at the door. She peered out her room door and peeked to see what this mysterious Daniel looked like. She had to give it to Gwen; she had taste. This guy was cute, tall and extremely cute. She noticed Gwen giggling like a silly girl at the door when Daniel gave her a peck on her cheek before he left.

“Ohh the dude who kissed you at the door? THAT dude?” Amanda recalls then immediately slaps her head when she sees JaeBeom looking up from his phone.

Gwen smiles sheepishly and got up from her seat next to JaeBeom and walked out to the balcony to accompany Tasha.

“Sorry.” Amanda whispers an apology to JaeBeom and Mark lets out a laugh.

“JB, what’re you doing man? Why’re you keeping quiet?” Mark asks.

JaeBeom shrugs his shoulders and remained silent.

Amanda remembered that night when Gwen came home from her date, she was also hiding a male companion in her room. She was suppressing giggles from behind the door because Dimpled companion dared her to open the door. This time Amanda was a lil more level-headed, she had taken his shoes from the front door earlier and brought them into her room so that it wouldn’t get noticed again like before.

“Ok chicas… JB and I have overstayed our welcome. We’re gonna bounce.” Mark stands up and takes a last sip of his beer.

JaeBeom still silent and staring at his phone, mumbles a ‘bye’ as he and Mark walk out the door, while turning to the balcony watching Gwen and Tasha talk.

Amanda seeing the awkward farewell taking place, stands up. “Ira, I just got a text from a potential buyer. She/he wants to buy 3 of my Law books. Since I’m not re-sitting for anymore Law papers, I won’t need them anymore.”

“Wait, you’re leaving too?” Sierra jolts from her seat. “Imma go too. Let me text Tasha to tell her I’m leaving.” She peers out to the balcony, seeing Gwen in deep conversation with Tasha. She sends a quick text and joins Mandy at the entrance.

“Where’re you going?” Mandy asks Sierra while picking up her bag of presumably books to sell.

“Imma… go do some laundry.” She slides her feet into her slippers and runs to her 11th floor apartment.

* * * * *

“Happy Birthday, Moochie,” Amanda said as she laid packet of Rocco & Roxie’s Jerky Treats for Dogs, at the feet of the square wooden box that held her beloved Moochie’s remains. This was her go to place when Amanda needed to think and reflect. She had Moochie for 12 years before he passed on. They had caught the cancer too late, as he had lost so much weight. He had been her source of happiness, which got her through all her rough patches.

It has been 3 years since then and there hasn’t been a single day since she’s forgotten her Moochie. Though she’s contemplated on adopting a new pet but she still hadn’t gotten over Moochie’s death. Instead, she decided to visit the Pet Cemetery every now and then when she needed solace and peace of mind. Her heart hadn’t been full ever since and she struggled to fill in the gap with whatever she could.

Every day single day it’s gotta get better, she tells herself. Closing her eyes, she remembers the crippling feeling of loss. She sighed and patted the Moochie’s box, as she smiled remembering how happy he looked whenever she opened the front door. She loved him still for the unwavering attention he had given her.

Amanda stands up, adjusts her knapsack and places her hands in her hoodie pocket. She was satisfied with her visit and takes a slow walk towards the park, fronting the river nearby. It was late, she checked her phone clock which read 9.30pm. There were still a lot of people streaming by, walking in groups, cycling or just having a night-picnic by the river. The cool river breeze blew gently across her face as she leisurely walked along the concrete path of riverbank. She found a long bench under streetlamp and she settled herself down.

What seemed like 5 seconds later, her head jolted forwards as she felt something hit her head from behind. “Owwww…” She exclaimed as she felt the bump behind her head where the object had hit her. Then she saw a ball bounced and rolled in front of her threatening to fall into the river. She got up abruptly wanting to reach for the runaway ball when she saw a stranger run past her chasing after the same ball.

“Sorry…!!” He waved while running after the runaway ball.

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