"This better be good. Mom and dad will call tonight."

 

 

"You run inside first before I do"

 

 

"AMBER I am bare footed! You should have told me we're gonna do some running, instead of barging in and surprising my friends to death. Do you know that one of them has a stupid crush on you? God, she almost died of asphyxiation."

 

 

 

"Sorry. Uh-wear my shoes, yes, wear them then please sprint to the entrance. Wait for me when you get inside okay? Here are the keys." I answered, untying my shoelace right foot first after I place the key on her pocket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"You gotta be kidding me?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Stop complaining Krystal. Your surprise is waiting. We only got an hour remember?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Why? You're Cinderella or something now? It doesn't suit you."

 

 

 

 

 

 

She teases me, her attention is on her phone so I pull her feet to my lap without warning and she almost hit her head on the window if not for her admirable reflex.

 

 

 

"Stupid!" I just grin at her. Her face contorts to a frown, but I know that she's trying hard not to laugh because the soles of her feet are ticklish. She didn't protest when I push her foot inside my shoe but she didn't help me either. She's just watching while her fingers are still busy on her phone.

 

 

 

"Happy Krystal day is trending everywhere Soojungie. You're definitely global now. I can not reach you anymore." I continued the conversation without looking away from tying the other shoe. She didn’t respond, probably still busy on her phone. I focused on tying the shoelace.

 

 

 

 

She looking at me weirdly when I look back up.

 

 

 

 

"How's your recording? This sneakers fit me well. Can I have it? But this will not be my present." She said, completely ignoring what I have just said as she stretches her legs on my lap.

 

 

 

"Uh, well talk about that later princess. Let's go. Time for your birthday surprise." I replied as I gently pull her legs from my lap. "Okay ninja jung, you just have to reach that door and get inside, then wait for me there. Got it?"

 

 

 

"Amber, I swear if this is one of your stupid pranks, I'm gonna strangle you with your shoelace."

 

 

 

 

 

"Trust me okay?"

 

 

 

 

She just stares at me, her hands never leaving her phone. For three heartbeats I thought she would demand a ride back home, but she didn't. She opens the door and jogs to the entrance. She didn't even fumble with the key.

 

 

 

I take a deep breath before leaping to the door. This is it, this maybe the last so it better be flawless. I look up and pray to heavens before sprinting to her. How I wish I am wearing socks.

 

 

 

A very undignified squeal escapes my throat when I close the door. Krystal is standing near me, the phone in front of her face makes her look like an apparition. Her face devoid of make up is definitely a scene to behold.

 

 

 

"It is pitch black here stupid? Are we robbing the ticket booth? I'll love the idea if only you don’t have the stealth of an oversized hippo." she gushed when she finally controlled her giggles. I may have sounded close to Jessica when I squealed.

 

 

 

"Hey, I have stealth, I'm agent double ow seven." I tried saying with a British accent which only makes her laugh more. As much as I want to watch her make fun of me, I don't want our one hour freedom to be spent in a dark hallway so I reach for her sleeves and pull her to the dark.

 

 

 

She intertwines our fingers and gives me her phone.

 

 

 

"You hold the light, where are the switches? We are not really robbing the ticket booth are we? I'm sure my sister will not think twice about making you a llama fur scarf this time if she finds out."

 

 

 

 

"Princess, I was sleepy when I made that joke, remember? She'll forget it, it's her fault for calling me instead of calling manager oppa, anyway. And no, no ticket booth robbing today for you."

 

 

 

I heard her snort but she didn't speak again. She's probably trying to find the switches on her side because she tugs me closer to the left of the corridor. We walk side by side quietly. Our intertwined hands are giving me mini electric shocks but I didn’t let go.

 

 

 

Krystal breaks the silence once we’re almost to the end of the corridor.

 

 

 

 

 

"Am-ber? is it safe to talk about your weirder behavior on China now? I demand explanations, especially when you just let him carry me like that." she asked.

 

 

 

 

"Later, the lights will be on any minute now. I promise you the explanations after today. Now you close your eyes. And you won't be difficult. Yes?"

 

 

 

 

 

"Fine, but I am not closing my eyes. That's ridiculous, it's already dark."

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Stop ruining your moment princess. Just do it, or I'll cover your eyes with my hands."

 

 

 

 

 

"Don’t. Okay, eyes closed but if I trip, your dead meat. Understand?"

 

 

 

 

I squeeze her hand, and pull her closer to me to make sure she won’t stumble before I answer her.

 

 

 

 

"Yes your majesty, I'll keep you safe."

 

 

 

I look at her to check if her eyes are closed and I grin like a mad man because she's not being too stubborn today. The softness of her facial features as it was being touched by the harsh light of the phone makes me think of angels. Is it possible to fall in love again and again to someone, because if not I think I am sick. I just hope it's not terminal.

 

 

 

 

Everything becomes bright all of a sudden and I have to blink several times to erase the black spots appearing in front of me. I'm sure Krystal felt the light on her eyes too, so I turn my gaze to her. She's peeking, with her left eye open, but I can tell that she can't make out anything because of the sudden brightness.

 

 

 

 

 

"Hey no cheating Soojungie!" I hastily covered her eyes with my hands after pocketing her phone.

 

 

 

 

 

"Amber! Do you really want this to be a cliché. Trust me I won’t swoon in time?"

 

 

 

 

 

"Just walk princess. Please. I won’t ask you to swoon, but let me do ‘cliché’ okay?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Whatever. Check my phone. Mom will not be happy if I miss her call."

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Yes, your highness. Now can you please stop talking and keep moving because we have a show to catch.”

 

 

 

 

I lead her to the end of the hallway usually used for red carpet premiers. I used to laugh at people who are acting all cheesy and lovesick when I was younger, but I understand the fuss now. It's part of the bargain. It's part of being miserably and pathetically in love with your bestfriend. How I wish it can just be hopeless in love with your best friend, but it won’t work that way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not a chance at all specially because my best friend is the Krystal Jung and I don't have the XY chromosome to fit the ideal person for her that the society expects of her. With legal restrains, adult reasons, and more adult craps as cherry top, I don't think the possibility of me loving her openly and freely will happen at all, but it's not the time for self-pity because of my inane shortcomings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's her birthday. The twentieth if we're counting the way Koreans do. She's fifteen when I first give her a birthday present. 17 when I first give her a surprise. 19 when it officially becomes a tradition. Now she's 20, and it feels like I can't reach her anymore but I have to try, because that's what you do when you’re miserably in love with Jung Soojung. You keep on trying, even if it hurts, until it fades away because fighting it never works, and denying it will just make it worse, so you just try your very best to make her happy.

 

 

 

 

 

"Hey! Can I open my eyes now? It's hurting. We better not be watching a chicflick! I'll leave you here!" Krystal sounds annoyed. Her hands are on her waist and she's trying to move her head from side to side.

 

 

 

 

I let go of her eyes slowly. She blinks a couple of times to get used to the bright. I just stood there beside her to watch her reaction.

 

 

 

 

It was definitely more than what I have expected.

 

 

 

 

I asked some friends to help me pull some strings to have this corridor closed to everyone until today. My fascination to photography becomes really handy to pull it off although I think it’s really the subject that makes the whitewalls look like an exhibit of a national treasure. The hall becomes a big canvass for almost a hundred of the most beautiful expressions I have ever seen.

 

 

 

 

 

Krystal’s mouth is slightly parted as she rushes to the wall to have a closer look. At least I know I have the surprise covered because she looks genuinely shocked to see my candid shots of her. Some of them are actually screen capture from her vids, but I won't tell her that. I just watch her from afar, the smile plastered on her face, makes up for all the sleepless nights I had just to have those pictures posted on the hall. She's skipping from one picture to the other, probably trying to remember when I took the picture because a lot of them shows her sleeping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Amber!"

 

 

 

 

I'm too busy analyzing her expression because I didn't notice her coming towards my direction until she embraces me hard. Her hands loop around my waist tightly as she tries to pull me close to her. She's cheerfully saying something. Her lips are brushing on my ear.

 

 

 

 

I have to swallow a big lump on my throat because it's sincerely hard to focus on her words, when she's hugging me tightly and I can definitely feel that she's not wearing bra under her pajama tops. Her continuous breathing too close to my earlobes is not helping at all either.

 

 

 

 

 

She lets go before I am able to answer, her hands are all over my thighs as she try to search for her phone, but I just watch her frozen in my spot.

 

 

 

 

 

Ugh, I am not a hormonal teenager. I am not a hormonal llama. se na kissing ajhussi, se na kissing ajhussi. se na kissing ajhussi. se na kissing-

 

 

 

 

"Hey, come here, lets take a picture together." she stopped me from having a brain seizure by pulling me in front of my favorite candid shot.

 

 

 

It's taken before getting out became a struggle especially for her. I can remember it clearly because it was the first time she managed to do a perfect 360 spin with my skateboard. Her onyx eyes looked so bright as she concentrated on trying to do it again that day. I took the picture with my phone so it's not as clear as the other pictures, but it's my favorite because it’s on the same day that I realize that I am in a deep . It's the same day I fell in love with my best friend.

 

 

 

 

She shows me the pictures after several shots and I almost deleted every single one of them if only she won't be mad at me. Half of the pics shows me looking at her like I've seen the real santa. I look too obviously in love with her and a part of me wishes I didn't because I shouldn't be.

 

 

 

 

Jongin is right when he says she's needs someone who can be there for her and the china nightmare is a concrete evidence that I can't. I can barely focus on not breaking down in front of the fans, while she's there alone in the van.

 

 

 

 

I can't even stay calm when I see her about to puke in the hallway. I can not even stay with her till it's time to go back home because I am not supposed to be there. I can not even hold her hand in the airport as she struggles to walk upright because it'll cause a media circus and worse a lawsuit on her doorsteps. How can I be miserably in love with her if I can not even be there for her?

 

 

 

 

"You look so cute in that one stupid! Thank you for this, you're really my favorite llama in the world!"

 

 

 

 

"I know right! I put the most convincing smile on my face before pulling her away from her shrine. Time for the last surprise of the day. The 24th is almost over now.

 

 

 

I don't know if she knows where we are going but she runs faster than me and she's actually the one pulling me. We look like a very silly pair, with her wearing her pajama and my shoes and me wearing shorts, black coat and a bow tie, but I couldn't care less. As long as she's happy this surprise will be perfect.

 

 

 

She stops when we reach an intersecting corridor, her breathing is uneven, but she's smiling. She allows me to lead the way after that because we have to pass through three intersecting hallways before we reach our destination.

 

 

 

 

I stop in front of the door and hold her arm to stop her from rushing in.

 

 

 

"Listen, I wanted to make you a princess for an hour but we don't have an hour anymore so I'll make you a princess for just ah less than an hour. I will-"

 

 

She slaps my arm lightly.

 

 

 

"Hey breathe llama. Relax. You look like you’re in having a panic attack. You don't have to explain every single thing. You know I pick up fast. Don't worry, the princess is pleased with the hallway surprise so I'll go along with whatever you have planned. Anyway, it's very stalker-ish of you but I love it Am. Thank you. Now calm down. And fix your tie. I'm going in."

 

 

 

 

Her onyx eyes are still boring holes on me but they look different today. How I wish I have amber cam with me right now because the expression on her face as she caresses the side of my cheeks should definitely be part of that hallway.

 

 

I am holding her left hand in mine and that's probably the reason why she's not moving, even if she says she'll be going in a minute ago.

 

 

"Hmmm, krys- uh- you're a princess. Princesses have carriage. I don't have one but I am a llama so. Hop on your majesty. Just pretend I'm white horse or something."

                                                             

 

 

 

She burst out laughing at my suggestion.

 

 

 

 

"How about a no? HAHAHAHA, move closer."

 

 

 

She's the one to coverthe distance between us. We are almost of the same height now that she's wearing my sneakers and I am barefooted. She arranges my bow tie and brush the imaginary dust on my shoulders.

 

 

 

 

"I don't want to spend my birthday with a servant, so don't you dare say that you are one. We’re princesses tonight, or you’re my prince tonight if you want. Understood?" She said pinching my nose.

 

I just nod, and continue ogling at her. She really looks happy and healthier. The light of the corridor allows me to examine her face up close and the dark shadows in her eyes are barely visible. It makes me smile.

 

 

 

"Good. Now lend me your arms, my barefoot prince. My birthday is ending."

 

 

 

 

She links our arms together and walks beside me as we get inside. I assist her as we went down the steps of the theater. The face of Audrey Hepburn smiling at us in the wide screen. I can feel her, squirming beside me and I bit the inside of my cheeks from laughing at her. I guess no one will really go swooning tonight.

 

 

 

 

I went up the 2 steps stairs leading to the theater stage before escorting her to the blanket in the middle. I didn't have time to arrange for tables and chairs and a live choir which is usually present in cliché scenes, so there's a blanket and dozens of flashlights on the stage to give us light on the ground that is not from the screen.

 

 

 

 

We have plenty of food on the floor. There's sushi, mango tart and a take out from Coreanos. I was not able to buy a birthday cake so I just put the candle in the middle of the tart. I honestly just get the candle from the convenience store so no wonder it's pink.

 

 

 

"Amber how am I supposed to watch Roman Holiday this close. Do you want me blind?" She opts to ask as soon as she's seated on the blanket.

 

 

 

"It's hard to eat sushi in the dark, so I laid the blanket here. I-"

 

 

 

 

"Nevermind. Can we stay pass midnight. Roman holiday's runtime is almost 2hrs, it's not even in the middle of the movie when we get here."

 

 

 

 

"You can have the restored Bluray version tomorrow princess, but we can't stay pass midnight sorry. Besides, the vid playing on the screen are just the cuts of your favorite scenes in the movie."

 

 

"How?"

 

"I pay attention of course. Even if I still don't really get why you think she's the one close to being perfect because evidently it's you."

 

 

 

I didn’t know where did that come from but at least she is actually in the mood. Again, she just laughs at me, even though I am being serious when I said that. Yes the lady in the screen is beautiful and she's a unicef ambassador and a lot of other things, but these girl in front of me, munching sushi like she has not eaten for ages is closer to perfect than anyone else I've ever met.

 

 

 

 

"Hey, come on let's get you seated at the back. I'm really convinced that you don't really need to see what you're eating. I don't want to have a blind princess." I pulled her from sitting in the blanket and we went to the middle aisle to sit in the farthest seats in the lowest box.

 

 

 

I leave her there to fetch a flashlight and the substitute cake. She looks like she wants to protest but she just let me. She's not even looking up to the screen. Maybe too busy choosing which is not california maki in the box she have on her lap given the difficult lighting.

 

 

 

I hurriedly return to her side and place the tart my right thigh, then I hold the flashlight on top of the sushi box to give her a better view of what she's eating. I groan inwardly when I notice that one of the california maki is missing on the 2nd row. I should give her water. Where is the bottled water? I try remembering where I place it on the stage.

 

 

 

God I forgot the water bottle. oh no.

 

 

 

"Thank you so much am. No one has taken too much trouble to give me a surprise like this."

 

 

 

I didn't look at her when she reaches for my hand that is not holding the flashlight.

 

 

 

"Do you know that I've never been in a cinema for a while, and I miss sitting in the folding seats like before. How I wish we can do this when there's other people around. Although I think they'll have you kicked out for bringing that much flashlight here."

 

 

 

"Soojung-ah, you ate that thing, I don't have water here, I'm sorry."

 

 

 

I say in a soft tone, I continue looking at the screen and pretend to watch as Audrey Hepburn hit a random guy with a guitar. I already mess everything up. Maybe, I should give a guitar like that and let her hit me for my stupidity. How can I forgot the water bottle?

 

 

 

 

"No, I'm okay. I'm fine eating california maki. Stop fussing about that."

 

 

 

She's rubbing her thumb on mine and I realized I've been holding on to her too tight. I peek at her to see her expression and creased my eyebrows. I can see her face with the illumination from the flashlight and she's not even looking at the screen. She's staring at me.

 

 

 

"Did I choose the wrong movie? Isn't Roman Holiday your favorite? Should it be the charade? or breakfast at tiffany's. or my fair lady?"

 

 

She smiles softly at me when I'm obviously having a mental breakdown in my seat. I really should be given the epic fail surprise award. I face palmed myself hard as an excuse to hide my face from her.

 

 

 

"Since when did you become an Audrey Hepburn fan Amber? Impressive, you knew all her famous movies, just please don’t tell me you didn’t Wikipedia that because."

 

 

 

 

"I'm sorry princess. I'm sorry for the failed surprise. Come on, we should go home now. I promised your mom that you'll be home before midnight."

 

 

 

"What?!"

 

 

 

"I called Jessica to ask for your mom's permission, to bring you to the cinema tonight Princess, that's the reason why your mom hasn't called yet. I'm sorry for the failed night. Come on. Your barefooted fail princess is bringing you home now."

 

 

"No!"

 

 

 

I look at her and raise the flashlight a little to see her face. She's glowering at me.

 

 

"But you're not watching anymore Soojungie. You’re not eating either. You're just staring at me." I whispered the last words because her frown deepens when I address her.

 

 

"Do you have a problem with me staring at you Amber Liu?"

 

 

 

"Err..No, but can I ask why because, it's the I don't know how to say goodbye scene now. That's definitely one of your favorite scenes. I remember now, you hit me hard with that hello kitty pillow when I mock puke when I first saw that."

 

 

 

 

She's still staring at me, and I wanted to stand up and sit away from her, because she's making me nervous. She's not even letting go of my hand. I almost choke on my saliva when, the stupid sound of kissing echo in the empty theater.

 

 

 

I wanna die now. I wish I can pass out from the intensity of her stare because that'll be better than this. I'm sure my palm is sweating and gross. My hand that's holding the flashlight is trembling.

 

 

 

 

"Yes, stupid you're right about the roman holiday but we grew up, and I realize that life don’t go that way. So, I like it but I don't think it'll be healthy for me to believe the delusions portrayed in the movie. We can't go home without you singing me happy birthday. That's the only thing I'm expecting from you honestly."

 

 

 

 

I cleared my throat, and force myself to look at her. She has that unnerving look in her face that I usually see when she's reading a good book or when she's pleased with something. How can she not look pissed at all when I practically kidnapped her from her slumber party just to give her a failed surprise.

 

 

"I-"

 

She just squeezes my hand thrice to urge me to continue. I honestly don't know why I am being an incoherent idiot, but I should definitely say something, or do anything. The screen is blinking with lots of people wearing heavy clothes now. It gave me an idea.

 

 

 

"Happy birthday Princess."

 

 

"why didn't you sing?"

 

 

"I have a better idea. Give me that" I reached for the box of sushi on her lap and place it on the floor. Then I held on to the mango tart and raise it in front of her face.

 

 

 

"Make a wish first." my hands won't stay still so the fire of the candle is dancing. The candle light is almost touching the surface of the tart now. Midnight is near.

 

 

She has her eyes closed when she made her wish and I really hope that all her wishes come true and that she would stop being so dam beguiling for once because it’s almost midnight and I don’t know if I could let her go.

 

 

 

 

I pull her back to the stage when she opens her eyes. She's looking at me with her bewildered look but I just shake my head and raise my palm to ask her to wait. I reach for the phone in her pocket since mine didn't have any suitable song for what I wanted to do.

 

 

 

 

 

The old band playing in the screen makes the theater boom with a ballroom song, but I don't really have it in me to dance to the beat of Audrey Hepburns party so I choose the first song on her favorites list. I set her iPhone to its highest volume and plugged in my earphones. I placed the right ear bud on her ears then I put the left one on mine.

 

 

 

With Julie Delpy’s "a waltz for a night" playing with the loud live band on the background I lay my hands in front of her, palms upturned with her phone safely secured in her my coat's pocket. I look her directly in the eyes.

 

 

 

"I failed making you feel like a princess, but I can at least pretend to know how to tango and dance with you and Audrey Hepburn’s audience. Can I?" I said with a straight face, praying to Audrey Hepburn's soul that she'll help me on this one.

 

 

 

I allow my gaze to roam on her face to decipher her reaction as the screen blinks on top of us and the light from the flashlights give eerie lighting as it’s dimming lights surround the two of us. She's smiling my favorite smile. The one she wears when she finished a good book. The one she wears when she made her mom proud about something. The one she wears when beats Jessica in pillow wrestling. That same smile she had on when she does that impressive 360 spin.

 

 

 

 

I kissed her for the first time.

 

 

 

 

Not the same way as Joe Bradley said goodbye to princess ann. Definitely not the way Ajhussi kissed her. I kissed her with my eyes closed, the light from the wide screen flickering on my eyelids. I didn't even touch her. I just kiss her, with thousands of butterflies erupting in my stomach threatening to get out. I pressed my lips softly with hers with my hands closed holding on tightly onto the hem of my coat. My whole body tingling with shots of electricity.

 

 

 

I'm seriously a living cliché of a lovesick fool at the moment but I can not even stop kissing her even after A waltz for a night ends.