CHAPTER NINE JUNE 13, 2020   After a hearty homemade breakfast of fresh toast with avocado, the crew checked out of their cosy Airbnb and hit the streets of San Francisco. Russell ignited the car engine and set forth to the Fisherman’s Wharf, a northern waterfront where they would meet Seth and Kallie. He took a quick look to his right where Estee sat in the passenger seat, cordially smiling at him, and he gently ruffled her hair with a soft look.   Estee ducked down and scrunched up her nose. Ever since the two had decided to try dating, Estee had gotten much bolder with her originally secretive glances at him. Initially, whenever he caught her marveling over him, the female would shyly avert her gaze and a crimson blush could be spotted spreading across her cheeks. Now, she had taken to openly admiring his looks and Russell swore that the girl’s eyes held galaxies whenever they locked gazes.   To be completely honest, Russell had been pleasantly surprised to receive Estee’s confession out of the blue. He had never imagined that the girl would catch feelings for him and never considered dating anyone, especially after what had transpired between him and his ex-girlfriend…until Estee’s confession came along. He had to admit that he had started to develop good feelings for his childhood friend and felt very comfortable hanging around her. That was why he had proposed to try dating and see where it would lead them to.   Slightly distracted, he felt Estee’s hand squeezed his hand comfortingly as she smiled kindly at him. He grinned at her and refocused his attention back onto the road.   After a quick drive, they reached the wharf. It was a Saturday and there was already a small crowd in that area, even though they had arrived at around nine-thirty in the morning. Russell expertly weaved through the car park and managed to secure a free parking space with his sharp eyes, just as another car was leaving. The other two cars weren’t as lucky as him. Lucas and Jonas had to circle the car park several times before the two cars battled for a new parking slot that was freed.   Russell guffawed at the sight of the two SUVs trying to snatch up the free spot that Lucas had ultimately lost. After another ten minutes, all of the cars were parked and all of the passengers had alighted.   “Jonas! You stole our parking lot!” Bianca childishly exclaimed as she wore a look of disapproval.   “That’s because you guys were too slow,” Amelie retaliated back in place of Jonas.   “We saw that lot first though!” Bianca frowned. “And y’all took it right in front of our eyes. Jonas, you snake! Poor Lucas! No wonder biz kids can’t be trusted.”   “Says the biz kid herself!” Amelie cleverly countered with a smug smile. “Concede defeat and just admit that y’all were too slow.”   With that, a round of morning bicker between Bianca and Amelie erupted.   “Aww, Am, going all out to protect your man, huh?” Chanel commented knowingly while wiggling her brows.   “Shut it, Nellie!” Amelie huffed, but there was a recognisable shade of pink appearing on the apples of her cheeks.   Jonas wordlessly placed his hand on the Taiwanese girl’s back and ushered her forward, effectively breaking up the harmless banter.   “Looks like only Jonas can tame Am,” Chanel laughed mirthlessly, causing the Taiwanese girl to turn her head and shoot Chanel a death glare.   The group slowly traipsed to their meeting place at the square next to the iconic Fisherman’s Wharf sign where Seth and Kallie were already waiting. The male waved brightly at the group and Kallie took off instantly, running towards Vanessa and linking arms with her.   A bemused Russell, who was walking behind the Singaporean girl, could clearly witness the gremlin within Kallie that was slowly crawling out as she bombarded Vanessa with questions about her relationship with Leon, especially after what happened the previous day. It looked like Brendan had probably recounted the entire story in detail, seeing the types of questions she was asking. Vanessa bit her bottom lip and her cheeks colored due to the nosy enquiries as she hastily nudged Kallie to keep shut. Kallie merely chuckled as she shook the Singaporean girl for answers.   “Shall we split up into smaller groups and gather back here at around five in the afternoon?” Seth suggested. “There are too many of us to keep count if we hang out as a huge group.”   “Sure, sounds like a plan,” Russell agreed wholeheartedly.   Once everyone separated into smaller groups, they set off to explore the wharf. Their first stop was the famous Pier 39. Bianca dragged their group towards the sea lion viewing area, claiming that she wanted to see the sea lions. At the viewing area, there was already a crowd formed at the platform. Some of the group members brazenly squeezed through the crowd to the front to have a good look at the bubbly creatures.   Russell swiftly jumped onto a long bench and reached out to pull Estee next to him onto the bench so that the shorter girl would be able to see the sea lions too. Estee’s eyes lit up as she witnessed the numerous sea lions sunbathing on the wooden planks and squawking their hearts out, communicating with their family and friends. She immediately pulled out her camera and started snapping photos of the fat creatures.   Letting out a laugh, Estee slapped Russell’s arm in amusement when she saw a sea lion lazily drop into the waters with a splash and disappear from view. Russell stood beside Estee and eyed the lovely girl, taking in all of the different expressions on her face. He pursed his lips in deep thought as he allowed the girl to drag him across the bench to capture the viewing point at different angles.   Seeing a free spot at the railings, Estee jumped off the bench and pulled Russell into the space, allowing the two of them to get a better and closer view of the sea lions. Russell stood behind Estee, ruefully watching the excited girl, and felt his lips twitch upwards into a smile. However, for some reason, conflict swirled inside of him. And that feeling was becoming more prominent as the days passed.   “Estee! Help me take a photo!” Bianca called over from another end of the viewing platform.   Estee immediately walked over and Russell subsequently took her place. Placing his arms on the wooden railing, he watched the sea lions flip into water to cool down before climbing back up onto the floating planks. As he stared into a distance, his mind somehow wandered back to his cheating ex-girlfriend. His brows immediately furrowed and he clenched his fists.   Exhaling deeply, he shook his head, getting rid of the images in his mind, confused as to why he was suddenly thinking about his ex again. That girl had been his love of his life, but she had blatantly thrown away their five-year relationship, just because she hadn’t been able to stand the two months apart from him. How ironic.   Because of that horrible move, Russell had lost all respect for her. Even though she had begged him to forgive her back in February when she had confessed to him that she had cheated over a video call, Russell had been firm in his resolve when breaking up with her since she had severely crossed the line. He just couldn’t stand dishonesty and infidelity. Utterly heartbroken, betrayed, and angry at the same time, he had cut off all contact with her. Only a few months later, once his mind was clearer and not clouded by rage, he had agreed to talk to her face-to-face once he was back in Singapore to get closure and properly end everything.   Then Estee’s smiling face came to mind, causing his tense figure to relax a bit. Meeting Estee in USC had been crazily unbelievable yet rewarding at the same time. Estee was vastly different from his ex and he had great hope that she would be that special person. However, for some reason, Russell still felt unsettled. It was as if the entire dating situation with Estee had been a bad move from the start.   “Russ! Can you help me take a photo here?” Russell felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to meet eyes with Estee.   Plastering on a weak smile, he took Estee’s camera and bent down a little, capturing the smiling girl in frames. Ruffling her hair, he returned her camera and watched her check the taken photos. Pleased with the results, Estee pulled him to her position and beckoned him to pose as she took photographs of him too. Seeing Estee’s ecstatic demeanor, his mood also brightened and he shook away any lingering thoughts that meant otherwise.   After a few rounds of photo-taking and watching the cute and endearing antics of the sea lions, Estee stepped backwards and looked around for the rest of their group. “Where are the others?” Estee asked, pulling Russell’s sleeve.   “They left first. Ripley wanted to see Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum and the rest left with her, since they were already done with watching the sea lions,” Russell explained. “But since you were so engrossed, I stayed behind to wait for you.”   Estee sheepishly grinned. “Shall we go find them?”   “Let’s explore the pier by ourselves instead.” Russell winked and slung his arm around Estee’s shoulder as he guided her away from the sea lions. “We can go on a cruise later too, since you like taking pictures so much. I heard the view is beautiful. But first, I’m hungry. Let’s go get some clam chowder.”   Estee blushed and whacked the Singaporean male’s chest but still followed him, wrapping her arm around Russell’s waist.       The salty air permeated the surrounding area and Amelie skipped along the cobbled street like a little kid who had just received a tasty candy. Jonas trailed behind the bubbly girl, fairly amused by the sight. It was unusual to see the cool-headed female outwardly showcase her emotions, but Jonas had to admit that this road trip had influenced Amelie in a rather positive manner. Outgoing Chanel and Bianca had certainly rubbed off on her and she had become more expressive than usual. Either way, Jonas still liked her. And that was all that mattered.   But Jonas knew the real reason why Amelie was behaving that way. They were at a pier, meaning that there was going to be a variety of seafood around. And Amelie Chuang loved her seafood as much as she loved her home country, if not more. Even now, she was finishing up her small box of deep fried calamari.   After feeling deeply satisfied with her snack, Amelie quickly pointed out The Flyer, a 3D in-door thrill ride that took people on a quasi-flying experience to witness the sights and sounds of San Francisco. Intrigued by the idea of thrill and adventure, Amelie dragged her group to experience it with her. The group consisting of Jonas, Amelie, Jason, Elliot, Lucy, Rowan, and Lani walked into the indoor auditorium, queuing for their turn to experience soaring across the skyline of San Francisco.   Once they were safely strapped onto their seats, the prologue officially began. The moving picture started off with a male leaving his house and getting into a car. He then pulled out a ring box from his front pocket and opened the box, gazing affectionately at the diamond ring inside. The scene changed to a short-haired lady sending a message that read, “The view is amazing,” with a smiley face before the scene transitioned back to the male who replied, “I’ll be there soon,” with a face blowing a kiss.   A seagull flew by and stopped on top of the wooden pole. After the man got off the car at his destination, he nervously walked forward, clenching onto the ring box. As he neared the lady who was standing by the railing, watching the scenery in front of her, the narrator expressed, “It’s the perfect time for the perfect proposal.” With that, the prologue ended and the ride began.   Lucy was leaning comfortably against Elliot and she squealed slightly at the idea that the fictional characters were going to be engaged. Rowan and Lani also had their hands clasped together as the metal barrier in front of them lowered, preparing them for a virtual take-off. Jonas took a quick glance at the girl sitting next to him before turning his gaze back to the screen.   Out of the blue, the seagull flew down and picked up the engagement ring from the opened box and flew away. And that was how they ended up following the seagull on a journey to see the iconic landmarks of San Francisco. They flew right above the ocean, going past a colony of sea lions that were resting on a beach, squawking their lungs out.   Next, they found themselves swooping down into the Redwood National Forest, soaring through the lush greenery as they followed closely behind a group of cyclists biking through the rough terrain. They then soared back into the sky and Lucy shrieked in delight, feeling the adrenaline pumping through her veins. It was as if the group had grown wings and was literally flying around.   Soon, they glided over the ocean, seeing different rock formations and beaches, before the iconic red Golden Gate Bridge was spotted in the distance. The seagull led them to fly parallel to the bridge, giving them an up-close view of the majestic structure. They also spotted some people scaling up the bridge.   “Wow, you can actually do that?” Amelie exclaimed.   Once they flew above the highest point of the bridge, they headed for a ninety-degree plunge straight down into the waters below. Everyone squealed as the animation made their insides squirm, as if they were literally thrown down from a high height.   A splash was heard and then they were flying above a boat that was cruising across the waters at high speed before they headed straight for Alcatraz Island which housed a maximum security prison. They managed to enter the facility and had a glimpse of the rows of prison cells inside before they broke through the windows and soared back into the blue skies, dotted with white clouds.   Soon, their vision cleared and they were greeted by a bird’s eye of view of San Francisco City. Following the seagull, they arrived at Coit Tower, circling around before swooping down to catch the fallen ring from the seagull’s mouth. Next, the scenery changed to have them cruise through the busy streets of San Francisco until they reached the populous Chinatown. There was a lion dance performance in action and they weaved through the performers until they reached Lombard Street. The twists and turns had them squealing in giddiness.   A moment later, they ended up at the Fisherman’s Wharf, flying above the carousel and seeing entertainers performing on the pier. Finally, the ring was dropped in between the two lovers and the male kneeled on his knee, proposing to the love of his life before picking her up after she agreed, spinning her in circles. The clip then ended and the lights came on again.   After the short eight minutes sensational flight, the group exited the building and walked down the pier once again.   “How was it for you?” Amelie asked Jonas as they strolled side by side.   “Meh, it was just a random dude’s proposal, featuring some tourist attractions of San Fran. Nothing spectacular about it and more like a tourist trap,” Jonas tonelessly replied.   “Don’t be a spoilsport!” Amelie clucked her tongue, slapping Jonas’s arm because of his lackluster response.   “That’s right, Jonas!” Lucy piped up from the side, linking arms with Elliot. “We’re tourists, so it’s still fun doing touristy stuff together!”   “Where do y’all wanna go next?” Jonas asked, effectively changing the topic.   “There’s 7DExperience at the other side,” Lucy replied. “I heard it’s like a roller coaster simulation in the form of a 3D video game. There’s also a laser maze we can play too!”   “Ooh, that sounds exciting!” Rowan expressed.   “Let’s go there then!” Amelie concurred.   So after a thrilling game of shooting zombies with their laser blasters and a round of testing their flexibility when crossing the laser maze, the group came out feeling famished.   “God, I’m so hungry! What shall we have for lunch?” Jason enquired.   “Seafood? Since we are at a pier?” Jonas answered smoothly.   Amelie, who was standing by his side, beamed in response. “Yes, please!”   The rest easily agreed and the group started to walk towards the Pier Market Seafood Restaurant, which had a fabulous outdoor seating area.   “You looked over the moon,” Jason laughed and noted, taking notice of Amelie’s joyous demeanor.   “That’s because we’re having seafood for lunch!” Amelie easily said.   “You like seafood?” Jason questioned.   “Yup! Seafood is love, seafood is life! Back in the U.K., I always visit Bournemouth and Brighton during the weekends to satisfy my seafood cravings!” Amelie explained.   Jason grew silent as he observed the giddy girl before his eyes travelled to Jonas who was walking in front of them. The way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. Similarly, that logic worked well for girls too. Jonas didn’t just suggest seafood because they were by the seaside, but rather because of Amelie’s love for that particular cuisine. And because of that tiny action, Jason was made aware of the fact that just maybe, he didn’t know the Taiwanese girl as well as he thought he did despite his crush on her.       Knowing that he couldn’t avoid Karter forever, Seth kept his mouth shut when his former roommate joined his group. Luckily, Alexander and Chanel engaged Karter in conversation while Seth and Kallie stayed near Leon and Vanessa. Dealing with the crowd at Pier 39 also helped Seth keep his mind distracted from how his former roommate was continuously staring at him, gaze filled with fire and steel, throughout the morning.   While they were at the Aquarium of the Bay, Seth carefully steered Kallie through the exhibits as they blithely reminisced about their senior prom, which had taken place at the Aquarium of the Pacific. At the aquarium’s gift shop, Karter attempted to pay for the dolphin plushie that Kallie picked up, but Seth was two steps quicker in handing over his credit card to the cashier. A stoic expression crossed his former roommate’s face, but Seth pointedly averted Karter’s gaze as they all walked out of the store.   Despite knowing that his behavior was bordering on petty at this point, especially after he had completely ignored Karter the previous day, Seth couldn’t help but continue using the others as a shield whenever his former roommate tried to come close. Even though this wasn’t turning out to be the fun weekend with Karter and Kallie that he had envisioned last week, all Seth could remember was the gut-wrenching pain in his best friend’s voice when she had berated herself for Karter’s mistakes. All Seth could see were the waterfalls of tears streaming down his best friend’s pale face when she had desperately clutched him for comfort.   After they finished traversing Magowan’s Infinite Mirror Maze, the small group of seven stopped by Bubba Gump Shrimp Company Restaurant and Market for a late lunch. The Forrest Gump-inspired restaurant was another reminder of Seth and Kallie’s senior prom night, when they had dined there due to its close proximity to the Aquarium of the Pacific. It had been a fun-filled evening with friends, all of them dressed to the nines as they toasted the end of one chapter and cheered for the beginning of the next.   Being there with new friends who were just as precious caused Seth’s heart to swell with joy and he briefly allowed himself a respite in his unspoken cold war with Karter. After all, there was no point in ruining a perfectly good meal with a sour attitude. Once they all ate their fill and paid the bill, the group walked down the stairs and began making their way back to the entrance of Pier 39.   However, Chanel suddenly caught sight of the Open Heart sculpture, and she squealed with delight as she immediately hooked her arms with Vanessa and Leon. “Oh my gosh, you two need to have a photo shoot with this!” she declared as she tugged them forward.   “Nellie, wait!” Vanessa tried to protest, a strawberry blush spreading across her thin cheeks. “What about the others?”   “We’ll be going ahead,” Kallie answered with a wink, causing Seth and Alexander to chuckle while Leon sighed. “Just catch up with us when you’re done. And feel free to take as much time as you need,” she added with a sunny beam. “No rush!”   “C’mon, Nessie, let’s go!” Chanel gleefully cackled as she dragged Vanessa and Leon to the queue of people waiting to take pictures in front of the giant red heart.   But with the absence of three people, especially Chanel and her overbearing presence, it was much harder now for Seth to ignore Karter and keep him away from Kallie. Presumably feeling more confident due to the relaxed atmosphere that had surrounded the group during lunch, his former roommate was cracking jokes with even more gusto than usual. However, only Alexander reacted and the semblances of a dark cloud were beginning to form over them.   As they traipsed up the Musical Stairs, Karter tried to cajole Kallie into playing a short duet with him on the piano-like steps. But all the Chinese-American girl could manage was a weak smile and she automatically stepped closer to Seth, who wore an unfathomable expression as he pulled her against him. Karter’s face fell slightly, his lips flattening into a straight line, as he trudged up the melodic stairs first with Alexander following close behind.   The pier seemed to be even busier now, packed with people in every corner. “Let’s get outta here,” Seth told them as the group nimbly navigated through the dense crowd. “There’s more stuff at Fisherman’s Wharf aside from Pier 39.” Remembering how he and Chanel had been forced to drag Alexander out of Chocolate Heaven, a small sweets shop filled with barrels of delectable chocolate, earlier in the day, Seth grinned at the Chinese-American boy and asked, “Wanna check out Ghirardelli Square? It’s just a short fifteen-minute walk away from here.”   Alexander’s eyes gleamed at the prospect. “Yeehaw, now you’re talking!” He then overtook Karter, and began to part the crowd with his long arms and his confident stride.   Karter tried to gradually inch his way to the pair of best friends, but Seth easily sidestepped around him and swept Kallie forward into the narrow vacuum of space behind Alexander. The look of betrayal on his former roommate’s face slashed Seth’s heart in several spots, but the reminder of his best friend’s severe anguish caused Seth’s jaw to tighten even more. Since Kallie wasn’t ready to forgive Karter, neither was he.   However, Seth could feel his former roommate bubbling like a volcano next to him, just about ready to burst. Having lived with Karter the past few years, Seth knew that this method of evasion would only work for so long. And considering that their time in the Bay Area would unfortunately be drawing to an end tomorrow after a short one-night stay in San Jose, the male Hong Konger was likely feeling the pressure of limited time on top of his mounting frustration from being blatantly ignored so much.   After exiting Pier 39 and the massive crowd, Seth stretched his arms out behind him and then pointed at the beautiful blue bay that was to their right. “Seeing this never gets old,” he commented with a soft smile as they gazed at the rippling cerulean water, bright sunlight reflecting off of the gentle waves as the sun gradually began its descent. “It’s too bad you guys aren’t staying longer. There’s still so much more to see around the city. And we haven’t even checked out a fraction of the hipster cafes that I’m sure the girls would’ve loved to take pictures at,” Seth continued with a light chuckle.   “We’ll come back,” Kallie promised. “You’ll be here for the next few years, so we’ll come back.”   Alexander nodded in agreement. “I’m always down to come back for a second round. It’s not like I have anything planned for the future,” he added with a slight shrug.   “It’s too bad some of them have to go back home though,” Kallie dolefully said. “I wish the exchange students didn’t have to leave. And I think Bianca is also moving back to Korea,” she remembered after a short pause. “I wish she didn't have to leave either.”   “We’ll go visit them in their home countries,” Seth proposed with a wide grin. “Facebook has offices all over the world and we can steal snacks while we’re there.”   “Wait, you can do that?” Alexander asked.   Seth nodded and pulled out his employee badge from the right pocket of his Adidas soccer pants. “As long as I have this,” he briefly dangled the badge before putting it away, “I’m allowed to enter any Facebook office. Once I’ve accumulated enough paid time-off, we can go and travel abroad for a bit.”   “Definitely hit me up when you decide to go,” Alexander told him. “I’m gonna need a vacation once grad school starts.” He then turned to Karter and asked, “What’re your plans, bro? You should come too.”   “I mean, why should I even bother?” Karter answered in a scathing tone as he glared at Seth. “It’s not like I’m even wanted here.”   Seth narrowed his eyes. “Not now,” he hissed warningly to his former roommate.   “Not now? Not now?” Karter let out a mirthless laugh. “Okay then, Seth. When, though? When will you finally stop ignoring me and acting like I’m a ghost? When will you finally talk to me face-to-face like a mature adult? Like you said, we’re leaving soon. And then I’m off to Ohio for work.” He laughed again, even more coldly this time. “This might as well be our last goodbye, since it seems like you’d rather have nothing to do with me, even though we s