Another day, another flight to go for Payne. She was at the airport waiting for her baggage to be checked and she was having a hard time because of the long line.

"How can this line be so long..." She thought.

While she still waiting, her phone dinged as the notification flag pops out after she opened her phone. Payne's emotion can be seen through her eyebrow as she frowned at what she saw. Not this again.

 

 

Re: Scheduled Meeting for the upcoming event.

Dear Ms. Payne,

Hello, Payne! This is Dani. Your father asked me again when will you come back here to the company. He said that he needs you in the next 15 days for a meeting about your position in the business.

Hoping you received this email before your flight, have a safe trip!

P.S.

I know this is too formal an email to send so it can get your attention but, Please talk to your father he's been bugging me about your status T_T. And give me some souvenirs when you come back! I'd like to collect some figurines and put those in my office. Also, tell Kleo I love her (Even though I tell her this multiple times).

Sincerely,

Dani Chavez, your pretty co-worker <3

 

 

Payne thought it was one of the secretary's messages but it turns out it is a message from Dani. She let her frown loose and smile after she saw who sent her the email. Payne just shove her phone back into her pocket and thought that she will just directly message her father after her touchdown.

 

After many hours of flight, Payne finally arrived in Canada. While she checked her things, she was about to get her phone to call her friend until her eyes saw a bob-haired girl with shades on.

“There she is.” Payne thought as she goes near what she saw.

“You took so long, Payne!” Kleo headlocks Payne and she struggled to breathe. After a few taps on Kleo’s arm, she finally composed her body.

“What a nice welcome, Kleo,” Payne said with a sarcastic tone. Her friend just laughs and proceeds to help with Payne’s luggage. While Kleo’s helping she asks why Payne has such many things to bring when she just wants a vacation.

“Why? You don’t want me to stay longer? I know you miss me so much that’s why I’ll stay here more than a week.” Payne jokes and gets a hit in the head. “The only person I miss is Dani,” Kleo answered confidently.

“Tsk.” That’s the only reply that Kleo received from Payne and continues to help her.

Thinking about what Kleo said is just too wholesome for Payne. She was the bridge to the relationship of her friends. From knowing each other to Kleo answering Dani after a year of communicating. Even though Kleo currently works for her company’s family in Canada, their feelings for each other never changed.

Maybe that’s what love for them. Patience and assurance are one of the values in their relationship.

“You good?” Kleo asks as she glances at Payne who’s spacing out while going to their destination.

Payne goes back to her senses and looks at Kleo who’s driving and takes a short response to her friend. “Yeah.”

“How’s business?” Kleo initiates their convo. Usually, Kleo is the one Payne trusted the most and is always the first one to talk to. Since their high school days to their contemporary life, Kleo and Payne have been there for each other. They treat each other as siblings because they are both the only child in their families. Maybe that’s why they always worry, help, and always check if something is coming up in their lives.

“Nothing’s new. My father still asking about my love life.” Kleo laughs at Payne's answer. “I just don’t know what’s on her mind why he keeps bugging me about that and I am here just living my best life not thinking about me having a relationship,” Payne added.

“There are many people who have an interest in you, why you don’t entertain them?” Kleo asked. Many people are indeed trying to court or flirt with Payne.

“Meh.” That’s what Payne said. She just shrugs and Kleo chuckles.

“Why won’t you try to? Are you scared or something’s bothering you?”

“Because I don’t want to.” A short answer coming from Payne. “Okay, but tell me when you find an interest in a person. Imma help you out,” Kleo winks after what she said. Payne just side-eyed her and smiled.

Only music was playing throughout their trip after their convo and Payne just looked out the window thinking about her plans and the recent convo with Kleo.

 

 

 

Maybe, someday I will meet her… Or not? Next life? Nah, that would be impossible. Why am I thinking of this? Ha…

 

 

Many minutes passed and they finally arrived at Kleo’s house. A small two-story house built in a cozy place with a good balcony to rest. They got out of the car and starts to put inside all the baggage.

“Are you living here all alone?” Payne asked as she comes inside the house to put some of her bags. “Yeah, actually I only stay here when I want to.” Payne curiously looks at Kleo who also put some things inside the house.

“I often stay at my parents’ house since they always ask me about business stuff in the company and how much they miss me ‘cause you know we just bonded together recently after I lived in the Philippines,” Kleo explains.

Payne understands how it feels like to be apart from their parents for a long time. The affection that was longing for their parents must be hard to experience because of business and some agenda. But when Payne has time to be with her parents, she cherishes that time to bond with them because she doesn’t know when will it happen again.

The two finished putting all the bags inside the house.

“You can rest first then we will continue to put your things inside your room.” Kleo’s pertaining to the guest room. The house only consists of two bedrooms, one for Kleo and a guest room. Payne nodded and she heads to the room where she rests.

 

 

On the other side, A girl next door just came to her house holding a 16 x 20 blank canvas and plenty of different types of paint. Syd was struggling to open the door. A few times of inserting the key into the lock, finally she opens the door welcoming her little messy living room with tons of artwork projects because it’s her finals and she’s cramming every workload she got the past months.

“I shouldn’t cram these works ha…” A sign of exhaustion can be seen in Syd as she plops herself on the sofa thinking if her life decisions are on the right path.

She was about to close her eyes when her phone suddenly rings. Frustratingly looking for her phone while it was ringing.

She finally found her phone to answer the call.

“Sydelle speaking.”

“SYYDEE!!!!” the other line excitingly welcome Syd as if they weren't on a call a few hours before.

Syd moved away the phone from her ears because of the welcoming answer on the call.

“Calm down, what do you want?”

“I just wanna ask if you accept clients right now?”

“Not yet, I’m busy with our finals.”

“Oh, that’s a bummer. But, when will you open your commissions again? I would like to be your first client ‘cause I want to give a painting to Kleo.”

Syd can feel how the caller is excited. She just squints her eyes because she wants to sleep.

“I don’t know yet, Dani. I’ll let you know when I accept commissions again.” She answers.

“Okay! I know you don’t have a good sleep these past few days, so I’ll talk to you some other time. Please take care of your health there! Let’s bond when you get here in the Philippines after you finish your study there!” Dani spoke and Syd just nod even though her friend can’t see her movement.

Dani has been caring for Syd since then. They’ve been friends for a long time since elementary days. Syd left the country to continue her studies after she did a gap year in academics because she focuses on her family’s business. Thankfully, her parents let her do what she wants for a long time and pursue her dream. To be a painter.

“Oh, by the way, Kleo said that she arrived there,” Dani added.

“Yeah, I saw her house lit up,” Syd said shortly while her eyes closed.

After their few talks, “I gotta hang up now, Syd. Please take care again, love lots, bye!” Dani ended the line and Syd just fall asleep right after their call.

 

 

After Payne rests for an hour or two or maybe three?, she goes down to see Kleo on the sofa talking to someone on the phone. Kleo saw her and waved at her.

“Babe, is she already there?” Payne heard as Dani was pertaining to her. Kleo turns her phone in front of Payne who just woke up on her rest.

“Pft.” The newly woke girl frowned at how Dani reacted toward her. “What?” Payne asked annoyingly and not letting her frown face disappear.

“Did you talk to your father already? He follows up on her secretary again, what’s your response.” Dani stated on the line. Payne just stares somewhere inside Kleo’s house. “Ah, not yet. I’m about to call him later.” She explains. Payne goes to the kitchen to make some cold brew coffee. She still looking for something inside the house while making her drink.

Oh, there it is. She finished making the coffee and goes back to the living room. Kleo is still talking to Dani. While she sips her coffee, Payne looks at the clock and realized something.

“Dani should be working at this time.” She blurted out while staring again in front of her sight. Kleo looked at her. “It’s 5 PM in the Philippines.”

“Hey, it’s my thirty-minute break!” Dani defends herself through her girlfriend’s screen.

“Ah, sorry.” She looks at Kleo’s phone and chuckles. The girlfriends were back to their business as Payne headed upstairs again.

“Kleo! Can I hang out on the balcony?” Payne shouts at the 2nd floor and Kleo answered back. “Yeah! Go ahead!”

 

Payne set her camera and tripod first before going to the balcony. She opens the door welcoming the cozy small balcony of the house. The cold breeze of the morning hits Payne’s skin as she enters the balcony. The front of the balcony welcomes her with the beautiful scenery of the sunrise.

“What a good time to start the day.” She thought while looking at the surroundings. Payne puts her self-made coffee on the small table, places her camera attached to the tripod in front of the balcony, and pressed the shutter button multiple times. While she was about to change the camera mode to video mode, the house next to her friend suddenly made a loud thud which makes her look concerned at the owner of the house.

Is the owner angry? It’s 5 AM…

 

 

The sun was rising while Syd was still sleeping on the sofa like a caterpillar wrapped in a cocoon. She moves to the side and suddenly.

“AH!” She wakes up on the floor holding her forehead due to her fall on the sofa. “Ah… Seriously.” Syd rubs her head and gets her phone on the floor. She checks the time.

“WHAT THE–” She looked over the things she brought last night and thought she was supposed to be finishing her final project.

“Nice one, Syd. What great progress last night!” She mocked herself as she get all her materials upstairs and headed to the balcony.

Syd puts her materials in a room full of her works and some sort of newspapers and paints. Instead, she just brings a pencil and her sketch pad and proceeds to sit on the balcony. Staring straight in front of her surrounding.

“I don’t know what I will draw…” Syd said to herself as her creative juices were not acting up. She stands up and goes back inside to make a hot coffee. Minutes later, she comes back to her balcony and thinks about what she will draw for her final project.

While Syd walking back and forth, she didn’t even notice the girl on her neighborhood’s balcony staring at her.

 

 

"What is she doing…" Payne thought while she stared at the girl on the other side of the house.

"No, this is not good…" She heard the girl frustratingly erase something on a sketchbook.

Payne almost forgot that she was setting up her camera. She resumes what she was supposed to do earlier. While Payne was focusing on her camera, the balcony door opens and welcomes Kleo who has been done talking to her girlfriend.

"Woah…" Kleo was amazed by what she saw in front of her.

Kleo hasn't been staying on her house's balcony because of busyness and probably because the thing she always does is just sleep and go to work afterward.

The amazed woman walks near Payne who's still on her camera. "Do you need any help, Payne?" Kleo asked while her friend still focused on what she was doing.

"This angle is good, right? I mean the way it captures the subject." Payne assures and Kleo nods as she looks at the screen of the camera.

Payne sits in a small chair and asks Kleo something.

"You know that girl?" She glances again at the girl who's stressed about what she will paint.

"Oh, Syd? That's Dani's best friend. She actually helped me in this place." Kleo explains and Payne just nods at what she heard.

Kleo was thinking about 'what's up with Payne and her question.'

"You gotta be kidding me." Payne just innocently looked at Kleo who suddenly spoke out of nowhere. Payne gives her a 'what' look. She doesn't get what Kleo said.

"Is she your type?" Kleo whispered.

"What?"

"You're not opposing my question?"

"Excuse me?

"It's obvious, Payne. It's alright." Kleo teased Payne while the girl just glanced at the other balcony house.

"You at hiding, Payne Leal."

"Shut up, Kleo Xiryle."

Payne's ears turned like a tomato and she just got pissed off. She looked at her surroundings and checked the camera while Kleo was still teasing her.

 

 

Syd finally sat on her chair and sipped a coffee that she made earlier. She still has no idea what to draw for her final project.

She just stares again but this time, at her blank sketchbook while doing some pen spins.

"Is my brain rotting? Why my art block is acting up at this time? This is not good. I need to finish this project in two days." Syd cried internally as she thought about her not-yet-started project. Syd sulked and came back to her senses. She drafts different things she wants to draw.

"This is not good." She frustratingly erased what she just sketched.

"A woman dancing in the water would be great like a jibaro inspired? Hmm, Maybe. No— what if I'll just draw crocodiles with small hats on their heads and some sort of colorful clothes in them." She chuckles at what she thinks about her project. People passing by may think she's crazy because of how she reacts.

Syd just looked at her surroundings to find other ideas and her eyes suddenly landed on her neighbor's balcony. Specifically, Kleo's balcony.

"Wait, that's not Kleo." Syd thought as she curiously still looked at the girl focusing on setting up a camera.

She can't see the girl's face not until Kleo enters the balcony. She heard what Kleo said to that bob girl.

"Do you need any help, Payne?"

Payne? Syd asked her thoughts. She suddenly opens her phone and immediately chats with her best friend.

 

 

To: Dani Zyn

I think you're busy right now because I saw your girlfriend talking to this bob-haired girl. I can't see her face clearly but I know she's pretty. ACK.

I should be finishing my project now but I'm here caught myself looking at a pretty girl :D

 

 

After she sends those messages to Dani, she finally thinks of an idea. Syd curiously searched for the name 'Payne' on Kleo's Instagram account.

And boom. A username 'PLeal.0101' appeared on the following.

Syd checked it and was fascinated by what she saw. It is full of landscape photos and some were her friends and herself.

"She's indeed pretty…"

Syd looked again to the balcony and saw her checking her camera while Kleo just laughed. She doesn't know why she suddenly smiles, maybe because of the pretty girl focusing on taking pictures of the landscape.

 

 

To: Dani Zyn

Can you ask Kleo if I can use them as a subject for my project? I suddenly captured this photo while I'm looking for ideas for my project :)

*send an attachment*

 

 

After a few minutes of Syd waiting for Dani's message and her best friend finally replied.

 

 

From: Dani Zyd

Hey! Slr, I just got out of work. Kleo and Payne just approved that you can use the photo for your project. Let me know if you need anything!

 

 

"Maybe this morning isn't bad at all." She thought as she started to draw the photo into her sketchbook.