Tina's P.O.V

 

I've never been in love. I'm still fresh. I'm still new. I've never had any past with anyone. I've never felt any regrets of not finding anyone to be with during my past. Until I met Aom, everything changes. 

Love can't be measured by time because if it can be, it wouldn't be defined as Love. A few weeks of time. A few weeks to make me fall in love with her; the one who has always been in my heart ever since we were young. 

The thing about us cannot be easily told as a fairytale in just a sentence or two. It might take hours, days, months to tell someone, and that someone might not even understand it because he or she is not us. 

Sometimes I understand Aom, but sometimes I don't even if I keep telling myself that I have to accept everything about her, even her flaws. Nobody's perfect. I see flaws of Aom but I only happen to pretend I see nothing. I bet she feels the same way too. 

We've been in a relationship for a night by now, and of course, we've fought once already. I don't know how we can keep this going, but I hope everything's all right. I know I have to tolerate her, but she sometimes has to look at me too. 

We've never been outside of town together alone like this before, and I want to make this occasion special. Yet, she has to go back to town. I do realize that it's nothing something I should get mad at, but can she just at least tell me what is going on around? She won't tell me what her problem is. She won't tell me the reason why she has to go back to town. All the answer I get from her is that she's busy. Is there any other answer that I can get form her? 

"You haven't spoken a word since we left the hotel." Aom whispers as I'm driving us back home. 

I pretend to take a glance at the window then turn back to look at the road. Instead of looking back at her, I pretend that I'm focusing on the road instead. 

"I don't have anything to say." 

Aom exhales. 

"You do realize that you've already been mad at me twice, Tina." 

"For what reason?" 

She exhales again. "Why don't you ask yourself?"

"No, I don't want to think of any reason for us to fight."

"Then stop behaving abnormally."

"Am I not in my normal form?"

"No, you're not. Ever since I told you that I wanted to go back home, you've been like this. Quiet."

"I just have nothing to say, that's all."

"See? That's not you. Why don't you tell me what your problem is?"

I shrug. "I own none of the problems."

"You do want to tell me. Now spit out the words!"

"No, really, Aom, I have nothing to say, that's all." 

"You're certain that you don't wanna tell me?" 

"I'm certain that I have none of the problems." 

"Fine then." by the voice, I know she's mad at me now that I don't choose to share anything with her. I don't know but I feel strangely satisfied. 

Love makes people strange. Love makes people change. But whatever you may think, love is love. Sometimes, love makes you want to win a battle over your girlfriend, but then you realize she's mad at you, and you might want to pretend that you're on the losing side. Trust me, I'm not that type. 

Just as I'm having my private joke, my phone rings. 

"Talk to me." I answer the phone quickly by inserting the headset into one of my ears. 

"Oh dear, Princess, where have you been?" oh dear, my DEAR sister is calling me. Should I be happy that she has just called me or should I feel bothered that she's interrupting my time with Aom?

"Hi, beautiful, how are you doing?" That catches Aom's attention quickly.

"Don't you dare to be nice to me. You've gone away from home without even telling me where you are."

"I thought it was you who suggested me the place." 

"Yes, but I didn't know where you were going, did I?"

"Now you do then." I giggle and Aom turns her head to me once again. 

"You're at Hua Hin?" 

"No and didn't the hotel call Dad?" 

"No, they shouldn't have. Besides, they respect our privacy. Why are you not there anymore?" 

"Look, I'm driving. Can I talk to you when I get back?"

"You're driving back home?" 

"Yeah, kind of." 

"Then we'll talk about this when you get back. See you soon." 

"See ya." Then I hang up the phone. 

Aom is starry-eyeing at me as if she wants to ask something. 

"Who was that on the phone with you?" 

"It's nothing." I try to hide a smile. 

Of course, what I'm doing right now is to make her know my problem. The problem that she has chosen to ignore. Seriously, I'm trying to get her to understand my own feeling of being ignored. She didn't answer my question earlier, then it's fine now. I'm not gonna answer hers. 

"Just who is that?" Aom isn't in a joking mood. 

"No one." 

"No one? Are you sure you can talk happily with no one like that?" 

"Are you jealous?" I turn to look at her. 

"No, I'm not. I just try to know who was that on the phone with you." 

"It's my family's business and I hope you respect my own privacy." I hope I've made it alright with repeating her line back.

She stays silent for a while. 

"Are you trying to attack back to me?"

"I'm trying to make you to understand my curiosity."

"That's called Revenging." 

"Whatever you want to call it, Aom. I'm tired of being curious. I can't just go on and get curious at you all the time. I need to know. And you need to know. It's as simple as that. I'm trying to tell you my feeling. What you're feeling right is exactly how I feel. Curiosity isn't a big deal, but it is when it happens between a couple. I hope you know this." 

"I'm sorry, Tina. Really, I've got nothing better than just saying sorry to you. And I hope you do understand me too that I really can't tell you what's going on, but I promise I will once it's worked out."

"It's okay. At least you know you're sorry with this. And to answer your question earlier, it was only P'Air. I love you. I wouldn't cheat on you." I smile. 

"You thought I thought of you cheating me?" 

"Wasn't that obvious? I've never seen you as a jealous Aom before, but now I do." I giggle. 

"Shut up." Aom smiles shyly then turns to the window again. 

"Are we good again?" Aom asks without looking at me. 

"I can't go on another 5 minutes without talking to you, seriously. I've restrained myself enough of not talking to you." 

"You stupid."

"So are you." I tease. 

"Shut up." Yep, she will say this whenever she's shy. Can't she find another sweet word to say to me when she's shy like that?" 

I scoff softly. "Can I hold your hand?" 

"Do you even have to ask for this now that we're dating?" Then she grabs left hand. And yep, we're holding hands. Yay.

"I feel like my every first time with you should be granted a permission." 

"The permission that has always been granted before you even have to ask?" 

"Yes, manners play an important role too." 

"Why didn't you ask me when you first kissed me?" 

"I asked you to close your eyes, didn't I?" 

She pinches my hand. 

"You asked me to close my eyes but you didn't ask when you touched my lips." She pinches even harder. 

"Ow!" I shout but she doesn't let go. "Okay, romantic also plays another important role." I try to ignore the almost-impossible-pain. 

"And you call this unexpected thing as a romantic thing?" Here's another pinch. 

"Ow!" I shout again but this time I can't help but giggle. "First kiss should be romantic." I laugh. 

"NO! You were smooth with it, but I wasn't. I wasn't even prepared."

"Perfect for that!" 

Then she pinches me again. 

"Perfect, you said?" 

"Perfect!" I shout and she pinches me again.

Then for the rest of trip is about being Perfect and Not Perfect and PINCHING.

---

Air's P.O.V

 

I have to admit that I'm not young anymore but I'm not old either. I'm simply a woman who can understand what it's like in the world. The thing about myself is that I have my own perspective of the world, and I tend to find so many people who share the same thoughts as I do. 

Old people tend to think that falling in love so quickly tends to create the mistakes later. Yes, I do think so. The thing about my sister and Aom is quite a rush. I don't exactly know the thing between them so clearly yet, but I do get this feeling that they have this sort of feeling for each other so quickly. I don't know if it's because they've been so lonely for a long time, but teenage love doesn't last long. Whatever happens, I always hope for Tina and Aom the best to ever happen.

Mean, however, has liked Tina for a long time. When she was younger and, of course, I was younger as well, she came to know both of us for the first time. I got to say that she was that sort of girl that you would like at the first glance because she's such a well-prepared girl. When we both first met, I knew she felt that something for Tina that even I couldn't tell what that feeling was like. Well, it's only because I was quite young to understand, but she understood it before me. It's the feeling of love at first sight. 

She has never given up on Tina, basically. Tina never knows about this, but Mean also talked on the phone with my parents and myself when she was away from us. She kept asking me about Tina, which made me ever more certain about this. 

When Tina told me the thing about Mean, I had to act like I knew nothing because I already knew that Tina had already fallen for another girl. Why would I tell her about the thing that Mean has had for her?

And recently, Mean has acted strangely once again. Whenever Tina's not home, she keeps going into the Tina's room. And I wonder what she does in there. Even Uncle John is suspicious about that. He keeps reporting me about it though I somehow just decline that she might find something interesting to do in her sister's room.

"Hi, P'Air!" Tina surprises me just as she's entering into her music room. Of course, I'm sitting and waiting for her in here. 

"Don't scare me like that. You know how weak my heart is." I place my hand on my heart as if it can slow down the heartbeat. 

"Don't be silly, P. This can't make you die."

"It will do one day!" I complain back. 

She giggles then sits by her guitar.

"How are things going?" 

"What thing?" 

"You know what I'm talking about." 

"No, I don't. You should just lay out the topic." That's it, I know it. She's in a good mood like this. I know something good is happening. 

"You have two choices. Whether you choose to tell me and be my sister, or you choose not to tell me and I will never look at you again." I give her that warning joke. 

"It would be nice if I didn't have to know you again." She teases back. 

"Excuse me?" 

"I'm kidding. Well, things go on just fine. It's kinda silly, really, how far we both can come in this destination."

"As far as I'm concerned, you both are even faster than my girlfriend and me." 

"Haha, that's the spirit. Love isn't about time, but it's about how strong the feeling is. And I'm proud to say that I am hers." She giggles and I am happy for her. 

Suddenly, I remember that I have something to tell her about Mean. 

"Tina, listen, I have something-"

Then the breaking sound of the glass interrupts us. Mean is standing there by the door, holding a task. Why on earth didn't Tina shut the door when she came in?

"Excuse me?" She whispers. 

We both stay silent. 

"What did you just say?" Mean asks again. 

Nobody replies. 

Tina is sitting there with her horror eyes. She's more alarmed than I am. I know she's thinking if she's hurting her own sister now. 

"I can't take it anymore, Tina! Just answer me the freaking questions!" 

She can't say anything but she nods. 

"I'm sorry I interrupted you both. I thought I heard it was your voice when you shouted P'Air's name eaerlier and it was really you. I'm sorry." Then she quickly runs away and Tina just runs after her. 

---

Author's Narrative

 

After Mean has heard what Tina and Air talked about, she couldn't bear the words. Even though she has prepared for this, she has prepared for this as long as she can remember, she still feels like her inside is empty. She knows she shouldn't feel this way, but it's still empty. How can someone forgets the love they have for other person for many years in just a short period of time? Why is it everything has to be unfair for her like that? What has she done in her previous life to make her face this kind of situation? Why can't she live her life happily like normal people?

"Mean!" Tina calls from behind as she's running down the stairs though she ignores the beautiful voice which she has always fallen in love with. 

"Mean, please!" Tina calls out again. 

With another two seconds, Tina has finally caught up with Mean. She catches Mean's wrist immediately to hault her from running down again. 

"What do you want from me? You want me away and you're catching me again!" Mean shouts to Tina though Tina doesn't release her grip. 

"I want nothing more than to see you happy, Mean. I don't want you to cry for me because I'm not worth it." 

"Then release your grip now! I will be happy without you!" 

"You're being you again! You can't just accept it, can you? It's her! It's always been her!" 

"Oh, shut up, Tina! If you love a girl, then stop being good to another! Stop being kind to me! I don't want it anymore!" 

Then Mean tries to free herself from Tina's grip, yet the grip is so hard to break. 

When she finally releases herself from the grip, she trips her own long skirt and falls down from the stairs immediately.

"MEAN!" Tina shouts out her name, yet Mean doesn't know how to reply back to the voice.

She falls from from the first floor to the ground. By the time she falls on the ground, she barely knows herself at all. Her head is all wet with blood as well as the floor. She knows that Tina runs after her again and holds her tight in her arms. She feels complete yet she can't hold on for another minute. 

The last thing she hears is "Please don't leave me...." Then her head goes foggy and her world is black.