The next day was Cayla’s flight to Seoul. Jody, Tam and Andi were quietly seated in their chair, with sulking thoughts, obviously. Andi was doodling over the empty space on her planner, Tam endlessly tapping on her iPad like she’s about to bury a hole on to the screen and Jody spinning her pen in between her fingers.

The three of them sighs at the same time, unintentionally and intentionally hitting the conscience of their professor for not allowing them to bid goodbye to their friend.

Mr.Bo cleared his throat. “Let’s call it a day, don’t you think?” He looks at his wrist watch. 7:45. He felt sorry for having started the idea but he cannot escape anymore. “I am not in a very good mood to start my lecture, especially when I see those lazy sleepy eyes.” he was smiling at the three, hoping for them to take the hint, and thankfully Jody got it.

“Sir, are you saying, we can go now???” Jody’s shiny shimmering splendid eyes blinked repetitively.

“Suit yourself!” he was smiling at them with his ever nice-guy smile.

“Thank you sir!” the three of them got up from their seat and took their belongings.

Tam took out her phone and dialed Cayla’s number hoping they could still catch her. Andi, who’s eyes suddenly lightened up, wanted and is very much eager to hug their professor, but Jody and Tam quickly snatched her away. They hopped in Andi’s SUV and trailed their way out of school as fast as they could.

“Please don’t fail me now,” Andi pleaded as she presses on the gas pedal.

“Cayla!!!” Tam yelled. “Where are you now? Are you already in the airport?”

Thankfully the engine was roaring out loud and ready to go.

“Still at your house? Hm, okay! Don’t move an inch! We’ll fetch you!” Tam pressed the end button of her phone and pointed her finger forward. “Let’s go fetch Cayla from her house!”

“To Cayla, roger that!” Andi answered in a low husky voice making Jody and Tam chortle.

Andi drove her car faster than what it should be. Giving off a record of 100+km per hour, that is really a history. Maybe she’s imagining she’s in a hell of a race, feeling the adrenaline rush and .

Tam, on the other hand, was holding on whatever she could grab onto while Jody was trying to search for her glasses at the bottom of Andi’s car as it had fallen from her face when Andi halted for a minute stop due to the stop light.

“Jeez! Andi … you don’t want us to get killed, do you?” Tam shrilled parting all of her hair out of her face. Jody is still busy looking for her glasses.

 “CAYLA!!!” the three yelled on top of their lungs as their heads popped out of the car’s window. “CAAAAAYLAAAA!!!”

Andi’s endless pressing of horns rendered Cayla’s neighbors to walk out of their houses to check the commotion. Cayla looks out the window and saw her friends constantly making turmoil outside her house.

Tears began to gather at the sides of her eyes. Six months away from these crazy yet sweet people is definitely not a joke. She grabs her luggage and gave her mom one last hug before heading out.

“I’ll miss you mom,” Cayla gave her mom a hug and a peck on the cheek.

“I’ll miss you too darling,” her mom squeezed her tight before letting her go. “Just be careful okay? And studies first.” Her mom winks at her and she laughed at her.

Oh mom, really. Cayla thought.

Cayla was dragging her luggage out of their gates and Tam came out of the car to help her carry it.

“Where should I put this?” Cayla asked as she pertains to the big pink travelling bag.

“There is no way in hell that thing will be placed over my car!!!” Andi glared at Jody, whose mind was already thinking about tying the bag when she found a rope on Cayla’s gate.

Oh God…

“At the back compartment.”  Andi instructed. Andi looks at her watch. 8:30. “And please can you guys move fast? It’s already eighth thirty.”

Tam seats at the back with Jody, as Cayla preps her way on the front seat. And in just a blink of an eye they were already out of the subdivision. Andi discontented with her previous record stepped on the gas to reach 120km per hour.

Hell yeah! I’m the queen of the road! Andi screams in her head and a grin was now plastered in her face making her friends worry about their friend or maybe much more on their life which is at stake when Andi was attacked by ‘I’m on a drag race’ disorder.

With 55 minutes of wheels screeching, horns  which are fumingly honking and Andi’s unstoppable ‘’ cursing whenever someone is over-taking her believe it or not they were able to bust in the airport still with a face, a body and two feet.

“Whoah! Jody, you okay? No puking, please.” Jody’s eyes looks miserable after getting out of Andi’s car.

The four of them went out and quickly helped Cayla take her luggage out of the car.

“Phew! We made it!” Tam hollered while they were running along the hot blistering pavement of the airport. “Why it’s so hot today?!” Tam uttered dragging her still spinning friend, Jody.

“Yes! That was close!”Andi cheered as they got inside the airport. Actually it’s 9:25am now, just 5 more minutes and Cayla wouldn’t catch her flight.

“So, I guess this is it.” Cayla said as she took her bag from Andi’s hands. The three, Andi, Tam and Jody, stood side by side in front of their friend. Tam was now sobbing and Jody took off her glasses so she could wipe a bit of her tears while Andi was keeping a straight face, reserving her outburst when no one could see her, probably.

“I’ll miss you, guys. We have a long way to go.” Cayla wanted to sound cheerful but failed to convince her friends who were now hugging her.

“Silly! It’s just 6 months!” Andi answered as she softly hit Cayla on the arm.

“Six months.” Cayla repeated.

“Cay!!!” Then Tam gloms over Cayla, followed by Jody and Andi. The four of them were crying like little girls, not even minding the eaves dropping eyes of strangers.

But none of them care, Andi didn’t care whether her eye liner will mess on her face, Jody didn’t care about snots on her nose and Tam didn’t care if her hair is already messed up from the car’s trip. They just want to treasure the moment before their dear friend hops on to the plane and it’ll be 6 months of no absent-minded Cayla who smiles sweetly and giggles softly with them.

The three pulled away from Cayla when they heard the announcer heralding that the passengers of the Korean flight should now go on board.

“Are you sure you really want to go? You can still back-out if you want to.” Tam suggested.

“But I’m already here, plus I really want to go to Seoul at least once and see for myself what makes Jody love the place, right?” Cayla answered smiling at Jody.

“Just be careful of those arrogant Korean boys Cay. You’ll never know when they might hurt you.” Jody added.

“Take care okay? We can Skype don’t forget. Thursday’s!” Andi smiled and wished the best for her best friend’s trip.

Cayla nodded at the three before waving off and dragging her pink luggage. She had now checked-in her bags. She looked back to her friends one last time before proceeding but then bumped on to someone who was wearing a white shirt and a fedora hat.

Jody evilly tried to make a look at the guy because there is something familiar about his white skin and his brown hair and his physique and his attire. Jody’s eyes widened.

“Cayla, really, you need to be careful!” Andi shouted at her friend ringing Jody’s thoughts back to Cayla.

They gave their friend one last wave as Jody gazed back to the guy with the fedora hat but seems like he left already. Jody sighed really deep.

Phew… I thought it was ‘him’. Jody thought.

“I guess it’s the three of us for 6 months.” Tam placed her arm over Andi’s and Jody’s shoulder. The two nodded. “But there’s still Skype and Andi’s house so that won’t be a problem for gatherings.”

“Ugh, Tam, why does it always have to be my house?”

“Hm? Because…” then Tam remembers the Korean boy who was Andi’s neighbor but then shakes her thoughts of him. “You have all the means!”

“Oh really? Like what kind of stuff?” Andi knew Tam’s everlasting crush over her Korean neighbor so she teases her to tell the truth.

“Y-you know, the computer, the webcam, the big 41” flat screen TV you have in your room…”

“Whatever!” Andi wailed.

The three happily skipped their way back to Andi’s car and slowly drove back to their school campus.