Fan Fiction |
by Hibiscus
“Hey.” A soft, hesitant voice interrupted her thoughts.
Ariel turned and saw Mike. He held out the phone to her.
“Joe wants to talk to you.”
“Oh… thanks.” Ariel took the phone.
“Joe!”
“Hello Baby cakes. How much do you miss me?”
“An ocean and a half!”
“It had better be the Pacific Ocean.”
“Haha. Enjoying your trip?”
“Yeah, it’s fun. I’m soaking in the culture of Greece. It’s crazily hot. But that just means I eat a lot of ice cream.”
Ariel laughed, exchanging verbal volleys with Joe, all the time aware of Mike who was standing a couple of meters away, with his hands in his pockets and his back towards her. He was trying to give her privacy, Ariel realized.
She said goodbye to Joe and walked over to Mike to give him his phone back.
“Thanks.” She said.
“No problem.”
There was an awkward silence. Then Ariel turned to leave and Mike said, “He likes you, you know.”
“What?” Ariel turned, startled.
“Joe. He likes you.”
Ariel didn’t know what to say.
“Not in the way you like strawberries, Yi Chen. More like… hmm… the way Ah Ken liked Xiao Feng.” There was some emotion in his eyes as he said those words.
Ariel found herself speechless.
“Anyway, I’m done for the day. Later.” Lifting his hand in a brief farewell, Mike gave her a half-smile and walked away.
Ariel found her tongue as Mike got into his car. She ran after him and dashed in front of his car just as he prepared to drive off. He braked immediately and got out of the car.
“What the hell, Ariel! Are you trying to kill yourself,” He yelled furiously.
“No! What kind of person would say something like that and then go AWAY!” Ariel yelled back, not caring about the attention they were getting. Mike did however and he took her hand and walked her off to a grove off trees not far off from where the main filming site was located.
Ariel shrugged off his hands and put her own on her hips. “You explain right now, He Jun Xiang!”
“What’s there to explain?” Mike snapped.
“What do you mean by that? You said Joe likes me. What’s the proof?”
“Proof?” Mike barked a short laugh, void of mirth.
“Yes proof.” Ariel snapped back.
“Ariel. I would not mess with you about this. Seriously.” Mike said solemnly.
Ariel’s eyes widened at the realization that Mike was in all earnestness.
“How do you feel about him?” Mike steeled himself to hear the answer.
Ariel’s eyes widened even further as she considered what he was saying. “I don’t know!” She cried out in confusion. “I don’t know, okay? I’ve never had to ask myself this question.”
Mike nodded. Once. Twice.
Ariel looked like her whole life had been thrown in disarray in that one second. She frowned.
“Are you joking with me?” She asked him.
“No.” Mike said shortly.
“Oh.” Ariel thought of Joe and what Mike’s revelation would do to their relationship. She had never had to worry about his presence in her life. He was Joe and he would always be there. She had taken that for granted. But now when she thought that she might actually lose him if she didn’t work through her feelings, this thought made her go weak with terror.
“He’s coming back next week.” Mike told Ariel, shoving his hands in his pocket and kicking the dirt with his foot. “Ask him then.”
“What? Are you crazy?” Ariel couldn’t believe that Mike was actually giving her such ludicrous advice.
“No, I’m serious. Just ask him. See what he says.”
“Ariel! Shot’s ready!” One of the crew members called.
“Mike, I…” Ariel started to say something, trying to bring to words the feeling that had lodged a lump in her throat.
“I’m going to Japan during the two weeks that we have off from filming.” Mike interrupted her. “Sandra arranged some meetings with some people. I probably will see you when I return. Jiayou.” He lifted a hand and got back into his car.
Ariel moved aside and watched him drive off with a frown on her face.
-----------------------------------------------
“Let me get this straight. Mike told you that Joe has a crush on you. And then he told you to ask Joe about it.” Rainie said picking up a lacy camisole.
Ariel had called an emergency shopping outing. So now, Ariel and Rainie were walking around the mall, hats and glasses in place, browsing through shops. Ariel tugged Rainie towards a bookstore and Rainie complied, still deep in thought.
“I think he’s right. You should ask him.” Rainie finally said.
Ariel was so surprised she stopped moving and Rainie who had been walking behind her bumped into her.
“You are kidding, right? This is JOE!” Ariel sighed in frustration. “He’s one of the bluntest people I know. He’d have told me ages ago if he liked me that way.”
“Not necessarily.” Rainie slipped her hand into Ariel’s. “Even The Great Zheng Yuan Cheng has some things he doesn’t like talking about.”
“You think I should ask him straight out?” Ariel looked a bit green at the prospect.
“How do you feel about him, Arie?” Rainie said seriously.
“I don’t know, Rains. I’ve always had him by my side and so I’ve never had to categorize my feelings for him. And for Mike to suddenly say that, I don’t know what to think.”
“Talk to Joe. See what he says. Then think it through.” Rainie replied. She had just realized something and her eyes had deepened with emotion