Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
After that conversation with Neil, I began to wonder if I really did like Lance. Maybe my crush grew due to the fact that I never had the courage to tell him. Despite what I wanted to believe I knew that Neil had a point, I had to move on with my life. That meant getting a hold of Lance and telling him what I felt.
Although I decided at that moment that I would do it, it took me six more months to gather up the courage. What can I say? I’m a procrastinator and Neil wouldn’t let me forget it. It was a few weeks before our graduation from College and we were eating at our favorite place. The little café shop that made the best pasta in Hong Kong. It was not a surprise that he soon became my best friend. We had gotten closer within a few months, my relationship with Lance was in no comparison.
“Have you called him yet?” he asked casually.
“Nope.” I answered shortly, indicating that I did not want to elaborate on my answer.
“Why?” he asked while he read his morning paper.
I let out a sigh “I’m getting tired of this conversation. Why do we always have to talk about this in the morning?”
He folded his newspaper neatly and pushed it aside and gave me his full attention “Why do I always have to answer that question? If you want to hear it again, I’ll tell you. Because I want you to move on with your life and I can comfort you when he turns you down.” He was joking of course.
I laughed half heartedly “You’re serious aren’t you?”
He looked at me with puppy eyes and nodded “Of course!”
“Tell me Neil, why would you wait around for a girl that likes another guy? Don’t you find it…what’s the word?… Annoying?” I was being sarcastic.
“I like a challenge.” He smiled slyly at me and it just reminded what a different person he really was. He never gave up on anything and I had a feeling he wasn’t going to give up on me until I turned him down.
“I don’t want you to wait around like that. It’s unfair to you and frankly it’s making me more nervous about everything.”
He tilted his head with a confused expression on his face “Why would it make you nervous? You’re not the one waiting…I am. Anyways, I’ve made up my mind, there is absolutely nothing you can say to make me go away. Unless you say you hate me and you wish I were dead?”
I smiled as I shook my head “You’re crazy you know that? I mean, what’s so good about me that you would want to waste so much time on?” he opened his mouth to say something when I quickly added “And don’t say ‘there are some things you just know’. There is absolutely nothing you ‘just’ know.”
He closed his open mouth with a snap and looked at me with earnest eyes “Do you believe in fate?”
I shrugged carelessly, I didn’t really but I believed there was a possibility that there is something out there called fate “I guess.”
“Well, let me tell you about my thoughts. I believe that when you meet the right person, say a soul mate even…you will know in your heart. But the other person might not know it yet. I trust my instincts and I always have. I also believe that no matter where life leads those two people, in the end they will end up together. Granted it might take years but fate has their own plans. You will know one day.”
“How …” I started but shut my mouth quickly. If I asked him how he knew I was ‘the one’, then we would be starting our conversation all over again.
“How what?” he asked.
I shook my head and drank my coffee “Nothing. Anyways, I don’t want to talk about this right now. What are we doing tonight?”
“I’ve got to work tonight.” He said sadly.
“At the bar or the doctor’s office?” he carried on two jobs, one as a bartender and the other one as a doctor’s assistant. I wondered how he even had time to pass his classes.
“The bar at nights and doctor’s on Thursdays through Sunday.” He said without much feeling. I knew he hated his jobs. I was about to convince him to quit one job, but instead I didn’t say anything. “You gonna come visit me?” the excitement in his voice was not concealed.
I laughed “Nah, I think I’ll just stay home and watch tv. You know I don’t like going to those places. Remember the first time?”
He chuckled as he recalled the time he took me there and it was a gay and lesbian night. We were getting hit on left and right, after an hour of enduring the pain, we decided to leave. He apologized and opted to take me to the beach to have a blanket dinner with sandwiches instead. Just thinking about it made me smile.
*************
That night I went back to my apartment and prepared my favorite dinner, cup o noodles. I sat in front of the TV watching aimlessly. I didn’t really want to be home, but I had no friends to see…except Neil. I suddenly had an urge to see him as I got up and changed. I reached the bar where he worked as I got out of my car. I smoothed down my black skirt and prepared to walk inside. “Niki!”
I heard someone calling me as I turned around. I haven’t seen him in years and he hasn’t changed a bit, surely he didn’t get any taller. He ran to me and we embraced like little children. “Marvin!” What are you doing here? I thought you were in China?”
“I’m back for a month and then I gotta go back to work. I’m at the Children’s Hospital of Beijing.” He answered. “How about you? What have you been up to besides going to bars.”
“Actually, a friend of mine works here, I was just visiting him.”
“Him? So it’s a guy? A boyfriend?” I shook my head “I see. Well, am I gonna get to meet him?”
A slow smile crossed my face. “Marv, can you do me a favor?”
He nodded “Sure, I’m not gonna have to do anything embarrassing am I?”
“Actually, it is a bit embarrassing.” I winced, hoping that he wouldn’t mind.
He shrugged lightly “Sure, I’m up for it.”
“Great! Come on. I’ll tell you on the way in.” I linked my arm through my old friend’s and walk to the door. “Okay, go do your job!” I pushed him into the door and slowly walked in myself, luckily Neil was busy serving guests so he didn’t notice me.
I walked my way closer to the bar and kept my back to Neil but I was within earshot from where Marvin was. “What can I get you?” I heard Neil ask Marvin.
“You can give me a date, you fine mass of man you.” His exaggeration of a gay guy was so perfect that I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from laughing.
“Uh…sorry man, I’m straight. It’s not gay and lesbian night is it?”
“No baby, but we can make it that.” Marvin was quick at his comeback.
This time I had to cover my mouth to stop my giggles from exploding “Umm…hey, no offense, but I’m not into that kind of stuff.” Neil was polite as can be.
“Don’t you want to explore new horizons? Try new things?” Marvin gave another attempt of seducing Neil.
“Nah, I like the grass on this side of the hill, if you know what I mean.” Neil answered. I couldn’t hold my giggles as I let them burst out. He didn’t know it was me until he walked over closer and saw me crying with laughter on the bar table. “Niki?! What in the world is going on? Is this some kind of a joke?” I couldn’t sense the anger in his voice.
He stared at Marvin and he put his hands up in defense “Sorry, man. She asked me to do it.”
When I got control of my giggles, I looked at Neil and he was pouting “Aww…poor Neil, being hit on by another guy. What’s wrong? Can’t take a joke?”
A slow smile came on his face “I was about to punch him in the face if he didn’t stop hitting on me.” He turned to Marvin with his hand ready “Hi, I’m Neil. And you are?”
“Marvin. Niki’s old friend from High School.”
“I feel sorry for you.” He said with much feeling.
I threw him a glare that could burn down a house “What was that suppose to mean?”
“If you were like this in High School, your friends must have had a handful of pranks they had to endure from you. I, unlike you , was a complete angel.” He said with his nose in the air.
I knew he was teasing me, but I couldn’t help doing the trick, it was too good “I’m seizing the moment like you said. I couldn’t let a moment like that pass.” He rolled his eyes at me “If you had a chance to play a trick on me, you would do it in a heartbeat, Neil Cheung and you know it!”
He laughed, flipping his head back “You know it Angel.”
“Angel?” Marvin was observing us and finally spoke up.
I looked at Neil with a smile and then back at Marvin “Long story.”
“Well, what can I get you? The drink is on the house for that great performance.” Neil offered.
“Sure, fix me anything fruity.” Marvin answered without thinking.
Neil and I burst into giggles at what he said “I thought you weren’t that kind of guy?” Neil joked and I had tears in my eyes.
Marvin gave us a strange look “You two find everything amusing don’t you?”
We chatted on into the night and eventually, I walked out of the bar with Marvin. His flight was leaving the next day “It was nice seeing you again, Niki.” He reached over to hug me as I returned the hug.
“It’s always nice to see a familiar face.” I smiled, I did miss my friends tremendously and seeing Marvin again was like a breath of fresh air.
“Take care of yourself.” He smoothed the side of my hair. “Eventhough you don’t need it since it looks like you’ve got someone doing just that.”
I shook my head slowly “Nah, it’s not like that. He’s just a good friend. I met him in my class the past year, we’ve kept each other company that’s all.”
“Really?” he widened his eyes “I’ve never seen you laugh like that before in our entire four years of high school.”
“So I have a little bit more fun with Neil, it doesn’t mean anything.” I was making excuses again.
“As long as you know.” He nodded “Well, I’m gonna go now. Bye.” He gave me another quick hug and drove off in his car.
I stood there watching the car disappear but I was still thinking about what Marvin has said. “Ahem…” I heard someone clear their throat. I knew it was Neil, it was strange, I could almost always sense his presence around me. “Didn’t your mother ever warn you about standing in a parking lot alone in the middle of the night?”
“She warned me about guys that always sneak up on people.” I teased as I walked back to my car.
“Well, you need to be more careful Niki.” He was being serious.
“Yes, mother.” I teased again.
“Niki.” The frustrated tone in his voice was detectable, he blocked my way and put his hands on my shoulders “I’m serious.” I’m sure my face was expressionless “Look, I just don’t want anything to happen to you, that’s all.”
“I know Neil.” I sighed. I knew why he was so careful with me. A couple of months ago, I was mugged in a parking lot of a shopping area. Lucky for me, the guy only wanted money. When he realized that I was a broke student, he left me alone. I called Neil and he was frantic as can be as he came to my rescue. “I’ll try to be more careful next time.”
“There will be no next time. Anyways, if something happens to you, who am I going to have my beautiful children with?” I smiled at the comment, he always had away of making me feel better, just like Lance did. At the thought of Lance, my smile faded. “Thinking about him again?” he asked as he walked me to my car.
I looked at him “How do you always know?”
He shrugged “You’re not exactly hard to read. Anyways, you have a different look when you think about that guy.”
“I do?” I asked, I didn’t know that I was that readable. “What look is that.”
“That look of …aww…I wonder how he’s doing…or I wonder what he looks like now.”
I laughed as I got in my car “You got all that from my expressions?”
He nodded knowingly “Didn’t you learn anything from our psychology classes?”
I rolled my eyes “Yeah, I learned how boring lectures can be and how much I miss sleeping on my bed and how courageous you are for staying awake and taking notes for me.”
“Well, I like the third one.” He gave me a wink before closing the car door for me as he waited for my car to disappear before getting into his car.