FAR FROM ERIS • FreenBecky •

TWENTY - FOUR

-🎶-

When the alarm clock rang, Freen had been staring at the ceiling for several minutes. The discomfort in her stomach hadn't gone away. In fact, she could swear it felt even worse now, because she knew she had left Becky hanging mid-sentence, and she felt bad about that too. Freen had a habit of feeling bad about everything, really. But why was there suddenly this confidence with Irin inviting Becky to join them? Were they talking regularly now? Why was she so mad about it? She turned over in bed. She had been awake for a long time, but she didn't feel like getting up because getting up meant getting ready, leaving the house, and consequently, encountering Becky. And Irin. And frankly, she would prefer to be hit by a bus at that moment.

She still had her headphones on - with absolutely no sound coming through - when she turned the corner of the street where the bookstore was located. At the door was Heng, laughing and gesturing wildly with his hands as if he were telling a very funny story, and leaning against the wall, slightly bent over while laughing heartily, was Becky. Even with the headphones and their noise-canceling function, Freen could hear the sound of that girl's laughter sneaking into her ears and tickling the back of her brain. Her tied-up hair let several strands fall over her face, which were now dancing in front of her eyes with the spasms of her laughter. She had her hands on her sides as she tried to catch her breath, and Freen felt a pang of envy; she wanted to make her laugh like that.

-With the scene you caused yesterday, you're not doing well- she thought.

-What, admiring the view?-  voice came from behind her.

-Irin! damn, you scared me!- Freen jumped.

-I knew you'd hear me with those off headphones you're wearing. What's up? Are you stalking them?- she pointed to Becky and Heng, who were still talking at the bookstore's door, unaware of the two girls.

-I just stopped for a moment to turn off the music, that's all.-

-Sure, the music- Irin was convinced that Freen didn't have a single music-app installed.

-So, do you talk Becky often?- Freen suddenly blurted out.

-Often? What do you mean?-

-Nothing, forget it.-

-No, tell me. What's going on?-

-Nothing, just that it seemed weird to me that you invited her to this, I don't know.-

-Were you going to do it?- she asked sarcastically.

-Well, yes, actually, I was going to do it last night.-

-But you told me you didn't want to.-

-Yeah well, I changed my mind.-

-And do I have anything to do with all this exactly...?-

-No, I don't think you're to blame for anything.-

-Then why are you so upset?-

-I'm not upset.-

-Of course not. Not at all.-

-No, Irin.-

-So what the hell are you doing standing here without even saying hello?- Freen sighed as she finally took off her headphones and put them away. She looked at Becky, and then back at Irin.

-I don't know, I didn't want to interrupt them.-

-To those two?-

-I'm feeling a bit groggy today, Irin, cut me some slack,- she said, heading towards the store door, hoping to escape from that conversation.