When I Grow Up

Chapter 7: Millie

Happy Valentine's Day! Here's a new chapter, my loves!
Two years ago....

LILLY YU
                                                                        19 Years Old

I was scrolling through Instagram when I received a FaceTime call from Millie on my iPad. As soon as I clicked the green button, Millie was quick to chatter about what she saw on her phone.

"There's this famous couple on Instagram that's so cute. They even met online! You should get a boyfriend. Maybe go on an online date or dates," Millie teased.

"What? I don't think I need one right now. Also, don't you think meeting a stranger online is a bit risky?"

Millie rolled her eyes. "Well, take the risk. Get exposed, get kissed, get... get... I don't know! It's the 21st century. Don't be such a bore," she joked.

"Yeah, I don't think so. I'm leaving soon anyways."

That's the thing about the current generation. Always so quick to pull out our phones; an easier way to connect with people. Quick and efficient. I have wondered if it was better to be that way or people would prefer to be an old-school romantic. I thought that maybe an efficient way to date but with old-school romantic tendencies.

But my thoughts were loud like a repetitive scream in my head: MY PARENTS WERE DIVORCED. MY PARENTS WERE DIVORCED. MY PARENTS WERE DIVORCED. The yelling, the crying and finally, the leaving.

I snapped back to reality.

"Really, Lil? You've been single for 19 years of your life, you have never talked about guys or to guys, or fangirl over a crush. At least meet someone of the opposite sex."

"You don't have a boyfriend either," I said, catching her off guard.

Millie gasped dramatically. We stayed silent, staring at each other for a few seconds until we started cracking up.

"At least I have guy friends!"

I lifted my hands in surrender. Millie was good at making friends especially when she has a good sense of humour. She was a socialite.

I was glad that we were still friends after all the years spent since primary school. She was still wearing her round-shaped glasses but this time they were more fashionable with gold frames shining at an angle through the camera.

Sadly, Jean moved interstate at the age of 11; me and Millie never heard from her since. We could only wished her well.

"Do you really have to go? I'm going to miss you. First Jean, now you." Millie asked, giving me the puppy eyes.

I was going to leave the country soon to study abroad. Even if I knew I would miss it here, I was too comfortable. I needed to break the comfort. And for so long I have craved for a change. It would do me some good even though it wasn't going to be easy.

"I still have a couple of months, you know. Plus, you have other friends besides me. And we'll obviously FaceTime."

"Lil, you're the only friend I know since we were little. It's not the same," Millie pleaded.

There was a quick paused as I came out with an idea.

"Hmm... How's this. How 'bout I go stay at your place so we can spend some time together before I leave," I suggested.

"YES! Okay, do that! I'll come pick you up from the bus station," Millie grinned from ear to ear like a child.

"Deal."

Just after the call, I booked the earliest bus ride to see Millie and packed my bag for the next day - setting an alarm at 8:00 A.M.

                                                                                                                      ***

The bus station had a good amount of people waiting in line to get their tickets. I went up to the counter to show the booking I had made on my phone. The woman, probably in her 60s, looked extremely bored as she scanned the bar code and printed out a rectangular piece of glossy paper. Either she was tired because it was too early to function in every humanly way possible or she was tired of her job. I assumed it was most likely the latter.

"Have a safe trip," she said flatly.

The bus boarded at 9:00 A.M. 19A, window seat.

I placed my lightly packed bag on the overhead bin, and collapsed onto my seat, putting on my earphones. The first music played was Nothing by Bruno Major; one of my favorites. I closed my eyes and pictured everything so dreamy in that 2 hour journey.

It was almost noon when I arrived. People were bustling in and out from the bus station carrying their luggages. Millie was there waiting for me at the main entrance. She was wearing a black spaghetti strapped crop top and grey sweatpants. Her shoulder length hair was tied in a half ponytail.

"Finally!" Millie came to me for a hug.

We walked to the parking lot that looked like a basement where her red Mini Cooper was parked. She had gotten it for her 18th birthday from her parents.

Millie came from a wealthy family but from a stranger's perspective, it wasn't obvious. Mr. and Mrs. Chen owned multiple businesses internationally and bought multiple apartments in different states; most of them were rented out. However, her family would keep a very low profile. Millie and her sisters had a very humble upbringing which I was always impressed with. They wouldn't brag, simply wore casual clothes that didn't have to be high fashion brands, and never bought expensive things deemed unnecessary. Besides, all three of them went to a government school instead of a private.

"So, what shall we do today?" I asked in a playful British accent. Which after I did it only to realised it sounded silly.

The heat in the parking lot made me break into little beads of sweat as I adjusted my bag over my shoulders. The sound of our footsteps echoed on the cemented ground and so was Millie's voice.

"Let's have lunch first. I'm starving!"

"Where?"

When Millie and I finally got to her car, suddenly we heard a ringing of a phone.

"Not mine," I said, checking my phone out of habit. Obviously, it wasn't mine.

"Hold on, give me a second," Millie said, picking up her phone. "Hello?"