To String Together ( Huaze Lei )

Not Ready

Hauze Lei

"No," I spoke firmly and folded my arms, staring between Meizuo and Ximen. "Meizuo, you're lucky she's okay with you attending our private performance today. She wouldn't be interested in doing that during our winter break anyway." Meizuo, Ximen, and I decided to meet in the bridgeroom before I took them to the music building where Faye and I were doing our performance for one of our professors and friends we wanted to invite. This was our last midterm before the winter break started.

"Lei's right," Ximen spoke and sighed. "I wouldn't want to upset her either."

"You shouldn't have invited Ah Si then. You haven't been fully forgiven and you want to bring Ah Si into this?" I frowned slightly wondering what they were thinking. "Tell him it's not best to try and make amends with her right now. She's happy with her friends. She is finally in a rhythm of sanity since she has been here. They've been her support she has needed and she feels like she belongs. I don't want Ah Si  to change that for her when she's not ready."

"Ah Si is guilt-" Meizuo stopped mid sentence.

"I don't care if he is guilty Meizuo. He has given her trouble almost her entire life. She's going to need more time then a few months before interacting with him. She's still traumatized and she has been through a lot. How can you possibly think this was a good idea?" I gave him a disapproving look. "Ximen, you should be still furious with Ah Si. How could you possibly think this idea was alright?"

"You think I'm happy with what Ah Si did?" Ximen folded his arms. "You think I'm happy both of my closest friends don't get along? You know my loyalty to both of them. Same goes for you and Meizuo."

"I know that, but at least I keep Faye distanced away from Ah Si so she doesn't have another of her mental panic attacks and other habits. She's clearly not ready to be around him and I've respected her decisions. She's fine with me hanging out with him, but that doesn't mean I'm going to bring him around her. You know how uncomfortable Faye is around him."

"At some point she will have to."

"Now isn't that time." I folded my arms. "She knows Ah Si is our closest friend and wouldn't cut all ties with him. Faye doesn't want to be the reason why our friendship breaks apart. She's at least accepting that we continue to be around Ah Si after her past with him. I'll... mention to her that Ah Si has invited her to the cabins."

"Right... Astro is spending part of the break with her. Don't worry about this."

"The South Korean boy group?" Meizuo asks confused. Looking towards Meizuo, I remembered he was out of Faye's daily life since she requested to stop communication with Meizuo since our last trip. There was a lot he was unaware of. "Faye knows the members of a popular boy group? And they are spending time with her?"

"Faye and Cha Eun woo are pretty close friends now," I spoke to him wondering if he would become jealous. I knew Meizuo wanted to make up for his behavior and be there for her. I had a feeling the thought of Faye around other guys besides Ximen and I was something that did not sit with him. "The rest of the members are a fan of Faye as well as Faye is a fan of them. They have been communicating since Paris."

"I see." Meizuo seemed to quiet now that we had discussed what we needed to discuss before heading over. I checked the time and let out a sigh feeling somewhat nervous to perform.

"We should head over. I'm sure Faye is already there with Gu Wei Yi and Xie Yu Yin." Both Ximen and Meizuo nod and we make our way out of the bridge room. It was not long until we reached the outside and our classmates watched as we walked across campus to the music building.

Entering the music building, I walked over to the auditorium where I would leave Ximen and Meizuo to take a seat. I saw Gu Wei Yi, Si Tu Mo and Xie Yu Yin upon entering the auditorium and walked down the aisle towards them. I noticed Wei Yi and Yu Yin were still in their lab coats. Si Tu Mo was dressed in one of her cute outfits she liked to wear for the winter. After the performance, I knew Faye had to go with them to the lab to finish up the rest of their experiment before leaving for break. The three of them looked towards me and I assumed Ximen and Meizuo. It took much control for Gu Wei Yi to keep calm at the sight of Meizuo here.