Can You Look My Way?

C16 - Stay

At 11:00 am, Merida and I, waited in the arrivals area in the airport. As soon as we see Yuri, our hands lifted in the air, waving. Her blue eyes spotted us and she waved back, running towards us.

It's been a while since the last time we've seen each other in person. Hugging them is the best comfort.

"Finally! Every plan we had before gets to come true now!" Yuri exclaimed. "I missed you, ladies!"

"We miss you more!" Merida and I cried in chorus. We looked at each with teary eyes and laughed. I shifted my gaze at Yuri. "Don't tell me your professors are also doing virtual classes."

A corner of Yuri's mouth curved up. "You must be forgetting who I am," she says. "I do whatever I want."

I let out a laugh. Well, that's Yuri for you, transferring to our senior high school midway just to be with Merida. People always going beyond some extent for her.

"Liz!" I snapped out of my thought, raising my head. Yuri and Merida looking at me. "You okay?" Merida asked.

"I am," I answered. "Sorry, my mind went blank for a bit."

They both chortled. Yuri put her arm over my shoulders while Merida cling to my arm.

"We've got a lot of catching up to do," Yuri stated as we walk to Merida's car.

We head to Yuri's house. Her helpers had already prepared us lunch. I recall when I decided to take Leo's advice and befriended them. The group study we did in the library and when Leo called me to hold the ladder for him to read his favourite book.

It was this house's library that  I get to hear Leo say he's into Merida. It didn't break my heart then but now it does.

Why force myself to someone who wouldn't even look my way?

The words I asked him that day echoed and I hear his sarcastic laugh. Why am I such a loser?

Just after our lunch, Merida needed to attend her class meeting and so she excused herself to the library leaving me with Yuri.

"Why were you suspended again? Did you bully someone?" Yuri jokes.

"Whaaa?" I sneered. Yuri and I has always been frenemies but she cares for me. "You were the bully between us. I remember you banging my head against the wall."

"Knock you some senses!"

Guffaws heard from across the living room.

"So what is it really? You were doing so good. What happened?"

I stare at her eyes and flashed a sad smile.

"Nothing really. I just felt burnt out. I miss it here so I went home."

"You weren't suspended, then. You always have a thing for making yourself appear like you did something bad!"

"Well, isn't it good? I feel better that people perceives the worst of me. Who knows, I could go down the wrong path or surprise them cause I made it."

Yuri scoffed and throw me something. My reflexes were fast enough to catch it. It's a glass figurine of a clamp.

"I saw it when I was visiting a shop in Japan. Made me think of you so I got it for you."

My lips curved downwards with my eyes glossy. Yuri was smirking proudly.

"Thank you!" I cried.

"You're welcome, you cry baby!"

There was one thing on my mind. Should I tell Yuri that I know where Leo is? They're related. Shouldn't she know already that he is working at the local hospital?