Tiger and His Bunny

Part 13: Lovesick

Calista was raised in a strict Asian family. Her father and mother are both teachers that work in public school. She is the youngest child with an older brother and an older sister. Growing up in a restrictive family, she has always been a good child, a good daughter, and a good student.

But something deep inside her was changed at the moment she met Dennis.

After their first date, she couldn't help but keep thinking abut him.
His eyes, his voice, his touch.
Not every prince comes to the princess with a horse. Some may drive a red Tesla.

The way he touched her... That feeling still sends a shiver down her spine every time she thinks about him.

As the youngest child in the family, she is still living with her parents. Her brother and sister are working in other states, but Calista is still studying without a full-time job, and that's what keeps her from moving out. She does long for independence and more personal space, but her parents do not allow her to do so.

"Rents here are ridiculously high. Don't move out until you can afford your own house!" This is what her parents always tell her. It makes sense, so she understand. At the same time, she is trying to make more money.

Yes, her dream is to buy a small apartment of her own, and she is working on it.

She needs to work harder. She knows that it's going to be even more difficult for her to move out compared to her siblings because she is the youngest child and her parents still treat her like a teenage girl. They always keep an eye on her, trying so hard to protect her. Calista understands that it is completely normal for parents to struggle with the idea of their children growing up, not to mention moving out, especially when she is the youngest daughter.

As a college student, Calista works multiple part-time jobs at the same time. She works as a tutor on week days after her class, and a server in a cafe on weekends. It might be the most "naughty" thing she has done so far, because her parents hope she can focus on her school work completely, instead of doing part-time jobs on the weekends. Therefore, this job at the cafe is what she does without telling her parents. 

Sometimes she feels envious of what her friends can do: working any part-time jobs freely, going to night clubs or bars, having a sleepover. These are what her parents have never permitted her to do.

She knows her parents may be just a bit too traditional. She has nothing to complain. She loves her parents and she knows that they love her. As a good daughter, she has always been obedient, trying to impress her parents as much as she can. All they want her to do is to study hard and get a good grade, and she has never let them down.

However, it's been really hard for her to concentrate on study and her part-time jobs since she met Dennis. She has never met anyone like him. It feels like some strange switch inside her body has been turned on by Dennis. She starts to feel the burning desire that has been suppressed for years.

She does not tell anyone about Dennis because using dating apps is a huge NO in her family. In fact, she already did something that would be considered "bad" by her parents when she met Dennis.

"I'm such a bad girl... met a guy on the internet and let him touch me like that on the very first date... But I don't hate it. Why is that?" She keeps asking herself, "Why do I not hate it?"

The feeling of lovesickness is almost suffocating, especially when you have no choice but to hide it .

Feeling overwhelmed, she texts her best friend, Zoe.

"Hey Zoe... I think I'm in love..."