One More Time ( Becky x Freen )

Chapter 11

After finishing with her last client, Nam walked into the back room to see Freen. When she opened the door, she saw her sitting in the chair with her elbows on the table and her hands under her chin, staring pensively at the blank wall.

Freen, who was shaken out of her own reverie, got down from the chair when she saw Nam enter the room. She picked up a glass and turned the faucet on. Her hands shook, and the glass slid out, crashing to the floor. Sighing, she bent down to pick up the pieces.

Nam appeared at her side with a broom and dustpan. "I'll do it, nong.." Her eyes were somber as she looked at Freen. "Okay mai?" She sighed, looking at Freen as if she had grown another head.

"I'm fine, phi." Freen replied as she sat down in the chair.

Nam didn't believe her even though she acted as if she did. She knew her friend was not okay, P'Faye knew, everyone knew. But they thought that after talking to Mario, she had been okay. Apparently, she hadn't.

They knew that the matter was related to Finn and his new friend, because when they asked her why Finn has been staying at Engfa's apartment after school instead of Mario's store like he usually did. She told them that Finn had been loitering around the streets and making friends with inappropriate people. They didn't ask much since they thought Freen was stressing out about her son.

But then, something clicked after seeing what happened earlier, plus what that girl said about meeting Finn. That inappropriate person is Becbec? From what she saw, Freen was like in rage when she saw that girl.

'Why did Freen hate her so much?' Nam thought to herself.

After cleaning it up, Nam pulled out the chair and sat at the table in front of Freen. "You don't want to tell me what's really going on, nong?" She looked worried. "Is it something related to Finn?"

The atmosphere was tense, but she could see that Freen was in distress. She closed her eyes before answering. "P'Nam ka, I really don't know how to tell you this, it's complicated, and I'm sorry for attacking that girl like that..."

"Okay... try me, nong."

"Her name is Becbec... and I used to ca–" She blurted out but got cut off by Nam.

"I know her, she's Finn's friend. Why do you seem to hate her or something? Is she the one you call inappropriate people that Finn has become friends with?"

"Cai, she's the one. Look, phi... I didn't mean to..."

"Just because she's different, you don't have the right to call her that." Nam exclaimed. Her face showed a sign of annoyance. "She's just a human being, nong, like all of us. What's wrong with you?! I thought you're not that kind of person who is easy to judge or discriminate against people. She has the right to be friends with someone like all of us. Finn loves her, and you shouldn't stop your son from being friends with her just because she's different."

Before she could continue, Freen cut her off, "No, you don't understand, P'Nam!" She ran her hand across her forehead. "You don't know what's really going on! You don't know the reason I don't want Finn to be friends with her. How bad do you think I am as his Mae? It's not like that, you wouldn't understand, phi.." She dissolved into a mess of tears and ragged breaths. "But I really feel bad for acting that way..." She said as she covered her face with her hands.

Nam quickly got off her chair and walked to sat beside her. "I'm sorry, nong, I'm so sorry." she said as she rubbed Freen's back. "I thought you just hate her because she's different. I have a brother who is autistic too, that's why I didn't like the idea of people hating her condition. I'm sorry na ka..."