Diary of an Asian Kid

13 Feb 2011

13 February 2011, Sunday

Last day of our Winter Vacation, also known as Day-Before-Single-Awareness-Day, or more common amongst the student populace, 'Day-For-Frantically-Trying-To-Finish-Homework-We-Should-Really-Have Finished-Long-Ago'. At least, it was like that for both Victor and I.

I'd originally hoped to get up at ten and get some work done, but I couldn't actually get up until some thirty minutes later. And I put the work off by reading books for a bit before I finally got my sorry self to finish marking my Science practice papers.

Mom had gone out to look at a case for Tzu-Chi, and said that she'd bring lunch home with her, but due to unforeseen circumstances, she only arrived back here close to one in the afternoon. By then, Grandma had driven Dad mad with her repetitive asking of, "When's lunch?" Actually, knowing Dad, she probably asked him just twice. It was enough to seriously tick him off and yell at Mom on the phone. I think.

And after all that, lunch wasn't even good.

I procrastinated some more before doing a few chapters of the Math practice book, my last homework item before I'm free. I've given it up, actually, after much thought, seeing as there's no way I could finish it by tomorrow.

At three, I had to go to the library to pick up another CD. And I also had to pay at a machine in 7-Eleven for something I bought at another online store.

Sadly, it was raining. I had to wear my almost-Gore-Tex, and even then, I still got wet. Mostly because it didn't cover my legs. Plus there was a cold front down, so it was really cold.

When I was done, I tried to call Alice on my cell for an update (there has been no news still), but no one answered. So I shrugged and rode back home.

I ended up reading some more novels instead of doing Math. I didn't even practice the piano. Dinner came and went.

Then he called. Yes, Mr. I-Haven't-Hear-From-You-In-Two-Whole-Sodding-Weeks. When I picked up the phone, I noticed that the number looked familiar, as all the numbers around here start with one or two numbers the same. Mom was there too, as it's usually her who gets phone calls, but luckily, I beat her to the phone.

The moment I heard, and recognized, his voice, dread coursed through me and I went into my room, closed the door, and turned on my CD player. Loud. I'd rather no one heard anything; far too embarrassing, and I'm pretty sure Mom thought I was on the phone with Alice, so I'm definitely not letting her know. She knows him, remember?

I was right all along. It wasn't anything good. Thank God I am so pessimistic, so I wasn't too surprised and even managed to keep myself from crying.

So, for posterity's sake, here is what I remember from that goddamned conversation:

Him: Is Laurence there?

Me (miserably): Yes, this is she.

Him: So.

Me: Yes?

Him: Hmm. Can I ask you some questions?

Me: Yeah, go ahead.

Him: Okay, the first thing. Is this whole thing your own idea?

Me (stuttering a little out of sheer mortification): Y-yes. I mean, I do feel this way, but the whole plan was Alice's idea. Without her, I would definitely not do something like this.

Him: Okay. [Takes a breath.] Next. What has Alice said to you about me?

Me (thinking hard, cursing lousy memory in the process, and at the end of it all, not even talking properly): Umm, she probably thinks that you're nice to her one moment, then ignores her the next. And you know, of course, she called you a pig once, right?