To the Moon and Back

Extra: Preeda's Story

"Are you really serious with that Lohanan guy?"

The question was asked in a hushed tone but it was loud enough for them.

Preeda turned her gaze from the glittery sky above to her friend when she received no immediate reply from her. The two of them were at the Yuvaves' garden, lying on their backs on the grass while watching the moon and the stars. It was nearly half an hour of pure, peaceful silence before Preeda broke the tranquility with her question.

Her friend remained quiet but a small smile was drawn on her lips.

"Well?" Preeda urged the girl beside her again. She was never known for her patience in anything.

"What if I am?" the girl replied her with a good-natured question of her own.

Preeda gasped in disbelief and sat up.

"Prija Yuvaves, you're out of your mind!"

All traces of playfulness were erased from Prija's face and she tugged her friend's hand, hard.

"Shuhhhh! Are you crazy?! It's midnight! You're going to wake up the whole neighbourhood!"

"The hell with the neighbourhood! Your nearest neighbour is me anyway and my house is like five miles from yours!"

"Alright, alright, calm down you crazy woman. No need to shout," Prija begged her friend and grumpily, Preeda was back to lying down beside her.

Prija sighed heavily. She really didn't expect Preeda to find out about this so soon. Her relationship with Niran Lohanan, a senior from a school nearby was a tightly guarded secret. No one knew about it – until the nosy Preeda followed her covertly today to her date with Niran. She already figured that her BFF was going to be hysterical if she ever got to know it and she was right.

"Look, our relationship just started – it's not even three months in. I was really going to tell you about it by the end of this week but you're so impatient! But, yeah, okay, I'm really serious with him. Happy now?"

Preeda squinted her eyes at her friend and Prija snorted at her childish act.

"Are you forgetting someone? Where in the world are you going to put that future fiancée of yours? Ding dong, I really hope you remember Suchart Apornsutinan – the guy that your father is having his eyes on!"

Prija snorted again for the second time.

"Then my father can get engaged to him for all I care. Besides, that Apornsutinan guy is actually into you. It's just that he is too shy. He needs to work on his courage these days – but good luck in advance, my friend," Prija patted her friend's hand in fake sympathy and in return, her hand was swatted by Preeda.

"Hurmph! I don't want to argue with you about that Apornsutinan! Fine, so right now there's Lohanan, there's Apornsutinan...so who is Wad? I saw you scribbling that name many times in your notebook. No surname. So weird."

Silence.

Feeling a little bit of apprehensive at the sudden stop in their conversation, Preeda once again turned her head to look at her friend. Prija had a far away look on her face and her eyes were fixed somewhere on an unknown star above. Preeda opened her mouth to say something when Prija suddenly sat up and looked at her.

"I know it's weird to even say this out loud but I have been having...strange dreams lately. It's almost real, like looking into the future or something."

Prija and Preeda stared at each other, both not sure on how to continue or react to that revelation. After a while, Prija's shoulders slumped dejectedly and she looked at the ground.

"I know it's stupid to even belie-"

"I believe you."

Prija looked up to her friend and her eyes were widen with surprise.

"Yes, I believe you. You may keep your secrets from me every now and then but you're not a liar. So, yes, I believe you. Tell me about it and I promise I will not make fun of you."

There was a slight hesitation from Prija but she finally continued.

"I have these dreams for a while now, even before meeting Niran. I keep dreaming of a little boy, perhaps around ten years old. He always looks so lonely and cries silently at the corner of his room and...and my heart breaks for him. So I called him Wad in my dreams and I think the name fits."

"Wad? What does it even mean?" asked Preeda.

"It means affection and love according to a book that I read. Oh well, even if the meaning is wrong, he's still my little love and affection nowadays," Prija said with a smile on her lips.

"Hmmm. A boy huh? Then, if I ever had a son one day, I'll probably call him Prem."

"Prem?"

"Yeah, Prem."

This time, it was Prija's turn to narrow her eyes at her friend with suspicion.

"Let me guess...Prem is actually the modified male version of your name. You're such a narcissist!"

Preeda laughed out loud when she heard her friend's reasoning but at the same time, she cannot deny it when it was right all along. Beside her, Prija muttered darkly under her breath.

"I will definitely tell Wad to stay away from your son if he's here one day. God, I can't believe you. I have a narcissist for a friend!"

Preeda, who now had tears in her eyes from her mad laugh, replied, "Hahaha, don't worry, I'll tell Prem to annoy the hell out of Wad in the future so he don't even have time to mop around. Hahahaha. I can't. This is too funny. HAHAHA!"

"Stop laughing, you narcissist!"

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I have been meaning to write this extra story for so long but I didn't have the time. I think this is it, guys - the end of this story (unless Sotus finally decided to do this couple for real).