The LoveShot

Scene IX: Left Behind

The bell at the top of the door rings to start a new day. The audiences watches as Li Qi Hee breezes about the day as if it's just a second in her daily routine. Night falls and everything slows down as she stares at the clock with anticipation. Snapping out of her daze only when interrupted by the sound of Ni Ni's voice.

"Closing time." Li blinked before glancing about her surroundings. Realizing that she was the only one frozen in time, she made haste toward the back room to throw on her coat and gather her belongings. "Hey Li Li," Ni Ni called, but Li Li didn't hear her the first time. Her mind was racing as she thought about the fact that she would be fully trusting another man again. It just puzzled her at how she was totally okay with trusting this random stranger, yet she would be no better to him than he to her - as they were both not as certain of each other.

They were tied even.

With a sigh, her hearing came in view just as Ni Ni had called after her a fourth time. "LI LI!"
"Huh?" She whirled around, puzzled at the loud noise. Ni Ni's annoyed expression quickly changed to a suspicious one.
"Do you need a ride home?"
"No thanks. I'm fine."
"So you're gonna catch a ride with Luis?" She said in disbelief, arms crossed.
"No.. I have a different ride.." She said, shying away from the words floating from her mouth. Ni Ni grinned.
"And pray tell, who is this 'other ride' you're so reluctant to talk about?" She grinned even wider as she saw Li Li shift in her discomfort. "This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the pretty boy that's got your mind in a bind, would it?"
"Ni Ni.." With great joy, Ni Ni clasped her hands together before hugging Li Li.
"Don't say anything else. Just tell me how it goes later." And vanished. With another sigh, Li Li let out a grin of relief and took her seat by the window where she could still see the clock.

She would try to keep busy by reading with some apps on her phone or cleaning the spots that were missed on the tables, which were very miniscule since Ni Ni was very adamant about everything being so spic and span. After a moment that seemed to test her patience, she glanced over at the clock. It was now 7:30PM and the diner closed at 7. Sighing to herself, she decided to cut him some slack. It had only been 30 minutes after all.

Nodding to herself, she began to read again but soon found herself drifting off, as it had been a long day, as usual. It seemed to her as if she had blinked and time had jumped an hour. Another blink and it was another 30 minutes gone by.

It didn't really register with her about what time it truly was until she checked her phone after one last blink.

9:30PM

Sitting up in utter shock, she quickly peered out the window to see no one there. Not even a sign of anyone having ever been there.

'Maybe.. Maybe just 30 more minutes..?' She thought to herself, biting her lip to conceal the pain she felt. It were almost as though the world were telling her that her bias of men were right: They were all - in some way, shape or form - dirty and didn't deserve her heart, nor a second of her time.

Her eyes were now glued between the clock on the wall and her phone. She had a battery percentage of 67% now and 15 minutes had already passed. She felt her face run red hot as her outward expression of disappointment settled in. At 9:20PM, she stood to her feet, determined to erase whatever foolery she had fell for and shut down the building before walking outside alone in the darkness.

Her anger outweighed her fear, yet she kept her keys between her knuckles just in case. She may have been a fool for one man, but she knew that she would never let herself play the fool again.

As she walked, she began to clench the keys between her fist even harder as she bit her bottom lip even more. She knew that something like this shouldn't have cut her so deep, but it wasn't even the fact that it cut her - it reopened a wound and she soon began to hate herself.

Despising every tear that fell, as she saw it as a sign of weakness. Wiping her eyes, she soon saw car lights in front of her. They got brighter and brighter before surpassing her. She quickly pulled herself together and stopped crying so that she could see properly. She could be angry, but not cry - at least not in public.

Soon the engine motor of the vehicle that had passed her by was now back at her side, but she didn't pay it any mind. She wouldn't stop walking. She just couldn't let herself be that stupid. Not even when she recognized his voice.

"Li? Li Qi Hee, please wait a minute. Stop walking please. I can explain." She just shook her head as she kept walking. "Li-"
"Go away."
"If you just liste-"
"Whatever it is, I don't wanna hear it. Now go." The engine stopped and she could hear the car door as his footsteps became louder and closer to where she was. And when they were right there behind her, they stopped.

Clenching her fist with the keys in it even tighter, she found herself reluctant to move forward.

'Just hear him out.. He is a rock star, afterall.. Maybe it was-'

"I'm sorry." He breathed. She smiled a grin of annoyance as she rolled her eyes with a sigh. Putting a hand up, she began walking again but was stopped by the sudden restraint of her wrist within a hand. Turning so that he could only see her side profile, she snatched her wrist back. "I had to practice and the bandmates wouldn't let me leave early. In fact, they let out late. Partially because J was upset and decided to lecture us on top of our manager.. I promise you that I meant to keep my word to you - and I still intend to do so now." Nodding to herself, she turned her head to look at him.

"No thank you. It's late." She went to walk away, but then all she could see was his figure blocking the way.

"How lucky am I..?" He began and paused. Her confusion forced her to look up at him.
"What?"

"How lucky am I to have found someone like you? How lucky am I to have have such a blessing like you in my life? I swear to you, I'd never lie to you. I promise that I tried to come sooner and I swear that it'll never ever happen again." Grabbing her by the shoulders, he cast his gaze downward before slowly bringing them back up - the desperation obvious in his eyes. "I'm sorry." She could feel his desperation. "Would you please come out with me tonight? Please."

Biting her lip, she cast her gaze to the side before looking down.

'I guess it's worth a shot..'

"So where are we going?"