Finding Joy

CHAPTER 1: NICE TO MEET YOU

"I have a lead. I've been looking into her past and I believe she is the one. Her name is Joy. She works at Winter."

"Good- find her, and bring her to me."

"Yes, sir."

-

Back in the Winter Hospital Research Room, Joy slept soundly at her desk. Her long brown hair was tied back relatively neatly, but her bangs were mess. Her eyes were a little puffy and there was a streak on the corner of her lips: drool. Lily walked up behind her and grabbed Joy's shoulders; she shook them aggressively.

"Joy! Wake up already! You'll miss the Bloom!"

"Mhmm good morning" Joy mumbled, still half asleep.

-

Joy and Lily have been best friends since college. The "Bloom", was what Joy and her family call the annual blossoming of flowers in a hidden part of the forest. They hit their peak sometime within the span of a month, and she learned how to predict it from her parents. They've since passed, but she still goes there every year.

-

"Morning?" Lily exclaimed. "What do you mean morning? Work ends in 30 minutes!"

"Hm?" Joy rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms, raising them high up in the air. It took a moment for her to process what Lily just said. "Wait, what did you just say? Shoot! How much paperwork do I have left?"

"Only two cases. You know why? It's because I used my big brain to help. I'm such a good friend, right?"

Lily proudly flipped her orange curls, nearly hitting Nick's face. Nick, who was standing beside her, cautiously stepped away and bent down next to Joy.

He put his hand up next to Joy's ear and whispered, "Not really. She only did the easy stuff. She made me do all of the hard stuff again." He shook his head and sighed, "Classic Lily hehe."

Lily walked up behind Nick and stared him down with fiery eyes. Even though he was facing away from her, he could sense the pressure, and a chill ran down his spine. He braced himself for impact, curling up just as she punched his head. The force sent him to rolling to the corner of the room, where he proceeded to sulk. A large bump emerged from his light blonde hair. He turned his head and looked at Lily with puppy dog eyes.

"But Lily, I just didn't want you to be a liar."

Lily punched him again, and a second bump grew from the first.

-

Nick graduated with Joy and Lily, but he's a year younger because he skipped a grade. His brain is years beyond his maturity, hence why Lily pushes all of her work onto him. They interned together at Winter, and now the three of them are the heads of the Winter Infectious Disease Research Department.

-

As if Lily didn't just severely wound her co-worker, she casually turned back to Joy and continued without missing a beat. "Anyways, chop-chop let's get to it! I need my beauty sleep."

The three scramble to finish the last of their paperwork and breathed a sigh of relief as the clock hit 6:00 pm. They pack up and leave for the parking lot.

"Bye! Have fun!" said Lily as she waved goodbye.

"Bye-bye!" said Nick cutely, also waving goodbye.

Joy waves back as the two drove off together. It's strange that they're not a couple yet, key word "yet", since they always act like one.

She stretched and smiled brightly, staring off into the sky. "Mom, Dad, it's that time of the year again."

She unlocked her car, oblivious of a figure watching her from around the corner: It's Kai. But Joy, as if she had a sixth sense, stopped and quickly turned her and looked towards the edge of the building. Kai quickly shifted back, barely avoiding her gaze.