My last short story of 2015! :)
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If there was any word that could describe Nathan the best, it was that he was someone who was always tardy. No matter if it was to turn up at school or a casual outing with friends, he never failed to arrive late every single time. One would wonder if Nathan would ever change his habits and like the old saying goes - 'Old habits die hard'.
Trust me, there were a lot of things we all tried to make sure Nathan be early for once but they all failed miserably. It did not matter if it was setting five alarm clocks on his bed or if you call his phone repeatedly, nothing seemed to work.
In spite of it all, what really made us keep persisting to help Nathan was that Nathan himself seemed keen to improve himself. Every time a suggested solution failed, Nathan would beat himself about it and putting the blame solely on himself no matter how much we told him that it was not entirely his fault. It pained us watching Nathan leaving the scene with his head lowered and gaze focused downwards. We felt the burning fire inside us to help him grow larger and we became even more determined ever.
One day, Shayla threatened Nathan that he would have to pay for our dinner if he were to turn up late once again for our regular kickback. It would be a hefty sum for a person to pay, and Nathan was no wealthy kid. We all held our breaths as we all waited in Xavier's apartment. Of course, deep inside, all of us wanted Nathan to kick his habit but I did not even bring any money with me and I was pretty sure the others did not too. It was vastly contradicting how we all wanted him to be early for once but we did not even believe in him to do so.
A few minutes to the scheduled meeting time, there was still no sign of Nathan. If this kept on, it meant that Nathan had once again failed and we all managed to save our own money. However, before we all could celebrate on a free dinner, the doorbell sounded loudly. All of our heads whipped at the door and I sprang up to answer the door. To my utmost surprise, Nathan was standing there, with a huge grin on his face as he excitedly pointed at his watch.
"Just on time!"
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Almost 20 minutes into 2016, my resolutions for the new year is for me to continue writing short stories everyday, become a voracious reader, update and complete my stories! Overall, be productive!
Thursday, 31 December 2015
Wednesday, 30 December 2015
Short Story #39: Lunch Time
We were walking around aimlessly, searching for a place to eat but so far, the places that we frequented were packed. At this point, we were all hungry so we were okay with any place as long as it was air-conditioned and had delicious-smelling food.
Maybe it was a wrong idea to leave the house when it was near lunch time but Papa overslept because he had arrived home from work really late last night so he needed to have plenty of sleep. Even though she did not voice it out, Mama was quite worried about Papa and I could tell because she kept casting uneasy glances at Papa.
Finally, we came across a cafe after we crossed a room. From the outside, the cafe appeared to be really clean and spotless, and the windows were wiped really clean that you could see your own reflection. As I was about to lift my eyes to see the name of the cafe, Mama dragged me inside and a wonderful cool breeze greeted our faces.
Thankfully, there were not many customers inside so we could easily find a vacant table. I sat down and drummed my fingers on the cool table absentmindedly. Papa immediately rushed to order us food as currently there was no line. An exasperated sigh escaped Mama's lips and she begrudgingly stood up to join Papa. I guess in a rush Papa forgot to ask us what we wanted for lunch.
From where I sat, I could see Mama mildly reprimanded Papa who gave her a small, sheepish smile. After seeing that exchange, a smile instantly filled my face. It had been a long time since I saw Mama and Papa next to each other. Having to work overnight for consecutive days could be blamed for that. Even though I was told Papa was at home, I had this uneasy feeling that Papa was cheating on Mama with another woman. Last night, Papa came home looking a little inebriated and smelling like lavender.
Mama hates lavender.
My eyes darkened at the vision of Mama and Papa arguing when Papa's dirty secret came to light. While I peered through a small opening of my bedroom door, observing the fight closely. What would I do when that happened? My hands clenched as my mind played over multiple scenes of a situation that may likely occur in the near future. Abruptly, I stood up and grabbed my bag. It was laughable how I managed to sneak out of the cafe unnoticed by my own parents.
Maybe I am better off without them.
Maybe it was a wrong idea to leave the house when it was near lunch time but Papa overslept because he had arrived home from work really late last night so he needed to have plenty of sleep. Even though she did not voice it out, Mama was quite worried about Papa and I could tell because she kept casting uneasy glances at Papa.
Finally, we came across a cafe after we crossed a room. From the outside, the cafe appeared to be really clean and spotless, and the windows were wiped really clean that you could see your own reflection. As I was about to lift my eyes to see the name of the cafe, Mama dragged me inside and a wonderful cool breeze greeted our faces.
Thankfully, there were not many customers inside so we could easily find a vacant table. I sat down and drummed my fingers on the cool table absentmindedly. Papa immediately rushed to order us food as currently there was no line. An exasperated sigh escaped Mama's lips and she begrudgingly stood up to join Papa. I guess in a rush Papa forgot to ask us what we wanted for lunch.
From where I sat, I could see Mama mildly reprimanded Papa who gave her a small, sheepish smile. After seeing that exchange, a smile instantly filled my face. It had been a long time since I saw Mama and Papa next to each other. Having to work overnight for consecutive days could be blamed for that. Even though I was told Papa was at home, I had this uneasy feeling that Papa was cheating on Mama with another woman. Last night, Papa came home looking a little inebriated and smelling like lavender.
Mama hates lavender.
My eyes darkened at the vision of Mama and Papa arguing when Papa's dirty secret came to light. While I peered through a small opening of my bedroom door, observing the fight closely. What would I do when that happened? My hands clenched as my mind played over multiple scenes of a situation that may likely occur in the near future. Abruptly, I stood up and grabbed my bag. It was laughable how I managed to sneak out of the cafe unnoticed by my own parents.
Maybe I am better off without them.
Tuesday, 29 December 2015
Short Story #38: Let Bygones Be Bygones
Throughout the first half of the day, Haley had this fixed pout on her face. No matter what her group of friends did, she just refused to change her facial expression. Whether it was Ken spilling milk all over his vintage black T-shirt or Owen cracking a hilarious joke, there was not even a twitch of a smile coming from her.
A sigh escaped Katie's lips. "Okay, Haley, what's the matter with you?"
Not surprisingly, Haley pretended not to hear her and continued to be busy writing on her textbook when she was actually doodling. It greatly hurt Katie that her best friend of 2 years was blatantly and intentionally ignoring her. Maybe years ago, Katie would just lower her head meekly when Haley got angry but not this time.
Frowning, Katie forcefully grabbed the textbook and tossed it across the classroom, the sound of it hitting the teacher's desk startling the rest of the students. Shocked by her action, Haley gasped and then glared at her best friend but her glare faltered when she saw the deep frown on Katie's face.
"Now tell me what's going on!" Katie practically yelled at the girl sitting down.
Putting on the pout again, Haley crossed her arms and averted her gaze to her desk instead. "You of all people should know!"
Confused by her answer, Katie scratched her head and racked her brain on recent events that could have made her best friend upset or angry. A lightbulb lit inside Katie's head and her mouth formed an 'O' shape as she figured out the reason.
"Let me guess, is this about the free dining at Pegasus'?" Haley solemnly nodded her head.
Chuckling to herself, Katie patted her best friend on the shoulder. "Haley, I didn't invite you cos the coupon expired yesterday and you were celebrating your little brother's birthday."
"Still, you could've at least invited me," Haley murmured.
Shaking her head fondly, Katie smiled, "Come on Haley. Pegasus isn't going to go anywhere. One of these days, we'll go there together and fill our stomachs till we are satisfied, okay?"
Haley still refused to look at Katie so the latter just hugged her best friend tightly.
"Okay," Haley smiled, for the first time that day.
A sigh escaped Katie's lips. "Okay, Haley, what's the matter with you?"
Not surprisingly, Haley pretended not to hear her and continued to be busy writing on her textbook when she was actually doodling. It greatly hurt Katie that her best friend of 2 years was blatantly and intentionally ignoring her. Maybe years ago, Katie would just lower her head meekly when Haley got angry but not this time.
Frowning, Katie forcefully grabbed the textbook and tossed it across the classroom, the sound of it hitting the teacher's desk startling the rest of the students. Shocked by her action, Haley gasped and then glared at her best friend but her glare faltered when she saw the deep frown on Katie's face.
"Now tell me what's going on!" Katie practically yelled at the girl sitting down.
Putting on the pout again, Haley crossed her arms and averted her gaze to her desk instead. "You of all people should know!"
Confused by her answer, Katie scratched her head and racked her brain on recent events that could have made her best friend upset or angry. A lightbulb lit inside Katie's head and her mouth formed an 'O' shape as she figured out the reason.
"Let me guess, is this about the free dining at Pegasus'?" Haley solemnly nodded her head.
Chuckling to herself, Katie patted her best friend on the shoulder. "Haley, I didn't invite you cos the coupon expired yesterday and you were celebrating your little brother's birthday."
"Still, you could've at least invited me," Haley murmured.
Shaking her head fondly, Katie smiled, "Come on Haley. Pegasus isn't going to go anywhere. One of these days, we'll go there together and fill our stomachs till we are satisfied, okay?"
Haley still refused to look at Katie so the latter just hugged her best friend tightly.
"Okay," Haley smiled, for the first time that day.
Monday, 28 December 2015
Short Story #37: Taxi
This short story would be longer than usual...This piece of writing is actually long long overdue (lol). Okay so for this one, I am given these prompts 'taxi driver + cryptic letter + lucky penny + dark and stormy night'
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Raindrops on the window were wiped them away by a windshield. To the annoyance of the taxi driver, this process repeated every few minutes. Not to mention, the roads were heavily crowded with various other vehicles and for the past hour, his taxi had barely moved 100 metres away from its original position.
Earlier this morning, his wife had nagged at him to bring an umbrella and warned him to not be late for their family dinner as their darling son would finally visit for Thanksgiving. Of course, he did not bring an umbrella because he never did. What did it matter if you were drenched from the rain? The solution was so simple - just change out of your wet clothes into new ones and clean the dirty ones. Besides, it was fun walking or running in the rain without any sort of covering over your head. However, the hapless driver doubted that coming home drenched from the rain would anger his wife; it would be coming horribly late for their family dinner, which he already was.
Frustration got the better of him and he pressed on the honk hard and for a long duration. In response, honks from other various vehicles sounded. He let out a sigh and pressed his head on his steering wheel. It was going to be a long night.
A loud knock on his car window jolted him awake. He raised his head and frantically looked around to pinpoint the source of disturbance. There was now soft rapping on the glass which successfully caught his attention and he glanced at the uniformed person outside his taxi.
Well, shit.
A police officer was standing outside his taxi. The taxi driver lowered his window and briefly glanced at his surroundings. It looked like he was not on the busy roads anymore. No, his taxi was now parked in an alley with improperly disposed rubbish and it caused a major stench that invaded his nostrils. Trying his best not to puke his lunch out, he forced a smile at the police officer, praying hard that he would not get into trouble. At least, not a big one.
Luckily for him, the police officer was only concerned for him as he found him resting against his steering wheel and feared that he had fainted or worse, died. The taxi driver assured the kind policeman that he was perfectly alright and thanked the man for the concern. Minutes after the policeman left, a soft sigh escaped the taxi driver and glanced down at his lap.
A small envelope was perched on his lap. At first, he thought it was random but as he picked the light document, he found his name scrawled in the middle of it. Once again, he glanced at his surroundings, as if the person who sent him the envelope would still be there.
Since it was clearly addressed to him, he hastily tore the envelope and shook a folded piece of paper out. It was a heavy parchment and despite such a huge white background, only a few sentences handwritten in black ink filled the middle of the page. There was also a coin attached at the bottom of the page, as if a superglue was used to stick it firmly on it.
"Old man, you owe me one. Find me or all your dark secrets will be revealed to the world. And hold on tight to the lucky penny. You're going to need it."
Indeed, it was a cryptic letter. If it was all an elaborate joke, he could not tell. Whatever it was, he decided to push the matter aside and head home before his wife call him to ask for his whereabouts.
Sunday, 27 December 2015
Short Story #36: Reputation
For the Orpheus High's well-known bad boy, nothing worse could happen to Jarrod Lake than a new transfer student who was stealing his fights and winning them. It did not help matters than the newcomer was much taller than him and his muscular arms looked like they were on the verge of ripping his sleeves apart. Without a doubt, Jarrod's reputation was on the line and if he did not do anything about it, he would just be an ordinary student who was no longer feared by the school, students and teachers alike.
"Hey newbie!" Jarrod yelled over the school cafeteria, not caring that he had caught a lot more than his target's attention. Actually, an audience was part of his plan too.
The new boy, Casey Palmer, glanced over his shoulder, not even bothering to give his full attention to Jarrod. It was clear that Casey could care less about the so-called bad boy and this only served to anger Jarrod.
"I'm talking to you!" An audible sigh escaped Casey's lips and he begrudgingly turned to face the bad boy. As Jarrod neared the new boy, a large crowd slowly formed around the duo, curious and anxious glances exchanged between each other. Was a fight about to break out between the two toughest boys in school? For a certain nosy future reporter, she had already pulled out her phone, ready to film the incoming brawl.
"So, you think you're all tough huh?" Without waiting for a response, Jarrod threw the first punch on Casey's broad and firm punch. To Jarrod, it hurt like hell, but he refused to show any hint of vulnerability towards his (one-sided) enemy.
"What's wrong? Got sca-" Before Jarrod could even finish his sentence, he was roughly grabbed by his arm and thrown all the way backwards till his body landed at the entrance doors to the cafeteria. A collective gasp resounded at the unbelievable scene before them. Jarrod beaten easily by a simple move?
Not caring about the situation, Casey gathered his lunch tray and headed to a vacant seat to eat his lunch, blissfully unaware that the table's other occupants were visibly shaking in fear.
"Snap! Looks like we have a new hot headline for tomorrow!" Rosa Suarez exclaimed in glee as she took a shot of the now barely conscious Jarrod. "Former bad boy now has become a loser nerd!"
Saturday, 26 December 2015
Short Story #35: Tiring
A loud yawn escaped from Jasmine's lips as she leaned back on her chair. Clearly, she could care less if the whole lecture hall heard her.
At this point, no one would bat an eyelid when someone said they only had an hour's sleep. The final examinations were approaching and everybody had been busy catching up with their studies by staying behind in school till night time and approaching their tutors for help.
Studying for examinations was one thing but having to attend every revision lecture had became a burden for almost every student who just wanted some time for themselves of self-studying. What made it an even bigger burden was that attendance was compulsory. An absence would automatically mean answering to your homeroom teacher and the most likely punishment was an hour-long detention that would serve nothing but waste precious time. Not to mention, there were fifteen days left to the most important examinations for their year.
It was evident that Jasmine was one of the many students who had little sleep with the way she rested her head on the table and by the sound of her loud snoring. People who were aware of her trying to catch some sleep could sympathise with her but they were all too engrossed in either their own conversations or re-reading their lecture notes while waiting for their lecturer to arrive.
Speaking of their lecturer, Mrs. Robinson was sure late. Of course, the lecturer would not start till eleven minutes later but she would usually be present fifteen minutes earlier without fail. Maybe she was caught in a bad traffic jam? Whatever it was, students were all secretly wishing that she would arrive late or not arrive at all so that they could all spend the unofficial free time doing their own revision.
However, it seemed that the students would not be getting their way when the doors were roughly pushed open revealing the slightly haggard looking Mrs. Robinson who had been robbed of her sleep herself. Seemed that the teachers themselves were suffering too.
At this point, no one would bat an eyelid when someone said they only had an hour's sleep. The final examinations were approaching and everybody had been busy catching up with their studies by staying behind in school till night time and approaching their tutors for help.
Studying for examinations was one thing but having to attend every revision lecture had became a burden for almost every student who just wanted some time for themselves of self-studying. What made it an even bigger burden was that attendance was compulsory. An absence would automatically mean answering to your homeroom teacher and the most likely punishment was an hour-long detention that would serve nothing but waste precious time. Not to mention, there were fifteen days left to the most important examinations for their year.
It was evident that Jasmine was one of the many students who had little sleep with the way she rested her head on the table and by the sound of her loud snoring. People who were aware of her trying to catch some sleep could sympathise with her but they were all too engrossed in either their own conversations or re-reading their lecture notes while waiting for their lecturer to arrive.
Speaking of their lecturer, Mrs. Robinson was sure late. Of course, the lecturer would not start till eleven minutes later but she would usually be present fifteen minutes earlier without fail. Maybe she was caught in a bad traffic jam? Whatever it was, students were all secretly wishing that she would arrive late or not arrive at all so that they could all spend the unofficial free time doing their own revision.
However, it seemed that the students would not be getting their way when the doors were roughly pushed open revealing the slightly haggard looking Mrs. Robinson who had been robbed of her sleep herself. Seemed that the teachers themselves were suffering too.
Friday, 25 December 2015
Review: SHINee Some Wonderful Day
Time for another SHINee review! So, just now, I have completed the variety show where the group dispersed to enjoy their own personal vacation where they had full reins of. That means none of their group members would be there to protest and even the staff that went with them would not interfere, even they lacked money to buy things (lol).
Once again, SHINee proves to be still entertaining yet still down-to-earth and grounded even when alone. For me, it's pretty cool to see the destinations that the members went because personally to me, it was as if I was given a tour around those places that they visited. Furthermore, it's entertaining to see how the members behave when they are left to their own devices.
Onew (Krabi): The leader's vacation is the most interesting to me. Unlike the other members, Onew did not plan out his itinerary. Onew himself has shown to us that he is a happy-go-lucky guy who likes to do body gags and make people laugh with his jokes so for his vacation, he just went with the flow. It was so fascinating watching him eat, especially the barbequed food. I personally love barbequed food and the ones he had are really tempting and totally my style. The most shocking thing about his vacation is when his toe bled at the beach that I gasped audibly at the sight of blood pouring out profusely but he remained unfazed and still maintained his megawatt smile.
Jonghyun (Japan): Jonghyun has mentioned many times before that he loves anime so I find it adorable when he gushed about One Piece and Gundam. I think he really loves Japan as he really maximised his three-day vacation by exploring many cities and places and trying out many things. It was also fascinating to watch him eat since he has a huge appetite thanks to his diet. He's really cute (not being biased here...or maybe I am lol). He is quite thoughtful too as he bought souvenirs for each of his group members.
Key (England) : Personally, I found Key's to be the least interesting. Most likely, it was due to the fact that some of his plans were disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances so unfortunately, we were not able to see him fulfill his wishes for his vacation. Even though I could not relate to him, I still find it amazing how he knew so much about fashion, movies and British etiquette. The most interesting thing that he had done was when he applied the pink dye on his hair. His eye for detail and his persistence of having things done his own way (I wish I am able to rephrase this) truly amazed me.
Minho (England) : Even before I knew SHINee, I know that Minho loves soccer. It is adorable seeing him so enthusiastic and excited about soccer. However, I felt sad for him because he was not able to hand a choco pie to Rio Ferdinand. Maybe next time, Minho? Don't give up! ^^ Other than that, Minho has shown to be quite a sweetheart and a kind person. The sweetest thing he had done was when he gave money for performer on the street and just stood to watch him perform, even staying behind to chat with him.
Taemin (Switzerland) : Taemin was full of unexpected surprises. He is definitely not risk-averse as he appears to have a penchant for dangerous activities. Even though he appeared to not have a fear of heights or falling, he was really eager to try paragliding and skiing out. If I could recall correctly, he had no worries about doing such activities. I find it adorable and charming how he still maintained that megawatt smile when he fell a number of times. I find it most admirable when he still remained calm when he misplaced his train ticket. If I was in position, I would be acting really hysterically. Taemin may appear naive and scatter-brained during his trip but thankfully, all worked out for him in the end.
10/10 must-watch for all SHINee fans!
Source of image: allkpop
Short Story #34: Ambush
"So...um...how did you find our date?" Tom nervously asked, not daring to look at the other's eyes.
"Hmm...it was...nice," Sabrina answered, smirking as she noticed the other sighing in relief.
"Well, I'm glad you liked it," Tom flashed her a megawatt smile.
"Thanks Tom, for the fun date," Sabrina smiled back. The couple walked silently at the park, enjoying the soft and pleasant breeze at night. As they walked, they both inched closer to each other, their bodies slightly touching. Neither flinched and they both smiled at each other.
Tom thought it was now or never so he slowly intertwined their fingers together, earning a soft smile from brunette. In Tom's eyes, Sabrina was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, her big brown eyes twinkling and her red lips inviting. He leaned in and closed his eyes, but his lips could meet hers, he was brutally shoved to the concrete ground.
A loud scream filled his ears and it was obvious that it belonged to Sabrina. Tom struggled to get up but was pushed back firmly by a pair of bulky, muscular arms, the kind that belonged to a wrestler or a bodybuilder.
"Sabrina!" Tom yelled. He squirmed helplessly as he watched his girlfriend being thrown into a van before it drove off.
Before he could yell the name the second time, his head was hit by a heavy object. His vision dimmed as he fell into unconsciousness.
"Hmm...it was...nice," Sabrina answered, smirking as she noticed the other sighing in relief.
"Well, I'm glad you liked it," Tom flashed her a megawatt smile.
"Thanks Tom, for the fun date," Sabrina smiled back. The couple walked silently at the park, enjoying the soft and pleasant breeze at night. As they walked, they both inched closer to each other, their bodies slightly touching. Neither flinched and they both smiled at each other.
Tom thought it was now or never so he slowly intertwined their fingers together, earning a soft smile from brunette. In Tom's eyes, Sabrina was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, her big brown eyes twinkling and her red lips inviting. He leaned in and closed his eyes, but his lips could meet hers, he was brutally shoved to the concrete ground.
A loud scream filled his ears and it was obvious that it belonged to Sabrina. Tom struggled to get up but was pushed back firmly by a pair of bulky, muscular arms, the kind that belonged to a wrestler or a bodybuilder.
"Sabrina!" Tom yelled. He squirmed helplessly as he watched his girlfriend being thrown into a van before it drove off.
Before he could yell the name the second time, his head was hit by a heavy object. His vision dimmed as he fell into unconsciousness.
Thursday, 24 December 2015
Short Story #33: Teddy Bear
Unbelievable.
Of all the times in the world, my brother chose this exact moment to screw up. I suppressed the strong urge to simply yell at him but I had to consider that in doing so, I would be attracting unwanted attention towards us. Instead, I opted to sigh heavily.
"Did you at least see where he went?" Not surprisingly, my brother responded with a shake of his head. At this point, my patience was running thin. It was one thing for my brother to make a dumb mistake but it was another thing for him to act so nonchalant and guiltless about it. No simple apology. Not one ounce of regret on his face. Nothing! Of course I did not expect him to go down on his knees and apologize but such common sense should be damn obvious.
Rolling my eyes, I trudged to the nearest bench and sat down. I rested my chin on my head and sighed once more. At the corner of my eye, I noticed my brother approaching me and taking a seat, though he was careful to leave a large space between us. Clearly, he did not want to incur my wrath, which was slowly building up within me.
"You're overreacting. It's only a teddy bear," my brother waved his hand dismissively. Not caring about an unwanted audience anymore, I instantly lost my cool.
"It's my hard-earned money!!" I shouted at him, my eyes bulging that they must have looked like they were going to come out. To a stranger, my words would sound dramatic but I was an unemployed girl so I had to scrimp and save to buy anything that I wanted. And a teddy bear was what I longed to buy ever since I saw its cute commercial on television.
Pouting, I turned my head away and stared solemnly at the ground. "Ah whatever. Guess it's not meant to be," I mumbled to myself. It was pathetic to blame at others for my own mistake. It was silly of me to entrust my newly-bought bear to my brother while I went to the washroom.
Five minutes. That was how long Emerald and I spent together. Yes, I named my teddy bear 'Emerald' and it was inspired by the green and black polka-dot bow on it which had nothing to do with emerald itself.
Right then, a bawling child was forcefully dragged towards me by a woman, who probably was his mom. My eyes widened when I saw Emerald held by the woman. The woman must have been able to piece the puzzle together because instantly after seeing my reaction, she handed me back my beloved teddy bear.
"Sorry. My child has the habit of taking things that don't belong to him," the woman apologized. I quickly forgave her and patted the child's head, too excited to be mad at him. I pulled Emerald for a tight hug, extremely elated that we were reunited at the end. I guess we did belong to each other after all.
Of all the times in the world, my brother chose this exact moment to screw up. I suppressed the strong urge to simply yell at him but I had to consider that in doing so, I would be attracting unwanted attention towards us. Instead, I opted to sigh heavily.
"Did you at least see where he went?" Not surprisingly, my brother responded with a shake of his head. At this point, my patience was running thin. It was one thing for my brother to make a dumb mistake but it was another thing for him to act so nonchalant and guiltless about it. No simple apology. Not one ounce of regret on his face. Nothing! Of course I did not expect him to go down on his knees and apologize but such common sense should be damn obvious.
Rolling my eyes, I trudged to the nearest bench and sat down. I rested my chin on my head and sighed once more. At the corner of my eye, I noticed my brother approaching me and taking a seat, though he was careful to leave a large space between us. Clearly, he did not want to incur my wrath, which was slowly building up within me.
"You're overreacting. It's only a teddy bear," my brother waved his hand dismissively. Not caring about an unwanted audience anymore, I instantly lost my cool.
"It's my hard-earned money!!" I shouted at him, my eyes bulging that they must have looked like they were going to come out. To a stranger, my words would sound dramatic but I was an unemployed girl so I had to scrimp and save to buy anything that I wanted. And a teddy bear was what I longed to buy ever since I saw its cute commercial on television.
Pouting, I turned my head away and stared solemnly at the ground. "Ah whatever. Guess it's not meant to be," I mumbled to myself. It was pathetic to blame at others for my own mistake. It was silly of me to entrust my newly-bought bear to my brother while I went to the washroom.
Five minutes. That was how long Emerald and I spent together. Yes, I named my teddy bear 'Emerald' and it was inspired by the green and black polka-dot bow on it which had nothing to do with emerald itself.
Right then, a bawling child was forcefully dragged towards me by a woman, who probably was his mom. My eyes widened when I saw Emerald held by the woman. The woman must have been able to piece the puzzle together because instantly after seeing my reaction, she handed me back my beloved teddy bear.
"Sorry. My child has the habit of taking things that don't belong to him," the woman apologized. I quickly forgave her and patted the child's head, too excited to be mad at him. I pulled Emerald for a tight hug, extremely elated that we were reunited at the end. I guess we did belong to each other after all.
Wednesday, 23 December 2015
Short Story #32: Smoke Break
"Life is stressful, huh?" Ashley gave a side-glance at the newcomer before pulling on her cigarette and watched the smoke dissipating into the air. She did not respond. After all, she was not in the mood for a small chit-chat.
However, the newcomer did not share the same thoughts and approached her. The newcomer, Ashley glanced back again, was a fair-skinned girl with long hair. Her eyes were big and brown, almost like a puppy. Almost.
"Do you have a light?" The girl held out a hand, smiling kindly at her. Ashley merely gave a blank stare.
"Here." It took a good 30 seconds before Ashley fulfilled the stranger's request. A generous person was not how most people would describe Ashley but for some reason, this newcomer was an exception.
"Thank you," the girl accepted and thanked her gratefully.
They both just stood there and waited in silence until they grew bored of having their lungs being tainted by a piece of cancer stick.
Even though she came in the later, the stranger dropped her cigarette on the ground and stepped on it. "Looks like my lifespan is going to be reduced by another 10 years."
Ashley cracked a half-smile.
"Nice knowing you," the girl threw the used cigarette into a rubbish bin and started walking a few feet away before stopping.
"My name is Paige by the way," the girl, Paige shot her a disarming smile.
"Ashley."
However, the newcomer did not share the same thoughts and approached her. The newcomer, Ashley glanced back again, was a fair-skinned girl with long hair. Her eyes were big and brown, almost like a puppy. Almost.
"Do you have a light?" The girl held out a hand, smiling kindly at her. Ashley merely gave a blank stare.
"Here." It took a good 30 seconds before Ashley fulfilled the stranger's request. A generous person was not how most people would describe Ashley but for some reason, this newcomer was an exception.
"Thank you," the girl accepted and thanked her gratefully.
They both just stood there and waited in silence until they grew bored of having their lungs being tainted by a piece of cancer stick.
Even though she came in the later, the stranger dropped her cigarette on the ground and stepped on it. "Looks like my lifespan is going to be reduced by another 10 years."
Ashley cracked a half-smile.
"Nice knowing you," the girl threw the used cigarette into a rubbish bin and started walking a few feet away before stopping.
"My name is Paige by the way," the girl, Paige shot her a disarming smile.
"Ashley."
Tuesday, 22 December 2015
Short Story #31: Self-proclaimed Shopaholic
Emily was a self-proclaimed shopaholic. She insisted on that label, even to the point of including it in all of her registered profiles in social networking sites. It was astounding how badly she wanted to be referred as such and not simply as her name. Some people flippantly remarked that she did this badly for attention but really, her close friends could vouch for her self-declared title.
Ever since she had discovered online shopping, Emily had been tirelessly buying an assortment of things from the Internet, from pretty jewelries to branded bags to useless trinkets. One could say that she was simply hooked on online shopping. Despite repeated advice to put an end to this unhealthy obsession, Emily just simply would not listen.
It was when she was planning to buy a branded watch that she received the biggest horror in her life. In her bank account was left with a mere two digits. Then it all dawned on Emily that she had been wasting excessive money on a plethora of things. As such, she learnt her lesson the hard way and had decided to part ways with all of the expensive goods she bought online to slowly recoup her wasted money.
Ever since she had discovered online shopping, Emily had been tirelessly buying an assortment of things from the Internet, from pretty jewelries to branded bags to useless trinkets. One could say that she was simply hooked on online shopping. Despite repeated advice to put an end to this unhealthy obsession, Emily just simply would not listen.
It was when she was planning to buy a branded watch that she received the biggest horror in her life. In her bank account was left with a mere two digits. Then it all dawned on Emily that she had been wasting excessive money on a plethora of things. As such, she learnt her lesson the hard way and had decided to part ways with all of the expensive goods she bought online to slowly recoup her wasted money.
Sunday, 20 December 2015
Short Story #30: Bookfest
Nancy could not contain the excitement building up in her. This was the day she looked forward to every year without fail. It was the annual bookfest and for this year, it was held a few blocks away from her house. She was so excited that she could not sleep the previous night.
Ask any of her friends and family members, and you would get an unanimous answer that Nancy loved books very much. In her room, her four-compartment bookshelf were filled with books to the brim and she was still adding to her already huge collection. Not surprisingly, she also frequented the library, sometimes using her family members' library card in order to borrow more books.
Once Nancy arrived at her destination, she seriously squealed with joy and hurried to the fiction section. She browsed through dozens of books and filled her basket to the brim with books of varying thickness. One would wonder how she was able to lift all these home without breaking a sweat. However, Nancy could not care less at how much she would have to carry back home. Her love for books definitely trumps the inconvenience of lugging the heavy books home.
Ask any of her friends and family members, and you would get an unanimous answer that Nancy loved books very much. In her room, her four-compartment bookshelf were filled with books to the brim and she was still adding to her already huge collection. Not surprisingly, she also frequented the library, sometimes using her family members' library card in order to borrow more books.
Once Nancy arrived at her destination, she seriously squealed with joy and hurried to the fiction section. She browsed through dozens of books and filled her basket to the brim with books of varying thickness. One would wonder how she was able to lift all these home without breaking a sweat. However, Nancy could not care less at how much she would have to carry back home. Her love for books definitely trumps the inconvenience of lugging the heavy books home.
Review: Hello Baby with SHINee!
Yoogeun is an adorable child. The PD couldn't have picked a better child for SHINee to take care of for 100 days. Of course, at first, Yoogeun felt really uneasy but eventually, he became closer to the his SHINee Appas and the memories they shared are really precious and sweet! In order to deepen their relationship with Yoogeun, they had to achieve the missions given to them successfully, and for some of those missions or just activities, they split into groups to compete against each other.
The moments that I love the most are when the Appas split up to find the best clothes for Yoogeun to wear and also when the Appas were dressed in animal costumes and rode in tiny cars. Really, they bonded with the child really quickly although some of them were anxious at first. At the end of the show's run, they all were quite sad when they had to part from Yoogeun.
This is quite a wonderful and entertaining variety show. If you're a SHINee fan, it's a must watch! Even if you are not a fan of them, you can still try watching it. Give it a few eps and you'll soon be hooked on the show and the group! :)
Saturday, 19 December 2015
Short Story #29: Helping Out
Beads of sweat rolled down Derrick's face as he carried the last chair to its designated desk. After he placed it down, he placed his hands on his hips and took a really deep breath. He smiled as he looked up at the newly painted ceiling. With the help of his friends, they were able to completely revamp the entire classroom, all under one hour before the children would return from their lunch time.
He heard the sounds of soft footsteps outside and chattering, and it dawned on him that the children had finally arrived. Stealthily moving to flick off the lights, he joined his friends at the back of the classroom, crouching down in an effort to conceal themselves.
The door had finally opened and the tallest child among them, who was also the class monitor, reached out for the lights to switch them on. As soon as the room illuminated, all of them gasped in total surprise and shock.
"Surprise!" The loud yells coming from the back alerted them and their already widened eyes and mouths grew bigger. Derrick and his friends did not waste time and rushed forward to give the still surprised children hugs. Some of the children were at the brink of tears and some could not voice their thoughts coherently so the volunteers merely tightened their hugs, smiling widely and some even crying with the grateful children. Wiping the tears of a little girl with his thumb, Derrick whispered, "Don't cry~"
Derrick guessed coming into the classroom must had been a huge shocker for the children. Imagine coming into the same classroom but with walls and ceilings completely painted in white, and the rickety tables and chairs replaced with sturdy ones. Not to mention, there were pencil boxes filled with the standard stationery placed neatly on every desk, one for each children. And now, the lights were completely bright as the light bulbs were also replaced with higher quality ones. The lights were bright but the grateful smiles from the children shined brighter than the lights.
Derrick could not help but cry with the children and his friends too. Having spent a few days in Laos with the children, he realized the hardships they had to go through in their daily lives, including for their education. The schools here, especially those in the rural parts of the village, were under-funded and as such, lacked proper and working materials to give the children an effective learning environment, a factor that Derrick and his friends had no problem with back at their home.
Derrick's heart ached for these children and he was happy that they were able to make a huge difference in these children's lives. He hoped the children would be able to pursue their education with more enthusiasm and convenience now. He was already dreading the day where he would have to part with these wonderful children.
He heard the sounds of soft footsteps outside and chattering, and it dawned on him that the children had finally arrived. Stealthily moving to flick off the lights, he joined his friends at the back of the classroom, crouching down in an effort to conceal themselves.
The door had finally opened and the tallest child among them, who was also the class monitor, reached out for the lights to switch them on. As soon as the room illuminated, all of them gasped in total surprise and shock.
"Surprise!" The loud yells coming from the back alerted them and their already widened eyes and mouths grew bigger. Derrick and his friends did not waste time and rushed forward to give the still surprised children hugs. Some of the children were at the brink of tears and some could not voice their thoughts coherently so the volunteers merely tightened their hugs, smiling widely and some even crying with the grateful children. Wiping the tears of a little girl with his thumb, Derrick whispered, "Don't cry~"
Derrick guessed coming into the classroom must had been a huge shocker for the children. Imagine coming into the same classroom but with walls and ceilings completely painted in white, and the rickety tables and chairs replaced with sturdy ones. Not to mention, there were pencil boxes filled with the standard stationery placed neatly on every desk, one for each children. And now, the lights were completely bright as the light bulbs were also replaced with higher quality ones. The lights were bright but the grateful smiles from the children shined brighter than the lights.
Derrick could not help but cry with the children and his friends too. Having spent a few days in Laos with the children, he realized the hardships they had to go through in their daily lives, including for their education. The schools here, especially those in the rural parts of the village, were under-funded and as such, lacked proper and working materials to give the children an effective learning environment, a factor that Derrick and his friends had no problem with back at their home.
Derrick's heart ached for these children and he was happy that they were able to make a huge difference in these children's lives. He hoped the children would be able to pursue their education with more enthusiasm and convenience now. He was already dreading the day where he would have to part with these wonderful children.
Tuesday, 15 December 2015
Short Story #28: Nervousness
It's been a long time since I typed and published a short story! I've read advice that creative writing is very helpful for writers who have good plot ideas but struggle with structuring their stories or planning out their stories. So I've decided to do a lot of creative writing to hone my writing skills!
Tucked in the corner on the level four at Block C building was a men's washroom. The room was empty and quiet, except for a single man occupying it. The aforementioned man splashed his face repeatedly with palms full of water from the sink, not caring that his collar and the top of his shirt being soaked during the hasty process. His white dress shirt tucked out, his green tie askew and his disheveled hair gave the impression of an untidy person. Actually, a few hours ago, he was immaculately dressed but only a few people bore witness to that.
Wiping his wet face with a handkerchief, he clumsily retrieved a piece of paper from the left pocket of his black slacks. While he unfolded the paper, his hand was visibly shaking and his heart was palpitating faster than normal. He began to mutter to himself as his eyes flitted though the messy scribbles on the paper, accidentally smudging the words with his wet hand. A passer-by witnessing him would have thought that he was diligently reciting a mantra.
"Theodore, are you done?" A loud voice boomed from outside, startling the man.
"Almost done!" The nervous man croaked. He hurriedly pocketed the paper without even folding it neatly first. Staring back at his reflection in the mirror, he realized that his face was extremely pale and his eyes looked very exhausted. Never in his life had he craved so much to disappear right then and there. But eventually, he had to face the music.
He tidied his unkempt attire to the best of his ability before breathing calmly, readying himself for the dreaded presentation that would compute 15% of his overall grade.
-
Tucked in the corner on the level four at Block C building was a men's washroom. The room was empty and quiet, except for a single man occupying it. The aforementioned man splashed his face repeatedly with palms full of water from the sink, not caring that his collar and the top of his shirt being soaked during the hasty process. His white dress shirt tucked out, his green tie askew and his disheveled hair gave the impression of an untidy person. Actually, a few hours ago, he was immaculately dressed but only a few people bore witness to that.
Wiping his wet face with a handkerchief, he clumsily retrieved a piece of paper from the left pocket of his black slacks. While he unfolded the paper, his hand was visibly shaking and his heart was palpitating faster than normal. He began to mutter to himself as his eyes flitted though the messy scribbles on the paper, accidentally smudging the words with his wet hand. A passer-by witnessing him would have thought that he was diligently reciting a mantra.
"Theodore, are you done?" A loud voice boomed from outside, startling the man.
"Almost done!" The nervous man croaked. He hurriedly pocketed the paper without even folding it neatly first. Staring back at his reflection in the mirror, he realized that his face was extremely pale and his eyes looked very exhausted. Never in his life had he craved so much to disappear right then and there. But eventually, he had to face the music.
He tidied his unkempt attire to the best of his ability before breathing calmly, readying himself for the dreaded presentation that would compute 15% of his overall grade.
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