“Good Morning, my friend!!!” Ella cheerfully greeted when Sierra sat up from her bed. “You’re smiling so beautifully. Had that dream again?”

“My dream returned to normal, Ella. It’s comforting,” Sierra beamed happily and hopped out of her bed filled with positive energy.

But her enthusiasm slowly faded the moment Kate walked out of the bathroom and glanced at her direction.

“It’s creepy,” Kate said to her with bloodshot eyes and a hand gently stroking her head covered with a towel. “Having the same dream for three years? You should see a doctor.”

“I don’t need a doctor,” Sierra confidently argued. “The dog in my dream is Jin. He’s checking up on me from time to time. That’s how loyal he is to me.”

“That’s really creepy, Sierra,” Ella said, crossing her arms to rub the chills off her skin. “Your dog is already in heaven.”

“I know,” Sierra admitted with a pang of pain in her heart. It had been years, but she was still hurting whenever she remembered the one and only dog she ever had and lost. “That’s why I said he is checking up on me from time to time. He is my guard and friend. He will always be. Why will I get scared?”

“Creepy,” Kate repeated, patting Sierra’s shoulder. “Let’s just eat.”

Sierra rolled her eyes and joined her friends for breakfast.

“What happened to your hand?” Ella asked, finally noticing Sierra’s bandaged knuckles.

“Accident,” Sierra shortly replied. “Not a serious wound,” she quickly added because Kate and Ella were still worrying. “It’s already healing.”

“Be careful, Sierra,” Kate frowned at her.

“I will,” Sierra promised then gazed seriously at Kate. “Looking at your bloodshot eyes, I'm guessing that Dan...”

“Yes. I got rejected,” Kate sighed dejectedly. “But he told also me that we can still be friends,” she said those words with a forced smile and a shrug of her shoulders. “You’re right, Sierra. It hurts a lot, but I feel better than I had ever been in the past three years. I finally heard the answer I’m so afraid to hear," she put a hand over her chest and let out another heavy sigh. "It's awfully painful, but with you and Ella by my side, I know I will be fine.”

“She cried and drink a lot last night, Sierra,” Ella said with a teasing smile.

“I’m sorry, Kate. I’m always saying that I am here for you, but I could not stay with you and console you last night,” Sierra guiltily uttered.

“You’re words stayed with me, Sierra. It gave me courage. It still does. And you’re here with me now. That’s all that matters,” Kate said with a sweet smile.

“Hey, you’re unfair,” Ella glared at Sierra. “Kate told me about your first love.”

“My first one-sided love,” Sierra corrected Ella. “But I’m really okay now. Don’t worry about me. Kate is the one who needs us,” she looked back at Kate and curiously asked, “Dan said you can still be friends. You agreed with that?”

Kate only nodded with a not so sad smile.

“You are okay with that? It will not hurt you?” Sierra suspiciously asked.

“I think so,” Kate answered with another shrug of her shoulders. “There are things more important than women. That’s what he said.”

“What does that mean? He likes men?” Ella grinned and Kate glowered at her.

“It means that he is serious with his studies," she snapped defensively at Ella.

"Hey, why are you so protective of Dan?" Sierra asked, getting more suspicious.

"He doesn't need a girlfriend but he needs an assistant. That’s what he said. So, he hired me as his assistant,” Kate blushed when she voiced out those words, leaving Sierra and Ella dumbfounded.

“You agreed to it?” Sierra asked even though she could already perceive the obvious answer in the face of her blushing friend.

“What are his terms? How much will he pay you? Is it bigger than your salary at the department store?” Ella sounded more curious than concerned.

“Hey, do you also want to be his assistant?” Sierra frowned at Ella.

“I’m just asking Kate,” Ella simply answered. “I’m a varsity player. I need to focus on my training.”

“Oh right. You’ve got yourself a good trainer,” Sierra rolled her eyes as she remembered their bet.

“He’s a great trainer,” Ella explained, sounding as defensive as Kate. “And he’s doing it for free.”

“Free?” Sierra was unable to stop her voice from rising. “They want to have lunch with us until our graduation day! How can you say that it is for free?”

“Renzo is a good person, Sierra. His friends too,” Ella seemed annoyingly confident with her statement.

Sierra sighed and remembered how good her dream was. She should not let her mood be ruined by Josh and his friends. Not again.

“Kate, do you really need to be his assistant?” Sierra asked her friend, not wanting to get more irritated but realized that her question was still connected to Josh and his friends. And it was extremely annoying. “You’re working at the department store. What will you do with that?”

“She resigned yesterday then we went to a bar and got drunk,” Ella answered making Kate blush deeply. “I asked her why she had to do that but I didn't get any answer. She kept on mumbling how hurt she was because Dan rejected her confession,” Ella glared at Kate and said, “Why did you get drunk last night when you already accepted that assistant job? Was it to prepare your heart from more pain? Isn’t working for him a torture for you?”

“Getting drunk was for my broken heart,” Kate seriously answered despite her blushing. “Accepting that job was because of money and to satisfy my curiosity. I want to know him better, as a good friend. I’m not hoping for anything anymore. I won’t torture myself.”

“I don’t believe you,” Sierra honestly commented.

“Me also,” Ella agreed. “You still like him, Kate.”

“Sierra, why are you still working at that restaurant?” Kate seriously asked which silenced Sierra. “You told me that the person who rejected your confession is someone from your work. Is staying at that restaurant and seeing him every day a torture to you?”

Sierra sighed and said, “Okay. Work for him if that is what you want. But if we ever see you sad, we will ask you to resign. Is that clear?”

“Clear,” Kate happily smiled and tightly embraced her friends. “I won’t regret this.”

“I hope you’re right,” Sierra and Ella anxiously chorused.

^#######################################^