As Diana has been busy these days, we haven't seen each other since then. 

Also, I've been looking for a part-time job near my house so that I could have my own income and also, I don't like to stay with my toxic family 24/7 because it's suffocating.

in addition, my dad's financial status isn't so apprehensive right now because he also supports my sister and her daughter. 

~

[12:30 PM]

I returned home from a job interview and walked straight to my room after saying a simple hi to my family...

Crawling into my bed, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialled Diana's number.

After a few beeps, she answered, "Hey, Lil. What's up?" 

"Hi~... Can you talk now?..." I asked shyly.

-"Sure, I was resting a bit... "

+"Em~... I'm actually nervous right now, so I need someone to talk~" 

-"I'm all ears, Lily." 

+"I haven't told you, but I had a job interview this morning, and this is my last hope since all the places before had rejected me in these two weeks~..." 

-"You wanna work?"

+"Yeah~... I~... I need to be out of home~ and also~... need money~..."

-"..."

+"Diane?" 

-"Can you come here?..."

+"What? Why?"

-"We should not discuss this topic on the call." 

+"But, aren't you busy?"

-"Just come here, bye." 

Diana hung up the phone, and I rushed to my closet to change my clothes hurriedly and headed to her house excitedly.

I miss her...

~

[13:10]

I arrived at her door and rang the bell nervously. Diana opened the door in a minute, "Come on in"... 

I stepped inside while peeking at her place and asked, "Isn't Faith here today?" 

Diana walked to the kitchen, "Nah, she got some work to do... Come here, I ordered pizza with Cola." 

We sat next to each other, started to eat our pizza, and then Diana said, "So you're planning to work?" 

I nodded, "Yes." 

-"What about your studies? Don't you wanna go back to school?" 

As she mentioned, I understood what had gotten into her when she asked me to come here. 

I replied awkwardly, "I do intend to continue, but not now~" 

-"Why?"

+"I don't have the confidence~"

She stopped eating and glared at me, "Lily‌,what do you wanna do in the future?..."

After hearing her serious question, I anxiously placed the slice of my pizza on the plate and muttered, "I don't know~... I've had a dream once~... however~... I'm not sure anymore~..."

She raised an eyebrow and said, "So you don't have any plans or goals for your life?..." 

My heart started to beat faster, and my hands were sweating out of stress, avoiding Diana's gaze. " I'm~... I was~... you know~... I had a hard time so~... I don't know what to say... I'm sorry~..."

Then she grasped my arms and said loudly, "Lily!... Look at me!... I'm not scolding you, okay?!... I wanna help you." 

As I lifted my head and looked at her, I saw a worried and frustrated expression on her face. Our gaze was fixed on each other for a few seconds...

Unconsciously, I became overwhelmed and squirmed into her arms, crying, and she wrapped her arms around me. Then I said while sobbing, "I lost my dreams~... I forgot what I wanted to do~... I'm scared of everything ~... I feel like an idiot who can't do anything ~... and now I can't even find a job..."

Diana stayed silent and allowed me to let out all of my frustrations and whine like a child... 

I talked nonstop while crying hard...

How boring it's been to keep listening to therapy sessions, even though they can't even understand me a bit, giving me a judgmental gaze...

How difficult it's been for me to stay home all day...

How nerve-wracking it is whenever my family gets into an argument or fights together...

How heartbreaking it's been when they've kept mocking me or scolding me, treating me as if I don't belong to that family...

Killing my dreams, my passion, and everything...

As if I'm the problem for all their hardships...

Can Diana feel how desperate I am?

Can she understand my feelings?

I want her to be the one who can get me...

I believe the only bright side in my life that can take my hand and drag me out of this hell is her...

~

[14:06]

When I finally became calm, Diana stroked my hair gently with one hand and patted my back lightly with her other hand. She then said, "It's okay, Lily... it'll be fine... You're not alone. You have me now... Let's think through it together so that we can find the best way for you." 

She lifted my chin and held my face, then kissed my cheek wet with tears... As my tears fell quietly to the ground, I stared at her silently. Her eyes flickered on my lips and leaned closer to me as if she was about to kiss me... I froze in my place, and my heart pounded fast with anticipation...

There was a deadly silence in the atmosphere, and the only thing I could hear were our breaths and my heartbeat... 

I closed my eyes anxiously as I didn't know what she was going to do!... 

Nevertheless, I was certain something would happen...

[Ringtone sound fills the room]

I flinched and opened my eyes nervously. Diana pulled away instantly and walked to pick her phone up from the coffee table in the living... 

~

Diana's POV:

I don't know what's gotten to me, but I was about to kiss Lily... 

Her eyes were filled with emotions that kept dragging me into an infinite desire... 

And her cherry-like lips tempted me so badly...

I want to hold her in my embrace...

I picked up my phone as it rang, and it was Ashley. 

"Hi, Ash..." I said and turned back to glance at Lily... 

She was sitting there quietly, staring at the floor while her cheeks were blushed out of embarrassment... 

Then Ashley said, "Hey, Dee... I'm back from honeymoon~... hehe~..." 

+"Ah! How was your trip?" 

-"It was awesome!!!!... you can't believe how beautiful the scenery was..." 

+"That's nice then... Why did you call anyway?" 

-"I want to invite you guys to a dinner at my newlywed home!..."

My heart throbbed as I heard her words...

+"Hmm~..."

-"Don't say no! Or I'll kill you!" 

+"I won't~... when is it?..."

-"Be here tomorrow night, at 7 PM."

+"Okay."

-"I have no idea where Lily is. She doesn't answer her phone, nor is she at home. I hope she also comes." 

+"Ah~... She's with me~..." 

-"What?!... you guys became friends behind my back, huh?..." 

+"Sorta... I'll tell her, so don't worry... if you've got nothing to say, then catch you later... "

-"Eh... Fine!... See you tomorrow~."

I threw my phone on the couch and approached Lily, still sitting behind the table...

"It was Ashley," I stated.

She turned her head towards me and asked, "Is she back?"

I stood above Lily, "Yep, and she invited us to go for dinner tomorrow night at her place." 

Lily's face turned gloomy. "Isn't that hard for you?" 

Then I sat down next to her. "Not really..."

-" Don't you still have feelings for her?"

I stared at her for a moment, "It's in the past, you know. It's just a lingering feeling that has left, and it's fading away with time..."

-"Don't you wanna talk about it with me?!"

+"It's over, Lily." 

-"I don't think so." 

Lily's expression showed that she was upset and kind of disappointed. I was dumbfounded by her reaction and asked, "What are you trying to say?"

She fidgeted at her seat and answered with a trembling voice, "I mean... I'd like to get to know you more... and... I'd appreciate it if you could open up to me as much as I do... I feel like I'm the only one who's always talking and sharing feelings... also, I can see that you still like Ashley, so it's not over~..."

I sighed and rubbed my face with my hand, "Lily, I'm not that kind of emotional type... and there's nothing much to say about it. It was just a crush... That's all. And I can handle it on my own..."

Lily stood up quietly. She then said, "Okay, I understand. I've gotta go back home, and you have work to do... So see you tomorrow... thanks for lunch." 

As she grabbed her bag and walked to the doorway, I followed her and held her wrist, bewildered.  "Lily, wait!... We're not done talking!... There are more serious issues to discuss." 

She pulled her hand away, "Later~..." then stepped outside and left with a questionable and sad expression on her face... 

I walked back inside, staring blankly at the cold slice of pizza on her plate, thinking, "She didn't even finish her first slice..." 

After picking up a cigarette from the kitchen's counter, I ran my hand through my hair in frustration, then lit the cigarette... 

I took a few deep drags and then exhaled slowly... 

"Why did she get mad out of the blue?..."

"What's this fucked up situation?..."

"I don't wanna go to Ashley's house..." 

"Give me a rest, you girls!..."

~

[Tomorrow evening] [18:05]

Since yesterday, Lily hasn't answered my calls or texts, and Ashley warned me a few times to pick Lily up on my way to her house because Lily hadn't replied to hers, too.

As a result, I'm standing in front of their door right now, waiting for someone to open it. 

After a few minutes, a middle-aged woman with white skin, blonde hair and brown eyes with a red long maxi, opened the door and said, "How can I help you?..." 

"Hello!... Ah, I'm Lily's friend. Is she at home?" I replied anxiously.

She swung the door open. Wondering " So, you're her new friend! Come on in~..."

As I stepped inside, on my right side there was their living room with a bay window facing the street, and a fire place on the corner. Next to the fireplace there was a big dark brown couch with an old vintage armchair next to it. A huge painting hangs on their beige walls above the couch and a large flat TV across the room with an old wooden coffee table in the middle of the room.

At the back of the living room was their kitchen, filled with milky vintage cabinets and an old dark brown dining table with 8 seats was placed in the middle of the kitchen. 

As you look to the left side, you'll see a huge standing mirror with a few pots in front of it. And the stairs to the second floor were in front of you. 

A cute little girl with pony tail blonde hair and big blue eyes, flushed cheeks with a pink dress on, suddenly ran towards me and said curiously, "Garndma, who is she?"

I bent forward and reached my hands towards her, "Hey, cutie~... I'm Diana~"

She excitedly replied, "Hi! I'm Ella!"

I smiled and said, "Nice to meet you, Ella~"

Lily's mom lifted her up and then called, "Luie, Show Lily's room to her friend..."

A young tall and skinny boy with dark brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a gray t-shirt and black short sweet pants, approached me. "Hi, I'm Lily's younger brother, Luie. Please follow me..." 

I nodded and said, "I'm Diana, thanks Luie!"

Then followed him to upstairs...

There were 5 doors in the second floor hallway and Lily's room was the first door on the left. Luie opened the door and said, "Hey, freak! Your friend is here" and left with a smirk. 

I could've heard Lily's voice saying, "What?! Which friend?"

I peeked inside and found Lily sprang up on her bed as soon as she noticed me. I said awkwardly "Hey...".

Her eyes widened, panicking, "Aaaah..." 

She took a look around her room anxiously. Piles of clothes with crumbled papers everywhere on the floor and books with notebooks on her desk and also her messy look, a pink short crop top with Panda pattern short pants. She then rushed to the door and slammed the door into my face and said loudly, " Wait a minute!!"

I chuckled and said, "I saw it all already! Haha"

After a few minutes, she finally opened the door and said shyly, "Come in~"

I walked inside and pushed Lily against the closed door, holding her shoulders. "Why are you avoiding me?"

She remained silent while looking away...

I grabbed her face and turned towards me. Looking into her eyes seriously, "Answer me."

Then she flinched a bit and said, "I wasn't in a good mood~..." 

"Are you on your period?!" I wondered.

She answered frustratedly, "What?!... No!..." 

I hesitated for a second and asked, "By any chance, do you like me?"

.

.

.