A Tough Day

"Call me if you need anything alright?" tyler said, clapping his friend on the back.
"but alyssa wouldn't be too happy about that, would she?" colin remarked, giving tyler a forced smile.
"alyssa doesn't really approve of what you did to shayna but i'll try explaining things to her ok?"
"thanks ty, you're my best bud. i wouldn't know what to do without you," colin said, reassured he had a friend back in his life.
"no problem. just promise me to stay out of trouble with women."

colin walked back to his car. as he gazed at himself in the side window, he realised how gruby he looked. he didn't shave and hair was running wild on his face. his hair was unkempt and ruffled, like as though he just got out of bed. he checked his attire out. not the usual ironed shirt and pants but a sweatshirt and khakis that hadn't been in the wash since a week ago. he did look terrible. somehow he knew he had to get his life back on track if he wanted to impress shayna again. colin set his mind to becoming the old colin tan. the guy who knew how to impress, make money and love his family. the guy whom shayna fell in love with.

he decided to take colby out to play. he bought some football jerseys that he knew colby would like and some grub like chocolate and pie. he drove back to his parents place and called out for colby. colby stood at the foot of the stairs and stared at colin. he looked as though he didn't recognise the face staring back at him.
"colby it's me," colin said, "i've brought presents for you."
"where's shayna jie?" that was the first sentence that came out of his mouth. colin didn't know how to respond.
colin tried changing the subject, "colby, would you like to go out and play football with me?"

"i only play football when shayna jie is around," colby said, defiantly.
colin walked towards colby and held onto him. he didn't want to break the poor boy's heart but he hd to know the truth. "shayna jie... she is studying in london and she wouldn't come back so soon."
"why didn't she say goodbye?" colby said, close to tears.
"she did tell me to say goodbye to you. she is busy but she'll call you soon," colin said, trying to make the boy feel better. now he had t find a way to get shayna to call colby.
"i miss her kor," colby said, now tearing.
"i know you do. i miss her too," for once colin was telling the truth.

***

the dinner wasn't as comfortable as timothy had said to shayna. throughout the whole meal, mrs leong was just making her stand about how uncomfortable she was with timothy dating in her usual subtle means. shayna just tried her best to keep quiet and eat her food. the wasn't used to the fare of expensive delicacies set out in front of her like the sorbets, salmon, veal... there were three bottles of champange and two bottles of red wine also decked out for the dinner, courtesy of mr. leong. timothy explained that mr. leong was a fan of champagnes and wine. they had a whole basement as a cellar for them.

mr. leong was very accommodating to shayna. in fact, he was the one who kept her in her seat. mrs. leong, on the other hand made shayna want to bolt out of the dining hall and straight up to the room and cry. timothy also helped by occassionally giving her assuring smiled and loving glances throughout the dinner. tammy also tried a few times to divert mrs. leong's attention from her brother and his new girlfriend to subjects about herself like school, plays and her rich girl sports like tennis and golf.

shayna was glad to see the final dessert appearing in front of her. as she ate, mr. leong invited the table to have coffee at the lounge where the fireplace had started. shayna knew this was the time for her to excuse herself and finally have sometime alone to think.

"i'm sorry uncle but i think i should be heading to my room now," shayna said, "i can't have coffee too late in the night. i wouldn't be able to sleep after that."
"oh that's a pity. hope you have a good rest," mrs. leong interrupted and walked into the lounge by herself. shayna wondered if mrs. leong said it with sincerity or just pure sarcasm like she had been throughout the dinner.
"need me to come with you?" timothy asked sweetly, making her forget about mrs. leong's meanness.
"it's alright. i need some time to myself anyway," shayna said, "you go and join your parents. i'm sure they have lots to talk to you about."

"alright but can i come and see you later on?"
"that is if i have not gone to bed," shayna smiled as he kissed her goodnight.

shayna walked up to her room and lay on her bed. she had a really bad day and all she wanted now was someone to tell her that everything was alright. her stay in london had barely started and she didn't like it. she pulled out her photo album from her bag. her father had made her bring the album in case she wanted to see her family and friends. almost all her loved ones were in the album. as she saw the happy faces of her parents and herself... pictures of her and alyssa when they were in school, all her relatives and friends that made her smile. she cried, not tears of sadness but joy and reminisce.

as she was engrossed in her photos when there was a knock on the door. thinking that it might be timothy, she wiped her tears and quickly placed her album away. as she opened the door, she realised that it was tammy, holding up a glass of milk.
"hey," tammy said, handing the glass to her.
"thanks tammy. you didn't have to bring this up yourself," shayna said, grateful for the first kinds gesture in the family.
"i guess i wanted to talk to you and explain to you some stuff," tammy replied, "can i come in?"
"of course! come on in," shayna said, ushering tammy into her room.

"how are you fitting in?" tammy asked, looking at shayna's unpacked stuff.
"it's alright but it's only my first day," shayna said, drinking the milk, "wanna sit by the balcaony and talk?" tammy nodded and sat down. shayna sat back down beside her.
"i kinda like you."
"thanks tammy. i really appreciate you telling me that," shayna said.
"don't worry. i'm not as sarcastic as mommy. anyway, she isn't as mean as you might think she is," tammy said. shayna just forced a smile, not knowing what else to say.
"mommy is always like that with my brother's girlfriends. he has only brought two home and that's inclusive of you. the other one was when he was in high school and she got too scared of mommy, showed her true colours of wanting just my family's riches and left. mommy's just testing you and wants you to be true to timothy. she is very protective of him," tammy explained.

"no wonder. i see things better now," shayna said, "did you think i am with timothy because he was rich?"
"nope. timothy never told any of his friends after janine that he was froma rich family. he just wanted to find someone who loved him and he found you... well, again."
"again?" shayna asked.
"back when he was in college, he told me everything about his romance stuff. you know, the sister and brother things we do. he admitted that he liked you a lot but since both of you were just good friends, he didn't want to spoil the friendship with you." shayna thought about it for awhile. timothy did always hang out around her and made her feel special. though he had millions of girlfriends, he still had one true girl-friend, which was her.
"i'm glad both of you got together. i think mommy would grow to love you once she gets over the idea that she has to let go of her son," tammy said.

"thanks tammy. you wouldn't know how much you have changed this night for me," shayna said.
"i'm glad i could sort things out for you. we should hang out soon," tammy suggested.
"that would be a great idea. goodnight tammy."
"goodnight shayna."
as tammy walked out of her room, shayna's fears had all disappeared.