Leave her shell

Abigail was unable to sleep. Her mind was completely occupied by Mr. Qinn.

The reason why she didn't send a message to Mr. Black Leather Jacket days ago was because she made a bet with herself. That bet was if she was to see that Mr. Qinn again, she would think of it as the world  giving her its blessing and granting her what she wished for the most. She told herself that if their paths crossed again without her actively seeking him out, she would never let him go so easily again.

So now that it actually happened, and the fact that it happened in just a matter of days from when she last saw him, Abigail's determination skyrocketed more than ever. She was going to do this. There was no more turning back! 

She was excited to call Kelly, but she had to wait for the man's message first. She had to know when they would meet again so Abi could prepare for it. However, as time went by, there was not a single 'ding' from her phone to indicate that she had received a message.

Soon, she started typing on her phone, intending to send him a message, but it was harder than she thought. She didn't know how to even start that conversation. She had never done anything like this before. Boys were usually the ones who always called or texted her first. Should she call him? What should she say? 

Abigail spent an hour just rolling on her bed, holding her phone tightly and glancing at it every other second, trying to make a decision. She now  realized that even such a little thing like this wasn't easy at all. Now that she  thought about it, did those boys who messaged her act like this as well? Abi shook her head and then she rose and leaned on her headboard. 

She tried to recall the first messages from those boys, and her eyes  narrowed. She finally realized that almost all of them started with a simple 'Hi!'. Abigail rubbed her chin, like a detective trying to piece together some important clues, before she then started to type the word 'Hi'. 

Unfortunately, she couldn't send it. Would he even reply if she just sent this singular word? But what else could she say aside from this? Should she ask if he was already sleeping? Abigail sighed in frustration. She knew she was overthinking this whole damned thing but even knowing that didn't help her at all. It appeared that talking to him in person was a hundred times better than trying to send him a message on the phone. It was as if  she was more scared of the phone than the person, and that was just a little silly.

In the end, Abi simply sent him a goodnight emoji—a white fluffy cat yawning as it fell asleep on a fluffy white pillow. 

When she opened her eyes the next morning, the first thing she did  was immediately look for her phone. She took a deep breath, and when she saw that she received a message from him, her heart raced in nervousness. God Abi! Why are you getting nervous so early in the morning?!

[Mr. Mysterious Qinn: I'll send someone to pick you up on Saturday evening. Send me a message beforehand if you change your mind.]

Abigail's shoulders dropped as she sighed. It seemed like he was still planning to give her enough time to change her mind. He even seemed so confident that she would! Too bad, Mr. Qinn, but this lady here has decided and I'm not changing my mind anymore…

Days went by and at last, Saturday finally arrived. 

Abigail had told her family that she would be sleeping over at Kelly's house. Her family knew Kelly well since she had been around their place a few times for sleepovers in the past, so they have had plenty of time to get to know her. They also knew that she was the daughter of a wealthy family and that she was Abi's good friend. But her family was still constantly worried about her, so to make them relax, Abi called Kelly over to speak with them. 

After some stern reminders about alcohol and drugs and boys, they finally let them go. 

"Your family is… how should I put this?" Kelly sighed as she drove her car towards the city. "I really like your family. I'm jealous that you have such a caring family, Abi, but they're so overprotective of you. You're already twenty-two! I just think that it is about time for them to stop treating you like you're still sixteen. I understand they're worrywarts, but I personally think they shouldn't be that strict towards you anymore." Kelly's brows were pulled together as she said those words.

She knew that Abi's family were just showing their concern for her, but she sometimes  thought that they didn't really give Abi the freedom to do what she wanted and see the world out there. However, she was also sure that part of it was Abi's fault, too. She was too good and obedient. She was always home at the exact time she told them she would be, she never went out with boys, she never lied to them and she definitely wouldn't ever go against them. Kelly even wondered if Abi had  anything she desired at all, because all this time, she lived her life like a  perfect person who did not seem to want anything for herself. It seemed  like she was content as long as she could make her family happy. She was the definition of a perfect, filial daughter. 

This was why Kelly was very surprised to find out what Abi had actually planned on doing today. She was a little hesitant to help her because she hadn't even seen this Mr. Qinn guy, but Kelly thought that this was the time for her to support her friend. Abi finally decided to leave her shell, so she must set aside her worries for now and just support her as much as she could. 

"It's okay. I know that they just want to make sure that nothing bad happens to me. Even though they sound strict, I know that, deep down, they may actually want me to go out more." Abigail just grinned at her friend, and Kelly could only shrug. 

"Oh well. Now that I think about it, if I were in their shoes, I might be the same, especially when my beloved, well-behaved Abi suddenly decides to sleep over at her friend's house for the first time ever in her life!" 

Abi laughed. "I honestly don't see anything weird with that, though."

"Gosh! You have no idea, Abi. I'm telling you! Wait… don't distract me. You still haven't answered my questions! Now tell me, this is just the first date, right?" Kelly finally began the interrogation. 

Gladly, Abi was already fully prepared for this, so she answered her right away. 

"He said we will be attending a party held by his friend. He said I'll be his partner." 

"After the party, you will have your first date, right?" 

"Yes." 

"And after the date, well… you know what might happen next, right?"

"Well, of course… I have a fairly good idea of what could happen next. I've read a bunch of romance novels."

"But you've never read smut, Abi. Ah, I kind of regret not giving you those R-18 novels for you to read. You are so innocent that I didn't dare recommend any of the R-18 novels to you." Kelly then sighed in regret.