'I'll meet her'

It's near midnight, but everyone's eyes were as big as the owl's eyes while staring at their cellphones, laid all together on the table.

They were gathered in the living room at Trish's place. Whifler and Tanya on the long couch; Trish and Tristan on each single couches.

All of them were waiting at the same time wondering as Summer didn't say anything nor show up at the Fuenta Glamouroza. They waited for her calls and messages the whole day but they didn't receive one.

"This is so unlike her."

"Indeed" Tanya and Trish agreed to Whifler in chorus.

"What now?" Tristan asked. "Should we call Melissa?"

"Right! Good idea!"

"But, wouldn't she be puzzled by that?" They all stared at Tanya then looked down at what she asked.

"Ghad... This is so frustrating! I would rather receive an earful from her than this!" Trish messed her hair.

"Even though she's busy, she will definitely spare a minute just to blast my ears with her rants! Dang. This is bothering me!" She added.

"Why not call her, Tristan?"

Tristan looked at Whifler.

"I tried, but her phone was off"

"Okay! Okay! Let's ask Melissa. We're just drying up our brain cells here thinking about it!" Tanya suggested and was about to dial Melissa's number but she was paused as Tristan's phone rang.

They all jolted as they saw the caller then instantly shouted in chorus,

"SUMMER!"

Tristan immediately picked up his phone and answer Summer's call.

"Hello, Summer?"

[Oh... Ahm... I didn't expect you'll answer...]

Tristan's eyebrows furrowed at Summer's unusual tone.

"Ah... Uh. Yeah... I am calling you but seems like your phone was off"

[Oh... I'm sorry... I ran out of battery... Why are you calling me, anyway?]

Tristan froze. What should he answer? Should he apologize right away? How should he talk to her? Where should he start?

Tristan was lost in words at Summer's question. His throat suddenly dried up and his thoughts became blank.

His nervousness worsened as everyone's eyes were glued to him. Whifler who was like glowering in seriousness, Tanya who's obviously curious and Trish who was just idiotically staring.

[You're still there?]

"Ah. Yes. Yes... Sorry... I am... Uh. Just wanna apologize"

Summer was silent for a moment. Tristan distanced his phone from his ear to look at his screen, checking if they were still connected. His forehead wrinkled in confusion as he assured that Summer was still on the line.

"Summer?"

He heard a soft sigh from her.

[Save it for tomorrow... Are you free tomorrow?]

"Uhm... Yeah..."

[Glad to hear that... Let's meet up at my favorite café... Is that okay with you?]

"Sure... What time?"

[Around afternoon... I'll just text the exact time tomorrow]

"Okay..."

[Alright... Uhm... I'm hanging up... G-Good night]

"Y-Yeah... Good night"

Summer then ended the call. Tristan rested down his phone, still confused at their conversation.

"What? How was it?" Tristan looked at Trish.

"She's a bit... Weird"

"Of course, she is" Tanya joked. "Is she not?"

"No... I mean... She's really different... The way she talked to me... And... Her tone"

Whifler's brows furrowed. "Did she mention anything about you and Trish?"

"No. She didn't... She didn't also mention Trish's name earlier... She just talked to me like, she's still assuming I am Trish... But, in an odd way"

"You're the one being weird in explaining here, Tristan" Trish deadpanned, Tristan just glared at her.

"Maybe she didn't see you together... Probably she's just upset that you didn't face her, so she left because she thought you have no intention of talking to her" Whifler remarked that also putting them in deep thoughts.

"Perhaps... But why she didn't go to the company? Didn't she always drop by regardless of the time even if Tristan was still avoiding her?" Tanya added that stirred their thoughts even more.

"Ghad. That's enough! You're making my head hurt!" Trish turned her gaze to Tristan.

"You asked her about time... Are you meeting up tomorrow?"

"Yes... Uh. She said at her favorite café... And she'll just text the exact time." Trish just nodded at his response.

"I'll meet her"

All their heads snapped in Trish's direction, startled at her statement.

"Are you joking?"

Trish shook her head in response to Tanya.

"I'm serious... As I promise to Tristan, I'll talk to her... I will fix this myself... Whether she knew about it or not."

Tanya turned her head to Whifler and threw him a 'Do you agree?' look. Whifler just sighed and sat properly.

"I guess you already made up your mind... Even though I disagree, I know it's no use." He looked at Trish and slightly smile.

Trish smiled back and mouthed 'Thank you'.

Tanya who was staring at them felt a bit cringe then instantly averted her gaze.

"Damn this love birds" She rolled her eyes.

.

.

.

Time check: 2:45 p.m.

Trish sighed as she arrived a bit early. She was supposed to meet Summer at 3 but her excitement malfunctioned her eyes on reading the time and the fact that she missed her best friend, got her body hyped.

"Whoa. Back to your old self again?" Trish snapped her head in her direction. She paused as she saw Summer walking towards her.

Summer pulled down her mask and tapped her face with her handkerchief, wiping off the sweat.

"Ha?" Summer smiled at her response.

"Lately you often arrive late, in your shoot and sometimes in our rendezvous." Summer told then headed first.

"I got used to it so I was surprised when you came first before me" Summer added. Trish just silently followed her.

They settled down on a cubicle of the café, located at the left corner. The space was just enough for them to have some privacy.

Trish removed her face mask and fixed her hair, she pulled out some tissue from her purse and wiped the sweat on her face.

She paused when she realized Summer was intently staring at her.

"Uh... Did I smudge my lipstick?"

"Nope... Just admiring your feminity today" Summer smiled.

"Ahh." Trish awkwardly smiled then averted her gaze.

'Is it just me or does Summer really behaves differently?', Trish thought while looking at Summer who was now reading the menu.

"I'll order your drink, is that okay?" Summer asked.

"Yeah. Sure... You know my taste anyway"

"Okay." Summer instantly typed their orders on the tablet, attached at the corner of their table.

After a moment, a server came to their table with a tray in his hands. He put down the two drinks; One is Iced Matcha Latte and the other one is Iced Mocha Latte.

Obviously, Trish would choose Matcha over Mocha since she hates the flavor so much. But seeing the two unusual flavors, she was confused about which one to get. She's uncertain which drink did Summer order for herself.

"What's wrong?" Trish flinched at Summer's question. She quickly took it back with a smile.

"Nothing... I'm just surprised you didn't order chocolate"

"Oh... I craved for something else today" Summer smiled which gives chills to Trish.

She was uncomfortable. Summer's aura was indeed new to her.

'Just how much did she change?', all she could think of while staring at her best friend.

She's no longer the Summer she once knew... Did she change because of Tristan? Or... Did she know something that made her act this way?

Regardless of her befuddlement, Trish still managed to stay composed and behave as she normally does around her.

"I know you hate Mocha, so obviously the Matcha is yours... You like it too, right?"

"Yes" Trish responded then picked up her drink.

"By the way, I want to ask you something."

Trish suddenly felt nervous... "Go ahead."

'This is it... This is what I'm waiting for... Summer will finally ask abou—'

"Will you never drink mocha?"

Trish was stunned at what Summer asked her...

'That's her question? I thought...'

"Of course... You know how much I hate it"

"Really? Even if that's the only flavor left in the world?"

"Yes"

'I thought she will talk about what she saw at my place, but... What the hell is this nonsense she's asking me?'

Summer chuckled at her immediate answer.

"I see..."

'Ghad. I need to settle this now... Things should be fixed now'

"Summer... I want to..."

"I know. I know." Trish stared at Summer. The pain and loneliness were now visible in her eyes.

Her strange aura earlier turned into gloominess. Summer averted her gaze and weakly smiled.

"You will turn me down, right?"

"Summer... I'm sorry..."

"Don't be... I understand... Besides, I didn't ask you to reciprocate my feelings... I just wanted to let you know about it" Summer turned her gaze at Trish's.

"I want to tell you that but you keep on avoiding me... You literally didn't give me a chance to clarify everything"

Trish lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry"

'Yeah. Sorry for my brother's stupidity', Trish thought.

"It's fine" Summer grinned, as if she wasn't hurt just a second ago.

"But, Trish... Can we not ruin our friendship just because of my confession? I... Really felt the wall between us, and I hate that"

Trish smiled and held both of her hands.

"That's why I'm here... I also want to fix things with you."

Trish felt her heart beating so fast. The tears were starting to blur her vision... Undeniably, she missed her so much...

She missed her best friend, the craziest and loudest friend she ever had...

"Kidding." Trish was paused at what she said. She blankly stared at Summer's unexplainable expression on her face. Confusion swallowed her up.

Trish couldn't utter anything but, "Uh?"

Summer held Trish's hand tighter than her hold. "It's really you, Trish"

"O-Of course... It's me... "

"Yes... It's you... It is really you." Summer's tears streamed down her cheeks.

Trish was dumbfounded, definitely at sixes and sevens on what's happening.

"What ar—"

"It's really you..." Summer smiled with teary-eyed. "And not the other one"

Trish was stupefied and chills climb up to her spine. "W-What?"