rumors

"I don't have any proof yet but just last week, I was in the library, I overheard Cora talking to the other staff", Cheela paused, not sure if she has to tell Mei this. She does not favor Jay for Mei but she doesn't want to be the reason for her heartbreak. She is torn.

"Tell me, what did she say", Mei asked. She is getting

"She said that she and Jay are in a relationship",

"Wahhh", Mei cried like a child. She slumped on the floor and buried her face on the couch. Cheela did not know what to do but to hug her.

"But we are not yet sure if it is true, you know. As long as Jay said it is only a baseless rumor, then I guess you have to trust him", she tried to console Mei.

Mei stopped crying, turned to face Cheela. She wiped her tears.

"You are right, I need to talk to Jay and ask him myself. The problem is, he has not been answering my calls", she said and stood up. She paced back and forth while biting her nails. She bites her nails when she is in deep thought. She is thinking about where she can find Jay now. She thinks of all their friends and places that Jay may be at right now. It is Easter and their friends must be having some celebrations. She called his house phone but nobody answered so she assumed he is not there.

"Hah, I know where to find him", she stopped pacing back and forth and shouted which startled Cheela.

"Where?"

"I'll just change, wait for me", and then she disappeared into her room.

"O...kay..", Cheela said and decided to change as well. Now at least, they will be going out.

A few minutes after, they went out and are now riding the motorcycle with Cheela driving.

"Where are we going?", Cheela asked.

"To June's apartment", Mei casually answered.

"Okay, going there", Cheela said.

"But why June's?"

"That's where they usually hang out. It's Easter and they must be there".

June's apartment is just two blocks away from their apartment so it only took them around five minutes to get there. The gate to the apartment is closed and June's motorcycle is not there.

"He is not here, I don't see his car", Cheela said. Mei pressed the buzzer. No one answered.

"They are not here, where to now?"

"Let's try at Ivy's place", Mei said and climbed back on the motorcycle.

Cheela shook her head and drove towards the University block. Ivy's apartment is just across from CS university. She hopes that jay is there.

They got to Ivy's apartment and Jay was not there either. Ivy was there with her boyfriend and family celebrating Easter.

"He was here yesterday because we had to edit the orientation we were working on", Ivy said. She invited them to join the celebration.

"I actually invited him but he said he has things to do at home, maybe he is just there", Ivy added.

"Is everything okay, Mei?" she asked because Mei will not be here looking for Jay if they did not argue. She is used to this, when they get into an argument, it is Mei who will always make amends. It is not new to her that Mei will be looking for Jay.

"Yeah, I just need to talk to him, it is important. So if in case he contacts you, please tell him to call me." Mei replied.

"Sure. If you need something, just let me know, okay?", Ivy said. She is not blind to what is happening. Mei is a colleague and she is somehow a friend. They are in the same college and they treat each other as a family.

"Thanks", Mei smiled and bade goodbye. She has one more place to check- but her heart is now going wild. She called Jay's house phone several times and nobody answered. Why would he not answer if he is at home? Is he that busy to answer the phone? Or he is avoiding Mei?

"We need to go now, thanks, Ivy", Mei said. She gestured for Cheela who was already at the table eating. She nodded and took one more slice of pizza before going out.

"Thank you and goodbye!", Cheela jokingly said and bowed which cause all of them to laugh.

Jay's apartment is one hour away from where they are at so it was already 5:00 in the afternoon when they got there. The moment they entered the gated community, they saw Jay's car parked in front of his apartment. Jay's apartment is on the 3rd floor of the apartment complex which is the first block from the gate.

Mei's grip on Cheela's shoulder became tighter as they came closer to the building. She is afraid but she doesn't know what she is afraid of. Is she afraid that jay may indeed be in the apartment all along and with someone else? They parked in front of his car, her heart is pounding so hard that she finds it difficult to breathe. She gripped her chest and stopped to catch her breath. She felt like she just came from a marathon.

"Are you okay?" Cheela worriedly asked seeing that she was holding her chest, panting. She rubbed her back.

"I am okay", Mei replied and started to walk towards the entrance of the building.

"Breath in, breath out", Cheela said while trying to catch up on her who is already semi-running.

There are a few people in the lobby, probably visitors of the tenants. This building is nice and this is where some of the well-off and important people live. The community is secured and gated and no one is allowed to enter the community without ID cards that they issue. Mei has one of those which was given by Jay that is why the guards at the gate let them in when Mei showed them her ID card.

Mei was walking so fast and she did not notice an exceptionally tall man going the same direction and they bumped into each other.

"Mei", that was all Cheela could say while watching her friend and the tall man collided with each other.

"I don't have any proof yet but just last week, I was in the library, I overheard Cora talking to the other staff", Cheela paused, not sure if she has to tell Mei this. She does not favor Jay for Mei but she doesn't want to be the reason for her heartbreak. She is torn.

"Tell me, what did she say", Mei asked. She is getting

"She said that she and Jay are in a relationship",

"Wahhh", Mei cried like a child. She slumped on the floor and buried her face on the couch. Cheela did not know what to do but to hug her.

"But we are not yet sure if it is true, you know. As long as Jay said it is only a baseless rumor, then I guess you have to trust him", she tried to console Mei.

Mei stopped crying, turned to face Cheela. She wiped her tears.

"You are right, I need to talk to Jay and ask him myself. The problem is, he has not been answering my calls", she said and stood up. She paced back and forth while biting her nails. She bites her nails when she is in deep thought. She is thinking about where she can find Jay now. She thinks of all their friends and places that Jay may be at right now. It is Easter and their friends must be having some celebrations. She called his house phone but nobody answered so she assumed he is not there.

"Hah, I know where to find him", she stopped pacing back and forth and shouted which startled Cheela.

"Where?"

"I'll just change, wait for me", and then she disappeared into her room.

"O...kay..", Cheela said and decided to change as well. Now at least, they will be going out.

A few minutes after, they went out and are now riding the motorcycle with Cheela driving.

"Where are we going?", Cheela asked.

"To June's apartment", Mei casually answered.

"Okay, going there", Cheela said.

"But why June's?"

"That's where they usually hang out. It's Easter and they must be there".

June's apartment is just two blocks away from their apartment so it only took them around five minutes to get there. The gate to the apartment is closed and June's motorcycle is not there.

"He is not here, I don't see his car", Cheela said. Mei pressed the buzzer. No one answered.

"They are not here, where to now?"

"Let's try at Ivy's place", Mei said and climbed back on the motorcycle.

Cheela shook her head and drove towards the University block. Ivy's apartment is just across from CS university. She hopes that jay is there.

They got to Ivy's apartment and Jay was not there either. Ivy was there with her boyfriend and family celebrating Easter.

"He was here yesterday because we had to edit the orientation we were working on", Ivy said. She invited them to join the celebration.

"I actually invited him but he said he has things to do at home, maybe he is just there", Ivy added.

"Is everything okay, Mei?" she asked because Mei will not be here looking for Jay if they did not argue. She is used to this, when they get into an argument, it is Mei who will always make amends. It is not new to her that Mei will be looking for Jay.

"Yeah, I just need to talk to him, it is important. So if in case he contacts you, please tell him to call me." Mei replied.

"Sure. If you need something, just let me know, okay?", Ivy said. She is not blind to what is happening. Mei is a colleague and she is somehow a friend. They are in the same college and they treat each other as a family.

"Thanks", Mei smiled and bade goodbye. She has one more place to check- but her heart is now going wild. She called Jay's house phone several times and nobody answered. Why would he not answer if he is at home? Is he that busy to answer the phone? Or he is avoiding Mei?

"We need to go now, thanks, Ivy", Mei said. She gestured for Cheela who was already at the table eating. She nodded and took one more slice of pizza before going out.

"Thank you and goodbye!", Cheela jokingly said and bowed which cause all of them to laugh.

Jay's apartment is one hour away from where they are at so it was already 5:00 in the afternoon when they got there. The moment they entered the gated community, they saw Jay's car parked in front of his apartment. Jay's apartment is on the 3rd floor of the apartment complex which is the first block from the gate.

Mei's grip on Cheela's shoulder became tighter as they came closer to the building. She is afraid but she doesn't know what she is afraid of. Is she afraid that jay may indeed be in the apartment all along and with someone else? They parked in front of his car, her heart is pounding so hard that she finds it difficult to breathe. She gripped her chest and stopped to catch her breath. She felt like she just came from a marathon.

"Are you okay?" Cheela worriedly asked seeing that she was holding her chest, panting. She rubbed her back.

"I am okay", Mei replied and started to walk towards the entrance of the building.

"Breath in, breath out", Cheela said while trying to catch up on her who is already semi-running.

There are a few people in the lobby, probably visitors of the tenants. This building is nice and this is where some of the well-off and important people live. The community is secured and gated and no one is allowed to enter the community without ID cards that they issue. Mei has one of those which was given by Jay that is why the guards at the gate let them in when Mei showed them her ID card.

Mei was walking so fast and she did not notice an exceptionally tall man going the same direction and they bumped into each other.

"Mei", that was all Cheela could say while watching her friend and the tall man collided with each other.