Were You Lying?

"Yanyan![1] Have you heard of the Yu family having a daughter?" Ting Hua exclaimed excitedly. She latched onto Yu Yan's arm, the usual bright smile on her face, "they say that she is even more beautiful than Mrs. Yu? Though with her parent's genes, it isn't surprising." She had on a wistful look, wishing that she was the daughter. How easy would life be if she was rich?

"They do?" Yu Yan asked with a smile that never reached her eyes.

"I wonder who the lucky girl is, she's probably beautiful and smart," she giggled, "I wonder how it feels like to be the daughter of the rich."

"Perhaps it is just smoke without fire."

"Maybe, but isn't it fun? Gossiping, I mean, besides it's not like it's something bad," Ting Hua shrugged, not thinking much of it.

'Aren't we all hypocrites to some degree?' Yu Yan thought when she heard this. Most of us love to talk badly about others, but hate when others talk badly of ourselves. "What would you do if they did have a daughter?"

"Ah?" Ting Hua asked in a stupidly surprised manner.

"That's nice," Yu Yan decided to change what she said, "you should do what makes you happy."

"That's not what you said!" Ting Hua protested. 'Yu Yan was doing it again!' It really irritated her.

"It is now," she teased.

"You're so mean!" and so Ting Hua chased her all the way to their class, her eyes twinkling like the night sky.

Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months. Almost everyone was studying hard for the placement test. So it wasn't surprising that most came in weary to the bones and a short temper.

"Yanyan?" Ting Hua asked, her smile lost and the sparkle in her eyes gone. She looked exhausted emotionally and mentally. Though, most students did, that was why not much people took note of it. To them, she looked just like every other student.

"Yes?" Yu Yan asked, extremely worried at Ting Hua's state. She already missed her cheerful smile that was devoid of any worries. It gave her a fresh of breath air when surrounded by lies and disquiet.

"I'll be gone for a long time," it was so quiet, bordering a whisper and filled with so much reluctance and fear that Yu Yan had to ask what happened. Waiting patiently for her to answer with unease weighing down on her heart. In the time that they were together, Yu Yan had slowly started to trust her and let her guard down.

"My father…. He…. he's sick," that all that she could say, that was all she was willing to say. It was the half truth, he was sick. It was just that he wasn't sick with a disease.

"...You can't pay for his bills?" that was always the root of the problem, isn't it? Not enough money. They say money can't buy happiness, but it the problems that prevent you from finding happiness most of the times.

"A million dollars, where am I supposed to find that much money. I don't want him to die," tears started to well up around her eyes as Yu Yan started to panic. Why did she have to ask?

"Classes are starting soon, so we should probably hurry," she said, eager to get away from those tears.