Coraline? Who?

It was half past six and the morning sun rays pierced through the cloud. Sara was busy in the kitchen, preparing herself some toast and eggs for breakfast. Bryce had toasted four pieces of ready-made waffles for himself.

After much contemplation, Bryce is resolved to try and bring the Party topic up. He, too, would like to find out Sara's opinion of it.

"You know about the um…*cough*..about the *cough* Blood Red Party?" He started, wishing the conversation would flow smoothly.

"Yeah…?" Sara answered, waiting for Bryce to carry on with what he wanted to say.

"I just wanted to let you know that I kind of have an idea of what the event is about," he said in a quiet voice with his face still staring at his plate when his eyes were actually eyeing on her reactions.

She showed no reaction at all.

"It happened to men too. Well, not me. Blood Red Party is rarely held but I kind of get the gist of it."

Sara was not sure whether she wants to know about it. To know more about it means she has to learn to accept the truth and unable to deny about everything – Lucas, the institution, everything. Things would definitely make sense but she is still in her denial phase.

"Kind of? Like, half sure and half unsure? So that means possibility of you not knowing is fifty percent."

"You know what I mean. I am unsure how it exactly unfolds but I am absolutely certain about the main event there."

When Sara is not responding but nodded her head for the sake of answering, Bryce went on, "They're vam- "

Sara clasped her ears shut and interjected him, not wanting to know, "la la la la la."

Bryce sighed in exasperation and walked towards her, pulled her hands down and looked at her straight in the eye.

"You need to talk it out, Sara. Just because you don't say it, does not mean it's not true."

"I don't know what you are talking about," she denied as she stormed off to her room.

"I'm just trying to help you," Bryce mumbled.

Sara has no intention of wanting to know more and she also has no intention of wanting to know why. As far as she is concerned, there was only ONE Blood Red Party she attended. There was no other incident.

'It must be a one-time situation. For all I know, it is possible I'm just a replacement for Blood Red Party,' she bleated.

Time flies fast when she is busy. It felt like it was just a moment ago she left the day for work and yet now, it's time to go home. She dreaded going home. Bryce was on his day shift this week and she could not avoid him as much as she wanted to. Where else could she go if not her room?

'Maybe I'll eat at the cafeteria for dinner and then stay in my room. Or I could just go and buy some snacks and eat in my room,' she thought happily as though a brilliant idea had struck her.

Just before she tried to insert her keys inside the keyhole of her flat, she pressed her ears on the door to hear any sounds. Unfortunately for Sara, she could hear noises come from within.

'Oh no…he's home.'

She paced back and forth, running any potential scenario that may happen through her head. 'I could quietly opened the door and quickly run to my room and hope he is in the toilet or I could greet like nothing happened and awkwardly enter my room. That would definitely work. He should get it."

Sara put the key in the keyhole, trying to move it as slowly as possible to prevent the keys from jangling too much. She sneakily entered the flat and cursed when the lights were flickering, turned on by her movement.

She took a peek and surveyed the living area and the kitchen.

'Thank goodness there is no one.' She silently screamed with joy and made her way to her to room.

"Hi there!" A female voice greeted her shocked ears, causing her ears to perk even more.

Sara awkwardly turned to face the stranger, a guest of Bryce perhaps?

"Err..hi..?" Sara said with an awkward smile.

"I am Coraline. Nice to meet you!" said the stranger cheerfully, putting her hands out for a handshake.

Reluctantly Sara reached her hand and reciprocates the gesture, attempting to remain friendly. "And I'm Sara. Nice to meet you too. Where's Bryce?"

'She must be Bryce's friend. Maybe he is using her to try to make me talk. Hmph! I will not yield and I will not lose,' Sara thought stubbornly.

"Oooh.. so the other one is called Bryce eh? I'm not sure either. When I get in, he wasn't in yet," Coraline replied courteously.

The respond Coraline gave disturbed Sara a little bit. It was a bit off. Something does not seemed right but she was not sure.

"So how did you get in if he's not here yet?" Sara questioned her. Even if Bryce is to give her the keys, he still needs a fob to enter the building. Unless Coraline would fetch him later on when Bryce gave her a call.

"Are you his girlfriend by chance?" Sara added before the girl responded.

"I actually came in with my keys and no, I don't even know who he is," she giggled nervously.

'She does not even know Bryce? Who in the world is this woman?' Sara thought and began to find things nearby to defend herself if needed to.

"Who are you? How did you get in?"

Coraline looked at her and answered patiently with a smile on her eyes, "I am Coraline and I get in through that door with my keys."

"But you don't know Bryce?"

Then the doorknob of the main door rattled and the lights flickered. Bryce entered the room and had a shocked of his life. There were two women right in front of him blocking his path - one was standing in a relaxed manner and the other, well not so. Judging by Sara's stance, she does not know the woman in front of her.

Sara sprang towards Bryce once her eyes laid on him. The thoughts of avoiding him vanished instantly as she suspects the girl who called herself Coraline to be a thief. "You know her?"

Bryce gaped at Sara, unable to believe this is happening again. But he accepted it immediately as it is since this is the very same Sara he met on Day 1 of their meetings. Coraline, on the other hand, burst out laughing. Sara looked from Bryce to Coraline and back to Bryce. They seemed to have a common look when staring at her and she does not understand it one bit.

Bryce walked towards Coraline, offered a handshake and introduced himself briefly. Once they have introduced each other formally, Bryce apologised.

"I'm sorry on her behalf. She was like this too when she first met me."

"I'm glad if that is true then," she grinned.

"Wait a minute. What is going on right now?" Sara did not like the feeling of being left out. How could these two people who claimed to not know each other are behaving as though they have been friends for years? Should Bryce not be as apprehensive as she is towards Coraline?

Both Bryce and Coraline exchange a knowing smile and Coraline asked him, "Mind if I do the honour?"

"Be my guest. I had my turn, now it's yours," Bryce chuckled and pulled a chair from the living area, sitting down with his arms folded, looking as though he is expecting to watch an entertaining show.

Bryce's action frightened Sara. She began to panic, not sure what they were trying to do. A thousand questions swim through her mind and amongst them were these - 'what does she mean by doing the honour? What honour? How come the honour is now hers? When did Bryce have the honour? What honour are they talking about?'

Every step Coraline made to approach Sara, Sara took a step backward. It was too comical in Bryce's eyes that he snickered. Sara eyed Bryce suspiciously, wondering why he is not doing anything but to sit and laugh at the circumstances.

Finally, Coraline stopped teasing her and said, "Hey Sara, I'm your new flat mate."

The look on Sara's face was enough to make the room filled with roaring laughter. Bryce and Coraline bonded at Sara's expense as they high-fived each other. Bryce took the opportunity to share his experience of what happened on Sara's first day of moving in.

When the piece of information finally sunk in, Sara slapped her forehead and stood up. She went to hug Coraline even though it was their first meeting and apologised profusely.

"Oh Coraline, I am sooooo embarrassed right now. I am very sorry for being rude, it was rather foolish of me! It was all Bryce's fault. I thought he was out to get me!"

"Don't drag me into this. That was all you."

Coraline laughed and patted on Sara's back, trying to assure Sara that it was all right.

"It's alright Sara. It's a wonderful memory and I'm glad we get along so well on my first day!" Coraline beamed.