Neptune Swirls, Eve, JnB_addict, Shooting star, chris, tianlu, darkice7_12, xiai, jeda09, sachiko, stargrace, naomi, Qing, thank's for dropping by! thalia, xiaoyue, snowluz, Ryan, Beautiful Dreamer, welcome aboard!
Sorry for grammar error
********
"It's Lilly." Explained Barbie to her familly and Michelle after she hanged up the phone. They're now at dinner table, eating. "She asked me when I'll be back."
Lilly Cheng is Barbie's boss at her company where she's working in Hongkong.
"What did you tell her?" Said Michelle.
"The truth." Barbie said, putting a big portion of lettuce into her plate. "That'll be back before Thursday."
*Eventhough I wish I'd go sooner than that.* Barbie sighed *I'll get that damn signature from Jerry, whatever it takes. I'll offer him some money if I have to.*
Barbie was about to reach for her glass when she saw the look on her parents faces
"What's wrong?" She asked
A beat
"The twelve is our 30th anniversarry, honey." Said Paul Xu in a small voice.
Barbie smacks her forehead. "Gosh, I totally forgot about that." She said sheepishly. "Tell, you what? Why dont we celebrate it in Hongkong? It's my treat. I'm pretty sure that ZZ'd be more than happy to help."
She saw the way her parents exchange look with one another.
"I preffer to have it here in Kending, Bie." Said Linda Xu.
"I'd make a huge party for you there, Ma." Said Barbie, started to sweating. *Please say yes.*
Barbie's pa smiles. "As much as we appreciate the offer, we wanted to do it here, Barbie, in our hometown."
"We're getting old." Adds Xu Mama. "It wouldnt be easy again for us to travel abroad. That's why I wanted it here."
"And we want you to be there too for us." Adds Xu Papa.
Barbie knew that it's a final. Nothing'd change their mind.
She has to stay for 12 more days. Eventhough she's itching to leave.
Two weeks in Kending..
There's many thing could happen in a short time
Two weeks in Kending
So help me god..
*********
"So when you'll be home?"
"I dont know." Sighed Barbie.
"C'mon, honey, you'd do better than THAT." Chuckled ZZ from the other side.
Barbie bits her bottom lips. "Hopefully on Thursday." She winced, crossing her fingers on her back. "I still..miss my parents."
"Okay, thursday, then." Sighed ZZ "We miss you here. I let Bao Long slept on your towel yesterday. I think that little dude miss you more than I."
Barbie sniffs "I miss him too." She said
"Barbie?"
"Yeah?"
"I'll come to Kending myself to pick you up if I didnt have you back on Thursday night." Teased ZZ.
"Okay." Barbie managed to squeak an answer hoping that her fiancee wouldnt be suspicious with the reason why she wanted to stay longer.
**********
Jerry walked into the hallway of the house and leaned against the wall, trying to catch his shaky breath.
Barbie..
Oh Barbie..
~~~~~~
"Okay, I'm leaving!" Snapped Barbie "But dont think that I wont be back!" With that, the wife of him slammed the door behind her and disappeard into her parent's car.
~~~~~~~
Jerry manage to let out a smile inspite of the irony as the memory flooding into his mind.
FLASHBACK
"Shan-Shan!" Protested a seven year old Jerry Yan, wiping his left cheek furiously, causing his fake mustache into a lopsided shaped "That's yucky!"
"No it's not." Grinned a seven year old Barbie Xu. She then sighs dramatically and pointed at her left cheek "Fine, if you insist. You can give me one too!"
"No!" wailed Jerry frustratedly.
"Why not?"
"Cause boy isnt suppose to kiss another boy, that's why!" Jerry crosses his arms over his chest.
"But I'm not a boy." Barbie looked at the taller boy in a fairy costume next to her "Tell, him, Ken."
Ken Zhu, who's currently trying to move his glittery wings just mumbled "Yeah, she's not a boy."
"See?"
Jerry sighs and stomped his feet, trying to move away from Barbie.
They're now in a school play for Peter Pan. Barbie had promised Ken to give him her brand new Superman comic if he wanted to trade roles. So here he was, stucked in his beautiful Tinkerbell costume, while Barbie chose to be Peter Pan. She said because Tinkerbell doesnt have many lines with Captain Hook--which the role that Jerry played--but Peter Pan does. Ken didnt mind, though, cause he thinks the wings was so cool and pretty, eventhough his Ma told him not to say that out loud.
~~~~~~
"BARBIE XU XI YUAN! DONT MAKE ME GET UP THERE AND DRAG YOU DOWN!" A thirteen year old Jerry cupped his hands to his mouth, trying to make Barbie come out of her tree house.
He just got spanked from his Ma cause certain someone told her that J had skipped class and spent it with Lina Yeoh.
"I didnt tell your Ma!" Barbie poked her head from a window and hollered back
"Yes, but Ken did, CAUSE YOU MADE HIM TO!"
Barbie stuck her tongue out. "It's your fault that you didnt take me to go boating with you." She said cheekily. "I'd sit in the middle, you know?"
Being such a pest she was, Barbie had continue to tag along on Jerry's many dates over the years. Mostly hiding somewhere behind bushes with poor Ken Zhu--who then usually showed up at school the next day with plenty of mosquito bites all over his face--as companion.
Beside her freaky jealousy side, Barbie's actually a great friend for Ken and Jerry. Vanness Wu and Rainie Yang joined the group on 8 grades, making Rainie the first girlfriend that Barbie'd ever had.
Barbie got a scholarship to a prestigious all girls school in Taipei by the time she's 18. Ken and Jerry would usually take turned to visit their favorite girl. That's when Zhi Ling came into their lives.
Bie thought that Zhi Ling wasnt any different from other girls before. She'd realize that no one can replace her in Jerry's life and soon would leave him alone. Boy, was she wrong.
The couple became inseparable, and soon, all Bie could hear from Jerry whenever he visits her was Zhi Ling this..Zhi Ling that. She refused to let him in one night into her dorm room--eventhough it was pouring rain--unless he promised that he wont mention his girlfriend for at least two hours.
By now Jerry's aware of Barbie's feeling, but he still didnt do anything about it. Frustrated, Bie vows to give up. Or at least trying to. Until she finds a replacement.
Until that night.
One very drunken night..
Barbie remember their first wedding night. And the night after that. She thought that she finally got her happy ending. And that they'll live happily ever after..
~~~~~~~
'I'll take Shan-Shan for a walk'
Love
B'
Jerry dashed to Barbie's room only to find it empty. "She'll be back." He said to Ken that afternoon. But she didnt. She never cameback.
It was funny, but whenever he thought of Barbie, Jerry saw a lioness, fighting for what she wanted for those she loved. So why wasnt she's fighting now? Had she really stopped loving him after all these years? Had she really stopped caring? Is that why she left in a first place?
He should be glad. Jerry told himself. Hadnt he felt smothered by her never ending crush on him? Hadnt he paid the price of his freedom by marrying the girl that he didnt love? So why now he felt like he's world was about to end?
That night he got the answer.
Because he loved her.
He felt himself slide to the floor by his bed. THEIR bed, crying to his sleep.
They say that you didnt know what you have until you miss it. Until it's gone. And boy, how he miss her. He'd do anything to get her back.
How on earth had this happened? He was in love with Barbie Xu. He was in love with his bestfriend, his wife and he didnt even know it.
Surely someone somewhere was laughing about it.
END OF FLASHBACK
Slamming the car door for the fourth times in ten minutes, Barbie turned around, took a deep breath and started walking to the front door of the quiet, modests, two story home. She'd made up--then changed--her mind three times about ringing the doorbell.
"This is it, Yuan." She said to herself forcefully "It's now or never. No more room for changing your mind."
When she 'd came home from Jerry's, Bie had been furious. Her eyes were red and her face tear-streaked and her hair was a tangle mess from having driven with the windows down in an effort to dry her face. She'd stomped into her room, ignoring her parents shocked expression, grumbling under her breath, and had only calmed down when Michelle threatened to throw her into the bathtub under a freezing cold shower.
While she'd been angry at Jerry, she'd been eeven more angrier at herself for letting him get her. She'd had herself convince that talking to him was going to be easy. She'd misconceived the feeling and anxiety she'd felt before going to see the man to whom she's still married. And as a result, she'd come out of his home--no, THEIR home with a barrrage of feelings welling up inside her. He'd pushed all the right buttons & had succeed in making what should have been an in and out meeting into something much more complicated. As a result, Bie's emotions had hit the roof the minutes she was out of the door.
She'd walked around the corner from the house, gotten into her Pa's car and had laid her head over the steering wheel., crying for several minutes. When she finally calmed, she started the car and drove back to her parent's house. The entire drive was spent replying her meeting with Jerry over and over in her mind. It's only then that she thought of things she should have said. Once she got there, she cried again, but this time because she's angry that she'd let herself cry over Jerry in a first place. She'd gone in and Michelle had cornered her, making her spilled everything. After a long heart to heart with her bestfriend had Bie started to feel better.
Her Ma had told her where the Zhu--that's how to find their names now in a phonebook--lived. This time though, she's fully prepared. There were no misconceiptions. She knew that without a doubt that this wasnt going to be easy. She'd deserted Ken and Rainie. They'd been the two people she knew and had spent her life with. They knew her better than her own parents. Especially Rainie. They had promised to be there for each others. But Bie had broken her promise when she'd left Kending. She'd deserted the two people that meant the world for her and she knew that there would be tears and pain at this meeting.
Bie reaches out and ring the doorbell. A moment later she heard a footstep approaching. She plastered a smile on her face and waited to the door to be anwered.
"What's wrong Rainie, did you forget--"
Bie watched as Ken trailed off mid sentence. His eyes mixture of shock, surprise, and then confusion. She waited for him to say something. But when he just stood there, Bie tried to think of something to say to the person she'd called her bestfriend for all her life.
"Hi, Kennie."
Ken shook his head, blinked his eyes and continued to stare some more. Barbie offered a smile but it quickly faded when the disbeliefing look didnt leave Ken's face.
"Ken, it's me, Barbie."
"I know perfectly well who you are."
Bie bits her bottom lip and looked down at her feet. She stared at the ground as he stared back at her. "I'm sorry, I shouldnt have come." She finally said, after the silence had became so painful. She made a move to turn back towards the street.
"Do you want to come in?"
Bie took a deep breath and turned around just as Ken stepped aside wordlessly so she'd enter. Bie slowly walked towards inside the house. It was a nice homely place. So Ken and Rainie "I got in two days ago. I'll be here for two weeks." Bie said.
Ken nodded, continuing to study Barbie carefully.
"I just, I meant, I wanted to come by here. I--" Barbie stammered "I want to see you and Rainie. I want to apologize."
"You talked to Rainie?" Ken broke his silence
"No." Bie shook her head "Not yet."
"She should be here for this." Said Ken "I'll call her." With that he dissapear inside one of the room.
Barbie walked to the mantel and looked at the pics gathered there. The first pic was the one with her, Jerry, Rainie and Ken the summer of 10th grade. She also saw some pics of Ken's and Rainie's familly. Baby Jasmine with her parents. Barbie smiled at this. When she got to the last frame, she reached out and touched it gingerly. It's a frame picture taken at Rainie and Ken's wedding last year. Rainie and Ken were in the middle, looking very happy. Rainie had her head thrown back, pointing at her feet. Jerry was on the other side of Ken, grinning. Zhi Ling and vanness looking like a couple, standing next to Rainie, with arms around one another.
*I wonder why Jerry didnt even look least bother about that.*
Barbie dropped her hand and sighed sadly. She'd missed so much of her friends lifes. These were the moments she never get back.
"It was at the reception. Rainie broke her left heels. Your Pa took the picture."
Barbie turned around and saw Ken leaning against the door frame, watching her intently. Her parents hadnt told her that they kept in touch with her friends. It never crossed her minds that they'd see her friends regularly, but now she wondered why it hadnt. After all, they're friends with the Yan, Wu, Yang, Lin, Zhu.
"You all look happy." Whispered Bie. Couldnt hid her jealously.
"You should have been there, Bie."
Bie looked up at Ken as she felt the tears rush to the surface. "I know. I'm so sorry, Ken, I just--"
Ken held up a hand, motioned for Bie to stop "Rainie's coming. She's at Vanness's house. She'd love to hear what you have to say."
Barbie nodded quietly and sat at the couch in the living room. A second later she heard a car door being slammed and someone approaching the house.
"Ken Zhu Xiao Tian!" Rainie shouted as she opened the door. "What's the big deal? Being all secretive and stuff! It better be good that you dragged me back here while I'm in the middle of hot gossip with Zhi Ling. And why is Mr Xu's car in a driveway? And how co--" Rainie stopped short as she walked into the living room and saw Barbie standing near the fireplace. Her mouth fell open. It only took her a moment to regain her composure, however "This is a joke, right?" She demanded, her eyes narrowed.
Bie could hear her heart pounding crazily. They're not going to forgive her. While she'd pretended to accept it, had pretended that she's ready, the fact that she's now experiencing rejection from her friends made her wanted to cry.
"Afraid not." Ken sounded annoyed "She's here. In the flesh."
"So what?" Rainie said, throwing her purse and keys to the armchair "Finally figure we're worth talking to?!! You know being famous and stuff. finally decide to come down here and talk to us middle class schlubs?"
"Rainie." Ken warned her softly
"Dont Rainie me, mister!" Snaps Rainie "She left us!" She reminded him angrily, pointing at their former bestfriend. "When she left Jerry, she left us! Me and you included! No card, no letter, no phone call! She deserted us! The people who loved her the most!"
"She came to apologize." Ken said
"Well, it's too little too late, Barbie! We've moved on without you!"
"I'm sorry, Rainbow. I really am." Barbie said "Out of the things I've done in a past seven years, the only thing I regret is leaving you two." Bie watched as Rainie's grimace faltered, she'd have sworn that she saw the sad look cross her face. But just as quickly as it's there, it's gone, the angry look back in her feature.
"You didnt even let us know how you're doing. One minute I was talking to you about Jerry then the next you were gone! You'd have been dead for heaven's sake! And howdid we find out that you werent? We had to read it in a paper! In the paper, Bie! You couldnt even pick up a phone to say that you were alright, we found out when your pic was in a paper! Just like anyone else! We deserve more!" said Rainie. her voice was shaking in anger.
Bie looked down at the ground again "I was hurt. Heartbroken. My world had just collapsed around me. I couldnt handle it. That's no excuse, I know, but I just didnt kno what to do. So I ran, and I didnt look back. I couldnt." She trailed off as Ken walked across the room to put one hand on Rainie's houlder, apparantly demonstarting a united. Barbie took a deep breath and plunged "I know it was wrong. And I know that I hurt you two deeply, but all I can do is apologize.
"And you expect that to be it? You say your sorry and everything would be okay again?" Ken asked dryly.
Finally letting the tears fall from her eyes Bie looked at Ken and Rainie "You two were the most important people in mylife, and I left you. Because I was wrong, but I was young and naive. But I'm different now and realize how wrong I was. And how much I miss you two. I want to be part of your life again. And you to be part of mine. I know it'll take time." Bie said "But I need you." She added the last part whispering sofly.
"How did you do it, Barbie?" Ken told her quietly "You could have come to us. We'd have helped."
"I cant change the past. I know that I was wrong. I know that now,I want to make it up to you. I want to start our friendship all over again. I love you guys."
Barbie watched as Rainie's lip started to quiver. She stood with her arms crossed, her eyes fixed on Bie's. Ken simply stared at his feet. After what seemed like an eternity, Bie realize that neither of them was going to say anything. She waited another minutes then sighs. "I'm sorry, I better go." She tried not to let her resignation sound in her voice but she knew it was there. They're not gonna forgive her. It was horrible, but it's true. It was no less than she deserved it.
Just as Bie reached the door and put her hand on the knob, she heard Rainie saying
"I have a baby, you know? She's name after your choice."
~~~~~~
17 years old Rainie and Barbie, laying on their stomach in Rainie's room. In their hands were lists of their potential baby names--well, at least when they have one.
"I'll name my baby Hans if it's a boy." Beamed Rainie
Barbie laughed "Hans?"
Rainie nodded "Yeah."
"That kid would get beat up in high school with name like that, Rain!"
Rainie grabs Barbie's list and scanned it. "How about you? Jasmine? I've told you that you're watching too much Disney's cartoon, Bie!"
"Eh!" Protested Barbie, grabbing her list back "That's a pretty name! And I surely hope that she wont end up with Hans!"
~~~~~~~
Barbie turned around and watched as Rainie moved towards her slowly, raising her now tear streaked face to look at Barbie "I dont have a Hans, after all." She smiled between her tears. "So I stole yours."
Barbie closed the distance between them and pulls Rainie into a fierce hug. "I'm so sorry, Rainie." She sobs "I've missed you so much!!"
"I've missed you too, Barbie. More than you'd know."
As Barbie and Rainie stood in a firm embrace, crying softly, Ken walked up to them "Well," He choked out, placing one arm on Rainie's back and the other at Bie's "Got room for one more?"
Barbie laughed between her tears and smacked a kiss onto Ken's cheek "I miss you so much too, brother."
After a while..
"C'mon." Rainie said, pulling Barbie towards the kitchen "we have a lot to catch up on."
Barbie smiled as Rainie opened her freezer for some ice cream. Ken reaches into the drawer and grabbed three spoons. Something never change. She thought. They'd always celebrate everything with ice creams. Barbie scowled as an image of Jerry smirking at her appeared abruptly before her.
*Well, that wasnt strictly true. Someone had changed. and NOT for the better.*
She almost forcibly thrust Jerry Yan out of her head. He had no right to be there, it's because of him that she'd almost lost her bestfriends. And she's not going to let him to interfere again.
2 hrs later, still talking and reminiscing, Rainie screeched abruptly, looked at her watch and then jumped to her feet
"OMG! We're supposed to meet at Vann's place in 10 minutes!"
Ken slapped the counter "I almost forgot. It's his birthday."
"I know." Rainie told Barbie grimacing, obviously reluctant to leave.
"That's my cue." said Barbie
"Come with us." Ken said.
"Vann'd love to see you." Adds Rainie.
Barbie shook her head "I dont think that's a good idea." She's not ready to face the group all together just yet. She watched as Ken and Rainie exchange looks. They'd been very careful to leave Jerry out of the conversation, nor had she told them she'd already been to see him.
"You sure?" said Rainie
Bie nodded "Um."
"Well, we still have a lot to catch up on." Said Ken, squeezing Barbie's hand
"And I have a lot to tell you guys." Said Barbie "I want to tell you why I'm here."
"You will." Said Rainie "But now, I have to leave. Vann'll probably hold Jazzie hostage if I'm late."
"Tonight." Said Ken "Will you come back here again?"
"Okay."
*******
"Where have you been?" Vanness Wu demanded, the second rainie and Ken appeared on the doorstep. "You're supposed to be here 20 minutes ago."
"We were held up." Answered Ken and pulls one of the dinner chair out for Rainie and him
"Held up by what?" Vann asked again, not understanding.
Zhi Ling watched Ken and Rainie, knowing what's going to come next. She wondered how they're going to explain this one.
Apparantly head-on
Rainie took a deep breath "It's Barbie. She's back in town." She heard Vanness gasped out loud.
Zhi Ling turned her head to watch Jerry closely. The fact that not even a spasm of emotion crossed his face confirmed to her that he *had* seen his wife.
She's dead. She was dead. Zhi Ling still wasnt quite sure why she handt told Jerry about Bie's arrival. Maybe it's the fact that she still felt like she owed Barbie something, but it didnt excuse it. Jerry was one of her closest friends. He had a right to be pissed at her.
"Now before anyone says anything," Ken continued hurriedly "she wants to talk to everyone. She wants to apologize and--"
"--did she say why she left us high and dry in a first place?" Cuts Vanness
"Yes, she's back, we did talk to her and she said a lot and she looks great. We still dont really know why she left."
Zhi Ling frowned, wondered why she felt that Rainie was trying too hard not to look at her and Jerry as she said that.
"Any question?" Rainie leaned over the table and narrowed her eyes at Jerry and Zhi Ling "You two dont have any questions?"
Zhi Ling shook her head and Jerry muttered a brief 'no'.
"Why not?" Protested Ken
A beat
"YOU KNEW!" Rainie said, pointing at the duo "You two knew she's here and didnt tell us!!"
Zhi Ling let out a deep breath Bie had asked her not to tell. Although Zhi Ling loyalty lays with her friends, she handt told them that she'd seen Barbie And now she has have to explain why
"I saw her brieftly two days ago. But she asked me not to tell you guys that she's here."
"Zhi Ling!" Protested Ken "I cant believe you didnt tell us! Bie's had been gone for 7 years, why should you do what she asked?" He turned to look at Jerry "And you knew that too, A Xu?"
"Not until this morning." Jerry looked away, his face still unreadable
"You saw her and you've been sitting here this whole time and didnt say a word?" Vann asked, now leaning towards his wife to address Jerry
"I'm sorry. I didnt know what to say. I didnt know if she'd wanted to see anyone."
Zhi Ling looked at Jerry, frowning. She wondered why Jerry didnt tell them why Barbie was *really* back.
That she's here for a divorce.
Create a free website at Webs.com