Chapter 43 - It's A Date!

                                    

                                          
The next morning, I woke up in my usual body clock which was before dawn. I wanted to sleep in but my mind was already fully awake since ideally, I would be getting ready for school at this time. But for this whole week, I was excused, much to my delight. It meant more writing time for me so I got up to grab some coffee and continued my new story. I thought of doing the script first but I had no idea how. It would be better to be guided by a professional so I opted to write my new story instead. Besides, I was actually excited to write the sudden idea that came to mind.
                          
With coffee and snacks on the table, and Kai's laptop gift in front of me which I cutely named Frosty, I started writing. I gotta say, the room Ms.Qian Yu picked for us was beautiful and even included everything a writer would need—a comfy office table and chair, books on the shelves, printer and bond papers in case I wanted to print my story out for editing, notebooks, sticky notes, pens, and even a glass board I could use for drafting my plot. The room was probably a business suite. The preparations were over the top. She probably requested it or her people prepared it for us. Either way, I was happy with it. I easily felt at home, as I continued my writing.
                          
If my first story was a derivative work of the original story line of Armageddon, my next story was a complete original. This time, it wasn't just fantasy and adventure, but I included romance as well. A story of a normal human girl destined to save two planets—her own, and that of the enemy's. And my female lead for this one, I named her Rania Caeles. I kinda liked my character names to have meaning in them—like a mini mystery the readers could try to solve.
                          
Feeling focused and inspired, I typed in the prophecy I had been building in my mind for quite some time now... 
                          
"When the chosen one,
                          
Who is not one of us,
                          
Unveils the hidden Truth,
                          
The barrier shall be broken, 
                          
And the path to the unknown shall open.
                          
But take heed and be weary,
                          
For in the unknown lies trials untold,
                          
The pits may be fiery,
                          
But take heart! 
                          
For history is about to unfold!"
                          
Satisfied with that, I wrote another prophecy that came to mind.
                          
"Make way! Make way!
                          
The dragon roars for our savior has come!
                          
With dress as pure as white,
                          
and eyes burning yet calm.
                          
Favoured by the Supreme, she stands,
                          
A maiden that is not one of us will save us..."
                          
Wow! I think I'm nailing this prophecy thingy. I should write more so I could build the lores and envelop the main plot in mystery.
                          
While I busied myself getting lost in my own world, a sudden call made me jolt from my seat. It was Kai. I picked it up without further ado.
                          
"Good morning, Kai!"
                          
I heard a faint yawn in the other line. Was he calling me in his sleep? Sleep-calling? Was there even such a thing? If there was, it figures since he was never a morning person. And it was still—oh wait, it was already seven o'clock. I just wrote two prophecies and that took me hours? For real? Well, I kept on typing and editing it but still.
                          
"Good morning," he greeted me back, in his most unenergetic tone.
                          
"Did you get enough sleep? You sound... yawny."
                          
"No amount of sleep is enough for me," he answered, yawning again.
                          
I found myself laughing at him.
                          
"So, to what do I owe this pleasure?"
                          
"Ahh... just checking on you since yesterday was the 12th."
                          
Awww... how nice of him.
                          
"Thank you. I'm good and everything's great! I met with Ms. Qian Yu and she brought me to their main office to discuss the contract. Sorry, if I missed to inform you. My mind was preoccupied the whole day and when we arrived at the hotel, I felt so tired and sleepy. I'm really sorry." Truthfully, I forgot to tell him last night. Even to Hora and Ken. They must be worrying about me. And here I am thinking of writing first thing in the morning! How could I be so insensitive? Oh my goodness!
                          
"That's fine. Dealing with business matters is tiring."
                          
"Yes. In fact, good thing dad was with me yesterday or else I wouldn't understand much of what was explained to me. Not that I can't understand it, but more like my mind was elsewhere. Ha-ha-ha-ha! I still couldn't believe that I'm getting a contract for my book."
                          
"Get used to it."
                          
"Oh! And I have news."
                          
"Hm?"
                          
"When we were talking about the contract yesterday, Ms. Qian Yu said I need to stick around while the movie is in production and that it would take approximately three to five years to do so."
                          
I paused, expecting a bit of response but Kai remained silent so I continued.
                          
"Meaning... I would either need to fly back and forth from my country to here or I could just stay here and study at an international school."
                          
Kai wasn't responding. Did he not want to meet me that badly? I felt a throbbing pain in my chest.
                          
"Which international school?" he finally spoke. But he was probably asking that so he could avoid going to my school so we wouldn't meet. I should get used to it and not get my hopes up.
                          
"I don't know. I haven't checked. Do you know any decent international schools that offer courses for creative writing?"
                          
"Red Dragon International University," he answered instantly, which I didn't expect.
                          
"Red Dragon Holdings has a school?!" I shouted in my surprise. 
                          
I didn't know that. What line of business did they not own? Wow! Talk about a conglomerate holding company. They literally hold a bit of every line of businesses, huh? Amazing.
                          
"Is that... where you're planning to go?" I timidly asked. Maybe it's safe to ask?
                          
"Not planning. I go to that school. I can give you a tour on Saturday. I was actually going to invite you two weeks ago but I thought you wouldn't want to."
                          
I blinked my eyes in astonishment. Was I hearing things? When I interrupted him before, he actually meant to say that? Me and my big mouth!
                          
"Wait. What?" I asked, perplexed. Was that school something that offers learning from elementary all the way to college?
                          
"I said I'll give you a tour this Saturday... if you want." Unsure if it was just me, or he somehow sounded a bit shy?
                          
"Yes! Definitely! I mean, I want to!" I stumbled over my own words. "Let's meet this Saturday."
                          
And so, my stinging heart was gone as soon as it came. It was then replaced by great joy, and anticipation.
                          
***

                          
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