Eight

                                    

                                          
The girl's hair is wet with the strands dripping water into Denver's carpet. He drops his arms to his side and stood with a guilty look on his face. I approach them like I would a hissing cat. The girl stares at me with wide eyes and an unmoving frame. Does she think I'm going to chew her out?
I extend my hand to her with a smile. "I'm Jacqueline Shaw," I say, my real name feeling foreign in my own tongue. 
The girl takes my hand and gives it a light squeeze. "Reigl."
I raise my eyebrows. "Reigl what?"
"You wouldn't be able to pronounce it," she shrugs. 
"You could've called to say you were coming," Denver cuts between me and the girl and narrows his eyes. "I thought Mr. Reed's paper isn't due until Thursday?"
I spare a glance at Reigl. "I can't visit my boyfriend?"
"Last I checked, we broke up," he says. "Or, in your own words, 'we never have been'."
Reigl's head swivels here and there, following the flow of our conversation. I cross my arms. "That's why I'm here," I jerk my chin at him. "But it seems like you're already moving on and finding yourself another girl."
A fit of coughing tears both of our attention away from each other and turns it to Reigl who slaps her chest as she clears her throat. Denver scratches the back of his neck. 
"Ma'am," she shakes her head and spreads her arms. "I mean, Miss Shaw, you can rest assured that we are not dating. I'd rather die than date him, trust me."
She looks briefly at Denver before facing me again. "Why did you break up with him? Did he start farting?"
Her hair flies out in disarray when Denver's hand slaps her upside the head. I blink. Are people allowed to do that to each other? Reigl swivels and rams her fist in his arm. 
"Tell me," I start, watching them try to knock each other out like children wrestling. "What is your relationship? Are you on-and-off?"
Reigl looks confused with her eyebrows meeting. "I'm not a lightbulb, last I checked."
"No," Denver massages the bridge of his nose. "We're best friends from back in the Philippines. I told you I spent half my life there, right? That's where I met her. We've been keeping in touch."
I frown. The girl's traveled all the way from there? Was she running from something as well? "And she's here because?" I prod. "It's a long way from Southeast Asia."
A brief look of appreciation flashes in Reigl's eyes. "I'm here for financial help. He couldn't do anything for me so I was on my way out when you arrived," she spreads her arms. "See? Nothing going on behind your back."
Reigl yelps when Denver yanks her back. Then, they begin conversing rapidly in a language I hadn't heard before. I watch them throw their arms in the air, frown, and argue. It looks serious, judging from the way Reigl's shoulders are tensed and her eyes never really staying in one place for too long. 
A sense of familiarity settles on my gut looking at her. At some point in both of our lives, there's an aspect where we're alike.
"Right now, I need resources," comes Reigl's exasperated closing statement. 
A sharp sigh heaves off Denver's chest as Reigl turns to me with the same cheerful smile on her face. "Sorry about that," she waves her hand in the air. "Denny told me you could help me. Don't worry, I'll pay you back," she pauses, her smile turning grim, even if it's just a small degree. "Someday."
I look at Denver who subtly shakes his head at me. A guilty look paints his face in varying hues. My fingers clasp the purse I brought with me. I smile at Reigl and jerk my head towards the door. "Come on."