“Okay, stop it. I know you’ve been wronged. I’ll go to the movies with you later to make it up to you, okay?”
“Hurry up and see if you can still get a standing ticket. Jason and I will be waiting for you at the exit.”
I could almost picture her face, convinced she had generously calmed me down.
“No thanks,” I said evenly.
“What do you mean by no thanks?” Emily was taken aback.
“I mean, you keep the tickets. I’ll handle the return trip myself. You don’t need to worry about it.”
My tone stayed calm, without emotion. “Liam! Do you really have to act like this?” Emily’s voice sharpened again.
“Can you stop being so childish? How are you going to fix this on your own? You couldn’t even grab it, so what, you’re going to fly back?”
Fly? I sneered silently.
Yes, I really did fly back.
I took a deep breath to steady myself.
“What I mean is, I understand. I’ll figure it out myself. Just take good care of Jason.”
Hearing what sounded like my concession, Emily’s tone softened fully, carrying a trace of satisfaction.
“That’s better. Be good, stop making trouble.”
“Now, hurry up and buy a ticket. Standing isn’t a big deal. Don’t be such a baby.”
“I’ll get Jason something to eat first. He’s been sulking all day and still hasn’t cheered up.”
“Okay.”
I didn’t want to say more.
“Alright, hanging up. We’ll talk later.” She rushed to end the call.
I slowly began packing the things I would take home for National Day. I had just closed a suitcase when my phone buzzed again.
It was Emily.
I raised an eyebrow and answered without a word.
“Liam.”
Her tone sounded far more relaxed than before.
“What are you doing? Have you checked the tickets yet?”
“No,” I replied flatly.
The other end went silent, caught by my indifference.
But she quickly adjusted, saying, “Oh…it’s fine, no rush. Um…Jason just heard your ticket was refunded, and he feels bad. He said he’d bring you some local snacks as thanks…”
I stayed quiet, waiting for her real point.
I didn’t believe Jason would be that considerate.
Sure enough, Emily shifted the subject. “Yeah, well, Liam, there’s one more thing…”
“After National Day, it’ll be tough to get a seat in the library. You probably won’t have anything to do at home anyway…”
She hesitated, then added, “How about…you come back a couple of days early and save seats for Jason and me? We’re planning to study together when we return…”
I couldn’t help but sneer.
At the start of the semester, I carried my new notebook, bought milk tea, and ran to Emily’s dorm.
“I heard the windows on the third floor of the library overlook Ginkgo Avenue; it must look amazing in autumn.”
Back then, I looked at her with hope: “How about we go save a seat together tomorrow to study?”
Emily frowned and pushed the milk tea away: “Don’t bother, Liam. The library is so far, a twenty-minute walk. You’d be better off reading in the dorm.”
Now, for Jason, she wanted me—the one whose ticket they refunded, who might stand for hours to get home—to come back early to save seats in the library?
Emily mistook my silence for hesitation or consent. “Look, this way you won’t be bored at home alone, and you’re helping us, killing two birds with one stone, right?”
