7. Try

It was 2019 and the Christmas tree was ridiculous. It scraped artex from the ceiling were Sandara had wobbled on a ladder to hang the fairy. It truly belonged in a forest, dominating their small living room the way it does.

"Stop falling for commercial lies and figure out your own pockets of joy this Christmas, the ones without price tags for you or mother nature".

Tzuyu turned off the radio as she looked at a box, a male neighbour had given to her as a gift. She unwrapped the little box and torn every stressed out made designs on it heartlessly only to find a book titled, 'The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.' She smiled at the book. TRP had been a book that virtually everybody was reading, though it's expensiveness,  Tzuyu couldn't afford to purchase it but there it was, right in her palms. It only made her smile and muttered a silent 'Thank You' to her neighbour.

Sandara's heels made the knowing sounds. Tzuyu, giving her new book a hug, she turned to her aunt's direction who was looking ravishingly gorgeous and sexy in her gown. " how do I look?"

Tzuyu gulped and smiled.

Silent.

Sandara gulped and smiled.

Instant sweats embraced her. "Yah! Say something already. Do I look bad? Besides, I don't want Jiyong laying huge grammatical words on me. You know I wasn't privileged to finish my education"

Tzuyu chuckled and moved to the couch as she sat down comfortably,  "of course. fact,  but still, you aren't too old to further either. It's all about choice with oneself",  she shrugged and looked at the novel which she'd received as a gift.

Picking up some of her few items, she looked up to Tzuyu. "you ought to be at work today Tzu".

"We'll good news unnie"

Sandara rolled her eyes, "now what?"

"Yesterday was Friday right?", Tzuyu inquired as though, ignorant.

"Yup", Dara replied taking progressive steps towards the door post.

"Remember it was my louzi-crozi ill fake day, right?"

"Yup"

"So, because of that, I got today extra! As a free day!"

Dara rolled her eyes once again, "yeah, yeah, so?"

"So, that means that I'm gonna read a lot of books",  she said grabbing a collection bag filled with books and novels of different kinds."

Sandara scoffed and threw both of her hands up in the air, "why? Tzu, it's a free day for you to rest....as imposed by them flowing in the realms of your lies"

Tzuyu flipped through the next page of the novel with  calmness,  "Unnie~ I wasn't seriously ill. I just needed to read alot of books, so just in case that Jane Doe  comes back.

"Well, reading has been the best thing since sliced bread. So yeah, I'd advice you read more but one most important thing is, consider yourself, especially that restless brain of yours. Give it more vacay."

Tzuyu dropped her novel low and threw her head backwards as she giggled while having both of her eye shut. Sandara couldn't be any serious.

•••

At the cafe,  Roxanne had invited three of her friends. Lisa, Jennie and Jisoo. The four girls were seated round about each other, talking and waiting for the appearance of Tzuyu when two people interrupted.

"Annyeonghaseyo", Chaeyoung waved at the girls who replied back in the formal Korean greeting and sightly bowed. " Coffee, story or both?" She furthered asked, her assistant, Kim, stood beside her holding a piece of paper.

"Both" Rosé said and smiled,  "and a story from the Taiwanese. Her stories are so good",  she said and smiled at her girlfriends who only did the same.

Chaeyoung cleared her throat, seizing that as an opportunity to think when Kim chipped in;

" we're sorry to disappoint you but, Tzuyu's ill", Kim said and folded his lips.

"Awn",  the girls purred in unison, having a sad impression.

Rosé nodded and smiled, " it ok", her handbag dancing to and fro as she hits the table continuously, on a slow motion. "We'll just have a coffee and go".

'Yup, and besides, we've got other important things to do. We only thought of listening to her stories since Rosie never stopped testifying to how good her stories were" Jisoo explained.

"Oh no dearies, we've got other wonderful and talented story tellers." Kim uttered.

The four girls looked at themselves, then back to Kim who wasn't giving Chaeyoung's expression a damn. He snapped his fingers which was rested behind his back and soon a lady walked up to them, smiling sheepishly. "OK, now,  she's Amber and she'll be the on telling you stories. Believe me, you won't regret it", he  said and bowed at the girls. "If you may excuse me", he said and walked away.

"Enjoy" Chaeyoung said after a moment of perplexities. Brisky, she walked away leaving amber to the young ladies.

"Nice to meet you" Amber started off politely,  writing a quick sum ups on her notepad,  she handed over the story collection to Lisa, another to Jennie, then Jisoo and the last collection graced Rose's hand. "Make a pick"

The four girls sighed. From the indebts of their hearts, they no longer wished to listen to any story. The interest had died some minutes ago after the heartbreaking news of Tzuyu being ill. Despite the realities of their mindset, they had to keep calm and prayed internally for their next minutes never to be a waste.

"Chicklit" Jennie said.

Amber gulped and bent her head low towards her hand as she quickly typed on her phone; Bella! I'm gonna drown soon >_<  Prepare for my funeral.

She looked up from her phone and smiled at the girls,  "Here, your chicklit, request..."

"Angelique is just sixteen years old and doesn't like to hang noodles on someone’s ears, ......"

Bella watched from the counter as her friend spoke to the four famous Korean acts before her. Her knees were getting sore. Amber wasn't used to telling stories, even the ones she'd narrated in the past wasn't the piece of cake anyone would love to have. Nervously handling her phone to goggle out quick stories online to help her girlfriend out, a brainwave made her snap her fingers, "ahha! Tzuyu". She dialed the Taiwanese number.

Tzuyu was already dozing off on her books when her phone rang out loud. She sat up immediately and without checking the called ID, answered.

" hello?" The voice from the other line had said immediately Tzuyu had answered the call. "Tzuyu! It's b!"

Tzuyu widened her eyes, "omg, Bella. Hi, good morning",  She said.

" morning Tzuyu,  I need your help Asap"

"Any problems?"

"Kind of....., Amber got posted to tell rosé and her friends stories. She needs help and I couldn't think of any other help except you." Bella explained as Tzuyu sighed rubbing her forehead gently. "Rose's initial plan was to listen to your stories but after the news about your illness got to their notice, they became sour and wanted to only have a coffee and leave until kim had assured them another good storyteller and brought Amber, Please help her Tzuyu!"

Tzuyu sighed and quickly scrambled something on a piece of paper, "so what's the plan now?" She asked.

"Just write a short fantasy story and send to me, then I'll forward it to her. Please".

"Fine, give me three minutes"

"OK, three minutes"

Nine minutes later,

"It's not working", Bella lamented as she could see the bored expression of the girls. " make it work Tzuyu!"
The Taiwanese sighed and roughen her hair;

"How does it sounds, how do the girls look?" Tzuyu asked.

"Bored",  Bella outclaimed.

" exactly! Amber is an impatient human. It won't ever key".

"Tzuyu, you just have to help her. She's-........."

Bella's rants was getting prolonged, so Tzuyu picked up an apple from her tray of three and threw it out the window, the mashed the neighbour's glasses.

"What was that sound?" Bella asked.

"Don't know, can you excuse me for a sec? I need to see those causing nuisance outside. Bye!" She hung up.

"Tzu...wait." Her eyes shut in frustration as she tried to think,"now what?". Her eyes fell open as she looks at the girls from afar.

"Tsk" Jisoo sounded pissed off and picked up her handbag, "it's clearly a waste of time choosing to listen to your stories",  she hissed and walked out. Lisa stood up and followed up not giving the young lady a second look but her facial expression could tell how angry she was. Jennie, picked up her handbag and followed right after the girls.

Amber turned to look at rosé wondering why she hadn't joined them in leaving.

Bella, from afar,  seeing rosé still glued to her seat, sighed out a sigh of relief. Only then, did she arise and gave amber the worst stare ever. "If i would rate you.....it's a sure zero percentage." That was all Rosie could utter before walking out.

Amber sighed and buried her face in her palms, the sound of a hand hitting the table, made her look up. Her eyes met with a piece of paper, the person who'd dropped it was already out of sight. Picking up the piece of paper,  it shocked her to believe it's content which was boldly written in block letterings;

   'ONE WEEK SUSPENSION!'

She sighed.