Danial Izzani left the car. He waved at his mother. His mother gave him a flying kiss and drove away.

He turned back and saw a huge three-storey bungalow house. The rooftop was shining blue in colour. The car porch was empty. The huge gold-coloured gate opened by itself. He bet that Joash Law had seen him outside of his extravagant house.

Danial walked in. At the car porch, he walked to the huge black door of Joash's bungalow. He heard his voice, "Come on in, the door's not locked."

Danial entered the house and walked past Joash's living room. The ceiling was three-story high, and a huge chandelier hung from it. He then passed the dining area to the kitchen. The kitchen itself had a dining table. It was a huge brown table with decorative wood pattern swirls on it. It had eight chairs.

Danial put many things he carried on the table. A rice cooker. A container filled with white, almost translucent looking noodles. Another container with multiple condiments. Each condiment was organised and separated carefully by Danial's mother.

Danial watched, as Joash was chopping his tomatoes across the kitchen.

Joash Law was a cheerful lad with straight hair that partially covered his forehead. He had high cheeks with dimples. His small eyes were warm and comforting, as it smiled simultaneously with his lips.

Joash stopped chopping and looked at Danial, smiling with his eyes. Danial was wearing his usual semi-rimless spectacles. His wavy hair looked messy, but it looked good on him. Danial returned Joash's smile, revealing his definitive dimples. He was wearing a white polo t-shirt, tucked into light brown slack trousers.

"Why are you wearing something that looks like you wanna play golf?" asked Joash weirdly.

"Oh," Danial raised his arms to the air and looked at himself. "I'm just trying something different here. I'm bored with round-neck t-shirts and jeans. And I thought I'd dress up for your Thanksgiving potluck extravaganza."     

"Suits yourselves," commented Joash, continuing to chop his tomatoes.

"What are you wearing," asked Danial back.

Joash was wearing a sleeveless white tank top. His arms were bare, revealing his well-sculpted lean biceps. One line of vein was carved and floated on his skin from his shoulder to his elbow. Every time his knife cut through the tomatoes, his muscles twitched firmly.

"My home clothes," answered Joash. "Well, my home clothes are usually shirtless. But, as Sharmila is coming..."

Danial felt that looking at Joash's strong biceps was a good view to watch, so he let it slide. "Where's the plug point for me to connect this rice cooker?"

"Wall at the side," said Joash.

"Ah, found it, Ash!"

"Are you bringing a pot of rice to feed an army, Dan?"

"It's not rice, it's Penang laksa soup."

"You brought laksa? I love laksa!"

"Wait till you taste it."

Joash's phone rang. He put down his knife and answered it. He listened to the person talking at the end of the line. And then he said, "Just enter the car porch and walk to my house's door. It's unlocked." He ended the call, and pushed a switch behind him, above the stove.

"Your girlfriend has arrived," said Joash.

"She's not my girlfriend," corrected Danial.

"Hellooooo," a voice appeared. A girl entered the kitchen. She had glowing tanned skin. Her extremely long hair was wavy, tied in a ponytail. She wore a loose maroon satin blouse, tucked into her slim jeans.

"Hey, Sharmila," greeted Danial.

"Hi, Daaann." Sharmila Priya Mohan put her tote bag on the table. She stared at Joash for a moment. Her left hand on her waist. Her right palm on the table.

She turned to see Danial, "Did Joash roast our chicken wearing that?" She pointed to Joash.

Joash spontaneously raised his arm to show off his biceps. He smiled innocently and proudly like a little kid.

Danial responded while looking at Joash's biceps, "He said he's usually shirtless at home."

"As long as his armpit hair does not fall on the chicken."

"Ewww, Sharmila!" exclaimed Danial.

Joash looked down on his armpit, and then he covered his chest with his arms nervously. And then he looked at his armpit again. "Heyyy, there's no hair. I'm a swimmer. I shaved everything. And when I say everything, I mean, everything."

Sharmila showed her palm towards Joash, "Please bore someone else with your shaving activity."

"Should I change?" asked Joash.

Sharmila stared at Joash's biceps. She gulped. Suddenly, her legs were fidgeting, but no one realised that. "Naaah, leave it." Sharmila started to take out items from her tote bag to stop her legs from fidgeting. "You're lucky you have good looking biceps. My eyes need to see a hot guy here, as Zane Lim is not coming."

"He's not the only guy here you know," reminded Danial.

Sharmila flashed a warm smile. "You're cute Danial. But Joash won the sexy territory here," she said with a motherly voice. "What are you bringing?"

"Penang laksa."

"Auuwww, your mother heard my wish during my house's Deepavali dinner last month. I've been craving laksa for so long."

Danial smiled proudly. "I helped blend the fish for the soup."

"Aaaargh, can't wait to eat it," said Sharmila excitedly.

"Taadaa," shouted Joash gleefully. He took out a roasted chicken from the oven and raised it to the air, for Sharmila and Danial to see. "Danial, could you help to take the placemat on the minibar and put it on the table. I will carve the chicken straight on the table."

Danial did as Joash had instructed. He then took a few bowls and plates from the kitchen, including a metal container filled with numerous cutleries, and put it on the table.

Danial's rice cooker started to let go of rushing steam, indicating that his laksa soup was already boiling. He turned the setting of the rice cooker from 'cook' to 'warm'.

After Joash put the roasted chicken in the middle of the dining table, he took the big bowl of tomato salad he had made and put it at the side of the chicken. He sat at the furthest end of the table. A plate was already in front of him. He was just sitting there, smiling statically. Sharmila and Danial, who were still standing, stared at Joash with a puzzled look.

"Aren't you carving your roasted chicken, Ash?" asked Danial innocently.

"It needs to rest. I want to eat your mother's laksa first, Dan."

Sharmila shivered ecstatically, "Uuuu, yes, the laksa first!" She jogged a bit and sat on Joash's right side. "Oh, wait Dan! Do you need help?"  

"Nope!" Danial raised his index finger cunningly. He took a bowl and added, "Let me serve both of you."

Danial opened the container that contained the white, almost translucent noodle. He picked his food tong and pinched a bunch of noodles. He put them inside three bowls.

Joash crutched his jawline with his palm. He looked at Danial admirably while Danial was assembling the noodles. His elbow was on the table, resulting in a few hills of biceps emerging from his arm. Sharmila was ogling Joash's arm, when she realised something was off.

"Wait only three of us?" asked Sharmila.

Joash turned to Sharmila. "As Zane Lim can't make it. And Anne Hernandez will only come if Zane comes, yup, only us."

"You said you're having a potluck extravaganza?" Sharmila was baffled. "And yet you only invited four people?" Her jaw dropped.

"The lesser the merrier," replied Joash funnily. "It feels more personal, don't you think?"

"Oh, wait!" interrupted Danial. "Where are your parents?"

"They have their luncheon to attend to."

"Your brother, Elment?'' asked Sharmila.

"Hang out with his friends."

"Your twin brother, Jared?

"Dating with his girlfriend."

"Your other twin brother, Jensen?"

"Also dating with his girlfriend."

Sharmila and Danial gawked at Joash silently.

"Different... girlfriend," replied Joash slowly. "Jared and Jensen are not dating the same girl."

"That's not what we're thinking about," barked Sharmila. "We're thinking, why your family is not around on Thanksgiving?"

"That's why I organised the potluck extravaganza," roared Joash. And then he added softly, "I don't want to be alone during Thanksgiving." Joash clasped his hands on his lap. His head nodded down. His eyes were not jovial as usual. "The laksa please," he begged, mimicking like a little toddler.

Sharmila looked at Danial. Danial shook his head, signalling Sharmila to not ask further questions. 

Danial opened his rice cooker. A massive amount of steam released in the air. He took the ladle, scooped out the bubbling red brownish laksa soup, and poured it into the bowls. The soup was made of minced mackerel fish, and seasoned with Vietnamese coriander and torch ginger flower, giving it a fragrant aromatic smell. To garnish the bowls, Danial sprinkled chopped green cucumber, red onion, red chilies, and yellow pineapple on top. He put one hard-boiled egg, cut into half, on top of the soup.

Danial put one bowl in front of Sharmila. She was clapping euphorically. He put another bowl in front of Joash. He still looked gloomy, but he pursed his lips. "It looks so colourful." Joash raised his head to see Danial with his doe eyes.

"Dig in!" called Danial. He took a fork and spoon, when Joash turned back into his joyous self to say, "Oh, this needs chopsticks! You want one, Dan?"

"Nahhh."

"I thought you're practically Chinese, when it comes to noodles."

"Laksa is an exception. The noodles are slippery."

Joash came back to the table with chopsticks. He slurped the noodles, and then took a spoon to sip the soup.

Sharmila looked like in heaven after she fed herself with a few rounds of noodles. "Oh, Danial! This is the best laksa ever! And it has fish cakes?"

"My mother's innovation. It tastes better after being bathed in fish soup for a few hours."

"It is!" agreed Sharmila.

"Tsk, tsk." Sharmila and Danial heard the snort and turned to Joash to see he was still chewing his noodles, but his eyes were watery. Danial put down his bowl and grabbed Joash's shoulder gently.

"Ash, you're okay?" asked Danial, concerned.

"My Mom always brought laksa from the night market, when I was in kindergarten." Joash wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "But, she's rarely at home nowadays."

Sharmila put her bowl, moved her chair closer to Joash, and rubbed his biceps, before laying her head on his right shoulder.

Joash rolled his eyes. His tears dropped to his cheeks. But his expression was not sad. He was shocked. "Shaaarmilaaa, what are you doing?"

Sharmila hugged Joash's arm. "Zane is not coming. So, I'm sad too. I need a shoulder to cry on. No need to look at me. I'm not crying. I just need a shoulder."

Danial also moved his chair near to Joash. Without warning, Joash put his bowl, and laid his head on Danial's right shoulder. An electricity sensation was sent throughout Danial's nervous system, but he tried to ignore it. He patted Joash's arm softly. "You're a strong kid, Ash. You're 14, and you can already roast a whole chicken by yourself. I'm one year older than you, and my mother is still frustrated because I can't wash rice properly."

Joash giggled, but a strain of croaky voice came out from it. He snorted again. "I should have made pasta," said Joash, looking at his roasted chicken.

"Don't worry about it," said Sharmila. "I took care of the carbs. I brought butter chicken with rice."

"Let's do this potluck extravaganza again next year?" asked Joash.

"Onnzz," replied both Sharmila and Danial.

That was the first and the last potluck extravaganza Joash had organised, on Thanksgiving day of 24 November 2016. They could not have it in 2017. And the tragedy that happened outside of the Petronas Twin Towers in 2018, would change their friendship, forever.