The second day of campus was alright. I only had two classes that morning which were great. Although I guessed the entire week would only be an introductory week, I would still come, deciding never to be absent like some of my classmates who had skipped classes because I'd heard from some of the students that the first week was just like another vacation.981Please respect copyright.PENANAw7qyMxcc5y
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When I was making my way to the cafeteria to grab some lunch, I met Brenda. She insisted on letting her treat me, though I already refused her offer. Then we took seats at a table somewhere in the middle of the cafeteria.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAJb4oLdkNCI
"Have you read my script?" she asked while she was uncovering a little box of butter. She took bread and cereal as if she had been having breakfast instead of lunch. It was a little bit weird to me. Or maybe to everybody else too.981Please respect copyright.PENANAS0KVFoFeBw
981Please respect copyright.PENANAbhnG9EFbBb
I nodded in response. "Actually I didn't have your hard copy of the script---" before I finished my utterance, Brenda interrupted.
981Please respect copyright.PENANA8ozbqAYsmN
"How come? Didn't Gee Kay give it to you? How dare him!"
981Please respect copyright.PENANAVdc2I46vmd
"No, no it's not like that," I said. "Let me finish what I was going to say, Brenda."
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She chuckled and then apologized.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAv8aaiPKrkx
"Gee Kay gave me the soft copy." I'd finished what I actually wanted to say.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAxJDtsBUzjn
Brenda knitted her eyebrows. "As far as I know, I have never given him any copy of my script," She looked like she was thinking, trying to remember something from the past. "Oh, he stole it from me! Gee Kay!!" She clenched her fists and hit the table, but it was too hard and made a loud noise that everyone could hear. She grinned, apologizing to everyone, and then she chuckled.981Please respect copyright.PENANAnlDRNUr8tG
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I shook my head and gave her a smile.
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"I don't know why he'd steal it from me." She continued.
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I shrugged. "He told me he was curious about why you love Indonesia so much and why you want to visit it so badly." I recalled my memory when she told me that.981Please respect copyright.PENANAB04qwFpAWp
981Please respect copyright.PENANApygAtOLsC6
"Did he say so?" She smiled broadly, having something in her mind which I couldn't understand. "Well, for now I'll forget it. Let me ask you this, what do you think of the script?"
981Please respect copyright.PENANAS9CYA1dpZB
Actually, that was the one thing I didn't want to answer because last night I couldn't concentrate on reading her script. I had been thinking about Gee Kay all night long, of course because of his anger that troubled me too. I decided to tell Brenda the truth. I didn't want to keep any secrets that might bring something bad toward her brother. I told her that Gee Kay was really mad at the guy who mocked him.981Please respect copyright.PENANAD0T03KllLS
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"He didn't tell me anything about that." Brenda revealed to me. Her joyful face suddenly grew sad.
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"I'm sorry Brenda for telling you this." I comforted her. I patted her back.
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She dipped her face into her hands which rested on the table. "I am a bad sister. I had no idea that somebody hurt my brother." She groaned in a whisper.
981Please respect copyright.PENANARS6nn7tWjD
"Brenda, it's not your fault," I said. "I think Gee Kay doesn't want you to worry about him."
981Please respect copyright.PENANAjcDOxtNtQW
Brenda put her hands down on the table and stared at me in grief. "But still I'm a bad sister. I should have asked him about everything like I used to," She sighed. "Before I got involved as a student ambassador and forgot about my habit of checking up on him."981Please respect copyright.PENANADAcxq4boYj
981Please respect copyright.PENANATpEJJH3HsX
"It's not too late at all, Brenda. Believe me," I tried to convince her. "The pain he feels is temporary. You're his good ole' sister. I mean with your habit of checking up on him, he will tell you everything and feel better. I have gone through this phase with my sister so I believe you and Gee Kay will."
981Please respect copyright.PENANADIkrmXqdPF
She grinned.
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"I can help look after him for you too, if you want." I offered. "Like a baby maybe?"
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She chuckled then nodded, touching my shoulder, and said. "Thank you so much."
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I smiled at her. "By the way, how'd you find out that I live in Argenta Hall when you first met me?" I remembered, finally, that I wanted to ask her about it.
981Please respect copyright.PENANARtz8CShheV
"Gina is my best friend." She said.
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"Oh, really? That's cool!" I exclaimed.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAwI7XAUA7Pp
"When I told her that I needed help from a real Indonesian, she told me that she had a new friend living in her residence who's Indonesian. Oh, it felt like a coincidence!" She gladly told me about it, leaving the sadness she felt recently.981Please respect copyright.PENANAdchybS0Gpc
981Please respect copyright.PENANAMttybp6WZW
We talked about so many things about Indonesia. She was really eager to know everything. I told her like I was a tourist guide who knew everything about my country. We almost forgot to eat our lunch but then we finished it. We spent two more hours talking about other things, such as places in Nevada. She promised to take me touring the town on vacation even though I might know a lot already since had done my own research about this place including its culture on internet before going here. However, going to the real place would be the best.981Please respect copyright.PENANA4JeTV1t8cE
981Please respect copyright.PENANArBf8r9uF2a
I was about to leave the cafeteria after Brenda left for her last class of the day, when I met Julie and Cassie, who were talking about something I didn't want to hear, and I stopped by.
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"Cynthia! I don't know how, but Cassie was in Genesis' Instagram this morning!" Julie sounded so excited that she held my upper right arm just a bit too tightly.
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"Then everybody was looking at me the whole day like we were the trending topic on Twitter!" Added Cassie.
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I shook my head. That was so funny. They were so happy for something which wasn't that important actually. Nonetheless, I didn't want to make my friends upset so I congratulated Cassie and gave her a participating smile.
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"We need to celebrate it!" Cassie came up with a plan that I thought was useless.
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"Yes!!! I'll treat you Cynthia!" Julie was excited with this plan.
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I shook my head. "I don't feel like going," I said. "I'm sorry."981Please respect copyright.PENANAeQBxCiuKY0
981Please respect copyright.PENANAvGbO9Uzb1c
"Oh c'mon, Cynthia, come with us," Julie begged. She held my right hand with her both hands. Cassie did the same to my left hand.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAVlAe2edl3o
I had no choice but to go with them. I nodded in response and they cheered joyfully.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAR3hGY8FM5J
Cassie drove her own car. We made our way to the parking lot. I saw a metallic VW Eos in front of me which caught my eye. Her car was totally awesome to me. As far as I remembered, it was really expensive.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAJzk7uRLo88
"Don't just stare at it, come on in and feel how great it is to ride it," Cassie woke me from the daze of admiring her car.
981Please respect copyright.PENANA9QHNG2BTVZ
The three of us jumped into that prestigious car and I took the back seat. When Cassie started the engine and was about to leave the parking lot, I heard my name being called. I turned my head to the voice calling me over and over again and found it was Gee Kay.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAhYDHbf7JX4
Julie and Cassie suddenly became crazy. They looked amazed at Gee Kay being present in front of them.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAaHd9VQPaJO
"It's not happening, no it's not." Julie shook her head repeatedly.
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"It is, Julie, it is." Cassie looked more to convince herself than Julie, poking both sides of her cheeks.981Please respect copyright.PENANAZejJmE8Htl
981Please respect copyright.PENANAR3Ya8VLLVA
"What's wrong with you, girls?" I asked in confusion. I decided not to care what they were doing at the moment and jumped out of the car, standing in front of Gee Kay. "Hey, what's up?"
981Please respect copyright.PENANA2Goscdavyq
"I need to talk with you some time today, so can I----" He looked at my friends and hesitated. "You are about to go with them somewhere?"
981Please respect copyright.PENANA0VjxzZxoB1
"Well, yeah," I shrugged. "But if it's important, then I'll go with you." I knew it was the chance to escape from my two friends, whom I assumed would be talking the whole time about Genesis later.
981Please respect copyright.PENANArMpwPAijDY
"Girls, can I take your friend with me?" Gee Kay asked Julie and Cassie, who were staring at him like he was a rare gem they had never seen before, their eyes jumping out at him.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAU68wig65W2
Julie and Cassie nodded in agreement right away. I was so glad because of it. What a surprise! "Are you girls sure about this?" I reassured.981Please respect copyright.PENANAeFLCLEZOm8
981Please respect copyright.PENANAGNYMsBPh1M
"Yes, just go," Cassie sounded more commanding than really willing to let me go with Gee Kay. "Go."
981Please respect copyright.PENANAFvsjnUfcLv
I furrowed my brows. I didn't understand what they were thinking at the moment. They insisted to take me to celebrate something they wanted to celebrate, not that I wanted to in the first place, but then they insisted on letting me go. How could that possibly happen?981Please respect copyright.PENANAhrzckVPR5l
981Please respect copyright.PENANAyluYeyqYJ7
"Okay, I'll go. Bye. See you girls later," I waved at them. Then my friends waved but I assumed that they didn't wave at me but at Gee Kay.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAttjQN8pLwX
"Your friends are funny and cute." Gee Kay told me as we were striding farther from where Cassie's car was parked.
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"They are." I chuckled but still didn't understand my friends. Then I decided to forget them for a while. I believed that Gee Kay had something important to tell me.981Please respect copyright.PENANArkkEFjlsR0
981Please respect copyright.PENANAcLiMAVLZxN
We stopped at a park and sat down on a long metal bench. It felt warm but windy since it was fall. It felt almost like in Indonesia, only Indonesia was even warmer than here in Nevada.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAFY3TBZpwWL
"I remembered Brenda told me that she needed an actor for her movie but hadn't found one yet because no one spoke, um, Bahasa Indonesia here," He replied. "Now as you are here, I beg you to help her."
981Please respect copyright.PENANAitLyMYAYbI
I gazed at Gee Kay and smiled. "Yeah. I want to help her." I said. I remembered what Brenda and I were talking about. It could be a good way to give Brenda a chance to get into her old habit of checking up on her brother. She really cared about him, only she barely had time to talk with him. I could help her here.981Please respect copyright.PENANAUM5ny5RoYU
981Please respect copyright.PENANAPOw4J6ebwi
He took out a laptop from his bag and opened it. I guessed it was set in sleep mode so that it was ready to use when he opened it. He opened the browser and then handed me the laptop.981Please respect copyright.PENANADuzciMzbq2
981Please respect copyright.PENANAA2rpXiRJz3
"Find an article or anything in Bahasa Indonesia and teach me how to pronounce every word written there." He told me.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAarcSQDNXxy
"Okay," I turned my gaze from him to the laptop. I remembered I had published some stories on a writing site, which were written in Bahasa Indonesia, so I showed him one with the title 'Motivator In My Heart'. "Here, let me teach you." He moved closer to me and looked into his laptop.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAaTHGE8bDjC
I told him the basic rule of how to pronounce Indonesian words. He seemed to understand. I read the story phrase by phrase and let him repeat it back to me. He sounded really funny at first. The way he pronounced every word he read was still the English way. I understood because it was his first time. Sometimes he laughed at himself when he was having difficulty pronouncing some words. I told him it was okay because he would get better as he practiced more.
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We spent about two hours there, only reading the story. Gee Kay was getting better and better. I even let him read the story by himself because he was already so used to reading Indonesian words by then.981Please respect copyright.PENANAGZ00kc1FRV
981Please respect copyright.PENANAxZnOxTDjfx
"I'm tired." He sighed.
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I chuckled. "Well, I know how you feel. We can stop it and continue later. I've experienced it too when learning English for the first time," I told him.981Please respect copyright.PENANA7U1YRvuRKP
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"You have?"
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I nodded.
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"So tell me, when was the first time you learned to speak English?" He wanted to know.
981Please respect copyright.PENANA5y1vqMsJW6
I hummed and smiled. "Well, it was when I was five years old. Mom taught me some expressions in English. My parents also bought me songs and cartoon movies in English. When I was six or so, they stopped teaching me. However I had fallen in love with English. Therefore I started learning it deeper and deeper until now," I finished my long story.
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"Interesting. That's why you speak English very well," he complimented. "If you had not told me that you were Indonesian, I would have thought that you were originally from here."
981Please respect copyright.PENANAxQ7KukB7Do
"Thank you," I gave him a smile and he smiled back.
981Please respect copyright.PENANA0cTSNoaYPL
I handed Gee Kay his laptop back and he shut it down. Then he placed it back in his bag. Meanwhile, I didn't do anything but just look around until I felt a touch on my upper arm.
981Please respect copyright.PENANA4YbLyEwZZr
"Do you feel hungry? Because I do." He said as if he wasn't going to let me respond.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAa0aqXh1Fcs
"Not really, but if you ask me to go with you I'll go,"
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"Good. Let's go,"
981Please respect copyright.PENANAzO1rtVbgbX
Gee Kay drove me back to my residence after I accompanied him for late lunch since it was four in the afternoon. When I entered my room, Julie and Cassie looked surprised but then hit me up with tons of questions like how I met him, when I had met him, how long I had been with him, what I did with him, and some other questions which I couldn't remember. I was too tired and told them that I would answer all their questions tomorrow. I got some clothes from my dresser and headed to the bathroom. After taking a nice, long bath, I lay on the bed, closed my eyes, and fell asleep.
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Something vibrated next to my head. My eyes were hard to open. My hand wandered to get the cell phone. I didn't remember putting it there. Still in my position lying on the bed, I tried to see who the call was from. It was a call from Indonesia!
981Please respect copyright.PENANACDR8eMgKeC
I got up from the bed. It was Mom! I hurried outside the room because I didn't want to wake Cassie and Julie up by answering the call.
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"Halo Mama," I greeted her. Finally I had gotten a call from her. I was really glad even though I was so sleepy. I tried to sound as steady as I could. I didn't want her to worry about the time.981Please respect copyright.PENANAQVheVddzcF
981Please respect copyright.PENANArKuGxya9Li
She asked me how I felt being there and I told her many things. I told her I got two great roommates, a wonderful church, had a fun time on campus, and everything else. She sounded so happy in response to my story. Dad also talked with me. I told him the same things I had told Mom. I didn't mind repeating what I'd said. My sister, Sally, followed after them, and I assumed that she stole the phone from Dad to speak with me. She asked me if I got something interesting in my new place. She also begged me to introduce her to my friends. I promised her I would. Mom took over the phone again and told me to be careful and wise in everything. One thing she emphasized was that I had to let God intervene in everything I did. She, Dad, and Sally said good bye. I did the same and then hung up the phone.
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I looked at the clock hung on the wall in front of my room. It was 11 P.M. The day hadn't changed yet.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAW2kUQTSKyh
When I was about to enter my room, I felt a little bit sore in my throat. I decided to head toward the kitchen and took a glass and a jar of water. I put them on the table and sat in one of the chairs beside it. I poured water into the glass until it was full and drank it. While drinking, I unlocked my cell phone to check if there was anything important. I had a new message which was received three hours ago. It was from Kiarra.
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"Why did she text me? How did she have my number? Did she ask Gina to give it to her?" I mumbled those questions without opening the message.981Please respect copyright.PENANA9075vBx0le
981Please respect copyright.PENANAKIxhUkMLcL
Then I opened her message and read it. She told me that Brenda needed my help. Then I realized I hadn't seen Brenda's script.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAb6NCDmy2nS
"Oh, no. I should have been awake and not asleep," I regretted falling asleep. "But why did Kiarra text me if it was Brenda who needed my help?"
981Please respect copyright.PENANA2Emr1nOEsV
I called Kiarra right away. After two rings, she answered the phone.
981Please respect copyright.PENANA4cUwbr9DLZ
"Are you still awake?"
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"Yeah."
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"Sorry, I was sleeping and didn't know you texted me." I told her.
981Please respect copyright.PENANA3G5QN9qzEu
"It's fine with me, but Brenda needs you. She said Gee Kay was in the hospital and---"
981Please respect copyright.PENANArRzLNyNF0g
"What?" I interrupted. "Okay, just give me Brenda's number."
981Please respect copyright.PENANALtnlEQFLZj
"Okay, okay. I'll text you her number."
981Please respect copyright.PENANASAFx5wpE3Q
"Thanks Kiarra."
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"You're welcome." She ended the call.
981Please respect copyright.PENANA3eIYF7XLK9
Within a minute, Kiarra sent me Brenda's number. I called her right away. "Brenda, are you in the hospital?"
981Please respect copyright.PENANAz0617CEgCc
"Y..yes." She stuttered. She sounded like she was crying.
981Please respect copyright.PENANABPonzl6rEh
"Brenda, Kiarra told me,"
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"Just come here now, please," She said before I finished my utterance. "Please."
981Please respect copyright.PENANA0vCSz0S9Ek
"Okay, okay," I tried to calm her down. "Just tell me where you are."
981Please respect copyright.PENANACwdRzzPwEJ
"I'm at Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center."
981Please respect copyright.PENANAMu8dyNjtDf
"Ok, I'll be there soon,"
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I needed to go to the medical center as I had promised. However there was a problem. I didn't have a car. Well, I could borrow Cassie's because I could drive but I didn't know the way to get there. Plus, I didn't have international driving license and I didn't want to cause any problem. The only way was to call for a taxi.
981Please respect copyright.PENANABrj8Tv7hua
I remembered seeing a phone book on the desk beside the TV. I went over there and took it. I looked for the taxi's number and ordered one to meet me at Argenta Hall. Then I entered my room, got dressed and put everything I would need into my purse.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAwlBayFXoHj
Without waking Cassie and Julie, I left the room. I walked down the stairs and headed to the door. When I was about to open the door, I heard some people laughing about something. What was said by one of them caught my attention. It was a girl's voice. She said that "Genesis deserved it". "It", what? I assumed that something had happened to Genesis, but I didn't know. Whatever it was, they seemed to be happy about it.981Please respect copyright.PENANAS9BGdWp0Od
981Please respect copyright.PENANALTEONFDXTq
When a taxi showed up in front of the door, I knew it was for me. I put aside all the talk about Genesis, who I didn't know at all. I got into the taxi and the driver asked me where to go. I told him to head to Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center. He was a little bit annoyed. I didn't know what the reason was but then we left for the hospital.
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In only less than five minutes, I arrived in Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center. It might be the reason why the driver looked a bit annoyed because I could've walked rather than using a taxi. However, I ignored it and asked him how much I owed him, he mentioned it and got out from the taxi after I paid him. Then I walked up and entered the building. There, right in front of me, was the receptionist. I approached her and asked for someone named Gee Kay. She told me there was nobody with the name Gee Kay. I asked her to recheck but she still didn't find Gee Kay's name. I had no other choice but to call Brenda and make sure I was in the right place.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAiXaSCWNMqs
"I.. I'll go get y..you," She hung up the call.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAY4zp8XVnCi
I was still standing in front of the receptionist when Brenda appeared. She took me by the hand and led me to a place which wasn't far from where I'd been. We sat down on a bench and she started crying. Again, I guess. Her eyes were swollen.981Please respect copyright.PENANAeA0HMrw923
981Please respect copyright.PENANAvFB2dO2Dx8
"What happened to Gee Kay?" I asked.
981Please respect copyright.PENANA0fZOIegXAS
She tried to stop crying and managed her breath. "An unknown driver hit him this evening," She said.
981Please respect copyright.PENANApxvpImpahU
"Gee Kay will be fine, Brenda," I patted her on the back. "God surely protects him."
981Please respect copyright.PENANASKQGvhkSL4
It was almost eleven thirty at night and that was the first time I had been awake outside the house without my family. Back there in Indonesia, my family was always with me whenever I went. However, this time I was with somebody who wasn't my family. I barely even knew her. I had just met her a couple of days ago.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAzfSDjUoCVa
What made my mind start to wander was that she had other people to ask to accompany her but she chose me. Why would she want me to be with her in her time of need? Didn't she have family or close friends? It wasn't that I didn't want to accompany her, but it was just strange to me.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAUEVxawkj3B
We had been waiting for forty minutes, which meant a quarter to midnight, when a doctor, who I assumed was taking care of Gee Kay, came out of the emergency room. Brenda and I got up from the bench we were sitting on.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAU15Mp8fs7Q
"He's fine. There's no broken bone, but his leg and right hand are swollen. He needs about a month to get some rest and some time to heal," The doctor informed us, which made us feel relieved, especially Brenda. I believed she was really grateful because her brother didn't get anything severe. "He should stay here for a week, and then he can get some rest at home."
981Please respect copyright.PENANA0PQbcuMhdI
"Okay. Thank you doc," Brenda said. "Can we meet him now?"
981Please respect copyright.PENANAdUeFRpK7TM
The doctor shook his head. "Not until tomorrow," The doctor forbade. "Please be patient, okay?"
981Please respect copyright.PENANAl2fAdd92Mv
Brenda nodded and the doctor left us.
981Please respect copyright.PENANAvm8q0yYDZN
"So, will you stay the night here or go back to your residence?" I asked, remembering Gee Kay told me that he was originally from California and not Nevada. That meant Brenda also lived in one of residences of the University of Nevada.981Please respect copyright.PENANAhjWxVenXkZ
981Please respect copyright.PENANAJksbnlOSbC
"I'll be here," she told me. "But you can go back to your residence. I know you'll have class tomorrow. You shouldn't skip it."
981Please respect copyright.PENANAY73KwmLPZC
I nodded. She's right. I couldn't skip my classes because I was on a full scholarship from the University of Nevada. "Okay. I'll be back here by ten in the morning. I only have one class tomorrow."
981Please respect copyright.PENANAFDEMGwWTz2
She nodded. I left her there and waved. I got out from the hospital and called for another taxi, then I found myself back at Argenta Hall.981Please respect copyright.PENANAsrN0dQgqxZ
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