So short yet so long

"Don't speed! Go slow! Don't speed!"

"It's at only 40(km/hour)!" ~Tze Horng

"It's okay! He can drive!" ~ Wen Lian

"Be CAREFUL!" ~ Melissa

"Calm down, Melissa!!" ~ Me

My, her past experience with her cousin at the wheel must have been so traumatizing as to doubt Tze Horng's driving abilities. Squirming along the way, her panic mode switched on and off, flickering like a lamp with a faulty bulb. In other words, the four of us were giggling all the way to Physics tuition.

"I KNOW the way."

"You know what? Why don't you close your eyes? We'll be there soon enough."

"Right now, I don't even know if we're going to REACH there..."

The day had, at first, weighed down on me --- a tinge of confusion, loads of anxiety---but I would be lying if I said I didn't feel happy, even if just for some instances. The Merdeka Day Celebration and Hari Kecemerlangan Kokurikulum had my emotions running high and low at the same time.

In the evening, a group of us gathered at Secret Recipe for Wen Lian's birthday. Which reminds me, Happy 17th Birthday, Wen Lian! I hope you liked the present and the card. The words within it were sincere and I truly appreciate this friendship, be it only kicking off last year.

With a single piece of cake specially for the birthday girl, Linston really had the cheek to attempt smearing that DURIAN flavoured cake onto her face. Thank goodness her eyes snapped open upon instinct before the creamy durian paste could get her. What was more, the next stop for us is Physics tuition!

The rain trickled as we made ourselves comfortable in Tze Horng's car. Well, maybe just Wen Lian and I. Melissa was jittery all the way. Who knows what kind of accidents her mind had weaved out?

I'll be frank. For someone who had just gotten his licence, no ounce of fear ran through my veins as I would have expected in a novice driver. After all, between the four of us, you were the expert---not bad!

Besides, the short journey seemed to extend with Melissa's every cry of concern, every laugh that hung with the atmosphere, stepping into the class a little late. And that moment now etched in my memory makes me smile.

"See, we're here."