Chapter 16: 10 | The Traitor

RJ

Feb 15, 2014, Saturday.

Working while being a full-time student is tiring as fuck. How the hell did Chloe even survive all these months? But the more I think about it, the more I want to work. If Chloe has to keep doing this, I have to as well.

I rub my eyes as I make my way to the agreed rendezvous with Jon. Ever since I left home, I have not spoken to nor hung out with him outside of school, which is weird for us. So when he sends me a message asking to meet, I agree to it immediately, despite needing to leave Chloe and her friends.

Chloe. My heart flutters in my chest.

I have only ever seen her in either the school uniform or her skimpy server outfit, but she was especially cute in her regular clothes and no makeup face. She didn't need to constantly pull down her dress as it rode up her legs, or pull up her top to cover her cleavage. Her movements are freer, her expressions more relaxed, and her smile is wider and, somehow, a lot sweeter.

A small smile tugs at my lips, just in time for Jon to catch sight of me and call me over.

"Hey," I say as I jog over. The sun is almost setting, and the pavilion Jon is at is secluded. "How's it going? How's your parents and everything?"

Jon waves at me, but he raises his eyebrows and addresses a topic he seems to find more important. "Why are you smiling like that sia?"

"Like what? Why, I cannot be happy meeting you ah?"

This time, it is Jon's turn to smile. "Haven't seen lovesick RJ in a while leh. Who's the lucky girl?"

I roll my eyes. "Shut up lah." Stuffing my hands into my pockets, I lean against the pillar next to him. "Were your parents super angry, by the way?"

"A little bit." Jon sighs. "They apparently made a bunch of business decisions thinking our companies would merge one day. Stupid lah."

"Oh, my parents did the same thing too." I tilt my head and give him a small smirk. "I guess we're way too compatible lah. They all fell for it so hard."

He snorts. "I wish. Anyway, I was grounded for a week lor. But that's over now, so we can hang out again if you want."

"One week only? They're not angry anymore?"

"Yeah, I mean, I promised not to lie to them anymore lor and also to not get into any more relationships until after A levels. And I guess that is enough to satisfy them."

"Wow." I cannot help but let out a dry laugh. "That's so reasonable lor."

Jon glances at me. "I'm guessing your parents were a lot more unreasonable?"

"Of course lah. You know them."

"Yeah." He lowers his gaze. "I'm sorry, RJ. So you're staying over with Logan now?"

"Yep. In his stupid ass anime room."

Jon tries to hide his laughter as a cough but fails. "Oh my god, yeah, his manga collection is crazy. But it's good lah, you're gonna be so safe. No one in his family even wants to go near that room."

"Can't blame them."

We spend a few moments laughing at Logan's ridiculousness before Jon regards me with a worried look.

"Other than that, how are you surviving?" he asks, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

I force a smile, but I know my expression must have fallen. "Okay lor. My parents cut my credit cards and bank accounts, so now I'm taking up some more teaching jobs to earn money. Tutoring, writing essays for other people, things like that lor. It's tiring as fuck lah."

I can go on with my rant forever, but I choose to stop. Jon's brows are already knotted together, and I don't want him to get too stressed out over my situation.

"That sucks," he says. "Hey, if it's too much, you know you can always come to me for help, right?"

"Nah, don't worry about me lah. I got it settled," I dismiss. Jon's parents are nicer than mine, but I still don't want him to get into further trouble. "But anyway, what is it that you want to talk about ah?"

Jon's face contorts, as though he just swallowed a lemon. "Oh, well, uh..." He shifts the weight on his feet. "So like, about how our parents found out about us..."

My back straightens. "You found out who the fucking snitch is? Who?"

Jon lifts his hands up. "It's partly my fault, so please, please, don't be too mad at her hor, RJ..."

"What? What do you mean?" From the corner of my eye, I catch a figure approaching the pavilion from behind the pillar. My frown deepens. "Huimin? What are you doing here?"

The black-haired girl steps forward tentatively. Jon inches near her, his hands still in the air, as though he was prepared to separate the two of us. My eyebrows twitch and dread knots in my gut. Do we need to be separated?

"RJ, I'm- I'm sorry..." Huimin pulls at the hem of her shirt. Her eyes are swollen and teary. "It was me... I- I was the one who told your mother... a- about... everything..."

My mind turns blank with rage.

"What?" I bellow, my withering glare darting between my two nervous friends. "Why the fuck did you do that? And everything? How do you even know? How does she even know, Jon?"

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But the more I stare at them, the more I understand. The way they are glancing at one another, the way their faces grimace in shame, the way they slowly gravitate towards each other...

"What the fuck, Jon, do you like her?"

"Uh, well..." Jon mumbles as he stares at the ground. "Sorry lah, RJ, I was trying to convince Huimin that you weren't a threat, and I thought I could trust..."

He trails off at that last word and I groan out loud. I should have known. I really should have. Jon is a good and trustworthy person in general, but he is especially weak when it comes to girls, particularly girls he likes. Or worse, girls who like him and swoon over him. The fiasco with his ex proved that.

Turning to Huimin instead, I snap, "And why the fuck did you tell my mother?"

The tears welling up in Huimin's eyes stream down her face at my outburst. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, RJ... It's just... we hooked up at the New Year party and he- he wanted to keep seeing me afterwards, even though he was in a relationship with you, and I just... I like him a lot, but I couldn't do it lah. I don't want to be the side chick sia! And so, when he finally told me the truth, I... I was so angry lah. I didn't like that I had to sneak around with him, while everyone thinks he's dating you, and he keeps refusing to break up with you and date me properly..." She buries her head into her hands. "I don't know what I was thinking, I- I thought... I thought I could force him to finally break it off with you by doing this..."

"So you go to my mother?" I squeeze my eyes shut as I try to calm myself. "You fucking hear me complain about her all the time!"

"I thought you were exaggerating about your parents this whole time mah!" Huimin exclaims, but her voice is muffled by her cries. "I didn't think... I never thought it would turn out like this... I didn't mean for it to be like this..."

My eyes open back up to see Jon placing his hand on Huimin's shoulders awkwardly. I want to explode. I want to scream at Huimin for stupidly falling in love, I want to scream at Jon for trusting an outsider too much, I want to blame them for allowing this to happen and ruining everything Jon and I planned, but I can't.

Because I'm making the same mistakes with Chloe.

"Thank you ah, Huimin, thank you so much," I snap. "You wanted to be Jon's girlfriend, but now you made it so Jon is not allowed to be with anybody. You happy now?"

Huimin breaks down even more as she splutters out more apologies. Jon pulls her closer, his expression filled with shame and regret.

"Don't rage leh, RJ," he says quietly. "She won't do it again lah..."

I shift my glare towards him. "So what if she won't do it again? The damage is fucking done!"

Jon flinches. "I'm sorry, RJ."

"Yeah I know you're fucking sorry, but what the fuck do you expect me to do now? Like, fuck, the two of you just screwed everything up!" I yell, throwing my hands up in frustration. "Huimin, I trusted you as a friend! And Jon, you fucking lectured me about covering up my tracks better, and then you go and tell Huimin about our secret? I thought I could at least depend on you!"

"You still can," he insists.

"Oh yeah? How? I ran away from home because of this leh! You got away with just a slap on the hand! I was forced to come out to my traditional-ass parents leh! I can't even pretend anymore! And do you think you're the only person with someone that you want to be with? Me too, fuck! But now there's a chance my mother might even find out about her, with all you fucking snitches in my life lah! God knows what that woman will do if she ever finds out about her!"

Sympathy flashes across Jon's eyes, and it enrages me more.

"RJ, I'm so, so sorry," he says frantically. "I swear, I'll help you in any way I can, okay? We both will. All of us will."

But I am no longer listening. My heart is beating against my eardrums, and all I hear is anger. Bitter anger. I don't know if I can trust them anymore. I don't know if I can trust anyone anymore.

"Just stay the fuck out of my life, okay? Good luck with your... relationship or whatever it is you two are doing lah," I spit, before spinning on my heel and storming back to the bus stop.

Stupid Jon and his stupid easily won-over ass. And Huimin's betrayal stabs me in the heart as well. I thought I knew her, but I guess I was wrong.

My phone buzzes. It's Chloe. Just seeing her name calms me down a notch.

Chloe: Ahhh RJ why did you leave so soon?

Chloe: Hehe right after you left, we got stumped by a physics paper sia

Chloe: Emma and Adrian still arguing over the answer xD

I feel a smile creep back up my face. Her messages are enough to dissipate all the anger inside me.

RJ: I'm coming over to Tropics now

RJ: I'll teach you

Chloe: You sure? It's so late

RJ: Ofc

RJ: See you there

Chloe: Okayyy

Chloe: I'm also heading over there now tooooo

Chloe: See you!! :)))))

I slip the phone into my pocket and make my way back to Chloe.

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