~~~~
School had ended and it was time to leave. She had been waiting for the driver to come but he hadn't shown up. Slowly most of the students had left the building. She felt her phone buzz and she reached for her pocket.
"Sorry young miss. Due to traffic it'll take me some time to get there. I'll notify you when I arrive."
She looked at the text and sighed. Now what?
She looked at the building. It was sure to be empty now so she might as well walk around. She made her way into the building but as she turned the corner she bumped straight into Li Yan.
Li Yan has been to preoccupied by her phone and had been walking while texting. Upon collision, she dropped her phone.
"Watch where you're going!" She yelled. After checking to see if her phone was ok She looked up and upon realizing it was Li Hua she snickered.
"Oh. It's you. No surprise. I thought you at least would've learned some manners."
This was Li Yan. She never missed the opportunity to put her down and embarrass her. She had done it countless of times in front of their parents and friends. Here she was doing it again.
"Apologize."
Behind her, her two friend began to laugh. Hearing this, Li Yans attitude took a big boost. Usually Li Hua would comply and say she was sorry multiple times however this time she stood there silently.
"Hello? Did you not hear me. I said apologize. Even dogs know how to sit when told"
At this point Li Hua face had turned red and her eyes stung. Why was she the one who had to apologize when it was clearly Li Yans fault.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
"What? Can you speak up I didn't hear you."
"I'm sorry." Li Hua exclaimed. She looked up at Li Yan whose proud face was the only thing evident.
"That's better." She leaned in and patted her shoulder. "See you at home. Sis." The last word emphasized.
Li Yan and her friends turned around and walked away laughing obnoxiously. Li Hua stared at their backs and cursed at them.
"One day. It'll be different."
She's rather be anywhere then here so she walked out the school and walked along the trail behind it until she found the new garden.
It was more grand then the one she had spent her days. It had a fountain and an arch made of flowers. She found a bench and sat down.
The events of the day all came back to her. She was drowning in sorrow when she felt something wet on her shoulder. All of a sudden rain started pouring down.
She had the urge to leave but found herself staying. As the cold of the rain drenched her, she began to cry. She couldn't remember the last time she had fully cried. She was supposed to be this emotionless shell but instead she was the opposite. All her bottled up feelings poured out of her.
Where was her door? Her alternate reality? Why was everything so against her. As she lamented, words rang out in her mind.
"There's a whole world out there, surely she hasn't seen it all."
That was what Su LingTian had said to her days ago. Thinking about him, her mind became more of a mess.
How could she have been so stupid. To think someone like him would actually like someone like her. As she felt the chill on her skin she was reminded of how he gave her his jacket when it was cold. How only hours ago she could feel the heat of his breath on her face.
As the rain poured down harder so did her tears. It might've been an hour later when she heard the ding of her phone.
"I'm here at the gate young mistress." The rain was still pouring but she didn't care at this point. She got up and walked slowly to the car.
Upon arriving home Xua Rong almost had a heart attack.
"Whats gotten in to you!"
"I thought I taught you better then that. You don't even have a jacket."
As she was yelling at her, she noticed the expression on her face. Realizing something was off she calmed down and hugged Li Hua. Wet and all.
Feeling her embrace, She collapsed in her embrace.
"I'm sorry." Li Hua whispered.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'll go have some soup made for you. Go run a bath."
She made her way upstairs. As she passed the dining room she saw Li Yan with her father and mother. They had been laughing and having a good time.
She stood there for a while, watching them through the doors crack. The scene was so warm and full of love. She turned away and continued to walk to her room. That wasn't meant for her and she knew that longing for it would only hurt her.
~~~~
Li Hua awoke the next morning to a surprise.
"Achoo!"
'You've got to be kidding me.'