And I couldn’t even convince myself that he had sneaked off to a majestic kingdom with
gummy bears as servants and candy canes as bedposts and marshmallows as pillows, because,
well, why on Earth would he take his aunt and uncle with him?
Besides, he had left without me.
I grew up alone. I had a best friend, of course. Her name was Esenjin, she was bubbly,
cheerful, and never replaced him as my best friend.
Mother and Father were worried about me. I was quiet, never speaking unless asked a
question, and I certainly wasn’t lively. But they never tried to track him down.
Seven years passed. I thought I saw him in the village once, but it was just Esenjin’s brother.
Esenjin’s brother bore a strange resemblance to him.
Another year went by. School was dull, Esenjin was caught up with her new boyfriend, and I
was alone.
I collapsed onto my bed. I should be going for my daily walk now.
The cold air hit my face as soon as I stepped out of my house. I shivered and pulled my coat
closer to myself, wishing that the Gobi Desert wasn’t so cold.
Suddenly, Esenjin appeared by my side, thankfully without her boyfriend.
“Hey!” She smiled and socked me in the shoulder.
“Ow! Hey, lay off me!” I grinned, but it all felt fake. I should be doing this with him, not Esenjin.
We fell silent after exchanging the basic greetings. I looked at the ground as we walked, while
Esenjin looked straight ahead and steered me as necessary so I wouldn’t bump into solid objects
that might cause me to get a concussion.
“Ooh, look, Alagh! There’s a hottie!” Esenjin suddenly grabbed my arm and pointed
towards someone.
I looked up from the pavements reluctantly. A few meters away from us, looking at a patch of
blue flowers, was a boy with dark hair and dark eyes.
“Your eyes are so dark,” I drawled, laughing. “It’s so creepy!”
He laughed as well. “And your eyes are so bluuuue!” he replied, in imitation of me. “They’re
actually really pretty.”
I beamed at the compliment. “Thanks. And your eyes actually aren’t creepy. They’re pretty.”
“No, they’re not. They’re ugly and plain.”
“No, they aren’t! They’re nice and warm!”
He grinned. “Thanks, Ala. You always make me feel better.”
“Come on, Esenjin,” I said flatly, pulling her in the other direction. “Let’s go.”
Esenjin smirked as we walked away. “Nervous?”
I laughed dryly. “You bet.”
The doorbell rang. Groaning, I rolled out of bed and contemplated rolling to the door, but
decided it would be too ridiculous and instead walked to the door. Composing myself, I slowly
opened the door.
And slammed it shut again.
The doorbell rang again. I wrenched it open.
“What on Earth are you doing here?” I shrieked.
He stumbled backwards, startled. “Um… do you mean in the village or outside your house?”
“Within ten yards of me,” I snarled. “What right do you think you have to prance in and out
of my life? You abandoned me years ago and you expect me to welcome you with open arms after
