"Hey Xia,
Just wanted to say sorry again. I realise that you are angry because I put myself in danger, but it really wasn't that dangerous. Not like I was bungee jumping or sky diving.
I even got a offer for a ride home, so it was perfectly safe.
Don't think that I am trying to escape responsibility by saying this, hardly that. I'm willing to take full responsibility for my actions, and will follow any punishment you decide to give me. Just, at least, talk to me.
If you want, I'll never go back there. I'll never go dancing. I'll stop dancing altogether. Just.....
Call me.
Or, I'll call you. Just pick up.
Yours, very sorry.
Chen."
Yu Chen read the letter again and sighed. It sounded so formal. Whatever. Chen folded it and thrust it in her pocket. Just as she was on the door, Yu Chen stopped.
She came back in, scribbled a note saying,
"Going for a run to Xia's. Will be back very soon. Don't worry."
She stuck it to the fridge and headed out.
Yu Chen ran all the way to Xia's bungalow and it helped her to clear her head. As she reached there, Chen stopped at the front gate.
She gazed at the yard with her hand on the gate. Had it really been just yesterday when Xia had been training here and had been teasing her so intimately? Felt like an era ago.
She sighed, opened the front gate and headed in.
Yu Chen crossed the yard with large strides and stood in fron of the main entrance. She rang the bell. No response. Yu Chen rang again and again.
She was about to slide the letter under the door and go home after half an hour, when Chen's ears caught a bark she knew so well. Yu Chen turned and she saw Oreo come into view as he came around the corner of the house.
Yu Chen shrieked with joy as Oreo came bounding towards her. He jumped into Chen's outstretched arms and she staggered a few steps due to the force. Though Oreo was not quite big yet, the force with which he jumped had taken her breath away.
Yu Chen giggled as Oreo barked with joy and licked her whole face. Finally, when he had calmed down a little and was enjoying the scratching Chen was doing under his ear, Yu Chen said, "Hello to you too Oreo. Say, where's Xia?"
Oreo barked once more and leaped down from her embrace. He started walking back in the direction from where he had come. After a few paces, Oreo turned around, seeing that Chen had not moved, barked once and then disappeared around the corner of the house.
Yu Chen recovered from her thoughts and ran after Oreo. As she rounded the corner of the house, Chen saw Oreo disappear from the dining room window.
She walked over and saw that the window, three feet from the ground, was open and Oreo was sitting inside wagging his tail, waiting to be appreciated for being a good boy.
Chen climbed the window with ease, rubbed Oreo's head, and headed upstairs. As she reached the landing, Oreo ran from behind her and began to scratch at Si Xia's bedroom door. Seeing his behaviour, Yu Chen was worried as negative thoughts started popping up in her mind.