Campus Courtyard - Afternoon
Wony sat on a bench, sighing dramatically for the fifth time in ten minutes. Her phone was in her hand, but she wasn't looking at it. She was staring at the distance with a pained expression.
Chima watched her from across the table. "Okay, what's wrong with her?"
Fatimah looked up from her book. "She's been like this all week."
Alice leaned in. "Wony? Are you okay? You look like someone stepped on your favorite heels."
Wony let out another dramatic sigh. "Zhao has been so busy lately. He barely has time for me anymore. I feel so... neglected."
Naila, who was half-asleep on the bench, mumbled. "Just call him."
"I can't just CALL him! That's not elegant!"
"Then what's elegant?"
Wony paused. "Fainting."
Everyone stared at her.
"Fainting?" Chima repeated. "You want to faint?"
"Yes. If I faint, he'll have to come running. He'll be so worried about me. He'll realize how much he's been neglecting me!"
Alice's eyes lit up. "Oh my god, that's GENIUS!"
"It's manipulative," Fatimah said flatly.
"It's ROMANTIC!"
"It's manipulative AND romantic," Wony said proudly. "The perfect combination."
Naila opened one eye. "But what if he doesn't come?"
Wony's confidence wavered. "He'll come. He has to come. I'm his girlfriend."
"And if he's really busy?"
"Then I'll just... stay fainted until he comes."
"Wony, that's not how fainting works," Fatimah said.
***
The Park - Later That Evening
Wony had somehow convinced Zhao to meet her at the park. He was running late, of course, because he was busy with his internship.
The four girls were hiding behind a bush, watching.
Chima checked her watch. "This is ridiculous. Why are we even here?"
"Because we need to make sure she doesn't actually hurt herself," Fatimah said.
Alice was already filming. "This is going to be EPIC!"
Naila was lying on the grass, staring at the sky. "I could be sleeping right now."
"Shh! He's coming!"
Zhao walked into the park, looking tired but handsome. He was still in his work clothes, his tie slightly loosened.
"Wony. Sorry I'm late. Work ran over—"
Wony clutched her chest dramatically. "Zhao... I'm so glad you came... I've been feeling so weak lately..."
Zhao's face filled with concern. "Weak? What's wrong?"
"I don't know... I just... I feel so dizzy all of a sudden..."
She wobbled and swayed. Then she collapsed onto the grass in the most elegant faint possible.
"WONY!" Zhao rushed to her side. "Are you okay?!"
Behind the Bush
Chima whispered. "She actually did it. I can't believe she actually did it."
Fatimah shook her head. "This is going to backfire."
Alice was grinning. "This is the best thing I've ever seen!"
Naila was still on the grass. "Can I go home now?"
"No!"85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CJXsFJ3Nc
Zhao was panicking. He was shaking Wony's shoulder gently.
"Wony, wake up! Please!"
Wony didn't move. She was committed to the act.
"I need to do something!" Zhao said frantically. "I need to—"
"STAND BACK!"
Everyone turned. Alice was running toward them, arms spread wide.
"I KNOW CPR! I CAN SAVE HER!"
Zhao blinked. "What?"
Alice dropped to her knees beside Wony. "I'LL PERFORM MOUTH-TO-MOUTH!"
Wony's eyes flew open.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqZHy1WhtP
Alice leaned in, puckering her lips.
"ALICE, NO!"
Wony scrambled backward, completely abandoning her faint.
"I'M FINE! I'M PERFECTLY FINE! I DON'T NEED MOUTH-TO-MOUTH!"
Alice pouted. "But I was going to save you!"
"YOU WERE GOING TO KISS ME!"
"It's mouth-to-mouth! It's medical!"
"IT'S NOT MEDICAL! IT'S WEIRD!"
Zhao looked between them, completely confused. "Wait... you're not fainted anymore?"
Wony froze. "I... uh..."
Chima, Fatimah, and Naila emerged from behind the bush.
Fatimah sighed. "Wony, you've been caught."
"CAUGHT?! I WASN'T FAKING!"
"Your eyes literally flew open the second Alice leaned in."
"That's... that's because I was scared!"
"Of what? Alice?"
"Yes! Alice is SCARY!"
Alice looked offended. "I'm not scary! I'm helpful!"
"YOU WERE GOING TO KISS ME!"85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCmBYKMD1p
Zhao was staring at Wony with a mixture of confusion and realization.
"Wony... did you fake fainting?"
Wony opened her mouth to deny it, but no words came out.
"I... I just wanted your attention," she finally admitted. "You've been so busy lately... I felt like you didn't care about me anymore..."
Zhao's expression softened. "Wony... I'm sorry I've been busy. But you don't have to fake fainting to get my attention."
"I know... I'm sorry..."
"You could have just told me."
"I... I didn't want to seem needy."
"So instead you pretended to be unconscious?"
"It seemed more dramatic!"
Zhao laughed. Despite everything, he laughed. "You're impossible, Wony."
"I know."
He pulled her into a hug. "Next time, just call me. Okay?"
"Okay."
Alice was still pouting. "So... no mouth-to-mouth?"
"NO, ALICE!"
***
They all sat on the grass together. Zhao had his arm around Wony. The others were scattered around.
Chima was shaking her head. "I can't believe you faked a faint."
"It's a classic move," Wony said defensively.
"It's a STUPID move."
"But it worked! Zhao came running, didn't he?"
"She has a point," Fatimah admitted.
Naila was lying on the grass again. "Can we go home now? I'm tired."
"You're always tired."
"I know. That's my brand."
Alice was reviewing her footage. "Okay, I got everything. The fake faint. The attempted mouth-to-mouth. The confession. This is GOLD."
Wony grabbed her phone. "ALICE! DELETE THAT!"
"NEVER!"
"I'LL DELETE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA!"
"YOU WOULDN'T!"
"TRY ME!"
Zhao watched them argue, then looked at Wony. "Are all your friends this chaotic?"
Wony looked at her friends.
"Yes," she said. "Yes, they are."
Zhao smiled. "I love it."
"Really?"
"Really. Your life is never boring."
Wony smiled. "That's true. It's never boring."
She leaned her head on his shoulder.
And somewhere in the distance, Alice's voice echoed: "I'M POSTING THIS ON INSTAGRAM!"85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhcCw2tKMA
And Wony didn't even care.
Because she had her friends. And she had Zhao.85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdknvkUo4T
and then Add to home screen.