Chasing Hearts

Nineteen

For my last week at school, I stopped trying altogether and I noticed that so had Reign. Where we were once the top students in our class, we had quickly become some of the last. Knowing about my transfer, my teachers didn't bother me, but Reign was hounded for not trying harder and even I thought it was a little ridiculous.

But he assured me that he knew what he was doing, and even with his grades, he would pass with flying colours. I didn't doubt that, since I tutored him myself and I saw how intelligent he was first-hand, but what was going to happen next semester? Would he continue to do well?

I still never got the chance to ask him what his plans were for the future. Now, every time I thought to ask, it seemed like such a depressing subject because there was a chance I wouldn't get to share in the future.

Until I left, I just wanted to live in the moment.

New Year's Day was fast approaching, and I didn't have a clue what I was going to do. I wanted to spend the night with Reign, but my mother was adamant that we leave the very next day and that I didn't go out for the night. Which meant I either convinced her or snuck out, one option of which was terrifying.

So, it looked like I was sneaking out.

"Is there anywhere here that would be good to watch the ball drop?" I asked Xiuying.

She wiggled her brows at me. "Why, do you want to bring Reign there?"

I pushed her teasingly. "So, what if I do?"

"Then he would probably know a better place than I would, you should ask him and maybe plan something together."

I didn't see that being likely. Reign liked to work in mysterious ways and was always surprising me. If I tried to talk to him about plans and he already had something planned, he wouldn't tell me and just say 'Don't worry about it', like always.

"I wouldn't worry about it, I'm sure he has something planned," she said, and it almost echoed my thoughts.

"How are you two so similar?" I muttered.

~*~

For the rest of the day, Reign said nothing to me about spending New Year together and I was getting worried that he had no plans to even celebrate because he knew I would be leaving not long after.

I still had yet to tell him I was leaving the day right after.

I wanted our last day together to be filled with nothing but good feelings and happy memories. I didn't want us to be tied down by what the future holds.

I chuckled when I thought that. I was so worried about my future when I came there, but now all I wanted to do was live in the moment. Reign really did show me what that was like without me even realizing it. Mostly because I knew I wanted to stay with him, and it didn't seem like the future held him in it.

"So, what are your plans for New Year?" Xiuying asked me at lunch.

"I'm not sure, I'll be leaving not long after, so I haven't been excited to celebrate."

She frowned. "Why don't you ask to spend it with Reign? I thought you were looking for places you guys could go."

"He hasn't said anything to me about spending it together, so I'm not sure he even wants to celebrate it."

"That's understandable. It was around this time that my aunt, his mother, fell ill. She barely made it through the year after that."

That made much more sense. Why was I thinking it had anything to do with me? I was so stupid.

"Maybe if you try and make it special, he will want to celebrate because it's with you," she suggested. She dug around in her pocket for a second then pulled out keys.

"Here, you can go to the shop after school and get some ideas."

"That's a good idea, thanks Ying."

She grinned. "If it would help you stay here, I would do a lot more."

"That means a lot, I appreciate it." I gave her a big hug and we said goodbye at the doors. As I walked to class I tried to think about what I could do to make this day a little more special for Reign.

I nearly stopped walking in the hallway when the perfect idea hit me. I rushed to class to make sure I wrote everything down and didn't forget. I was going to make sure this was a night he never forgot but for good reasons this time.

~*~

I made sure that Reign didn't catch on to what I was doing, and I asked Ying to make sure he was out of the shop after school. She said she had the perfect idea and to not worry about it. Once class was out, I said I had something to do first and would see Reign later, then rushed out before he had a chance to catch on.

I went to the shop and got to work. I set up lights all around the workshop and cleared the tarps from the ground. I used some of his materials to make a paper mâché ball and stuck it on a string and pullet system in the middle of the room.

I then quickly went out and bought snacks and food for the night, as well as a little cat treats for Luna to celebrate as well.

Once everything was set up, I took a step back and admired my work before I closed the door and headed home. I texted Reign along the way to come and meet me at the same place by my balcony later tonight so we could go out. He didn't hesitate to respond that he would be there.

I found myself smiling like a silly schoolgirl at my phone and quickly wiped it off my face before anyone else saw how ridiculous I looked.

"Ma Ri, there you are. I'll be going out tonight, I have a meeting while I'm here in the country. Stay here and be good, understood?" my mother said as soon as I walked in.

What a blessing that was. Maybe I didn't need to jump from my balcony again after all. I had a feeling it wasn't a meeting she was going to but was rather going out to celebrate and probably hook up with some random innocent, while her soon-to-be husband is away.

I felt disgusted by my mother. It's a wonder I turned out normal.