Chapter 1: Slumber party

Valerie was waiting for her childhood friends Reyn and Priya. After all, it was Friday. Finally they were having girl's slumber party which was getting delayed forever. She needed one badly. She was really confused about her love life. She needed answers. Her boyfriend Ataa was not committing and holding back. Although nothing was said and heard between them, she felt it. That he was not fully committed. I think he doesn't love me the way I love him. I feel crazy about him.

Oh! I wish, I could foresee my future. Is he the one? My Soulmate! How much she was fussing over him all day. Thanks to Elijah, who could hear out everything she had to say. Poor Elijah had to console me crying over Ataa in cafeteria where everyone was staring at us. It looked to them as if Elijah is responsible for making me cry. But, it was Ataa. I wish I could make him feel the Passion I feel for him.

Her friends always felt that she and Elijah were soulmates. But they were just school buddies. How could she ever think of dating her childhood best friend? They were just best-friends who knew what the other one feels and how our minds work. We just care about each other too much and are just best-friends. I wish I could know who my soul-mate is?

Reyn was glad it's Friday. Finally, she will get to spend some time with her friends Valerie and Priya. She failed in her civil exams again. Her parents both are civil servants. She always felt it was easy for her and that she could make it easily. But it's not easy. My parents believed in me. They were not wrong. I scored well in all my school life and even secured rank many times. Life is so unpredictable. I wish, I knew it beforehand that it would be so challenging! I wish, I could know my future. Will I ever clear these bloody papers? I really want to be a civil servant like my parents. I don't want to disappoint them anymore.

Valerie and Priya both have finished college and started working. I guess they both are happy. They both have boy-friends. I can't afford a boy-friend distraction now. But I feel so jealous when I see them going on double dates. Though, I don't like Priya's Boyfriend Seth. He acts crazy sometimes. I guess they match well. Priya is crazy too. And I think I am being mean now. Valerie earned Jack-pot with Ataa. He is not only good-looking but also loaded. But Valerie, being Valerie; I doubt she will stick with Ataa for long. She has a knack of losing interest with all her boyfriends, if they are not like Elijah. I wonder, why she is not dating Elijah when all she wants is to turn her every boy-friend into Mini-Elijah.

Oh god! Please tell me I will be a civil servant one day or I stop everything and start enjoying my life like my friends.

Priya and Seth had a fight because she could not meet him tonight. She was having slumber party at Valerie's. Seth didn't mind at all that she was not coming with him to his Road trip to Georgia. She wished that he had at least asked her again. But he was happy with his Bully friends company. They are all crazy and she loves spending time with Seth and his friends. They all are quite chilled out in life. And she forgets about her loss when she is with them. Her mom passed away. She misses her so much. I wish I could see her and talk to her for once.

Anyway, If not Seth, I will have Priya and Valerie. How much I will love Reyn complaining about how her life is pathetic and everyone is enjoying their life and Valerie…well Valerie is Valerie. She will talk about her current boyfriend and her constant buddy Elijah. Though I wonder why she bothers to date, when she has Elijah with her. How hard she tries to change her boy-friends to act and be like Elijah! I guess she is just clueless about how much she loves Elijah and not others she is dating. I like Ataa though. He has been himself and is not intimated by Elijah. He never changed and started acting like Elijah just because Valerie wants him to. I think Ataa will last longer than we all hoped.

Ting Tong! Ting tong!

Valerie: Yes, I am coming.

Reyn: Hi Val, how are you? Missed you so much, finally, Slumber party! Where is Priya? Late again, as usual!

Valerie: Miss Reynalda. Let me answer or will you keep asking questions without listening to answers?

Reyn: Yeah, I know; was so excited to meet you. Having bad-time you see.

Valerie: I know about your results; its fine, Reyn. You know how difficult it is to crack those papers. Give your best again. Don't give up. You were a topper for god's sake. You always aced it. I know you can do it.

Ting-tong!

There she is! (chorus)

Valerie answers the door.

Priya: Hello Bimbo's!

Val & Reyn: Really! Let's have a group hug!

Priya: Cringe! Pleeeeeeeeeezee. Leave me out of this.

Valerie: I know you need this Pri. Don't hide it.

Priya: Ok. I miss my mom so much. It's been two weeks and it still feels she is with me. But I hate crying. So please stop confronting me and don't make me cry.

Reyn: Ok let's do something fun. I really want us to have some serious fun since I have been denying myself all these luxury and it's of no use. Because as you all know how I have failed again.

Priya: There she starts again. Wailing about how pathetic her life is.

Reyn: Don't act like I am not here

when you are talking about me.

Priya: I know you are here.

Valerie: Girls common chill. Let's start some music and dance while we paint our nails and have some pedi-mani.

Music starts.

Priya: I want to try black.

Valerie: You have tried it many times. Choose another.

Priya: Ok I wanna try this one. Turquoise.

Valerie: Fuchsia for me.

Reyn: You gals always decide what's best first and leave me with next best.

Priya: Reyn being Reyn as usual.

Reyn: I can hear you!!!!!!!!!!

Valerie: You can have fuchsia if you want. I will go Green. Stop it Priya. Be nice to Reyn.

Reyn: No, I think I want Green. You can have Fuchsia.

Priya: See, Reyn being so Reyn-like. Ha-ha.

Reyn: Stop it Pri…

Valerie: Stop it you gals. We are here to relax.

Reyn: Ok. I wish we could see future. I really want to know if I will be able to ever pass my civil service exams. I want to be a Grade 1 officer like my parents.

Valerie: I wish I could see future too.

Reyn: why you want to know future? Your life is set. Your interior decoration business is doing well. You have loaded gorgeous boyfriend. What else you want?

Priya: Reyn being Reyn again.

Reyn: I am being honest.

Priya: You are being jealous.

Valerie: Stop it Priya, don't be mean.

Priya: I am just telling things as they are. You know me Val.

Reyn: Yes, I am being jealous. So what? I feel terrible of feeling jealous of my best friends. But my life is pathetic. I don't have boyfriends because I am so hell bent on putting all my efforts in my career which I am failing. And instead of supporting me you are just being yourself. Is it?

Priya: You don't have to be so dramatic about everything. I know you have failed. So what? Suck it up and get over with it. You know very well that you are smartest among all three of us. And it's your priority, to give everything to your career and not enjoy life. So, why are you crying over your own choices?

Do you see me crying over my mom's loss or how my 9 to 5 job is difficult?

That's life Reyn.

Reyn: I know Pri. But I wish life would have been bit predictable. So I could plan when I could start dating at least.

Valerie: I wish to know who my soul-mate is. I really don't like the way Ataa makes me feel.

Reyn: Val, there you go again how Ataa is not Elijah.

Priya: Val, Seriously you should start dating Elijah and spare all the guys.

Reyn: Pri, Don't you think she tries to turn all her boy-friends into Elijah?

Priya: Yeah, absolutely.

Valerie: Stop it gals. Elijah is my best friend. I don't have feelings for him.

Priya: There she goes denying everything again.

Valerie: Honey, am serious.

Priya: Cringe… don't you honey me. Honey Reyn.

Reyn: lol, seriously Pri..

Valerie: I don't love Elijah.

Reyn & Priya (Teasing tone) Valerie loves Elijah.

Valerie: I wanna foresee my future so badly. I want to know who my soul-mate is.

Reyn: I wanna foresee my future too. Want to know when I will be Grade 1 officer like my parents.

Both of them to Priya: Priiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Earth to Pri!

Priya: Yeah, I wish I could see past. (A tear rolls down her eyes)

Both Valerie and Reyn surround Priya without hugging her. They know how uncomfortable she feels with hugging.

Hey you! Says Valerie

Are you ok?

Priya: I want to tell my mom, I love her and never meant to be mean to her. I was so rude to her. I never gave her enough time. I wish, I could talk to her, one last time.

Reyn: She is dead Priya. You can't talk to dead. Please understand that.

Valerie: Reyn please let me talk to her. (Warns Reyn with eyes to stop talking)

Priya: I know my mom is dead Reyn. Thanks.

Valerie: Priya, let's have something to eat. You wanna have ice-cream?

Priya: As if, Ice-cream would bring my dead mom back. Anyway give me Ice-cream. I can't say No to ice-cream.

Valerie and Reyn stares at Priya.

Priya laughs and says- I may be spending too much time with Reyn these days. I have been wailing like her about how pathetic my life is.

Reyn: Pri you can say whatever u like if it makes you feel better.

Priya: Grrrr….

Valerie thinks something and googles how to talk to dead.