Dinner Tonight?

Though everyone was supposed to spend Christmas with their families, my dad convinced everyone that they were going to be with us on Christmas day and they both agreed.

Christmas morning, everyone was excited but me.

I don’t enjoy those gatherings where they’ll ask for a firstborn to deliver some speeches: it’s just I am not that social.

Taylor and Cory were helping mum and others in the kitchen, I and Dad were finishing some decorations, While Brittney was playing with Billy.

After a few moments, everything was ready, and the party began. As usual, it was my turn to deliver a speech, and I did well as it was a kinda family tradition.

Through the process, Taylor stared at me very attentively like she was interested in everything I was saying. The party ended and everyone went to their respective places.

We hung out very often, and I went to her house to visit her and she came back to mine too.

««There’s a very notable distinction between my room and hers, though! See, In her room, everything is arranged in such a way that you can think that she has nothing at all because of all the space in her room. Everything is arranged neatly!

My room? Ha! It’s a mess, I just find it comfortable for me to find everything I need when they’re not arranged neatly, plus Nobody gets in my room actually.»» That’s what I wrote in my diary about that holiday.

When we returned to school, Taylor was my best friend, and being best friends with “a Head girl” is such a Security, and from that moment on, none ever tried bullying.

In our friendship, we hung out almost everywhere. In the Restaurant, in the gym, swimming, and in the basketball playground, everywhere she was, I was present. We even gave each other nicknames! She called me “Davis” from Dave and I named her “T” as in Taylor, not from Tea :)

After the third semester, I was familiar with almost all of my classmates, and Rumors said that I and Taylor were dating! Frankly, when I heard that, I’d act like nothing happened, but deep down, I’d be like “I wish it could happen” I loved hearing that because I had a crush on her.

She was so beautiful indeed.

We continued being “Just Friends" for the next 3 academic years until it was time for Selecting Universities we wish to join after the National examinations.

We had a conversation full of humor:

“Hey T, what are you going to pursue in University?” I asked,

"Um, Culinary arts!”

“Whoa! It’s a joke, right? “

“haha! of course, it is “

“Okay, seriously what are you going to select?”

“I’m going to take Biomedical Engineering”

“Wow! That sounds interesting!”

“yeah sure. What about you?”

“Aerospace Engineering”

“Looks like we have Another Steven Hawking!”

“ha! Stop it.”

Thereupon National examination Results, we both passed with excellent marks each! She had 67/73, and I had 64/73. That granted both of us scholarships in national university.

We had two months of Détente (kinda short Holiday with the length like recess time! Well, not that short but well, you get the idea;)) to prepare ourselves to join higher learning institutes and to find required documents, too.

Because we lived in the same province, most of the time we went to sign papers to the province headquarters together.

It was Saturday morning; the sun rose earlier than normal. On that day I had an appointment with Taylor to go bring the last papers, that’s when I decided to ask her out.

I wanted to make a difference so that it’d be so Remarkable. I wrote a paper that looked like an official document we were seeking for. I managed to mimic the emblem and logos of the University she was joining. On the title, I wrote in big visible, bold letters.

“LIVING ALLOWANCE AGREEMENTS’

In the body, I wrote long meaningless texts and in the center; I wrote in big, visible, bold letters.

“DINNER TONIGHT? AGREED. @ CAMELLIA 14h30 SHARP! “and filled out the rest of the paper with other jumbled texts and signed. I handed her the document, claiming that it’s her contract to sign, and watched her fall into my trap!

She skimmed through the paper and suddenly her face looked like that moment when you’re struck with Super bright light in your eyes, that you kinda back off a little to focus on what you’re seeing.

She was Bedazzled in awe by saying “Really?” She thought it was some kind of prank or something.

I Said “Yeah for real!”

Taylor looked at me again directly in my eyes, still don’t believing that Iwas only serious, but when she realized I was serious, she was again perplexed by my charm wit at the moment!

“Um, Dave looks, exactly at that time, I have to visit my grandparents. So I can’t make it, I’m sorry “

She said, looking down.

I knew that those were excuses because her grandparents lived in another province, approximately 7 hours drive one-way, and she never spent a night anywhere but at her parent’s! So there was no way she can go there.

In my mind, I started to realize that I was being friendzoned at that moment, but I believed in her, so I fought away those thoughts as soon as possible.

After long awkward moments of silence, none talking but staring at each other’s eyes, a flash of dazzling headlights struck me in my eyes. It was the Governor’s SUV honking at us because we were standing in the parking in front of his car.

He broke the silence, and I quickly got out of his way to let him pass.

After he left, we continued to stand there nontalkingly but thinking.

“Davis, Davis..... Davis?” she called me, staring at my eyes

“oh... Hi! Um, I.... Yes sir?” I answered, stammering.

“You okay?” she asked, seeming to be dazed

“Pshaw! Of course, I am... Hahaha!” I answered tryna to be as calm as I can.

Inside I was thinking about how we’re going to continue to be “Just Friends” which was impossible of course!

There’s an old parable about that, that says “In no matter the condition, EXs can’t be «Just Friends»” (But you do realize that I invented that proverb, right? :) )

We were still holding papers in our hands, and she had that Fake Agreement in her hands. She slowly folded the paper and put it in her purse, and then she approached me, and she kissed me on the cheeks and waving at the Taxi simultaneously.

Saying," Bye Davis, See you Monday"

“Whoa! That’s sweet. Bye!“ I mumbled softly that she can’t even hear that.

After she left, I took an Uber on the way home. Inside the car, I kept thinking about how she denied my proposal, and she kissed me for the first time!

I was like: is that Judah’s kiss?

I was drowned in my thoughts that I nearly passed home, but fortunately, the driver was my friend so he stopped by the gates of home. I paid him and tipped him and he left.