“Dad?What are you doing?”I asked, a sense of concern washing over me.His expression was tense, and my heart sank—I could tell he was upset and that it was about something serious.
“I'm just seeing what I could do about this,” he said, shifting his focus to the terrace door.
“What do you mean?”I approached cautiously.He took a deep breath.
“You see, today I felt like a complete fool when a patient of mine told me she saw a boy climbing your terrace,” he said, pausing while I involuntarily gasped.I didn't know how to defend myself; I couldn't deny it.How did people know everything?Unbelievable.
“I'm sorry, it was nothing—he just wanted to talk,” I stammered, realizing how flimsy my excuse sounded.
“Sure, because that's all kids do at this age,” he scoffed.
“Dad, please.I promise that was all it was, and it only happened that one time,” I said, partially lying, hoping he would accept my words.We had already dealt with trust issues, and I didn't want to go down that path again.I could see he was considering it too and eventually nodded.
“I promised your mom I wouldn't make a scene today, but we will revisit this later,” he warned, pointing a finger at me.Without another word, he walked out, leaving me feeling embarrassed and guilty.
About a few minutes later, I joined my parents for dinner.The evening was still bright as the days were getting longer.My mom was upbeat, having set the table with candles and wine, as if celebrating something special.I was curious about what it could be.
Once we sat down, my dad avoided eye contact with me, still clearly upset.
“Are we celebrating something today?”I asked, glancing at my mom.
“As a matter of fact, we are,” she replied excitedly, looking between my dad and me.She placed her hand on his, and he smiled back at her.
“Twenty-three years ago, a shy boy came up to me and said,'I like you, and I want you to be my girlfriend,'” my mom reminisced, her eyes sparkling as she locked gazes with my dad.
“I was shocked,” she continued, “thinking, how could he ask me to be his girlfriend when I didn't even know he liked me?I was about to say no, but then he added that if I said yes, he would win a bet with his friends and get two concert tickets.”She chuckled at the memory.
“So, you said yes?”I asked, intrigued by the story.
“She did, but with one condition: that I take her to that concert with me,” my dad interjected, his eyes still fixed on my mom.
Watching them, it felt as if they were reliving that moment from long ago.I wondered if I would ever have someone look at me like that.Could Zane be the one?Was it possible for young love to blossom into a mature, committed relationship?I used the word “love” in my thoughts, even though I had never voiced it out loud, and neither had Zane.I knew he had feelings for me, but how deep were they?
The first time I said “I love you” was to Marco, but what I felt for him paled in comparison to my feelings for Zane.So what was holding me back from saying those words now?
As the dinner progressed, my dad seemed to have forgotten his anger.We shared some wine and engaged in pleasant conversation, mostly revolving around my parents’ love story.For dessert, we enjoyed a chocolate cake with raspberries that my mom had bought for the occasion.
The following day, Zane was absent from school.He texted me, saying he had overslept and wasn't feeling up to attending.It felt like a lie.
I had to work at the coffee shop that afternoon, so I rushed to catch the bus.Emily walked with me.
“Come sit with us in the back,” she said, inviting me to join her and Marco.Marco had changed his hairstyle, cutting off all his curls even shorter.He looked different and somewhat uncomfortable, making me hesitant about accepting her offer, but she pulled my hand, leaving me with no choice.
Emily and Marco sat together on the left side of the bus, while I settled across from them, with Emily in the middle.
“I have an idea,” Emily said, her excitement palpable.
“What's on your mind?”I asked, hoping it wasn't anything too wild.
“There's a big party here in town next Saturday, celebrating 100 days until the end of school.It's organized by three different schools, and it's going to be epic!”Emily exclaimed.
“I'm guessing you want to go?”I asked for clarification.
“I thought we could all go together,” she said cautiously, glancing between me and Marco.I understood what she was implying, and my eyes widened.
“Jessica has a new boyfriend who would like to come, and we thought you and Zane could join us,” Emily suggested, trying to maintain a cheerful expression.Marco’s jaw tightened, but he quickly added, “Yeah, you should definitely bring your boyfriend.We only have a few months left before we all go our separate ways.It could be fun.”I couldn't tell if he was sincere, but I thought it might be okay; if I was comfortable with them being together, he should be too.After all, it had been months—why not?
We decided to go, but I wanted to speak with Jessica privately first to ensure she was okay with the plan.And, of course, I needed to talk to Zane, though I had no idea how he would feel about it.
