chapter 12: Blind Date

The distance between us disappeared then. We don’t look strangers anymore. Instead, we seemed to be more of a couple now. I was so busy admiring the great ambiance that I didn’t notice… bump. I fell on the ground.

“Done,” Nathan assured me when the saleslady gave the item he bought wrapped in pink and blue paper to him.

“Mm, girly. I’ll bet, that’s a present for either your mom or Natalie, right?” I guessed.

“Wrong. And because you lost the bet, you’ll have to treat me to Madam Parfaits’, how’s that?” Nathan suggested.

“You’ve got a deal. Take the lead” I answered.

We went pass again to the boutiques of the girls who made me envious but there was no need for me to show a one-eyebrow-up look. The girls weren’t smiling so happily anymore. I knew the reason behind this, Nathan was not smiling back again to them anymore but was smiling now for another reason and he was even getting short glimpses of me. The distance between us disappeared then. We don’t look strangers anymore. Instead, we seemed to be more of a couple now. I was so busy admiring the great ambiance that I didn’t notice… bump. I fell on the ground.

“Hey, Sanyu, are you alright? Come on, say something!” Nathan was very concerned.

“Well I think I fell so I’m not that alright. My right eye got hurt the most. I can’t open it yet, it hurts.”

“Wow, what a date. My mate got a blind eye.”

“It’s alright. This is what you call blind date.” I joked hopelessly.

“Yeah whatever, let’s go to Madam Parfait’s and get you an ice for your eye.” He suggested.
And so he carried me. I didn’t know what was happening since I closed my eyes to ease the pain. This was the part that I hated the most. I can’t see how the ladies were very envy of me because I was being carried by Nathan Hale, a very handsome man in Algona.

“Here we are. So, get ready to have your allowance wretched.” He joked. We went inside and searched for a free table.

“Damn, don’t use all of it. I’m saving up, okay?” I answered. We then now sat at the back which was good so we’ll have what you call, privacy, if there is such thing.

“Hey, hey. You’re injured. I’d be sadistic if I still let you pay my share. I will pay the bill for tonight; after all, it’s sort of a date, right?” He offered.

“Really? Didn’t know you had a heart. Then be the one to prepare being wasted” I doubted jokingly. The waitress then came to get our order.

“I want a strawberry-banana sundae with caffeine in it.” Nathan ordered while looking on the menu.

“Mm, I don’t know what to order. I can’t see clearly because as you know, it is my first time here and is the first time I got my eye injured here. So would you please choose for me?” I asked for help.

“Well of course because I never left Algona that’s why I know the best here.” Ouch, that hit me hard. “Give her caramel deluxe with added cream and also, could you give us an ice bag, she got her eye an injury.”

“Okay, the ice creams will be served in five minutes. But I will be in my best speed to have you an ice bag for your date.” The waitress turned and moved away professionally.

“Hey Nate, if the ice cream you ordered is not of my taste, you’ll have to treat me lunch again in school, got that?”

“Stop making excuses, you just want to eat with me, don’t you?” Bingo, he caught me.

“You wish. I’m serious.” I gave a straight tone.

“Yeah I do wish that. And I’m serious about that.” He smiled to me. “You know, I should thank Natalie for planning this out. I never thought I’d be given a chance to have fun with you again. It’s so nice to have your company again like when we were…”

“Here is your ice bag ma’am and sir. I have also made your ice creams in no time. Enjoy our desserts” The waitress interrupted. Shoot, die now, die. She then turned away again.

“You were saying?” I asked, hoping that he would finish whatever he was saying.

“O, I forgot, sorry.” He smiled and changed the topic. “How’s your eye doing?”

“I think it would be okay by tomorrow, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Well that’s good to here.” Nate replied.

“So are we friends now or not still?” I asked.

“O, so you just want to be friends. I thought you wanted us to be exclusively dating.” He chuckled.

“Wow, very facebook-y.” I joked.

“But do you want or don’t you? I don’t think I’d be able to accept friends only.”

“Well, I do but in just one condition.” I requested. “Make Miranda stay away from us. I don’t want her threatening me.”

“That I don’t know if I could do anything. She’s helpless. But she’d get tired too now that I’m dating someone.” Nathan assured.

“Well I hope you’re right.”

“I’ve got a person to make her stay from us too. Will you not make notice of Drew Smith? I swear I’d kill him if he troubles you even though you refused being bothered by him.

“Hello, I’ve been ignoring his whole presence. He’s a sickness I can’t get rid off. If you can, can you talk to him, I can’t handle him anymore. He’s very annoying. O yeah, would you be on my side always because he’s always appearing beside me in school and I just can’t make him go.” I explained almost getting angry.

“Hey, hey chill. We don’t get charged by taking some time here. Don’t worry, we just have to show him that we’re an item and he’ll just get out of your… awful sight.” He kidded.

“You just wait, when I get my eyesight back, I’ll have yours harmed.” I ate a scoop of the ice cream. “O, this is so yummy. You’ve got a great choice! This is really good!”

“You liked it? Looks like I can’t get you for lunch, aw.” Nathan then frowned by the idea.

“You can join us during lunch time.” I offered.

“Join you with Courtney, Audrey and April? No way. I don’t want to join a girl talk.” He refused.

“We’re not all girls. Eric and Cedric Stan join us and we do have a lot of fun not talking about girls stuff.” I stated.

“I’ll think about it.” He was still hesitating. He was not used to these people I could guess.

“You are such a sore loser.” I groaned.

“It’s not that I don’t want to join you guys. I just don’t feel good air with that Cedric.”

“Why? Do you have a grudge on him or something?” I was curious. I know Cedric looks bad but he’s the opposite. Does he think that Cedric likes me? Impossible.

“I don’t have. It’s a secret you’ll have to know from somebody else.” He gave me my favorite grin.

“Fine, I’m sure I’ll know that. You just wait and see!”

“Yeah, yeah. I have a question. Do you have an album?” He asked me.

“Well yeah, a childhood friend of mine when we were Algona years back gave it to me but then I
forgot to bring it with me in Japan. So I don’t remember his face anymore.” I answered.

“O, so you didn’t forget him. Have you seen his pictures already when you got back here?” He asked.

“How did you know he was a male? Well, I haven’t but I will later. I’m too busy to remember it.”

“Uhm, I just guessed. Well I hope you won’t forget to open it. And look at the last page; they say people always leave a message there.”

“Alright, I will.” I replied. “You know it’s getting late. Can you take me home now? I don’t like going home late. I hate that.”

“O, alright. I’ll ride you home now.”
We then went inside his car now. It wasn’t as lively as it was in Madam Parfait’s anymore. We were more nervous and tensed by each other’s presence. Suddenly I felt someone touching my left hand. Nathan did it.

“I’m glad I have Natalie as my sister. She made me happy, very much indeed.” He answered.
My adrenaline was getting faster. I was speechless by him.

“Will you just drive? I don’t want to die at this young age, okay?”

“Alright.”

No one then spoke anymore until we reached our house. He escorted me up to our doorstep, he was just behind me. I was about to touch our doorknob when he suddenly called me, so I turned back. I was then surprised because of the distance between our faces. It was like three centimeters only. I was too stunned so I closed my eyes. I was waiting. And then his cold soft lips leaned on my right eye.

“Take care. Here's a present for you. Call me as soon as you see the album.” He gave me the thing wrapped in blue and pink paper then he left with my favorite grin. It was official. We are now an item.

to be continued.