Fri. Oct 11th, 2024

BY RUTHIE LEE

 

EPISODE 7

 

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I stood up and carried my bag, I dropped it again when I realised my ugly jacket is still on my body.

 

I loosened the ropes around my body and took off the jacket.

 

“No f**king way” Jason scoffed.

 

“What?” I looked up at him.

 

“You look hot!” he smirked.

 

I rolled my eyes.

 

“Oh please!”

 

I grabbed my bag, “Thanks for the compliment but I think I’ll get going now.” I said and hurried to the door.

 

“Okay good bye Jason, good luck with your birthday, that means I’ll be seeing you on Tuesday right?” I said.

 

“Wait!” He said. I paused and turned to him.

 

“So you’re not attending my birthday party!” He asked.

 

“No and besides I was never invited.” I replied.

 

“Well now you’re invited. Don’t you want to come?”

 

“To a teenage boy’s birthday party, full of teenagers with similar attitude like you. I rather stay home” I tell him and he laughed.

 

“It won’t be as bad as you think!” he said.

 

“I’ll think about it!” I assured him.

 

“Okay, whatever” He shrugged.

 

“Okay good night” I said about to leave again when Jason called me again.

 

“What?” I sighed, frustrated.

 

“Let your hair down so it will go with your full look” Jason said.

 

“Goodnight” I said and slammed the door.

 

I hurried down the stairs and good thing I didn’t come across Mrs Huggins.

 

I made it out of the Huggins residence and walked to the place Neil and I plan to meet, as I hurried to the place, I yanked the rubber band off my hair letting my hair cascade around my shoulder, maybe I should just listen to Jason This once.

 

*

 

I saw Neil standing beside his car, dressed in a perfect black clean suit that matched his brown hair that he jellied all back.

 

He looked up and smiled seeing me, and I noticed as his eyes dart from my legs to my face.

 

Okay, he’s checking me out. That’s nothing new.

 

“Hey.” I said and my voice shook, I was freezing, it was a cold night and my shoulders are bare open letting me shiver.

 

“HI.! Wow! You look gorgeous!” Neil said with a flushed expression.

 

“Thank you!” I smiled. “You look good too” I added.

 

Neil opened the car door for me and I got into his car.

 

He got in and closed the door and I breathed out a sigh of relief when I felt the warmth of the car.

 

He started to drive the car and he just couldn’t stop complimenting me of how beautiful I look,

 

he was just making me blush for all he cares.

 

But I did appreciate his compliments.

 

The night sky was beautiful, the street lights brightened up the whole street and I just felt this date night just perfect for the weather.

 

“So I guess you were just back from your work?” Neil asked.

 

“Yep, actually coming from there” I said and paused.

 

“My jacket!” I gasped.

 

“What jacket?!” Neil looked at me.

 

“I was actually wearing a jacket this morning, and I left it at my work place!” I said pulling out my phone from my bag.

 

I can’t believe I got super careless, and I won’t be going to work tomorrow or next.

 

I called Mrs Huggins and she picked up at once. One thing I love about her.

 

“Miss Elsa?” she was surprised.

 

“HI Mrs. Huggins, sorry please can I speak to Jason!” I said.

 

“Oh okay!” she said and cut the call.

 

Neil just watched me as I looked out the car impatiently.

 

“You’re always like this!” Neil laughed.

 

“Always like what?” I turned to him.

 

“You’re never patient and you always do that weird tap with your feet” He said and looked down at my legs making me look down to see I was actually tapping my feet on the floor. “Oh.” I said.

 

“You really have to learn how to be patient” Neil stated glancing back and forth at me and the road.

 

“Well I can be pat–

 

My phone interrupted me from completing my sentence and I whispered a little “Excuse me” to Neil before picking up the call, the number seems unknown though.

 

“Elsa?” I heard Jason’s voice.

 

“Oh thank goodness Jason!” I breathed out.

 

“Why are you calling me? do you miss that much!” Jason teased.

 

I ignored that anyways. “My jacket, the one I left in your room!” I said.

 

“What jacket the ugly one?” He asked and I rolled my eyes.

 

“Yes the ugly one!, I left it in your room, beside your study desk I think!” I tell him.

 

“Okay, yeah it’s still here, but what do you want me to do about it?” He asked.

 

I sighed.

 

Well I’ve confirmed it’s there, but I don’t know what to say, looks like I’ll come get it myself tomorrow.

 

“Okay, keep it safe for me, I’ll come get it tomorrow!” I said.

 

“Oh okay, but why do I feel like you purposely left your jacket here so you could come see me

 

tomorrow!” Jason said sounding so serious.

 

“Get lost Jason!” I scoffed.

 

“By you saying, get lost means it’s true!” Jason said and I hanged up. I don’t have the strength for his silly jokes.

 

Neil cleared his throat “And if I can guess, Jason is the boy you’re currently tutoring right?” she asked.

 

“Yes” I replied.

 

“How old is he?” Neil asked.

 

“He’ll be eighteen soon… Very soon!” I said.

 

“Oh wow, judging by the way you talked to him on the phone, it seems like he’s one hell of a teenager.” Neil said.

 

 

“You have no idea.” I shook my head. “Jason is like a pain in the neck” Neil laughed. “Teenagers, don’t worry he’s just going through puberty”.

 

“That’s what I tell myself any time he gives me one of his rude attitude or indirectly insults me, I just let it slide. But sometimes I don’t.” I said and Neil laughed.

 

“I know you never let anything slide, I could tell by our days of the student council” Neil smiled.

 

“Yeah.” I smiled too.

 

I started. “Honestly student council days used to be fun when we both ran it together but, after you graduated and I became president it wasn’t that fun anymore, I had to do everything myself.”

 

Neil’s laughter filled the car and it made me smile.

 

“You’re one lazy president”

 

“No kidding” I rolled my eyes.

 

*

 

Few minutes later Neil parked his car beside a building and the street seemed kind of empty. This time around I let him open the car door for me, cause it’s our date night and that’s how it’s supposed to go.

 

Neil guard me as I made my way out of the car and the feeling felt beautiful.

 

“And we’re here!” he said, Making me gaze at the big building we stood underneath.

 

“Where is this?” I asked.

 

“A restaurant, it’s not very popular but it’s the best.” Neil said and took my hand as we both walked inside.

 

A lady helped us get the door and as we walked in the main building, a tall man with a book or whatever he was holding greeted us politely and asked for our names.

 

“Reservation for Neil and Elsa!” Neil tells the man and he checked his book before telling us to follow him.

 

We followed him to the second floor of the building and he opened an expensive looking door at the corner of the hallway.

 

Inside the door was a very good looking room.

 

It has just a single table with two chairs facing each other at the end of round table.

 

On top of the table was a small vase and a single rose in it, and it looked so cute.

 

The room has dim lights and roses were placed on the wall, it almost looked like a rose jungle but it was still beautiful.

 

Neil and I got in and he got the chair for me as a nice gentleman he is.

 

A waiter walked in and handed us the restaurant’s menu.

 

After picking whatever I want and Neil picking his too. We handed the menu to the waiter and he left to get us our foods.

 

Neil and I were served water first, and we both started to talk about things,

 

What we talked most, was about our high school days, Cause that’s when we got to know each other grew fond of each other and all and Neil shocked me when he asked.

 

 

“So do you still have a crush on me?” He said making me almost throw out the stake I was enjoying.

 

“What the hell…” I laughed. “Where did that come from.?”

 

“Sorry I startled you, I can clearly recall you had a crush on me back then in high school!” he

 

said.

 

Well I did.

 

“But I never told you that!” I said.

 

“Yeah, you didn’t but Andrew told me!” Neil said eyeing his food and me at the same time.

 

“Andrew. I didn’t tell him either!” I smiled. Andrew used to be Neil’s best friend.

 

“So you did had a crush on me?” Neil smirked.

 

I giggled. “I did, I sure did!” I admitted and he beamed even more.

 

“Okay wow, thanks for admitting that.” he chuckled.

 

“But how did Andrew know?” I asked.

 

“I don’t know he just said he’s been watching you and he could tell you had a crush on me and honestly, I didn’t know and when he told me about it I started to finally see you had a crush on me.” Neil expound making me release a hideous cackle.

 

I drank a lot of water to help my laugh die down. And it did help.

 

“So you couldn’t see I had a crush on you but Andrew did. Ugh Neil you’re so pathetic!” I rolled my eyes.

 

“I didn’t, so do you still have a crush on me?” He asked.

 

I rolled my eyes. “What kind of question is that?”.

 

“It’s just a question!”

 

“Well that was just a teenage phase all girls pass through, I don’t have a crush on you anymore”

 

I let him know.

 

I don’t.

 

“A phase all girl pass through?” he repeated.

 

“You know in high school there is always this one guy a girl likes but after school it just dies down, don’t you think it’s a phase” I tilt my head at him and he laughed.

 

“Well for some people, it’s a phase, for some, it’s not, I guess it was just a phase for you” Neil said disappointed. And I shrugged

 

“So do you think you can still crush on me or maybe fall in love with me again?” He grinned.

 

“I don’t know, let’s see what you got.” I replied.

 

.

 

T.B.C

 

BY RUTHIE LEE

 

AGE DOESN’T

 

MATTER ♥

 

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