HIP #3: Forgetting The Old Us

Chapter 6

My hands were still tapping the wooden chair we were sitting on. I only feel awkward with him when my friends are watching us, but when it's just the two of us, I feel comfortable more than I've ever been. "What about you? Your college days are coming." As I was thinking about it, he mentioned it.

I faked a smile and leaned on the wall. "I want to take a Creative Writing Major or if there's something like that. I don't know if the major exists." My voice was a little shaking. I know it exists, but what I meant was that if he's familiar with it.

"Of course, it exists. Britney said that's also what she wants to take." Like what I expected.

"Oh, I see." I chuckled.

"That's a nice major in my observations, but I can see you have to be prepared for essay makings and short story writings." He didn't have to warn me. I already know that.

"I know, I've searched a lot about it." I didn't know how to deliver it right without offending him and sounding like I'm bragging about my knowledge. I wanted to be humble with my words but I couldn't.

"Ah, I see." That's the word people use when we're feeling weird. As I did earlier.

We both kept smiling while watching transportation pass by. I remember how we used to count the people walking in front of us when we were kids. Back when there were no limits to being happy. "Want to go for a walk?" I caught his eyes laid on me with his fingertips close to mine. I firstly scattered my eyes around to check if it's not that crowded in the streets. I don't want to go if it's a little filled.

Halfway empty from the left, halfway empty from the right. "Sure," I said then stood up immediately. He walked behind me while I had my head held high, facing the shining sun. "You like the sun on your eyes?" He was chuckling a little bit.

I looked away to the other way and continued walking. "I just checked how much sun there is."

"There's only one sun." He said in a joking tone.

"I know, what I mean is that I'm checking how bright the sun right now is." I rolled my eyes and walked with my feet crossed step by step like I'm on a runway. "Okay, calm down, miss." Being called miss feels like being respected. I like it. Darn, I just realized he's older than me.

So was that just sarcasm? It was.

Orange leaves crunched down as they fell, pieces into places. A girl holding a white puppy with a string walked beside us and a guy running slowly with sweat dripping down his body on a tight shirt. I remembered what I promised a few months ago: that I would start working out.

It has been seven months already and I haven't done anything yet. I wonder where boys get their motivation to exercise every single day while it takes me a cry to get up in the morning. "By the way, how's your baseball team?" I didn't like the silence going on so I tried to start a conversation with a topic I think he would like though I'm not interested in it.

"Just fine. Not bad not perfect." He moved from my back to my left side.

"There are different stages of fine. How fine is it?" I flipped my hair.

"So you really like things getting detailed, huh?" He knew it. That's me.

"Uh-huh." We both giggled.

"Well, we recently won a game against your school and we have new members plus new jerseys." I pressed my lips then nodded. I understand nothing when it comes to sports but I still showed that I appreciated his effort to explain things to me.

"Pretty nice." I grinded my teeth after getting goosebumps of awkwardness. Why am I carrying all the annoyance here when I feel like he's very comfortable?

"Question." I want to pass all the embarrassment I feel onto him.

"Sure." He crossed his arms. I don't know how far we went already. But it feels like we're in a different street now. Their house is too far away and there are no much people anymore. Who cares? He has memorized this place since he lives here so I don't have to worry about getting lost.

"Have you ever done something stupider than joking then no one laughs?"

"I can say that's the most embarrassing thing that I've ever done in my life. When I joked in front of our whole baseball team and none of them laughed except for me. So, I would never joke again when they're around. They take things too seriously." I could say that's really weird but I wanted him to tell me something more than that.

"I know there's something else." I teased.

"Umm, maybe when I forgot to add my name on all test papers and they got high scores. When I told my teacher that it's mine, she didn't believe me. as an alternative, they made me take another test where I failed." Again, I pressed my lips to hide my laughter. I just couldn't take it. Forgetting to write your name on a test paper and having no one to believe it's yours would be my worst nightmare.

He can't blame his teachers though. "You can laugh. No need to hide it." I can say he's not happy with the thought of me chuckling but I can't hold it back anymore. So, I burst out into laughter with my hands covering my mouth to not make too much noise. Time by time as I laugh, my tummy began to hurt and my jaw has been numb because of too much chuckling.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. You seriously got a high score in your first try but then in the second one you failed? Oh my God!" He watched me control myself with a grumpy face. Uh-oh. Did I upset him?

"I'm really sorry," I said, still laughing.

"No need, we all make stupid things. Maybe next time you'd share yours." He winked at me and chuckled. Which made me stop. Out of all the dumb things I've done before, which one should I tell him next time?