German Boy

Chapter 14: On The Way

It was a long drive with Ven but I couldn't feel the time passing us by. Maybe because I was drunk, or because I was too focused on him. I leaned my head on the back of my seat and through the mirror above him; I was watching him.

And I could stay here forever and stare at him. "Why did you pick me up?" I asked out of the blue, just to break the awkward silence.

"For the third time, your mom told me to." I rolled my eyes.

"That's not what I wanted to hear." I was totally drunk, so I got straight to the point without even thinking of it.

"Then what is it? You want me to tell you I was worried and knew it all along this is how the night would end?" He chuckled.

"No," I tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear.

"So what is it?" He asked.

"I mean I was asking you why you obeyed mom."

"Because she is your mom."

"So what if she is my mom?"

"You can simply say no to her order! I mean, like... perhaps you could have just said you were busy and couldn't pick me up but you still did. Why is that?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yeah, nothing I just wanted to obey her. What's the matter with that?"

"Why did you obey her? When you could simply say no?" I don't know what I was expecting him to say. But I was sure he hasn't said it at all.

"Don't you like that I came all the way from my house to here just to pick you up?" So was that a scold or a compliment or a joke?

It sounded sarcastic.

"Not exactly."

"Or do you want me to drop you here?" I giggled after seeing a huge smile on his face.

"No, no, no, no, no," we were both laughing.

"What?" He glanced at me.

"Look, I was asking you one thing: You said mom asked you to pick me up. I was wondering why you said yes instead of no,"

He shook his head slowly, keeping the smile on his face. "Because I wanted to say yes."

"Really? That's it?" I didn't know what I was talking about. I was drunk.

"Yeah, because I wanted to." He confirmed.

"Aside from that..."

"Because you are my friend. And I was concerned for you. I knew you would be this drunk. Thus, parties were never your thing. So I knew it from the start that things would end up this way."

He was concerned about me.

He cared about me.

He was worried about me.

He knew me so well.

But only as a friend.

That shouldn't have hurt me but it did.

I guess the alcohol didn't hit hard as I expected it to.

Instead of asking him more about it, I remained silent and just proceeded to watch him through the mirror above him.

Until he opened up another conversation. "What are your plans for summer?" I thought he knew I was drunk. And that question wasn't like the ones a man should ask a drunk girl.

Wait...

He said summer and not tonight.

Darn.

I was so stupid.

As always.

"I don't know..." I was being honest.

All I wanted was to spend it with him. Because that was the only way I would see him over and over. But the other side of me kept telling me I should try everything to keep him looking at me.

Just like what I did tonight.

I was trying so hard to prove to him that I have changed.

And it's hard.

"Is that the same old Jaraiah?" He asked. "The Jaraiah I know is a girl who often runs to me on the first day of summer when we arrive here in Australia and tells me a lot about her plans and had it all planned out on a journal." He took a moment to glance at me.

I did it on purpose.

Purposely, I didn't make a journal for my plans.

Not just because it is a part of how I would pretend but also because it's the truth. I've done too much in the past few years with him. And there's nothing else left for me to do. I'm done.

"Probably going to a summer class again." That was the last thing I had in my mind to tell him. I was left with no other choice but that.

Because it was not usual.

Usually, I cancel my summer class sessions that my uncle Jerry has signed up for just to spend time with Sofia and Ven and my family as well.

"Woah," he reacted. "Speaking of class, I heard you got a grade of 99.7%, huh?" That's what I wanted to tell him about.

But since my stupid little brain came up with a different idea, I kept it for myself and decided to let him find it out by himself instead.

"Yeah," I energetically said with my eyes closed.

"That's amazing! I'm impressed now. You were able to beat my score of 99.5% that's great!" I saw the impression in his voice though my eyes were closed.

"Are you saying all of these complimenting stuff just because I am drunk?"

"No, I really mean it."

"Okay then," were the last words I said.

I just felt the car moving through the time and I tried to enjoy it.

I wasn't really sleepy.

I just closed my eyes like that because I wanted to relax.

The music, the amount of alcohol, the people, and the ambiance there at the party gave me such a strong headache that I can't resist.

"Are you still awake?" I heard his manly deep voice creeping in.

"Yeah," I don't know why I answered when my brain told me not to.

"Do you want to crash at my house to have some karaoke? The night isn't over yet,"

"No thanks, I think I should get some sleep,"

"Sofia and your mom and dad are there though."

"Sofia?"

"Yeah," now I know why she wasn't at the party.

"I'm sorry I'm really stressed out. I need to take some rest."

"You don't want to miss the fun just for tonight!" I felt the happiness of convincement in his voice.

"I already said no! Didn't you hear me? I said no and that means no!" My words were too harsh that it made me open my eyes in shock.

And there, I just saw him looking straight at the road. "Okay,"