Gentle Acclimation

*5* Change of Plans

"Hi! It's Maddy, from the coffee shop. Sorry to call so late, but I was wondering if instead of meeting at my work, we could go to a different place? I have tickets to the aquarium. Would you like to go?"

"Oh! Yeah, okay! I have a commitment at noon, though. Is that okay?"

"Yeah. That's fine. It opens at nine, so we can meet there and hang out for a few hours."

"Great! See you there, then!"

"Awesome! Thank you! Bye!"

"Bye!"

As soon as he hung up, another call... It was Sol.

"You didn't call."

"Lady. I just pulled out of your driveway. I was about to, when I got a call from that girl I'm seeing tomorrow. Her name is Maddy."

"Ugh, of course it is!" She said under her breath, but he heard it.

"What!? What do you mean?"

"She is one hundred percent a "Maddy" Impossible to hate, but difficult to like all the way."

"What is happening right now? I've never heard you speak like this. I thought you were all sisters, "empowered women empower women", and you lift up, not tear down and shit! You've been so weird all day. Are you okay?"

"I don't know." She said.

She didn't know the answer to that question. She had a hard time understanding her own behavior.

He was right. She never degraded another woman, ever, but here she was, badmouthing poor Maddy whose only crime was to be nice, and ask Seungmin out. "Why would be so bitter about Maddy?" She thought. Then, came the realization...

"Oh, fuck!" She said out loud.

"What!? What happened?"

"Nothing, nothing. Me and my thoughts. So what did Maddy have to say?" Again, dripping with sarcasm. "Dammit, Sol, get it together!"

"We're meeting at the aquarium instead of the coffee shop." He said with a regrettable tone.

"But you hate aquariums!" She protested.

"Yep. This isn't gonna be great. She had tickets already, so... I'll go, and try not look at the big water tanks of death. I'll let her know I was trying to be nice. I don't see this moving forward."

"Oh!?" She perked up. "How come?"

"I don't know if she's my type."

"I thought you didn't have a type."

"I don't, but I mean, I don't know that she's the one for me. I'll give her a chance and see, but I doubt it."

"Ohh... okay. Just tell her right away. Okay? Don't string her along. She is a nice girl, it seems, so don't be an ass!"

"Wow. The pivot back to the sisterhood is interesting."

"Yeah, idk what that was back there." She knew, but she no longer needed to feel jealous. He didn't like her. She had nothing to worry about.

They kept talking until he got to his dorm. "I'll call you back in a bit. I need to wash up and get ready for bed. Later!"

"Okay. I'll be waiting. I'll miss you... I love you, bye."

They hung up.

**

"I'll miss you? I love you? Did she just say that? What is going on? My heart can't take this."

He talked to himself. "Seungmin. Chill. She was rattled by that asshole. She's out of it. Calm down!"

It wasn't what she said that struck him. It was how she'd said it. It messed with his head, and his heart. She whined when she said she'd miss him, paused, then said "I love you, bye" real fast. She normally said "love ya, buhbye" or something silly like that. This time, she had said it completely "I love you, bye."

After washing up, he called her. "Hey..."

"Hey..." Something felt different for her as soon as she heard his voice. Her heart jumped. Her lips transformed into a smile. Her cheeks warmed up. This wasn't typical, although not new.

Seungmin never knew this, but when they first met, Sol had a crush on him, but he wouldn't give her the time of day. Well, more like he seemed completely clueless that she was trying to get his attention, so they ended up naturally becoming friends. She had packed that crush away, and convinced herself she just liked him as a friend.

"So what are you wearing for the date tomorrow?"

"Meh, nothing fancy. Jeans, t-shirt and jean sweater."

"Cute! She'll like that."

"You think?"

"Absolutely. You're so cute, and it'll make you seem approachable."

"I'm cute?"

"You know you're stinkin' adorable! I tell you all the time. Do you not see how girls look at you, with stars in their eyes?" She loved hyping him up.

"Heh, I don't know about that, but thanks."

At that moment, a text came through his phone.