Restart - An Original Novella

Chapter III {Ready For The Weekend} Part 3

Sunday, March 27th

"Hey, Steph." It's Maria's voice, light, with an undertone of mischief. "I have something to tell you."

She drags me to her room, and we get comfy on her bed, chilling out on the many pillows adorning it. We're surrounded by the deep violet of her room and abundance of paintings by legendary artists (she has an A+ in art, which just happens to be her favorite subject), complemented by photos of cute animals. I grab a stuffed unicorn, hug it, and ask her what's up.

"I'm just going to go straight to the point." She opens her mouth to say more, but closes it again.

"What is it?" I'm getting a bit impatient. I want to get the packing over with.

"I'm not sure how you'll take this news though, because your head is like a rock."

"It is not!"

"It is." A grin crawls on her face. "Michael has a crush on you."

"Wait, what?" I stutter. Is she joking?

"Umm, yeah, duh!" She crosses her eyes. "Man, you're slow. He's positively smitten!"

"Maria, if you're kidding, it really isn't funny."

"I am so not kidding. GIRL, he's in love! It's like a love story! He thinks you're beautiful, and he can't tear his eyes off of you!"

"Maria, that sounds very, very...ahem."

"I know, that's why I said it."

"Of course." I roll my eyes and open my mouth to say something, but Maria interrupts.

"DO NOT say you don't believe me."

"I don't believe you."

"I'll give you a moment to think about it, okay? But I SWEAR, he's been waiting to kiss you FOREVER, he's talked to me and I told him it's a great idea!"

"You told him it's a great idea to kiss me?!"

"Why not? You would be such a perfect couple! I can just see it!" She's waving her arms around flamboyantly. "Like, first you'd have to kiss, then you'd have to REALLY kiss — like MAKE OUT — and then you'd have to go on your first date, and then he'd propose, and then you'd get married — and of course I'll be your maid of honor — and then you'd go on your honeymoon, and then you'd get your own house, and then you'd have a kid together! Or more than one! It's so perfect!"

While she blabbers on about her visions of my future life with Michael, I use the extra time to think, squeezing the guts out of the stuffed unicorn I'm holding.

Michael loves me? No way. He would've told me all this time. He wouldn't keep something like this from me.

"So, why aren't you saying anything?"

"Oh, I'm thinking."

"You love him too, right?"

Do I? "I don't know! Maria!"

"O-kay-ee," Maria says, somehow transforming the two-syllable word into three. "Just asking!"

"What, you want me to like Michael and go out on dates with him and all that other stuff you said?"

"Of course! He's so nice to you, haven't you noticed?"

I take a deep breath, puffing up my cheeks, and blow it out in a fast jet of air, my bangs flying out everywhere in front of my face.

"And come on, isn't he hot?"

If I was drinking a beverage at that moment, I would've sprayed the contents of my mouth all over her. "What?"