Arabella Academy: Perfectly Imperfect

22. Double Date: Part One

You know that tingly little feeling you get when you like someone?
That is common sense leaving your body.

~Anonymous

***

Saturday soon arrived and everyone woke up eager to investigate. The weather was quite cloudy, but did not show signs of raining any time soon. The morning was also quiet, save for the occasional chirping of birds and the usual argument between Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher, caused by the husband coming home in the morning drunk and wasted.

Marcus paced up and down the living room fidgeting. It was half an hour past the time Michelle had agreed to come for him. He had pleaded that he be the one to come for her but Michelle adamantly refused with the excuse that her father, a serious law-enforcer and strict father, would freak out if he found out she was going alone in the company of three adolescent males. Hence it was agreed that Michelle would pick up Marcus while Luis would pick up Jeff. They had changed the initial plan of meeting at the town square and decided that each party would go to their respective places to save on time. They would then meet at Marcus' house the next day for a debrief.

Jane stared at her son quizzically. Her son was behaving weirder than usual. She went back to reading the newspaper when suddenly the doorbell rang. She glanced outside the window and saw a girl impatiently standing. Marcus, on hearing the doorbell, hurriedly picked his monkey bag and went to hug his mother goodbye.

"Don't break the girl's heart like your father broke mine," Jane joked.

Marcus took a peek at Michelle through the window, smiled and told his mother, "No, we aren't dating."

Jane shook her head. "Well, she looks pretty to me. In fact, let me go introduce myself," she said and even before Marcus tried to stop her, she was up and opening the door.

Michelle was surprised to see the door opened by a woman grinning so wide her lips were about to tear apart. She spotted Marcus behind her, sighing and shaking his head disappointedly.

"Hey you! You must be the girl that Marcus speaks so much of. My name is Jane," said Marcus' mom, and extended a hand of greeting to the speechless Michelle.

"My name is Michelle," Michelle responded as she took Jane's hand. "Are you sure Marcus mentions me here," she asked, and glanced quizzically at Marcus, who was wishing that the earth would open up right then and swallow him.

"Yeah, quite a lot actually. I even thought you were dating because of the way he praises you. He tells me your cute, smart, caring, and even a little perverse," Jane lied, and turned back to wink at Marcus, who in return glared at her unbelievably.

"That's enough mom!" Marcus cried out.

"Relax, I was just helping you shoot your shot," Jane surrendered and stepped aside giving Marcus way to step out. Marcus stood beside Michelle and for a second he was confused on how he should greet her. He was about to hug her when Michelle extended her hand, he ditched the hug for the hand greeting but Michelle went for the hug instead. In the end they just hugged each other, their bodies barely touching. They then made their way outside.

"Make sure you tell him to take you out to a nice restaurant for lunch," Jane called at Michelle.

"I will be sure to remind him of that," responded Michelle, surprising Marcus, who was already hurrying to save himself from further embarrassment.