The Other Side

Chapter 1

I walk into the Café causing the bells to jingle over my head. It's this Café that has been the venue of almost every single event of our relationship over the past 6 years. Taking in the familiar atmosphere of Coffee and more, I let out a breath that I hadn't known I'd been holding.

It feels like only yesterday when Daniel had asked me out for a coffee. How excited I had been for the date, as it was my first ever and Daniel Reeves, my first ever crush, had asked me out for a date to which I had shyly agreed.

He is my first crush, my love, my first everything.

"Hey, Erina."

The waitress, who has known us for quite a while now, startles me with her loud and enthusiastic greeting.

"Hey, Mel."

Greeting the waitress, I force a smile and walk towards our regular table, only to find that it's occupied by some couple.

Will everything go wrong today?

I scream mentally and scan the Cafe for an empty table. Finding that the only seat available was the one I disliked the most, I nearly give in to the urge to stamp my foot. Thats when I spot a guy walking towards the table.

Not wanting to lose the last vacant table, I make use of my too active feet and rush towards it, quickly sitting in it and releasing a breath of relief.

From the corner of my eye, I watch the guy huff and turn around towards the tables arranged in the non-AC section.

Placing my bag on the empty chair beside me, I pull out my cellphone and refresh my internet connection, to check if he's replied back or not.

It's been a week since we last met and I have to say, it's been hell for me to not be the first one to call or text him. And the most heart-wrenching thing is that he didn't call me back.

I had been noticing that for almost a few months now. I was the one always initiating to converse, to meet. He used to reply back, always taking the initiative to make physical contact, too but I realised that I need more. I need something concrete now.

It's been six years, we've been dating since first day of our sophomore year at high school and there wasn't even a single day that we didn't talk to each other, except this last agonizingly long week.

I tap on the plastic-covered oak table, waiting to see if he's replied, but don't see the green sign of a new message, shattering my hopes.

Lowering my head so that my eyes don't wander towards the couples sitting around me, some cuddling, some engrossed in deep life-changing talks whereas I am planning to have a talk of confrontation.

To know if he's alright. I don't want to be a girlfriend who jumps to direct conclusions without any proof. The reason for his lack of initiation to communicate might be because he's stressed? Or maybe he's worried about something related to work?

Yes, it must be something related to work. I nod my head, trying to convince myself that this must be it but deep down, I know that work is not the cause of our lack of communication.

I am so engrossed in my warring thoughts that I don't even realise that Daniel has arrived, until he taps on the table, making it vibrate slightly.

Startled at his unexpected yet long-awaited arrival, I jump in my seat causing him to frown. I look up at him and have my fill of his sight since I was unable to in the past week.

I watch him as he folds his 6 feet tall body into the tiny chair, frowning at my choice of seat since we both prefer to have a seat on the corner sides or along the walls of the Café and not in the centre of it. He's wearing a sky blue coloured shirt, my least favourite colour but still, I like the way it suits him.