How They Met Again

Memories

Sitting in the car with Lia was like Karl's high school fantasy come true. Karl was still embarrassed by what he had said earlier. "You couldn't have made it more evident that you liked her, you idiot" he said to himself. Still hoping that Lia thought it to be a joke, he tried to make conversation. 

"So how has life been after high school?" "Nothing too eventful you know. I got a medicine degree from Harvard, worked tirelessly day and night, got myself a hospital."

"You call that uneventful! You basically built your own business from scratch. I knew back in high school you would do something great. Your grades were like the best." Lia was surprised. She had assumed she was invisible to Karl all her high school years. "You knew I existed?" she asked Karl. "Are you crazy. Of course I knew you existed. I practically adored you" he thought to himself. 

Karl looked into the distance as the car drove on. He started to get back the high school memories he cherished. He remembered how he used to be the pretty boy who was always surrounded by the most popular girls in school. All of them wanted a shot at dating him. However he had eyes only for the prettiest girl. Sadly she was really smart and he had been too shy to ever approach her. Whenever he saw her, she would be accompanied by James who was always with her. He used to be so jealous. 

"Are you still with your high school boyfriend?" he asked Lia hoping 'no' for an answer. "Hahaha, very funny. Make fun of the girl who never dated in high school. I know I was a nerd you don't have to pick on me." "Wait, so who was the guy who was always with you?" "Oh, that was James. My best friend. We kinda drifted apart once he got into Yale. I still regret never calling him again."

Karl was suddenly feeling elated. She had no boyfriend. He should have asked her out back in high school. He had missed his chance once but he wasn't going to miss it again. "Are you seeing someone?" he meekly asked her. "No, I hardly have time." she answered. He took a deep breath and before he could change his mind he quickly asked her "Do you wanna maybe get coffee tomorrow?" She hit the breaks a little too hard. "Woah! I'm sorry didn't mean to offend you" Karl said visibly afraid. "No no. I'm sorry I didn't mean to. Its just that I always fancied you in high school. I dreamt of dating you." before she could stop herself , she had told him what she always wanted to.

She could feel the heat of embarrassment envelop her from head to toe. She could feel her ears get hot, and her knees get weak. she immediately buried her face in her hands. Karl was stupefied. He couldn't speak a word. He was getting what he always wanted. After a long minute of uncomfortable silence, he spoke.

"You mean we could have dated back in high school?" he said. She merely nodded. One could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Both of them were so overwhelmed by what had just come to their knowledge. The one they had liked for years, liked them back. 

Karl slowly but firmly held Lia's hand in his own. That feeling itself felt like the warm embrace of summer. What he had wanted since his teenage years was finally his and he wasn't gonna let go. 

It was getting more and more strenuous for Lia to hold her tears back. She stifled a sob. She wasn't sad. In fact she was so overwhelmed, a stray tear escaped the clutches of her eyelids. Karl wiped her tear, and said "Don't be bitter thinking about what we could have had. Think about what we can have now." She nodded.

Karl looked into her eyes. She slowly drew closer. His lips slowly parted allowing hers to gently touch them. She could feel the tickle of his breath beneath her nose, his hands in her hair. She could feel her insides get all warm and fuzzy. The smell of his cologne was enough to make her go crazy. No one had ever kissed her this passionately before. She could feel all her inhibitions melt away into nothingness. She felt safe, she felt protected in his embrace. She had experienced moments of heaven in her Lexus, beneath the blanket of stars.