N O T I C E D

Chapter 29: Result nerves and slushie dates

-WRITTEN-: 8th November 2022.

-PUBLISHED-: 20th November 2022.

Nerves filled me as the month went by and the weekends arrived. Kaleb had offered to pick me up from karate practice as I now waited for him outside in the car park area. There were other students here as well, a few brown belts, 2 blue belts and 1 orange belt as well as a black belt.

"Are you waiting for your parents?" A brown belt named Theo asked me as I shook my head. "One of my friends is picking me up, you?" I asked him as he pointed at the black belt Marcus. "He's my ride home." We stood in silence as the brown belts pretended to spar against each other.

I laughed as one of the brown belts managed to push away their partner. "What?" The brown belt named Daniel asked me as I shrugged my shoulders, he watched me as I spotted Kaleb's car pull into the car park. "My rides here," I said as Kaleb stopped in front of us. He got off as I grabbed my stuff and headed to the back of the car. "Hey," Kaleb said as I loaded my things in.

Kaleb closed the boot for me as he opened the car's door for me. I rolled my eyes at his gesture but smiled as I sat down. I looked at the group of students as they watched us and gave me a smirk. "Shut up," I mouthed to them knowing that they would ask more about Kaleb in the next lesson on Tuesday.

"So where are we headed?" I asked Kaleb as he got into the driver's side. "The plan is to take you home first and then we'll go out" He said casually as I looked at him. "Like a date?" I asked him as he nodded. "Only if you're okay with it." I smiled at his words and let him know that I wanted to go on a date with him.

==============

"Seriously, who orders caramel slushie?" I scrunched my nose in disgust as Kaleb laughed at my expression. "Cute," He mumbled as I took a sip of my watermelon flavored slushie. "Thanks for this Kaleb, I've just been so nervous about exams and the results that I forgot to relax and take a break,"

"Thank you for taking care of me," He said as I remembered the day he came to rehearsal sick. "I was just worried about you, you were burning up and I swear you were an idiot to walk in the rain," I said as he rolled his eyes playfully at me.

"So what's your favorite type of flowers?" I asked him as he looked surprised at the question. "Tulips," He said without hesitation as he told me how he really liked the shape and color of tulips. "Your favorite are sunflowers," I nodded as he brought up the question of books or flowers.

"Okay, so this one has been going on in my mind for a while. Flowers are beautiful but if I were to choose between a flower bouquet and book bouquet I'd probably choose the book bouquet.... I don't have anything against flowers but they'll just dry up and I can read the books and keep them in my collection." I paused before I realized Kaleb was staring at me. His cheeks were tinted pink as he realized I caught him in the act. "But if you were to give me artificial flowers that's where things get tough, cause then you can keep the flowers as long as you want without having to worry about them dying or making a mess.... Artificial flower bouquet or book bouquet, I'd have to choose an artificial flower bouquet because books are definitely expensive."

"Yeah they are, the other day I wanted to buy y– one of my friends a gift and the prices of things are just expensive," Kaleb said as I took another sip of my watermelon slushie. "In the end it's about the thought behind the gift," He said as I nodded.

We sat in silence as we watched kids giggle and run around. An old couple were walking past as they looked at Kaleb and I. "They remind me of us Derek," The old lady said to her husband as the husband smiled at us.

"I want that," I watched the old couple stroll hand-in-hand. "To have a relationship like theirs?" Kaleb asked as I nodded. "Give me a chance," His response caused me to freeze. "I- what happens if I give you a chance?" I asked him as Kaleb's eyes met mine.

"I'll do my best to show you how much you mean to me, I'll show you everything I love about you." He said as I smiled at his words and looked away from him. "Consider yourself lucky Mr. Rodriguez, you've been accepted." I said as he gave me a goofy smile.