this is me trying

Chapter 6 - Keeping her Alive

I was nervous. Quite nervous. I knew that it would be good, if I only let it be good. If I didn't put too much pressure on myself I could make it good. It would be good.

Then the doorbell buzzed. She was here.

I went downstairs, not wanting to walk too fast but not wanting to seem too slow. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't too keen but also that I showed some interest. I had no idea what to expect here. I had never been on a date, but was this even a date? I had no idea what this was and I knew I shouldn't put any labels on it, but it was hard not to.

When I walked outside, the cold breeze rushed my body, and I looked up to see her standing outside her car, leaning against it. She was looking down at her phone, but as she looked up, only for a millisecond, she saw me, and put her phone down. She smiled at me, waving cheesily, before I started to walk over.

"Hey," I said, standing in front of her, my hands behind my back.

"Hi," she replied, looking at me, right in the eyes.

"So, where are we going?" I asked her.

"It's a surprise," she answered. "Get in." I hopped into the car, and she got into the driver's seat. I clicked my seatbelt in twice, and she waited for me to move my seat twice before moving off.

"Do you like music?" she asked me.

"I guess," I replied.

"If you want, the aux is there." I took the aux cord, plugged my phone in and scrolled my many Spotify playlists trying to find music that would work for the situation that I was currently in. I found a playlist including, but not limited to, Taylor Swift, George Ezra, and the 1975.

"You really not going to tell me where we are going?" I asked Ona, as she was driving.

"Unfortunately, that's what a surprise means," she laughed back.

"So, tell me your story," I asked her, cheekily.

"Hey! That's my question," she retorted, smiling softly.

"Well, you ask me, I ask you."

"Okay. I grew up in Barcelona, played for the youth teams, before moving around a bit. Settled in Manchester in 2020, and still here."

"That's it? That's your story? Okay then. I grew up in Trondheim, and played for the women's team there. Moved this season, and now I'm here."

"Okay," Ona laughed. "Maybe that isn't my entire story, but that doesn't matter now. We're here." I looked outside to see green hills, and a reservoir beneath. The sun sparkled off the water, and the hills converged around the water. I had never seen anything this beautiful in Manchester. It almost reminded me of...home.

"What is this place?" I asked Ona.

"You like it?" she asked.

"I love it," I responded, walking down, closer to the water.

"It's called Dovestone Reservoir."

"How'd you find this place?"

"I went searching for some beauty I guess," she responded. "And finding beauty in Manchester is not the easiest of things to do." I laughed as she said this.

"I know this sounds stupid but-" I started to say before Ona cut in.

"Remind you of home?" she answered.

"Yeah, it reminds me of home."

"I guess it kinda does for me too, but in a different way," she laughed.