The Meal Plan

Chapter 17

Hey folks,

Happy Easter in advance! I hope you all have a great holiday!

Here's another chapter :) This one is dedicated to aniiiibunny.

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Sharanya Mullassery ©2012-2013

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Few days later, I ran into Derek on my way to school. He didn’t recognize me till I called out his name.

“Neveah, Is that you? Oh my god, I didn’t recognize you!!” He gave me a tight hug. “How are you?”

“I am fine, thank you. What are you doing here? I thought you went back to college. Are you reopening The Shack again?” I asked.

“No, The Shack only brings business during the summer holidays. I was visiting my granny. She’s sick” He said.

“Awww…” I trailed.

There was this inexplicable and tense attraction between us, and I knew that if I let him get too close, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself. I hadn’t really seen Derek since The Shack closed. Few months back, I heard that Derek had broken up with his girlfriend and was single. So, when I saw him that morning, I had a sudden realization: ‘I could date him now’

Suddenly, my stomach became queasy, my head began to pound, and my heart threatened to jump out of my chest. We talked for a little while he complimented my outfit—something I had meticulously picked out the day before: a black and white patterned high-waisted skirt from the Gap and a blue fitted top with black tights and black heels. After that, I got up the courage to ask him out. In that moment, I was nervous. I remembered how he turned down scores of girls at our school over minuscule appearance slights: an upturned nose, a too-high waist-to-hip ratio etc. As I waited for his answer, I briefly considered that I might not be his type but then he quickly said yes.

We made plans to go to our favorite restaurant in the area: an Irish pub called Fiddler’s, and the next day, I skipped school and did extensive beauty treatments on myself passing the time till he was supposed to meet me in front of my home. I wanted to appear beautiful, ravishing, stunning, but not trying too hard or approval seeking. A casual beauty – That’s what I wanted to be. So I chose an outfit that I knew he had seen pieces of before—but jazzed it up with new shoes that I knew he hadn’t—and wore my hair down and straight—no fancy hair-dos. My make up was present but understated, and I perfected my “confident but laid back” posture to exude what I wanted: just an evening between friends that could turn into something much more. When Derek arrived at my door, I was ready.

Immediately, I felt that he was being too casual about this. He had all the power in our interactions, which I knew, but I tried hard not to reveal to him. He didn’t open any doors for me, didn’t ask to borrow his friend’s car—we took a cab and split the 7 dollars—and didn’t say anything about my outfit other than “I like your hair straight like that,” in a casual, almost offhand way. I tried to be equally cool, not saying anything about his red polo shirt - which I wanted to rip off - or his haircut - which I yearned to run my fingers through. We walked along with matching “hands in our pockets” poses, and I walked into Fiddlers in front of him, not bothering to hold the door for him behind me or wait for him as I asked for a table. Inside I was seething… I wanted him to notice my eyes, my shirt, my shoes, my smile, SOMETHING DAMN IT! But I remained cool.