Dear Valentine

VI

Idiot, I think to myself. Of course, I would be the one to run away. They must think I'm a fool for avoiding them. I've never been one to handle new people very well, after all.

I run inside the bathroom and isolate myself into one of the bathroom stalls. I just lean against the door.

I suddenly hear the bathroom door open. "Valentine, are you here?" the voice calls. Corrine. I could recognize her voice from miles away.

I slowly open the stall door that I was leaning on to reveal myself. It is only Corrine. She stands in front of me, looking sympathetic. She opens her arms to envelope me into a hug.

"You needn't be so nervous. From the conversation with him and his friends, they are all really cool guys," she states. "They're not as cool as Aiden, obviously, but I think you and Alex would look cute together. Please say you'll try?"

I laugh at her comment about Aiden, but I became hesitant to accept Corrine's plea. How could I not agree when she's standing before me, bulging her puppy-like eyes? Eventually, I sighed. There is no hope to refuse her. If this act to get to know Alex is for her benefit with Elliott, maybe I'll give it a try.

"Okay," is all I say. Corrine immediately grins with glee, obviously enthused by my decision. I speak up again, "But I'm only doing this so that you can get closer to Blonde Boy."

Her lips turn from a huge grin into a straight formation. She is hit with confusion. "What?" she asks.

I guess this wasn't her intention at all, but for the matter, it will be my intention. "Nothing," I reply. If I don't get along with Alex, there is no way she and Elliott could bond. There would be an awkward atmosphere between the two groups. For the sake of Corrine, I will learn to be around new people.

Eventually, Corrine and I leave the bathroom. I had forgotten the embarrassment I had caused for myself as soon as I step outside. Alex seems to have a look on his face that showed he didn't mind the inconvenience I had caused. I stand awkwardly next to Corrine, whose smile is as big as the sun. Her heart is noticeably fluttering for Elliot and for him only. It's as if she and him are the only people in the room. For a girl who hasn't had much of a conversation with the guy she likes, she is head over heals in love.

Aiden seems to notice Corrine's ignorance of the outside world as well. He's staring at me, since Corrine has gotten sidetracked to helping me with Alex. Aiden bobs his head to the side, instructing me to make my move. And so I do.

My eyes hit directly at Alex, whose eyes are reflecting back at me. I smile at him, because that is all I know to do at the moment. Taking a deep breath, I hold out my hand towards him. I felt so embarrassed that this is what I resort to. Shaking hands.

"Hi, I'm Valentina," I simply say. Alex takes ahold of my hand, grasping it with his cold hands. I figure it would be cold if he had been in the water for quite a while.

"Alex," he replies.

We stood there for a moment, looking at each other. It was as if the world simply faded away. I wasn't mesmerized in his trance per se. It was more of me admiring him from a closer distance. His hand is much bigger than mine. Compared to his, my hands looked petite. After a moment, the world slowly came back into sight. I realize we were shaking hands for too long and pulled back.

Corrine and the others were long gone by then. I hadn't even noticed they left. It is just Alex and I standing next to the pool now.

"Look, I don't know what you've heard about me. I guess Corrine told you I wanted to meet you, but I promise you I am not obsessed with you," Alex starts to say. If he hadn't been in the pool already, it would've looked as if he was sweating. He looked slightly cute, caring about what I think of him.

"I didn't think you were obsessed with me. Though, I am quite irresistible," I joke, flipping my hair to give some emphasis.

"That is kind of true," he muttered under his breath, thinking I wouldn't hear him. I choose to ignore it to avoid further awkwardness. Louder, he asks, "My uncle opened a restaurant just recently, would you want to have dinner with me one night?"

I hadn't been expecting an invitation so soon. I didn't know dates come so soon in a relationship, though I didn't know if I wanted this to go anywhere. I guess being that I was new to dating; I will be left with a lot of surprises.

"I will take you up on that offer," I decide to say. It isn't an exact confirmation that I will accept, but I haven't rejected him either. He seemed to beam up at my answer, anyways. He lips perk at the end when it's smiling, leaving a dimple to the left of it. I couldn't help but feel butterflies in my stomach.

We exchange number then, struggling to pass our phones to each other. I nearly drop his phone after I punch in my number, but luckily catch it when it nearly crashes onto the ground. I mouth a quick 'sorry' at Alex, receiving a shrug in return. From that reaction, I guess he didn't really care if his phone crashed, though I wouldn't be able to be in contact with him until he got another phone.

I move to sit on the gutters of the pool, sinking my feet into the blue water. Alex takes a seat next to me, leaving an inch of space in between us. It feels like I might have a heart attack being so close to him.

The only guy I can recall being this close with is Aiden. However, Aiden is just a friend and Alex, on the other hand, is a potential lover. Both being a friend and being a potential lover have different sparks of energy emitting from them. One I can handle and the other, I could almost puke in (not out of disgust, of course.)

"Since you are thinking about my offer, I'm assuming that beach boy isn't your boyfriend?" Alex asks.

I think for a minute who he might be talking about. Then, I say, "Aiden? He's nowhere near a "beach boy."

He laughs, bobbing his head back. "Really? He has the look of one."

"Trust me. He hasn't even been to the beach, so he can't possibly be one," I answer. It was true. My family always offers to take him on vacation with us, along with Corrine. Corrine, though, has been to the beach several times. The two of them always reply that they wouldn't want to be a prude and invade in on our vacation, even though we were the ones to insist on them coming.

"Whatever you say," he sighs, placing his hands behind him to hold him up.

"To answer your question: no. He is not my boyfriend," I answer. I didn't know why I felt like I had to answer his question in the first place. It is common for that question to be asked for several people. Usually, I would simply walk away or ignore their question until another topic comes up. I guess I do want this relationship with Alex to work out. Then, in a smirking way, I say, "And to answer your other question: I'm not busy next Saturday, so I may want to take up on your offer."

"Sweet, I'll come pick you up." If he were standing up at the moment, he would probably be jumping up and down. I could imagine him skipping away from me to tell his friends about what has happened. That thought made me feel tingly inside.