If Only Tears Could Move Mountains

Chapter Fourteen ( continuation of Chapter Thirteen)

It was warm inside of the place. It wasn't over populated. We were seated immediately. I didn't see any people from Santran, which is always a good thing. I hated everybody at that school. I just feel like every time I walk in a room people are thinking, "there's the girl who got raped" or " there's the girl who lied about getting raped". Lee pulled my chair out as I scanned the entire restaurant.
Lee: Sit down.
Me: Thank you.
He sat down, after helping remove my jacket and removing his own.
Lee: What were you staring at?
Me: Nothing.
Lee: What did I just tell you about that?
I didn't say anything. I just stared at him.
Lee: Answer me, what were you staring at?
Me: All of the possible exits.
Lee: What?
Me: I said, all of the possible exits, just mentally taking note of them.
Lee: Why? What for?
Me: Just in case.
Lee: Just in case of what?
I didn't say anything.
Lee: Maori?
Me: Just in case Lee.
Lee: But just in case of what Maori?
He didn't let anything go. He would nag and nag and nag.
Me: You want an explanation for everything, don't you?
Lee: Yup.
Me: Just in case I have to get out of here and make a quick dash.
He smiled.
Me: I'm serious.
I really was dead serious.
Lee: I know you are. But you don't have to worry about that, you're safe with me.
Me: Oh really?
Lee: Isn't that what I just said?
It felt like we knew each other for much longer than what we actually did. We had so much chemistry. I really did feel safe with him. But ever since "the incident", I had to have a way out of everywhere.
Lee: What do you like to eat?
Me: Food.
He bussed out laughing. I smiled. He always covered his mouth when he smiled.
Me: Why do you do that?
Lee: Do what?
Me: Cover your mouth when you laugh or smile?
Lee: I don't know. It's a habit.
I wasn't buying it. I knew it was something else.
Me: Let me see your teeth.
Lee: What?! No, Maori.
Me: Let me see your teeth.
Lee: I'm not letting you see my teeth Maori. That's weird as fuck.
Me: Stop cursing at me.
Lee: Oh God.
Me: Oh God.
I mocked him. He smiled.
Me: Let me see your teeth.
Lee: Stop Maori.
Me: Noooo, I wanna see.
I started whining. He finally smiled, without putting his hand over his mouth. He had a tooth in the front of his mouth that was a tad bit crooked. His other teeth were fine. He actually had a pretty smile. I smiled back at him.
Lee: What you smiling for?
Me: Stop doing that, holding your hand up when you laugh or smile.
Lee: Okay
Me: You're smile is fine.
Lee: I know.
Me: So smile then. As hard as you want to smile.
Lee: Okay.
Just then the waiter came. I looked up at him and gave him a friendly smile. He was tall, had a darker complexion. He seemed cool. He smiled at us.
Waiter: How are ya'll doing?
He had an accent.
Lee: We're good.
Lee's energy changed immediately.
Waiter: What will ya'll have to drink?
Lee: I'll have some orange pop. How about you Maori?
Maori: Water with lemon, please.
Waiter: Okay. I'll be right back with your drinks.
The waiter left. I saw Lee make some type of face at the waiter. Like he was glad he was gone or irritated by him.
Me: Lee what's wrong?
Lee: Nothing.
Me: Thought you hated liars?
He looked at me in a weird, kinda cold way.
Me: What?
Lee: Why'd you look that guy in his eyes like that?
Me: What?
Lee: You heard me.
His question caught me off guard. I didn't know what he was implying or why he was asking me that.
Me: I didn't notice that I looked at him in any particular way.
Lee: You looked at him in his eyes. You were flirting right in front of my face.
Me: What?!
Lee: I saw you. I watched you looking at him.
Me: Are you serious?
Lee: You looked at him in his eyes, the same way you look at me in mine.
Me: I was simply being polite. I didn't look at him any type of way. You're really trippin Lee. Seriously.
Lee: At least have the common curtesy to do that type of shit when I'm not around. Cause I don't want to see it.
Me: Lee, I'm telling you I didn't look at him in any particular way. I greeted him and said thank you. That was it.
The waiter came back to the table.
Waiter: One orange soda, one water with lemon. Do ya'll need more time with the menus?
The waiter took the bottom half of the paper off of my straw, leaving only the tip of my straw covered. He placed it in my water.
Me: Thanks.
Waiter: No problem.
He went to do the same to Lee's straw.
Lee: I'm good.
Waiter: Ok my bad. So ya'll need more time with the menus?
Lee: No, I'll take a cheeseburger with fried onions mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, and a little bit of ketchup.
Waiter: Ok and for you, Ms. Lady?
He smiled. I didn't smile back but I didn't frown either.
Me: I'll have the chicken and shrimp pasta.
Waiter: Nice choice. I'll go put those orders in. Any appetizers?
The waiter was directing all of his questions to me, probably because he could sense Lee's shitty attitude. Lee interjected before I could newer the question.
Lee: No we're fine.
Waiter: Ok cool. Your food will be right out.
Me: Thanks.
Waiter: Can I take your menus?
I picked up Lee's, stacked it on top of mine, and handed it to the waiter.
Waiter: Thanks.
Me: No problem.
Lee didn't say a word. I couldn't believe he was so upset about something that he completely blew out of proportion. I was so annoyed but I didn't wanna catch an attitude because he caught an attitude and ruin our outing. So I decided to make conversation.
Me: Why'd you get a burger?
Lee: What do you mean?
He was clearly still agitated.
Me: Why'd you come all the way here for a burger? We could've gone to the snack hall for a burger.
Lee: You're right but I wanted a burger from here.
Me: Do you ever get something you've never ordered before? Something different?
Lee: No. I don't really like trying a whole bunch of foods.
Me: Why not?
Lee: Cause I just don't.
Me: I think you should start trying new foods.
Lee: & I think you should stop looking in other men's eyes right in front of me.
Me: Can you stop please?
Lee: Nah, I don't respect that. That's not cool.
Me: I'm telling you that you're misinterpreting everything. I was just being polite to the guy. I didn't look at him in any type of way.
Lee: If you're going to do that at least don't do that while I'm around.
Me: Are you hearing anything I'm saying? I'm telling you that I didn't mean for my politeness to come off the way you took it. I literally was being my normal self. I'm just being me. I smile, I'm pleasant. That's who I am.
Lee: You can be all those things without being flirtatious.
Me: I'm done.
I was heated.
Lee: Done with what?
He reached across the table and grabbed my hand. I looked up at him with the "yeah whatever" face. He smiled and tugged at my hand. Then he clasped his hands into mine, we were holding hands. I shook my head and smiled.
Me: You're crazy.
Lee: No, you are.
Me: I'm not. I'm really not.
Lee: Just listen to me I know what's best for you.
The waiter came back with our food about ten minutes later. Lee and I were at the table talking. Like he didn't piss me off. Nobody knows this but I have issues with refocusing after I get extremely emotional. I can stay mad or sad about something for hours. I've had this problem since I was five or six years old. My mom said if I got punished or got into an altercation with friends or my siblings, if and when I got upset; I'd cry for 3-4 hours straight. For some reason I can't bounce back after I get upset. During high school I conquered this, unless I was playing basketball. If we lost I'd cry the entire bus ride home. Instead of catching the bus home, my Nana would have to come get me from my high-school. It hadn't been affecting me but when "the incident" happened, it came back stronger than I ever remember it being. This emotional "disorder" that I've been dealing with my whole life didn't choose to reveal itself this particular night. Thank God! Because he sure did piss me off with that whole flirtatious thing. I'm not a flirtatious girl, at all. Any one who knows my heart can attest to this. I never want to give people attitude for no particular reason, I can read and feel spirits. I know when people need pleasant-ness and when I need to be stern. Every person you meet doesn't deserve an attitude. I couldn't believe he'd accuse me of doing that right in front of his face and then after I explained what my energy was, he still insisted that I was doing something I wasn't doing! He just completely misunderstood me.
Lee: Maori?
Me: Mhmm
Lee: Do you like your food?
Me: Yes. Do you like that same ole burger you get every time you come here?
I started watching him eating. He couldn't even answer my question because his mouth was full. He kinda mumbled something letting me know he was satisfied.
Me: Why do you have to eat like that Lee?
He was eating like a maniac. Making loud noise and all, like he hadn't eaten anything in a decade.
Lee: Don't do that. Let me enjoy my food.
Me: You don't have to make all those loud noise's though.
Lee: Have you seen the way you eat?
Me: I do not eat like an animal though and loudly at that.
Lee: You eat like a prisoner, like you've never eaten anything in your life.
I bussed out laughing. One of those laughs from your gut. He started laughing too.
Me: Stop tryina play me.
Lee: Nah, don't try that cute, innocent girl voice now. Naw, you eat like a slave!
I bussed out laughing. He was so funny. How dramatic and extra he was. He was so handsome. He was laughing too.
Me: What did I tell you about covering your mouth?
Lee: It's a habit.
Me: A habit I know you can shake. You've got nothing to hide.
Lee: Habits aren't easily broken, I've been doing that my whole life. But I'm gonna try, I am.
Me: Okay Lee the pea !
He smiled.
Lee: What?
Me: Nothing, oh nothing.
Lee: Are you gonna finish that?
Me: I'm going to take it home.
Lee: Where's home?
Me: Huh?
Lee: What building do you live in on campus?
Me: Why?
Lee: Cause I want to know.
Me: How about I show you?
He smiled and for the first time he didn't cover his smile with his hand.
Lee: Come on.
I smiled.
Me: I'll meet you at the car, I've gotta use the bathroom.
Lee: Ok.
I got up to walk towards the bathroom. I heard his voice.
Lee: Beautiful
Me: Huh?
Lee: Make sure you leave your half of the bill before you go.
I laughed and shook my head as I walked away. He was funny and really could make me laugh; I loved that. When I approached the car, he was standing by the passenger side door. When I got closer he opened the door for me. I smiled and got in.
Me: Thank you.
Lee: No problem.
Me: Let me teach you a short cut.
Lee: You in a rush to get away from me?
Me: Its not that, it's just I wanna show you a shortcut.
Lee: Aight that's cool, I guess.
Me: When you go out, make a left instead of a right.
Lee: Okay.
The truth was that I didn't live on campus. They were supposed to move the guy from my building after "the incident", but they never did. My Nana wanted me to transfer schools but I refused so her and my two uncles showed up at my room one day with a mini u-haul and moved all of my stuff into a one bedroom apartment about 15 minutes from campus. That's where I lived. No one knew besides family, anyone on campus including coaches, teammates, and whatever friends I had left knew nothing of the apartment. They all thought I was commuting from home. My Nana forbid me to have any form of company, male or female, that wasn't family. Lee was the first person I had decided to invite to my apartment. I felt so safe with him. That's why I decided to invite him.