Friends Or Enemies? Love Maybe...

Chapter 5

5

Please call 911!

            After clicking the door bell three times, at last a person answered. Buthis voice is kind of familiar for me. "I'm coming. Please wait." I can hear a conversation between that person and maybe with his mother. "Hello! I guess you're from our neighbourhood." As that person stand on the front door of the house, I felt like going to faint. Aunt Mary, please call the ambulance. That guy is Tucker Longstreet! My crush is my neighbour? Is this a bonus or an earthquake? I was enchanted to meet him,

Your eyes whispered, "Have we met?"

Across the room your silhouette

Starts to make its way to me

The playful conversation starts

Counter all your quick remarks

Like passing notes in secrecy

And it was enchanting to meet you

All I can say is I was enchanted to meet you

This night is sparkling, don't you let it go

I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home

I'll spend forever wondering if you knew

I was enchanted to meet you...

            "Hi! You're Christina Anderson, from the 11th Grade right?" "Oh, hi. Yeah I'm Christina Anderson." Why did I choose this t-shirt? "You're one of our school dancers right? I always watch your performances. You're so awesome." Why didn’t I hear mom’s idea and just change to something fab like an evening dress or maybe a hot blouse or a sweet skirt or even the dress I’ve just bought at the Cali Mall? Why don’t I have that instinct that a woman have in those movies when the men of their love is close to them. You know, like sixth sense or something. Somewhere I sense that Mom felt that she’sinvisible.

 "Hi, emm..." I must give mom information if she do that “Umm” sound. "His name is Tucker Longstreet mom." "Hi Tucker. Both of you seems to have known each other. I'm Lawren Anderson, Christina's mother and this is my best friend, Mary Lynn."Mary suddenly interrupts this shocking conversation. "I'm not from one of your neighbourhood. I'm just searching for a free dinner tonight. That's why I join Lawren. Am I being an interruption to all of you?"“No, no, of course not.”

            We ate the dinner and the only thing I do was smile and say“owh”, “I see” and “yeah”. I excused myself because I felt uncomfortable. Thank god,there's a bench at their garden. I sit on the bench and recap everything that had happened today. I wish that I can just sleep for a while and when I wake up, everything is still as usual. Sam is still cool and Tucker is still my crush-now he is my crush and

myneighbour. "Stress huh?" Oh my god. How does he knows I'm here? "Yeah. 11th Grade is tougher than I thought it would be

 "Actually Christina, the real point is that, life is tougher than we thought it would be. At the end of the day, you'll figure everything out and actually it’s not so tough." He is so romantic-just to be reminded, he’s my crush, of course he has all that sweet little things a hot guy would have- "I hope that'll happen to me as soon as possible." My emergency box in my brain that consists of paranoid alarm just rang. I think it rang because Tucker is looking straight into my eyes. Then Tucker continues his words.  "Don't rush Tina. Hey. I was thinking from just now. How do you know me? I mean how. I knew you because you're our school dancer."  Stop ringing paranoid alarm! It’s a wrong call!"Owh. I recognize you because you're from our school baseball team." Actually, that’s true. The first time I ever saw him was when I attended the baseball final match. He’s the captain-again, my crushes are always from the best- "You watch baseball?" Now, he wants to know my interest. What is this, an ice-breaking session? "I love baseball."He’s face looks lightened up. This is going to be a long conversation Tina. "You're so awesome! I've never met a girl that loves baseball. Not even Ivy. She's only interested in the cheerleading team."

            Thanks Tucker. You really help me. I felt like dying now. It's always Ivy-she's Tucker's girlfriend but I don't think she really love him. Why?Oh why?Can't you talk about something else?So I continued my word without saying anything about Ivy."I love baseball since I was small. My dad used to be the national baseball player. I always watch him. I always wish that one day girls are allowed to play baseball."And now his face look like an innocent guy full of enthusiasm. "Your dad is a baseball player? Whyyou've never mention about him before? I mean if your dad is a baseball player, your dad can be our school baseball team's coach." Why did I tell him about that! Ok, paranoid alarm, now is the right time for you to ring. "He was once a national baseball player." "You mean now he's a former national baseball player? He still can be a coach. Talking about your dad, why didn't he join us tonight?"

            I can feel tears dropping now. I don't know how to explain this to him. I've never said to anyone that my father is dead. If anyone asks, Sam or Mom will explain because I'mclose to dad and I can't accept the fact that dad has left me. Now that Mom is in the house chatting without caring anything that is happening in the world and Sam is, I don’t know how to describe her anymore, I must say this to Tucker, by myself. "Tucker, my father has left my family. He's gone now.”“I’m sorry Christina.” “You don’t have to be.I've never talk about the incident since it happened. I always blame myself for the most stupid thing I've done in my whole life. The incident happened two years before. Our house was robbed and the thief threatened to kill me. Dad tried to save me but… he end up being shot." The silence of the night was added by the awkward silence we made. Tears drops from my eyes without stopping.

            Tucker and I stare at the green grass as if it holds all the words we want to say right now. "Christina, I'm sorry. I didn'tmean to make you cry. You can't blame yourself for everything. You are not guilty for what had happened. You're a victim." His words convince me but I'm too stressed today. "It's okay Tucker. I'm okay." Tucker slowly wipes my tears and whisper to my ears. "You must be strong. Remember Tina, life is tougher than what we thought it would be. The past always help us to move on."