Two days.
Two days have passed since Dave and Arabella last spoke, and it was killing him slowly. And all it took was one sentence, one sentence to make her avoid him.
"I really love you."
It slipped out of his mouth, he was too caught up on the feeling of her lips that he had spoken what he's been screaming on his mind the whole time. It's not like he didn't mean it, but he knew that Arabella wasn't ready for those kind of things. Confessing and shit.
But she needed to know his feelings for her somehow, right?
Ever since then, Dave was like a human robot without Arabella. And it was the worst. Everything seemed dull around him now, like he was searching for something he can't reach. (Which was Arabella.)
"Gee, your gloomy mood could stir this sunny day up into a storm." Martin jokes, snorting to himself. When he sees Dave not showing any signs of amusement, his funny look replaces into concern.
He readjusts his rimmed glasses before clamping a comforting hand on Dave's shoulder. "Hey, I'm pretty sure she likes you back. Girls are like that sometimes, they just need time to think."
Dave runs a hand through his hair stressfully, "That's the point, she's not like most girls. I don't know what goes on in her head. She's unexpected and different, and she's completely hard to understand. She tells me that she loves when I say her name and when I say I love her she just cowers away." He sighs, his head was starting to hurt. He thinks he's gonna go insane.
"But she likes you, keep that in mind. Maybe Arabella's just lost, just give her some space and wait. She'll eventually come to terms with herself and find her way back to you."
Dave eyes him weirdly. "Since when did you become a love expert?"
"I read a lot of books in my free time." He shrugs, and he does. He's even got one book clutched in his hand right now.
David smiles for the first time that day, "You are by far, the nerdiest of nerds there is."
"Eh, don't care. You think I'm cool anyways." Martin jokes, and right then, Dave was back into a good mood.
"Yeah, honestly I do. It's not everyday you find a friend who not only gives you theories - that are completely stupid and ridiculous, may I add - but also gives love advice." He jokes back, but then gives him a warm smile. "Thanks, man."
"That's what I do." His best friend offers a smile back, and Dave realizes he was too lucky to have friends like Martin. Too lucky. Martin was always there by his side, rambling and all. He's never appreciated it until now. He thanks the world for people like Martin, who never give up on people like him, even when he's too stressful to handle.
--
Dave walks the hallway alone, deep in thought. He misses her, and he keeps repeating the night when he blurted out that he loves her. It keeps repeating like a broken tape, and it slightly scared him. He doesn't know what to do, but if he could he would take those words back, just so he and Arabella would be okay again.
He shuffles to his car, the school parking lot was starting to empty out, and there were only three to five vehicles left - including Arabella's motorcycle.
Arabella.
He spots a mop of chestnut curls on the top of her head in a messy bun, and she stands there, with her jade eyes and all details he has mentally listed about her. He feels like he just stumbled through heaven when his eyes land on her. He doesn't know what to do, but if he made a move it would only occur something stupid. But he dispels all his doubts, and thinks about one of the things he's learned about Arabella;
Sometimes you just gotta be reckless once or many times in your life.
And so he does.
He runs once he sees her get on her motorcycle and before she could get anywhere he stops her. He puts his hands up and stands across her, blocking the way.
"Are you crazy?" She exhales in disbelief, "I could've killed you!"
Dave shrugs, trying to catch his breath and also claming down his nerves. "But you didn't."
"What do you want, Dave?"
"I - I just wanted to - Are you mad at me?"
"No."
"Then why have you been avoiding me?" He says tiredly.
"I'm not, I just need time to sort some things out."
"You mean think about that night."
"I didn't mention that." She says, Dave was having a really hard time trying to figure out what was she feeling. She was like a locked up door and he couldn't get in unless he had a key, and the said key was buried thousand of feet under the ground. So basically impossible.
"But you were somehow implying on it." He knows, he knows she was still thinking about that night. He was too. And he knows Arabella enough to figure it out.
"I have to go, Dave." Her motorcycle comes back to life and roars, and he steps back in slight fear. But he regains back all the courage he has left.
"Let's talk."
"Can't."
"You know we still haven't finished decorating the treehouse, why don't we-"
"Dave."
"Yeah?"
"Stop." She says like what Arabella would really say. With her tongue a weapon and her demons released. The way she said it was like a brick thrown into his face, and it hurt.
He sighs before stepping out of the way, she doesn't look at him anymore but lets her hair down, putting kn her helmet. Keeping silent.
"I'm sorry," He mutters loud enough for her to hear, before watching her disappear into the road.
