Beginnings

She pressed her throbbing forehead against the dashboard as he tried to start the car again, but without any success. He punched the steering wheel. "Are you okay?" he grunted at her.

"Sublime," she mumbled. "A head that's just about to split is always a pleasure when your car has broken down in the middle of the forest, right?"

"I hadn't planned it to go down this way!" he snapped with annoyance before getting down once again to fiddle with the motor or something. An hour and several unsuccessful tries later, he opened the door for her. "Neet?" His voice sounded less harsh, more concerned. "Neet? Can you walk?" He crouched slightly when she turned her head towards him. "This car's not starting. I tried calling for help but there's no signal at all here, I think we should walk to... until we find... something... Is it okay with you?"

She could hardly open her eyes to look at the surroundings properly and he wanted her to walk back to civilisation? "I didn't even want to come, to begin with," she gritted out. She felt his hand rub her back gently.

"I'm sorry, Neet."

As they walked back, she felt herself sway and although she tried to walk properly, it got harder and harder. He abruptly stopped and picked her up in his arms, extracting a shriek from her. For a split moment, her headache was forgotten. "What the hell are you doing, Adi?"

"You wouldn't be asking this if you'd seen yourself walk." He half-smiled at her, protectively pulling her closer. "It's okay, relax."

It wasn't too difficult too. The dull ache returned, increasing at a fair pace, and she snuggled into his warmth, her eyes closed. When she opened them again, he was gone. She sat up straight and scared. Her headache had disappeared too. What? He had just left her on a bloody stack of hay and... gone? And the skies were darkening above her, with just a thin line of blazing orange left at the horizon. Panicked, she screamed his name out with everything she had in her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She turned around and there he was, striding towards her with a grimace.

"Where did you go? I was so scared! I thought you had..."

He sat down beside her, frowning. "I wouldn't abandon you."

"You did... nine years ago..." Her voice was no louder than a whisper but he did hear her. She swallowed. She saw the hurt flicker on his face in the receding sunlight and looked away. She shouldn't have said that.

"I wasn't something I wanted," he said, his voice toneless. "You know I didn't have a say in it. Dad had to move, we didn't have a choice but to go with him."

She bit her lip. "I know, I'm sorry."

He was watching her with a crooked smile when she looked at him. "So you did miss me. Liar." Pretending to be flustered, she looked away. "I apologise too. For leaving like that and not keeping in touch. For returning and expecting everything to be the same. For forcing you to come with me to this stupid high school reunion and landing you in this when you are clearly not well." His frown was back, deeper now. "I just wanted to... patch up... and for you to have a good time..."

She shrugged. "Apology accepted. What are we doing now?"

He pointed at the wooden shed behind them. "Climbed on the roof and called for help. Jo's coming but it'll take a while." She nodded and pulled her legs to her chest. "Are you cold?" he asked worriedly. He didn't wait for her answer to wrap his arms around her. She smiled, content. And thankfully, he couldn't see her.

"I missed you a damn lot, you know?" he whispered, suddenly. "I wrote you tons of letters, never posted them because... I didn't know what you'd think, how you'd feel... We were best-friends, I liked you. A lot. I'd fallen in love, actually. I didn't know about your feelings, I don't... I was scared to come to the reunion. I'd thought you'd be married with a few kids. Didn't want to come, but then... I took my chance... This was meant to be a date, you know?" he chuckled nervously.

"Will you let me... read those letters?" she cautiously asked.

"Well... it... depends?" he pulled away just enough to look at her. "Would you... date me?"

A smile tugged at her lips. "The only reason why I am not married with a few kids, Adi, is because the one guy I'd liked enough to do those things with disappeared from my life nine years before. You tell me, would I date you?"

He chucked boyishly. "Why did you act so pricey then?"

"You left me, you never let me know you were still alive, not once... what did you expect?"

He pulled her closer. "Sorry."

"I forgive you. Oh look, stars!" It was practically impossible to spot them in the city. Leaning against each other, they watched the stars, reminisced the old times, spoke about what they'd done during the past nine years. And as the glow of the headlights from Jo's car appeared and they started getting up. She yanked softly at his sleeve. "I had great time, Adi. And it was a perfect for a first date. And yes, I would date you, idiot."

Grinning, he planted a lingering kiss on her forehead before they started walking to the car.

[903 Words]