The Definition of Me

Chapter 3: Again.

After accidentally meeting Liam, eating about four to five pancakes and watching an episode of 'The New Girl', I took a much needed, 'I am not ready to face the world' nap and after about two hours, I woke up. Again. But this time in dead silence, with a note left on the fridge:

"Morning Rosie,

I am currently away at work. And since I am suspecting you will be staying for more then one night at my house, I want you to do me a small favour; go shopping for groceries (the list is on the table). I am planning on having a taco night with you and I, so we can talk about your sudden arrival. And hopefully my current level of parental authority didn't freak you out.
Love you loads,
-Gem

P.S. Props to you if you actually read this in the morning."

After reading the note with a tiny grin in my face, the 'taco night' idea left me feeling excited, but having to make up an excuse about what Gemma called "the arrival" during the upcoming talk made it slightly more frustrating. Nevertheless I was quickly distracted from it because I heard my phone buzzing in the other room. 

***

"...so you just smiled and ran in the other room?" She said in a loud, high-pitched voice, which made me double-check if my phone was put on speaker or not.

"Eva, I am pretty sure the whole school heard that." I responded as I held my phone further away from my ear.

"So you would expect me to start a conversation in my oversized, pink pyjamas with him? Saying something like 'Oh, don't mine me. I woke up like this." I continued, making a Beyonce song reference, which made Eva giggle and me slightly less uncomfortable recalling what happened..

"You made your point. So what's his name?" She then asked.

"Liam." I said, pressing my phone with my ear against my right shoulder, so I could put on my black jeans.

She then asked me a question with in an gossip-like tone "So should I make a ship name already?"

"I think you should forget about it. I don't even know why I told you this." I replied, zipping my jeans and taking my phone into my right hand.

"Fine. But in case you're wondering, it would probably be Riam." She replied back, then adding "Gotta go, English class starts now."

"Good. You need it." I teasingly replied. "And just forget about Riam. There are actual couples at school that you can actually create ship names with. Get the whole Liam situation out of your head."

"Alright. I got it. Talk to you later." She said in slight disappointment. I suspected she had already imagined making Riam her new headline for her online blog.

***

I made my way up the stairs, where Gemma's apartment was. Using both of my hands, I carried big bags filled with food that she asked me to buy, making me question if four bags full of groceries were just for two people or if she was planning a house party later on, which was quite probable knowing her extroverted personality. 

Down the corridor there were two apartments. One on the right side and one on the left, which was Gemma's. Turning my back against the door of her neighbours' apartment, I was trying to take my keys out of my pocket, whilst juggling the grocery bags all at the same time. Suddenly the door behind me opened and I freaked out for a millisecond, as if I was scare-pranked in an April Fool's joke, which made me drop everything on the floor, leaving the purchased food scattered everywhere. The feeling of frustration and slight anger overcame the feeling of my terror. I rolled my eyes at the mess I have made, and met a familiar pair of hazel eyes as I looked up to see who I bumped into. It was Liam.

"Oh God, I am so sorry" I said, going down on my knees to pick up the food.

"No no, it's my bad. I didn't mean to scare you." He apologised, going down on the floor and trying to help me put everything back inside the bags.

"It's okay, I got it. You can go." I made it clear I didn't want any help, to which he resisted and said: "Please, just let me help"

"Seriously, it's okay." I said in a slightly irritated voice and tried to quickly pick up everything so I could leave sooner and forget this ever happened. Although I doubted that I would.

"Come on." He continued to help me, ignoring what I had just told him. 

"Is this some kind of a 'teenage love story' movie to you? You know, where the guy usually helps the (what is usually a clumsy) girl and then it's 'The Fault In Our Starts' all over again" I jokingly said, trying to hide my annoyance. 

"Except that usually the girl accidentally drops her books, bumps into the guy or falls in front of the guy. And the day they first meet, the girl usually doesn't wear pink pyjamas." He added, making us both synchronically laugh as we continued to clean up the mess.

Once I got everything inside the bags and stood up, I leaned on one of the walls of the corridor in exhaustion and said to him with an appreciative smile "Thanks for the help nevertheless."

"Let's at least have a proper introduction like they do in the movies then. Since the first one didn't really work out." he smirked at me and added "Liam."

"Rosemary" I replied, looking back at him.

"I didn't know you lived here" I continued, trying to keep the 

"And I also never saw you around here either. Are you Ms. Marsh's...?" he asked and I finished his sentence "Niece." 

"To make this more of a teenage love story..." he started, but I interrupted and said, "Wait, is this the part where the guy asks the girl out?" 

"Friday Night, two tickets to a basketball game at Madison Square Garden. It's Knicks vs. Golden State" he told me straightforwardly with a hopeful look on his face.

"Did the NBA sweatshirt made it too obvious?" I grinned, pointing my hand at my hoodie I was wearing, which had the NBA emblem on it.

"Maybe, but also made it easier for the guy to decide the time and the place." 

"I'll be ashamed to say I will not be cheering for my home state then." I  shamefully said. 

"I see, so you're part of the bandwagon?" He teased, stating that I was a Golden State fan, although my hometown was New York City, which meant I should be on the Knicks side.

"Come on, they have Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry who both make good 3-pointers. And don't forget Draymond Green, who gets good rebounds." I started explaining as I opened the front door to Gemma's apartment.

"So it's a yes then?" he reassuringly asked, smiling at me. 

"I guess it is." I answered, coming inside the apartment and kicking off my shoes.

 "I'll see you then." he said

"I'll see you" I saw him shut the door.

I the turned around to face the living room and I saw aunt Gemma jumping out of nowhere from the kitchen as she shouted "You're going on a date!"
I screamed in horror and dropped the bags on the floor. Again.

"Gemma! Oh my god!" I then shouted back, completely imitated by this point as I tried to stand back up. Again.

"Oh, sorry.." She quietly teeheed in exhilaration.

***