Stumbling Over Love | ✓

Chapter 47

_Chapter 47~ Cake, Cookies and Friendships_

I was back at the bowling alley.

Erika and the others were off laughing by the bowling lane, cheering whenever pins were knocked down or strikes were given. I wanted to walk over there to see what was the ruckus but my feet were stuck in the far distance that I was. My eyelids were extremely heavy but I realized soon that my mouth was moving. I was talking.

Somebody handed a drink but I was shorter than them so I couldn't see their face. Though, their voice was transmitting clearly and I was replying back to them.

School. Summer vacation. It was trivial conversation starters and it went on for quite awhile. The lucid words that left my mouth grew shorter. More fumbled. More nonsensical—all, as I only continued throwing the drink they'd given me down the hatch.

I spoke about my first encounter with Ryu; our involvement with the infirmary and community service. I mentioned my visit to Ryu's house to study for my math exam; his nonexistent resemblance with his mom; the photo of his younger brother Aki and his delinquent past. Our trip to the festival; Aki's strange phone call earlier that day.

I was talking about Ryu. My thoughts of him, what I knew... and the person before me whose battered pair of black sneakers only continued to ask me questions regarding that.

A call from Erika was able to steer our attention away and I looked over to see that she was pointing to Ryu who had arrived at the table. I immediately brightened and went over to greet him, the person behind me in suit—that friendly smile pitted onto their face as it always seemed to be.

I parted my heavy eyelids, allowing me to be stuck staring at the whiteness of my ceiling. I blinked to tune in my vision, my mind groggy and turning its gears. As I hauled my body upwards, frowning to myself, there was a small-scale premonition that gnawed at the pit of my stomach from the lucid dream.

What was that all about? That day at the bowling alley... I was with somebody then? Somebody gave me that drink...?

     Pressing my eyes closed, I banished the thought. It most likely meant nothing. I mean, the brain typically conjured up nonsense when it came to the aspect of dreams. It probably mustered up with that scenario to fill that empty blot in my mind from that night. And maybe it circled around Ryu because my mind had been full of thoughts of him when I went to bed last night.

     The mention of the male allowed for the appearance of a wide smile to envelop my lips.

"Of course I like you. More than I can ever say."

The memory only spurned for a tiny giggle to leave my mouth. I dropped back down onto my pillow, unable to stop the excessive warmth overflowing from my chest. I wasn't actually dreaming that event up was I? Ryu really....

"I do want to be with you. Really badly."

My lips came together, spread back in the biggest smile I could possibly muster. Even if we technically didn't have the kind of outcome to such a confession you'd typically have, Ryu still told me he felt the same way. I still had a shot. And he even kissed my cheek....

Flipping onto my back, I cast my hand upon my already warm face. Ugh, how was I supposed to deal with all this unspoken happiness? It was too much for my heart.

          "Reina, are you awake?" My mouth immediately clamped shut and I hoisted my body upwards as Mom poked her head in through the door. "I heard giggling," she said, laundry basket in one hand and a clear quirk in her eyebrow. "Somebody's a little chipper on the weekend aren't they?"