Fried Burrito

t w e L v e

"If I see you make that face one more time, I'm going to lose it," Daph groaned as she rolled over on her bed.

I was caught in a dilemma. My excessive emotion changes towards the boy I barely knew was getting old. My friends seemed to think so, some of my brothers took notice, and my the fatigue pouring from my brain was evidence of my conclusion.

"I'm sorry Daph, I'm just confused. I just don't understand why I'm liking him! I barely know anything substantial about him but I keep wanting to know more. He's even said things about my appearance already and usually that's a deal breaker but, hasn't sexualized me so-"

"Caden for crying out loud," she said while she sat upright. "You like this boy! Admit it."

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because that means I'll have to be an adult that accepts and acts on my feelings."

Daph's eyes rolled at my response before she replied.

"Look, Caden, you're scared and this whole thing with Jace is new. You've met someone who wants to know what's under the curves of your body and you're unsure of how things may turn out... Yes or no?"

"Yes..."

"You have to try. Suck it up, be spontaneous, and just do it."

I fell back onto my bed as Daph's words stuck to me.

She was right. I had to stop being a baby and step up to the plate with this boy if I really wanted things to work out in our favors. Especially since I'd already decided I'd give him a chance after we had dinner with his family the other day.

"Yeah, you're right Daph. Thank you."

"I always am, honey."

"Yes, you are, even when you made out with that creepy guy from our Biology class on Halloween!"

"Ah! We don't speak about that year!" she screamed into one of my pillows before she threw it at my face.

"I love you!"

"Yeah yeah, I love you too," she replied after turning over in her bed.

___________

For the next 48 hours, I had planned to fill my life with Jace. If things were really going to take a turn down the road it was obviously going to lead to, I knew that this would be necessary. It had been a couple of weeks since we had last interacted and if I was being honest, life felt weird without someone constantly pestering me to open up to them.

I'd set this weekend aside as our official first date, romantic or not would be decided based on our time together.

My plan seemed foolproof and I was ready to go through with it.

"You, me, two dates for the next two nights. Pick me up at 6," I said cooly to Jace once I saw him pass by my job.

"Who said I wanted to go on a date with you?"

"Nobody has to say it, I can already see it in the way you act," I said jokingly to refer to what he told me the night I met his family.

"You can barely tell me what emotions you're feeling so how can you possibly understand what I'm feeling?" he shot back.

My heart dropped at his harshness. I had finally put myself out there and had ended up getting brutally rejected.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong."

"It seems like something is bothering you. And in this case, it would be me... Am I bothering you?"

"Not everything is about you, Caden. I apologize that my whole life doesn't revolve around you."

"Are you being serious right now? I never said anything about that."
"Yeah well, you didn't have to."

"Look, I'm sure whatever you're going through may be tough but I know you'll get over it and if you want to talk, you know where I am. Don't treat me like shit because you're feeling like shit."

I turned around to leave but the feel of Jace's hand on my forearm stopped me.

"I'm sorry sweetheart," he paused to look at me. "I'll be there. Should I go to your place?"

"Yes. Don't be late and pack a change of clothes."

"A change of clothes? You do know that you have to get into my pants for me to take them off, right?"

I felt my face heat up as I surprisingly giggled at his line.

"That's the plan!" I joked back before turning around and leaving him to head home.

The next two days were going to be something spontaneously special and I wouldn't accept anything less.