Something wild happened to me today

Chapter 17

Tuesday, March 27th, 4:12 PM

Date with Sara

I can hardly believe it. These things only happen in those chick flicks that girls like so much. And which I can’t stand, by the way.

Sara picked me up on Valencia street—near to where I work—around 2 in the afternoon. When I saw her turn the corner, my heart sped up, and when she recognized me and smiled, it almost burst out of my chest. She walked quickly toward me, and when she got there, put the sweetest kiss on my lips that I can remember. I felt like I was floating, and an image came to my mind of the typical cartoon scene where the main character suddenly pops out two wings and starts to float up in the air without realizing. I don’t want to imagine the idiot look I must have had on my face at that moment.

While we went toward the place where we were going to eat—a good home-cooked food restaurant—, she asked me, laughing, if her call had surprised me yesterday.

I like how straightforward she is, and how easily she throws me off guard. I’m not used to being with someone who says what they’re thinking without worrying about looking good or not, but I love it. It’s strange for someone to be so spontaneous, just as they are, from the very first moment, although when you look at her you’d think it’s the most normal thing in the world for her.

“You’re the last person I expected to call me,” I answered her.

She laughed, and a few steps later stopped on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. She looked into my eyes when I turned toward her and asked, very calmly,

“How could I not call you after the best night of my life?”

I was at a loss for words; I didn’t know if she was serious or joking. If it was the former, it was too beautiful, and I was sure that anything I could say wouldn’t be as good, and if it was the latter… Like I said, I’m not made for these situations. I managed to eke out a smile after a few seconds, during which my doubts tried to take over, and I kissed her again. Then we went inside.

Meeting someone so direct, sincere and enthusiastic gives me a challenge that I’m not sure I can handle. I really want to, but honestly, I don’t know.

With Sara, I felt something that I hadn’t felt in many years: we connected. From the very first moment our gazes met in the club, there was a connection between the two of us that I can’t explain. That thing that happens when you get introduced to someone and it seems like you’ve known them your whole life. And a complicity that goes much further flourishes, where with just one gaze, a touch, you can communicate much more than with words.

Which leads me to the challenge I mentioned: how to hide what’s happening to me from her? And if I don’t hide it from her, if I decide to tell her everything before things go further, will she believe me? Will she think I’m nuts? Will she be afraid of me?

I reflected on this while we were waiting for our first dish and she was in the bathroom. I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn’t realize when she came back, and her voice brought me back to planet Earth:

“Are you ready for your surprise?”

I nodded, bewildered, and then remembered that she told me about a surprise yesterday.

 “Go ahead, surprise me,” I thought, amused.

“I want you to come camping with me next week.”

She spit it out, just like that. You can imagine what I looked like: shocked.

I’ve always loved camping. When I was really little, my parents signed me up at an outdoors center and we went on excursions every month. After that, I kept going whenever I could, although recently less and less.

I observed her perfect smile for a few seconds and realized how much I felt like going. I had planned on staying to work during Easter week, to get ahead of the rush, but… “Screw work,” I thought, and said yes. She couldn’t have given me a better surprise.

Besides, that way I can really disconnect from it all. When we get back, I’ll think about what to do with my migraines, nosebleeds and powers.

The hard part now will be waiting. God, I’ve got the longest week ahead!