Metanoia

Chapter 13~Birthday[Part II]

.Chapter 13.

He removes his shades and allows the sunlight to bounce off all the flawless features of his face.

"Happy birthday Dorkface!" He grins as he embraces me in a more of a brotherly hug than anything. Of course, I'm just his "Dorkface". I sigh.

The girls leave us to chat and I ask him,"So, you're my date huh?"

"Why, were you expecting someone better? Though, I doubt you were," he says.

I roll my eyes at that. I'll never get over his enormous ego.

"Kidding," he adds, that boyish smile still plastered on his face.

"Shall we?" He opens the car door for me.

We hit the road to some destination he said I'd like.

"Ace can you puh-lease tell me where we're going?"

"You'll see soon," he replies the same thing he did the past couple of hundred times. I grumble in response. "Patience is a virtue."

Virtue is a grace. Grace is a little girl who doesn't wash her face. Oh the crap we came up with as kids. I then remember the stuff that I saw Eva and Emilia stuffing in my bag. What could I possibly need it for? Just as I finish that thought, we pull up at an opening in what I wouldn't say full-on forest kinda situation yet but it wasn't a park at the same time.

"My dad's property, it's a nice place right?"

I nod.

He smirks. "Wait till you see the inside."

We trek through the place and I make out a vague opening amongst the trees where there's a relatively big area of crystal clear water and I mean crystal clear. The area is surrounded by some flowers which seemed to have been put there recently, and by recently I mean like just a few hours ago kind of recently.

Ace leads me to the back and climbs up this ladder there was on the back of an artificial mountain thing that led to a yet again, artificial waterfall. I wasn't going to hate on it though, all of this looks like it was straight out of a storybook. It was just so surreal I couldn't believe it. I put down my bag and followed him up the ladder.

As I'm awed by my surroundings, I am shoved from behind and I find myself diving head-first into the water. When I swim to the surface, I holler at him," ACE! YOU BETTER GET YOUR IMBECILIC ASS DOWN HERE..." When he doesn't listen, I go towards the deeper end of the water and pretend to drown, I dramatically flail my arms and pretend to choke on the water.

He cups his hands around his mouth and yells,"I know you can swim, Maddie!"

"But h-"

He cannonballs into the water, splashing a ton more water onto me. I grit my teeth. Oh I've had it with this BOY. I grab him by the ear and watch him in pain, lol jk. He stands up and I then realise he's a good two heads taller than me. I let go of his ear and he scoops me up in his arms and says,"But I'm here to save you."

"Oh shut up you fuqing ass," I say as I wriggle out of his grasp.

"It's been about 3 weeks since we met aga- Met, right?"

"Huh?"

He clears his throat and repeats," It's been about 3 weeks since we met right?"

"Yeah, why?"

He smiles and stares off into a distance. He says,"That's not a very long time now is it."

"No, not really."

"But Maddie," he says, staring back at me now,"let me ask you this."

"Huh?"

"Is it possible to like someone in that amount of time?"

"Like or you know, like like?" I ask. I am totally and utterly confused right now.

"Like like, you idiot," he laughs.

Right. Okay.

"Why? Do you like someone?"

He bursts out laughing and I just stare at him. Oh. My. Gosh. What is going on?

"You do realise why the girls referred to me as your 'date' right?"

My brain isn't even functioning anymore. Hm... just play dumb. That'll work, I hope.

"Er because you wanted to just take me out for my birthday? Or like to ask me for advice to liking someone which I don't see why you would be doing it because I personally don't have a lot experience at dating and... oh my gosh it sounds so wrong-"

"Maddie calm down," he says.

"B-But I'm perfectly fine..." I terribly lie. Like he's going to believe that you idiot.

"You were rambling away and by the way, you make a terrible liar."

"Okay fine but you want to tell me who you like?"

He smiles and ruffles my hair. All this that he does just somehow seems like he's trying to be my older brother. Oh Jason... he could've done all this. That chest tightening feeling is back and I don't know what to do. My breathing is rapidly increasing.

Soon I'm hyperventilating. Why am I like this? I clench my jaw but that makes breathing more difficult.

Ace is looking slightly panicked but still he says,"Maddie, maddie, shhh..."

He pulls me in for hug and calms me down.

"Maddie..." he says now, staring into my eyes.

For some reason, my eyes flood with tears and they start streaming down.

I face away from him as I tell him,"I'm sorry, I-I'm too weak. I-"

His lips suddenly come down on mine and I pull away, both surprised and confused.

"Wha-what..."

I am completely dazed.

"I'm so, so sorry. It was the only way to...you know."

"But Maddie well the person I... er like is standing right in front of me."

Wait WHAT? I think I heard wrong. No, no, no. I heard right. Oh my GOD.

"No...but I..." I can't believe it. He's rendered me speechless.

He smirks and pulls me closer, his breath fanning my face. Its probably incredibly red right now.

In a flash, his soft lips meet mine again and this time I decide to return the kiss.

ARGH. He seems so familiar but I can't remember who he is. My mind is no longer racing and I just focus on Ace. I saw a sign with "Hayes" just now. And he said that this was his father's property. Oh. My. Gosh.

I know who he is.

I pull away suddenly and stare at him.

"Carter?"