Totally Over You

Chapter 2

On Friday, the day of horror, my boss wouldn't pack up on time and I was late. I hate being late. Hey, I'm going to be a bit late. Are Ryan and his girlfriend already there? I text Paige before leaving. Yeah...we all are here waiting for you -_- , I get back. Shit. On my way to the diner, I try to guess how he looked now. I remember him having nice...everything. Eyes, face, abdominal (whaaat...he did a back flip and I had a peek. I don't regret it), hands, smile, laugh. Urrgghhhh....why am I think about this?? When I reached the diner, i get ready for my grand enterence. I look in the motorbike mirror and check my face. I look down at my self and look at my clothes. I looked pretty good actually.

The diner is empty when i enter. Silence.

"SURPRISE!!" I hear loudly behind me. A hand I know is Paige's touches my back lightly. I turn around only to find Paige, Issac, a stranger boy I assume is Ryan and a girl is I'm sure is his girlfriend. "Happy birthday!!", they all say. I smile and give a confused look. How...what...how did they remember? I'm so lost. I hug Paige and Issac briefly and awkward in say 'hi' to Ryan and the girl. The girl was pretty. Petite but a slender body, brown, wavey hair with smooth skin. She has big, beautiful eyes too. I hated her already. Wait..why?! Paige is holding a couple of 'happy birthday' balloons, Issac is holding a box and Ryan and the girl are holding each others hands...eww. PDA. We all sit at a table. I'm sitting at the not-so-grand seat. Issac and Paige are sitting together in one booth with Ryan and his girlfriend, Alison who insists on being called Ali, across from them. I'm sitting at the fifth-wheel seat where I'm facing all of them.

After they all sung happy birthday to me, we ate donuts what I thought was a cake. "Sorry", Issac apologizes, "I couldn't find any nice cakes. Everything was sold out or the shops were closed". "Oh my gosh, no. This, guys, is more than enough. Thank you" I say with Ryan staring right into my eyes. I almost forgot how they looked. Brown eyes with a tint of hazel. I remember falling for them once. We stare at each other with a smile until someone touches my arm. It was Ali. "Hey, maybe you should call your boyfriend and we all can hangout!" Yeah, so I'm not the fifth wheel, I think. "Oh, I don't have one." I say. "A crush?" , she suggests. "Nope. It's just me!" "Oh", she starts, "a friend maybe? Anyone you like, you can call". "A friend? She's already here" , I say looking at Paige. "So no, I'm good. I have no one to call". She gave me sad, sorry expression. Like I was a kicked puppy or something. "Well, don't you get lonely?" She asks. I nod slowly. "Well, I wasn't alone until he", I dramaticly point at Issac, "took my best friend!" I start fake crying with my head I my hands on the table. If she doesn't get that I'm trying REALLY hard to change the topic, she's stupid. "What about family?" Ali asks. Oh gosh she 'so annoying. One more word and I'll cut her. Doesn't she know a thing called privacy? With my calmest vioce, I say, "well, my parents live in Manitoba, my sister lives in B.C. with her children and husband so...no. No family right now with me. But I do have one. We just don't all live together." I say with a smile.

"Oh, it must be so hard, you poor girl" she says while she rubs the back of my hand. Ok ew...stop girl. "Ummmm....I mange just fine" I say in a I'm-annoyed-by-you and don't-feel-sorry-for-me tone. I slide my hand back and cup my hands together in my lap. I know people who really know me can tell when I'm pissed or annoyed or uncomfortable which I was all at the moment.

"So guys, what do you guys want to do after?" Ryan changes the topic which I'm so so so grateful for. The all turn and look at me. "Umm," i start of with, "what you guys want. Like, really, whatever you guys want". I finish off. "Well, I thought maybe we could go to the beach after we eat. I don't know. Just a thought. The beach at night is so nice and peaceful and since everyone has had a long, busy day, we all can actually use this but, of course, the final verdict has to be the birthday girl's". Ryan says looking at me at the end. "Oh yeah. That sounds amazing. But there is a slight problem". I mention. The energy litterly drained from their faces. I laugh alitte. "I just need to go back to my apartment and drop my bike off and then walk back. If it's okay if join you guys in the car. I really don't want to ride a bike after I'm tired and want to sleep. You need full attention while riding so...yeah", I explain. "Oh my gosh, Nora what kind of a question is that. Of course you can join us", Paige says. I smile and nod. "Wait, you have a bike?" Alison asks shocked. I don't how to answer that. What kind of a question is that? " My motorbike, yes", unsure of myself for some reason. "Oh, good. I thought the one you paddle". I laugh and shake my head.

After I finished eating, I say to everyone, "well, I should get going. It might take a while so sorry in advance". I open my a bagpack and get my keys out. "Wait, how far is your apartment?" Alison asks. Umm...I don't know. "7 blocks maybe" i say in an un-certain tone. "Well, you and Ryan both should go and come in the car together. It will delay our plans and that's not fun. It's not even a choice, my friend. He is coming with you". She explains. Oh no! I'm not going to be a car alone with a guy I likes ages ago. That's so awkward. "Oh, no. I shouldn't trouble him. By the time I get back, he'll be done eating. It's fine, really. I walk super fast. Trust me", I say. "Oh, I'm done", Ryan says. He's done. Shit. Whatever. I'm a grown woman and I will not let my teenage self to get in my way of just getting a ride. I'm cool. It's fine. "I guess, sure. Okay." I say as casual as I can. Paige smiles really...oddly, at me. God dammit! I swear she can always read my mind! I start to wear my jacket.

When we get outside, it's cold and windy. When I turn around to say thank you, I stop before the words get out my mouth. I finally, really get to see him. He's wearing a black, white, and gray plaid button-down shirt with a plain black tee-shirt under it. He has also rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and has paired it with a pair of jeans. He looks fit...like he always has been. Muscular. He has nice arms. Okay, don't judge I like weird things like that. He's tall like, wooohh. Right to the top. I feel short. Gosh, I'm so short. When I got to his face, I'm...speechless. Yes. I, Nora, is speechless. His cheekbones sit so nicely that gave him a perfectly natural contoured face. His lips are pretty full and nicely chapped. His eyelashes are pretty long as well. And those eyes. Oh my I'm going to faint. They are gorgeous. Before i get to analyze him further ( that sound extremely creepy) , he interrupts me with a whistle. Like a stereotypical cat-call whitle. "That", he says pointing at my bike, "is yours?" , pointing at me. I nod shyly. I don't why but his voice is comforting. Weirdly very comfroting like I can listen to his all day. "Wow. Anyway, we should get going. I'll follow you." I nod again. Urrrggghhhh!! Why am I acting this way?!? Gosh! Whatever.

On my way home, I think why he did that. Again. Volunteered to accompany me. I still remember in grade 9, some of my friends and I went to the mall and we were getting food. And me being me, I wanted food from where no one else wanted to so I had to go alone. I hated talking so I asked someone (as in Paige) to come with me and do the talking for me. She didn't answer but he did. He litterly interupped our friend, Luke, and and came with me. I asked if he can order for me. He said 'sure' and 'he can order for me'. That was the frist time I had the longest conversation with him when we were in the line, waiting. He was new to the school then and he didn't have allot of friends. My group of friends was kind of a "if you don't have friends, come join us" group. That's why he was with us. If he ditched us, he'd make friends pretty fast. Anyway, that was a good day. He that again today.

When we reach the building, I gesture him to wait a second and that I will be back in a minute. He nodded. I went up to my apartment and droped my bagpack on the couch neat the enterence. I took out my wallet and shoved it in my jacket along with my apartment keys. I placed the motorbike keys on the table beside the door. Just as I was getting out the door, I glanced in the mirror. My face looked fine. Thank gosh. When I got outside and was near the car, he looked towards me from something else he was looking at before and smiled at me at me through the window. I smiled back and open the door.