Ego's Trap | ✔

13 | A Date!

☆☆☆ Chapter 13 ☆☆☆

A Date!

Nobody except for the both of us. Nobody was driving us anywhere, just Daniel himself. No masculine, muscle maid Grace, not even a random maid or manservant. Just us. I thought at first that it would make us both nervous but seeing that we are usually in each other's company during my work hours it made everything feel strangely natural.

"We're almost there," Daniel chirped with the purest of glee, looking straight ahead. The way he navigated the steering wheel resembled that of a sailor's (though not particularly a seasoned one).

I find myself with a wide grin. "Y'know I didn't think you could drive," I teased.

"Neither did I, until today." Daniel responded with the type of smile that I thought only curious toddlers could do. "What do you think? It's my first ride! Let's hope that I don't crash, yeah?"

...What? "What the hell! Are you out of your mind? Stop the car right now! Stop it right now you psycho, I don't want to die!"

Daniel let out a quick giggle. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" His head briefly turned to face me as his eyes narrowed. "Or am I?"

I didn't fall for his joke this time not because I caught on to him, but rather because my body couldn't afford another adrenaline rush from what he had said. My heart was already beating too hard. "You're a clown," I breathed out, midway into a laugh that blurred the line between a wheeze and an actual laugh.

A few moments later, Daniel claimed that we had arrived to wherever he wanted us to go, but once I looked outside the window I realized that we were literally in a parking lot, and there were no significant buildings around it like a movie theatre or a restaurant. There was not even a music store nearby! Did he really spend his entire week planning for this date?!

☆☆☆

Turns out that Daniel's intention all along was to park the car on the other side of the town plaza so that we could stroll about everywhere (and eventually go to the movies when the time was right), but I hate walking long distances 'cuz of my year-long lifestyle of a bum (I have to grow up and admit that at least), so when I heard his plans for the day I almost criticized him for his poor dating plans, especially 'cuz someone like me agreed to go out with him, but I managed to restrain myself somehow.

We walked plenty of streets that stretched out for what seemed to be miles, and over a thousand grunts escaped out of my system along with complaints of foot pain, but somewhere along the way I actually started looking around and noticed things I never did before, like a small bakery that had been around for much longer than the years I've been alive (after trying out a fresh-out-of-the-oven banana muffin with nuts on the top during the time Daniel and I shared, I was sure to come back there).

By the corner of a lot that was surrounded by wilderness, there was an animal shelter where Daniel told me he happened to have volunteered in in his middle school years, and even passed by to say hello to some people who were still working there. They were friendly and glad to see him, which was a heartwarming moment to witness. I have to admit though that I was surprised that they didn't seem to have a clue 'bout Daniel's notoriety in our neighborhood. Perhaps his reputation is known only to gossip queens like me, or anyone in general that has an active social life with many friends, like me as well (okay, okay, fine, not anymore)?

We also happened to pass by an ice cream parlor that I had often visited throughout all of my school years. It was my favorite place to hangout beside the local arcades or the huge mall next town over, so I thought inviting Daniel to get an ice cream cone with me would be nice, but boy was I wrong, it actually got a bit annoying! He got a single scoop of vanilla bean ice cream in a chocolate-flavored cone and after just one sweep of its surface with his tongue he was overjoyed, describing to me in detail how his life had totally changed and will never be the same again with a child-like glow in his eyes (super cute), but that was obviously not what annoyed me, it was what happened right after. After I ordered mine his eyes narrowed and he stuck his tongue out in disgust, criticizing me 'bout my choice of flavors with an irritated but strangely light-hearted tone; that nobody should ever be eating a scoop of coffee-flavored ice cream topped with a scoop of pickled mango ice cream in a bacon-flavored cone. I defended my choice as I walked out of the parlor with him, but it was to no avail. He raved on and on about it, even as he licked his own with as much of a passion as I licked mine.