Louie is back the day after.
"Hey!" He said waving to me.
"Hi! You're back."
"Yeah, I have to stay at home for dinner last night. How have you been?" with a smile that could only make my heart beat faster.
"Good, I'm always having fun here at camp."
"Tell me something about you."
I inhaled and catch a breath. I don't mean to imagine things but I think he's trying to get to know me. ME.
"About me?"
"Yeah, its no fun if we're just going to talk about camp every time we see each other, right?" Smiling.
Why do he have to do that? That smile could make my soul paralyzed. I might not be able to answer his question. And so, I tried to calm my mind and let the butterflies in my stomach rest for a while.
"Right! But we might talk a little less if Im going to talk about myself. It gets pretty boring."
"Nah! Come on! Just tell me something. Your hobby, what you like or dislike, or about your family.. friends. Hey! Where are you from, anyway? Besides Clemens."
"New York, but that doesn't make my life more interesting. I'm just always sitting at my mom's coffee shop."
"You own a coffee shop?"
"My mom does, she wants to have a little something from home in New York."
"And your dad?"
"He's a researcher. That's how she met my mom. He's doing a research about coffee and went here in Pelipia, and the story goes on.."
"Have you been enjoying your life in New York?"
"New York is a blurr, everyone there is always in a rush. Even coffee shops doesn't seem to be a place where you can relax. I love my home, though. Its where my family and friends are. Its where my life is. How bout you? Tell me something about yourself."
"Me? My story has been in several books already. Do I have something else to tell?" He said and laughed.
I don't know but I feel pain in his laugh. Its like he's hiding something that even he don't want to face.
"Yeah, tell me something no one else know"
"Oohhhh.. you want something private?"
"Oh come on! I mean something like... Like... Do you really need to find your wife as you turn 21?"
"Yeah. That's the protocol."
"Don't you want to change it? I mean, your the one who makes the rules anyway."
"I can but I won't. You see, that's the price you have to pay when youre a royal. You have to set an example and follow the rules. If you just keep on breaking them, why won't others do? Its a curse."
I can feel the hurt in his voice. He can make anyone and everyone in this Kingdom to do as he wish, but, he himself can't do what he really wants.
"Don't worry". He put his hand on my shoulder.
"I'm trained this way. As my father say "Its your duty to bear the weight of the crown". And so, I will."
Even though he is smiling now, I can still see the hurt in his eyes. Its like even before he was born, his future is already planned for him.
"Mind to take an unplanned trip today?" I asked, though I didn't know why'd I ask in the first place.
"Going where?"
"You tell me. Its your duty, its your country, right?"
"You got me there!, Come on, Ill show you around." He held out a hand.
I am trying to let my blood circulate so he won't notice that it literally stopped when he held out his hand.
We got into his car.
"You drive by yourself?"
"Yeah, it took a year of convincing. So, pleaseeee. Don't comment about my driving."
"Why would I.......... Woah, you're fast."
"It feels good right?"
The feeling is like we are in a race car. Everthing's a blurr.
And then he laughed. He was looking at me
"Looks like it doesn't feel that good." He said.
"Eyes on the road please!" I said in a bit of panic.
"Oh fine,fine.." he laughed again.
And then he turned on the radio. And its playing Taylor Swift's song "Love story".
"Really?" I started laughing.
"I said no teasing, right?"
"On your driving, you said."
"You're really great with following rules huh?"
"Of course, your highness." But I can't stop laughing.
"You don't like tay-tay?" He asked.
And I laughed more..
"Why?" He asked.
"Tay-tay? Seriously?"
"Isn't that what you call her?"
"Nuh-uh"
"I thought that's what you call her. Audrey and her friends usually talks about her like "tay-tay sounds so good, tay-tay so pretty."
He said mimicking a girls voice that made it just sound funnier.
"I call her Taylor. That's it'
"She's a guy?'
"What?" I laughed more.
"Whaat?, I'm not that familiar with her. I just have it because that's what Audrey wants to listen to."
"She's a girl. Her name's just Taylor. Who's Ashley? Your girlfriend?"
"She's my cousin."
"Oh, little girls do really love Taylor."
"She's 14!"
"Everybody loves Taylor, like you?"
And we laughed more.
We went around the Alberta, a town around camp. Trees are turning gild already and its really pretty.
We went to a lake but we weren't able to canoe because the leaves are all over. We just admired the view around us.
"You got some plans this saturday?" Louie asked.
"Maybe, just gonna stay in the farm. I missed working there already."
"If you have time, we have a tea party. There will be other girls from the camp there too. Maybe you'll want to come to meet them."
"Sure, I'll ask Mamu and Papai about it."
"What's your number? So I'll know what time to pick you up."
"No need! I'll jusk ask Papai to bring me there."
"Just in case."
"Okay, here."
He typed my number and gave me a ring.
"Okay, were good. Let's go back?"
Its a fun ride home. We still listened to Taylor Swifts' songs and sang along it. It seems like he listens to it a lot if times as he sings it pretty well.
