Our new year

C#15

For the past hour, Keiran and Belle had been wandering like lost puppies in the mall.

"Keiran, can we sit somewhere?" Belle pleaded finally; she couldn't handle it anymore.

Keiran was taking her to different boutiques and was telling her to try on all the clothes he chose. According to him, Belle and his mother were the same size.

Belle, being the stubborn girl, didn't try them on because, according to Belle, the dresses were too short or too exposing etc, etc...

"Keiran, I'm talking to you. Can we sit somewhere? I'm tired." Belle said, trying to get his attention. Keiran was staring at a dress, which was hanging in the display inside a very fancy brand shop.

"Uh, sure" Keiran said, his eyes drifting from the dress to her.

They went to the top floor, which was the food court.

"What do you want to eat?" Keiran asked her finally as they sat down at one of the tables.

"Nothing really. Just water," Belle said bringing her hand to her neck. Her throat was dry—she felt as if she had been thirsty for a week.

Keiran left and Belle was alone. Even though the food court was crowed mostly teenagers, she still felt lonely. She didn't realize that a few minutes ago she had totally forgotten about the loneliness, but as soon as Keiran left, she was engulfed by the sadness and loneliness.

Again.

She started rubbing her hands together, trying hard not to cry. She started looking around just to ignore the weird feeling she was having inside. She looked at corner and a young little kid around 8 was sitting next to his mother, busy eating the garlic fries. Belle was just observing him even the little kid remind her of Drake. His deep blue eyes resembled the little kid’s eyes. Belle’s own eyes were watery now and she quickly looked away, afraid of bursting into tears in the middle of the food court, where anyone could see her crying. Suddenly she jumped a little on the chair.

“You’re like a ghost sometimes," She said to Keiran, who was quietly standing next to the table, holding the tray of food.

She was avoiding looking at Keiran because she knew he’d see the tears in her eyes within seconds. Belle looked at the tray and her eyes widened.

"So much food," Belle said, shocked.

"Huh, miss! This food belongs to me. I bought you this water," Keiran said, bringing the tray close to him.

When they were done eating, it was obvious Keiran didn't eat everything he bought. He was just teasing her about not bringing food for her.

Keiran was taking her to the same shop where he spotted a dress a while ago.

On their way to the shop, suddenly a random song started playing in the mall. Keiran stopped walking and stood still.

"What happened?" Belle asked, looking at Keiran.

"Are you hearing that song?" Keiran whispered excitedly.

"Yeah..” Belle said after absorbing what he said.

"You know, whenever I hear it, I can't stop moving my body. It makes me want to dance like a maniac,” Keiran said, giggling.

"Oh boy…" Belle wasn't feeling good. His tone didn't sound very good.

In no time, Keiran started shaking his hips with the beat of the song. On the other hand, Belle started waving her hands in front of him, signaling him to stop doing it. She couldn't speak: she was too shocked and embarrassed.

Then suddenly, he grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. Belle’s eyes were moving rapidly and she was looking at the people passing by. Few people ignored them; some people just stared and them and few of them even stopped walking. They were clapping their hands and smiling at them.

Belle tried to free her hand from his grip, but she failed. "No, no, I don't know him." She was saying to the people standing there, watching.

Keiran was holding both of her hands and moving them randomly. Sometimes, he would spin her around in time with the music, earning more claps, hoots, and hollers from the growing crowd.

"Kerian, I can't dance. Please, let go," Belle pleaded and Keiran ignored as if he hasn't heard anything. He was laughing at her expression.

Finally, he let go of her. Belle looked around and realized that some teenagers also started dancing around. In a minute, the environment of this floor was changed. People were laughing and clapping. Some were dancing. Everyone had smiles.

Belle’s eyes moved towards Keiran, who was now dancing with a little kid. Keiran tried to do a back flip but immediately fell down, which clearly showed that he's not an expert in dancing. The little kid started laughing at him. Keiran just hid his face in his hands, clearly embarrassed that he fell down in front of a kid.

Belle walked up to him. "What was that?” She was referring to the failed attempt at a back flip.

"Something that you couldn't do in zillion years," Keiran said, trying to act cool as he stood up from the ground and started rubbing his back.

His answer made Belle laugh. She laughed and it wasn’t just one of her usual fake giggles—no, this was a real, full-on laugh that she rarely let out anymore.

Keiran just stared at that in shock. The way she laughed she looked beautiful. Her eyes were so bright. The tears he’d seen in her eyes a while ago were gone, replaced instead with the sparkle of happiness and joy. The way she was nervous in the table when Kerian left her to buy food was gone, replaced by laugh. Happiness.

"Knock knock," Belle said, trying to win his attention. Belle continued "You were staring at me in such a creepy way," she laughed at little at her own statement.

Keiran didn't reply; he just smiled, looking at her as she laughs. He was feeling good seeing her laughing. She was literally irresistible-looking while laughing.

Keiran shook his head a bit, trying to remove that thought from his mind.

They entered the shop and Keiran told the salesman to show him the dress in the display.

The dress was a pastel pink color and had a colorful floral pattern.

"Try it on," Keiran said, handing the dress to Belle.

"No," Belle refused, looking the other way, her hands crossed over her chest.

"Why are you here then? I thought you were here to help me choose the gift."

"Yeah, I said choosing the gift. I never agreed to trying anything on." Belle sighed, looking at him.

"Okay fine," Keiran nodded, unsure of how to respond properly to Belle’s frustration.

The salesman was just staring at the two blankly. He had no idea what was going on.

"Uhm sir, do you want to buy it or not?" He asked Keiran somewhat awkwardly.

"Yeah, just pack it," Keiran said, giving one last look at Belle.

The salesman was about to put the dress in the wrapping when Belle said "No wait, I want to try it on." She quickly snatched the dress and entered the changing room without looking at Keiran.

Once she entered the changing room, Keiran grinned. He realized that no matter what, she isn't that stubborn.

After few minutes, she came out of the changing room. Keiran quickly shifted his eyes to her, hoping to see her in the dress, but his expectation died when he saw her in the same outfit she was wearing before.

"Well, I checked the dress. It fits me perfectly, which means it’ll fit your mother perfectly as well. So you don't have to worry about the size." Belle said, passing him a devilish smile and with that, they left the mall.

Finally, Keiran dropped her off at her house.

"Ah! Belle.." Keiran began as he stopped the car in front of her house.

"Yeah?" Belle responded, looking at him. Her one hand was on the car handle as if she was about to leave.

"I don't think my mom would really be wearing a dress like that one,” Keiran admitted, looking straight at the sky from the front window of the car. He continued speaking, "I think you should keep it. I haven't seen you wearing it, but I know it suits you." Keiran basically whispered the last line, his cheeks heating up with a degree of embarrassment.

Belle stayed quite for few minutes, just looking at him.

"Keiran, if you really wanted to hangout, you shouldn't have made an excuse about your mother." She said, smiling a little. "You can ask me whenever you want to hangout.”

Keiran chuckled nervously in response.

Suddenly Keiran felt Belle’s face close to his. His heart skipped a beat. He was too shocked, surprised, and happy at the same time. He was hoping for a kiss on the cheek.

He was so wrong about the assumptions: Belle was picking up the dress in the back seat.

Wow, Keiran, what the hell were you thinking?..

"Thank you," Belle said, taking the dress with her as she opened the door and left. Waving to him as she got to her front door.

Keiran lightly hit his forehead with his hand because of the stupid thought that rushed into his mind.

'Belle you are driving me MAD,’ he muttered to himself.

Updated:6-december-2014