I Love You

one

I was getting ready for a date that Friday night. I hate dates, they're so awkward, especially when they're set up for you. I was seeing this girl here and there for a couple of weeks. Senior year of high school was coming to an end and I hadn't been with a girl yet, I was getting antsy. I wanted to experience it. I've only ever kissed her. Her name was Leigh, I liked her, and I liked hanging out with her. Though the whole relationship just felt a little rushed. I think we both wanted the same thing, to experience girls for the first time. I wanted it to be more emotional, and sometimes it was. I just didn't know how I felt about her.

However, on this Friday night I planned on asking her to be mine. I thought something special might actually be able to come from it, potentially. I had reserved a table at one of the fanciest restaurants in town. I lived just on the outskirts of Cleveland, we had some pretty nice restaurants around and I wanted to impress Leigh, make her feel special.

Who knows though. I doubted I was even ready for a relationship. I had so many internal conflicts. Still growing and finding out who I was. I wasn't entirely sure about my major, and I was scared to move so far away for college. UCLA was intimidating. I was so excited, but it was a completely different world than where I was from. And for some reason, my mom convinced me to study business.

My main interest was in the arts, sometimes music. I drew all the time, whenever I had a second of free time. But how would I make money? There was no way I could be an art teacher, I hate school. I don't normally talk about it, but I also find myself writing songs here and there. I had incredible grades, my family was convinced I could go to any college I wanted. I just wasn't sure I could do a business major.

I still felt lost. I was listening to music in my room while I got ready. I was enjoying the wise words of the Notorious BIG.

Then she texted me. Leigh. And I was overwhelmed with disappointment as soon as I saw.

Leigh: Hun, I can't make it tonight. I failed that  test for gov and my mom is kicking my ass. Im sorry :( another night I promise.

I didn't know what to do. My parents were so excited for me, I really didn't want to disappoint them. And I deserved a nice, relaxing night out for once. Not only that, the restaurant called me earlier asking if they could reschedule my reservation because of some event or guest or someone who planned on being there. And I fought for that reservation, put up a damn fight for that table. I was going. With or without Leigh. I was going to enjoy the night and TREAT myself.

So I continued to get ready and make myself look hot. I got in my car and blasted the notorious big on my way to the restaurant. The parking lot was surprisingly half empty when I got there. I tried to look into the windows as I pulled into my parking space, I couldn't tell what was happening.

Once I was seated at my table, I realized a patten of empty tables around me. Some tables were occupied though, but not near me. I came here once when I was little with my Dad and I sat in this exact spot, at this table. I carved my first initial, a tiny J, into a very hidden corner of the table under the tablecloth. That was MY table. There were booths lined around the perimeter of the room and tables filled the space in the middle. I was sitting at a table meant for two, just a few feet from an empty booth on the far right side of the room. The booths next to that one were occupied however all the other tables closest to me were empty. There was a booth or two across the room that was empty but other than that, the other tables were filled with fancy ass people. It was odd, but I didn't question it. I put one of my AirPods in as I studied the menu.

There was an exit on the far left side of the room that led to the kitchen im assuming, I dont know, it said employees only. There was a doorway in the front of the room that led to the lobby/waiting area, and a doorway on the opposite wall, leading to another dining room, much more crowded than the one I was in.

I was startled when I heard commotion from outside my headphones. I took an AirPod out as I looked up from my menu to see what was happening. Big Poppa still playing in my left ear. I couldn't really tell though. Many people had gotten out of their seats to crowd around the door labeled "employees only". The door was open and I could see a couple of tall, built men, dressed in black, trying to walk through the door, but they were surrounded by people. I saw them try to push the people away as they continued to walk through the door, revealing there were many more of them still coming. What the fuck was happening? The further they made it into the room, I could tell they were surrounding somebody. Maybe more than one person, but I couldn't tell who they were.

They were moving closer and closer in my direction, people following behind. Soon enough, my table was engulfed in the crowd, it seemed whoever this important person was, wanted to sit in the booth next to me. Some of the men took seats in two person tables that were surrounding me, two of them took a booth across the room. The rest of them stayed protecting the people sitting in the booth next to me as people tried to get a word with whomever was there.

After a long time of staring, I was interrupted by a waiter. I took out my other airpod and paused my music, assuming he would want to take my order or possibly try to kick me out of my seat again. I was surprised that he would still try to talk to me over the crowd that was surrounding the table that couldn't be more than 4 or 5 feet away from me. He tried to take my order, however, both of us were paying most of our attention to the crowd. I just told him I wasn't ready to order. I wanted to see what the big fuss was.

When I turned back around to see what was happening, I could barely make out two people sitting across from each other in the booth, I still couldn't really identify who it was because of these big ass body guards in the way. Eventually, whoever it was, asked the men to take their seats. The crowed charged at the booth once it wasn't protected.

Then I saw her. I saw green and black hair through the crowd and I knew exactly who it was. I think I was sitting next to billie eilish.