Beyond Fangirl

Too Far?

My phone rang from the living room and I jump up to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Oh my god, Lillian!" Mari's voice streams through the speaker on my phone.
"Ah. Good, you called!"
"Oh my god me too! What are you gonna wear? What are you doing? Are you going to dinner? Don't order pasta. You'll spill an make a fool out of yourself. And don't see a horror movie until, like the second date because I know you hate those. And-"
"Shut up. Calm down. He hasn't answered."
"What kind of man is he?"
"A socially awkward one?" I said and rolled my eyes. "I don't know, I haven't thought of any of those things. I'm just too excited to even think right now, which is bad because I need to pick up my textbooks."
"Fuck school, you have a date with the guy of your dreams." I laughed but shook my head.
"You need to get your priorities straight, dear Mari." This time I heard her laugh through the phone and smile. Mari gasped, suddenly.
"You need to wear the black dress! Unless, of course, you're going mini golfing or something dumb like that."
"Yes yes yes! I totally will and I'll send you a picture, the night of. Although I better go now."
"Yeah sure. Bye!"
"Oh gosh. I swear, I still can't breath." Mari laughed.

I locked up my flat and turned around into the narrow stairwell below. I walked quickly down the first flight but just as I spun around the wall to face the next et of stairs, I slammed into someone walking the same way.
"Oh!" I looked up to see James, the redhead, staggering backwards down the stairs in front of me. "Crap. I'm sorry are you okay?"
James regained his balance and stepped up to the same level as me, "Yeah. I'm good. Sorry that was mostly my fault." He looks down at me and grins. I felt myself blush.
"Um. I gotta go pick up textbooks and stuff. See you around." I waved at him as I made my way down the stairs.
"Lillian!" He called. I turn to see why. "That's your name, right?" I nodded and he muttered something I couldn't understand.
"Pardon me?" I asked, curious.
"I said, that's a beautiful name."

That night Dan replied to my text. I paused the show I was watching and picked up my phone. Why am I so scared? I said yes. He's not going to change his mind and even if he wanted to, you would have to be a real ass to tell a girl you decided against it.
Brilliant. How about we go for dinner somewhere. I can pick you up at 7 tomorrow if that's good.
I pause, still bewildered that such a thing was happening.
That would be great. Thanks.
Send. Immediately after, he answered with a smiley face but I suddenly became extremely nervous. I grabbed my phone and called Mari. She picked up after 5 rings.
"Do you know what time it is Lillian?!"
"Oh shit. I didn't think of that. I'm sorry, it's like one in New York isn't it?"
"Yes!" She exhaled, clearly annoyed with me. "Now that I'm awake tell me what's so important that you had to call me at this time."
"Sorry, again." I heard Mari sigh. "But Dan replied. We're going to get dinner tomorrow night and I'm super nervous. What if he doesn't like me?"
"Yeah but what if he does? Be positive. There are too many possibilities for you to focus on the bad ones. And haven't you been texting and talking allot? He knows you enough to chose to ask you out. Calm down. If he didn't like you he wouldn't ask you out." I sigh. She definitely wasn't trying to hide her impatience.
"Fine. I'll try." There was a long pause before Mari spoke up.
"Now because we have nothing else to say, I'm going to sleep. Good night. Stop worrying."
"Good night." I heard the phone die and collapse onto my bed. My mind had already drifted away from Mari's impatience. How had my life changed so much in just a number of weeks. With university starting soon, I was unbelieving in how many things have happened in such a short amount of time.

I woke up early the next day. Even though the date was in 16 hours, it was still the first thing that came to mind. I was totally prepared for starting university and the only thing I had to do was get myself a job. I reached for my phone but before I opened Tumblr my stomach growled loudly. I rolled off my bed and walked to the kitchen to get myself some cereal or toast. Opening cupboard after cupboard I was extremely disappointed in my lack of food.
A few days ago I filled out my resume but never got around to delivering them. I printed a few copies and figured I would stop by some cafes to see if they were hiring. I exited the house with a tote bag full of resumes and a very hungry stomach.
When I returned home, I was very satisfied. I had checked out the privately owned cafe across the street from me and after having breakfast, I asked if they were hiring. The accepted my resume but I went to 2 other coffee shops down my block although the first one would be my preferred location. I always had a thing for coffee shops. It wasn't necessarily the coffee part of it but I loved the atmosphere. I loved the coziness of it and how people were constantly coming in to chat and drink coffee and hang out. My favourite places are the non commercially owned coffee shops. Yes, I love Starbucks and Second Cup (which I haven't even seen in London) but if I had the choice I would always go for the cute, non chain one. Ever since I was 12 I wanted to own a cafe. I had dreamed of moving to England and having a very Canadian cafe where we sold maple lattes and s'mores.
Before lunch, I knew I had to go out and get groceries so I stopped at home, grabbed my forgotten phone and ran out.