CHAPTER 3

"Hey beautiful," said he as he opened his arms for me to hug him. I would feel his cologne deep in my skin. There was no occasion for him to dress up but he was smart and I now remembered that his mother was some good tailor. He did see the video that I am sure of and we have never talked about the prom night again. No one brought back the story again.

There is a way students stared at us and smiled but we wore serious faces. Both of us had the characteristic of being anti-social and we were friends with a few of our classmates. I am sure I had interacted with almost everyone but I only spoke to a few on a daily basis. So he tells me his top three choices and we do the analysis on which ones offer the best education when it comes to his choice of courses. He really wanted to be a lawyer and as much he had a second choice you could see that most of his focus was on law. I really admired his brightness and now that I am getting to be around him I am beginning to admire him more.

We fill in the details and after all, is done we go and get brunch. He has a very beautiful smile and I just want to see him smile. We go get smoothies and some sliders then hang around the villas. Coincidentally his first choice was similar to the university I had chosen to go to. It was the best university and we were the top students in the class hence our choice had to be similar. If luck was on our side, I pray he gets to be called by his first choice. This means that we will be in the same university and most importantly I would get to be in his company more often. His smoothie looks sweeter and I snatch it from him and taste it. We begin playing and chasing each other around trying to snatch each other's drink. He is fast and strong and so when he catches me he holds me tight that I can't escape. I feel so free and safe around him especially now that our bodies are in contact. It is now a weird moment and I will start avoiding his eyes in a matter of seconds.

"My mother saw the video of me carrying you home and was very proud of me. She says she is happy that she bore and raised a son that does know how to treat a lady. But again she says I went overboard a little and I wasn't sure about that unless you confirm it to me. Although she was saying it jokingly." He said as he was still in my space.

"Oh no, it wasn't overboard, a matter of fact I loved it. Both the video and the exact moment when you carried me. The whole evening and night were amazing and it was the best night in a few months now and probably years. I don't think I would find myself comfortable if it had been overboard. Was she the one that made your tuxedo?"

"Oh yes she was the one, she really did insist that I would like prince charming. She makes me several for special and specific occasions." He said wearing his beautiful smile that I was already in love with.

"You were charming for sure and did look like a prince that made me feel like a princess. I didn't think of you as a fun guy to be around. You are totally opposite of my assumption and the image of you that I had created in my head." I say giggling. And he was already holding my hand.

"I had been meaning to be around you but there was no perfect time for that until the other day when we met as we were from the library. I was actually so lucky to have seen you on that day. I was tensed up and thought you would snob me but after you stood and listened to me I was relieved for a moment. I had been observing once in a while and saw that you weren't that much friendly. You only focused on books. Then at the time of returning the books, you had promised to answer me but before that, I had even planned on not showing up for prom. My body was just build up with anxiety and I was really battling myself saying I wish I hadn't asked you. When you gave me the few minutes it made me get the insinuation that there might be a great chance that you would say yes but then again that wasn't a solid reason for you to say yes. I am just so glad that you said yes and that I got to make such a wonderful memory with you."

He drags me back so that we can sit and we finish up our brunch. He promises to teach me how to bake and says how much he enjoys it. Actually, my twin siblings' birthday is around the corner. It's now a month from now on till I fly out. It was now dawning on me and I was so sad. Sad that I would leave my best friends behind, my family and go out there be alone. This is something that I have never done, I always had my parents around and my brother and sister. I was always so vocal with them and now that I am bonding with Maritim was another thing. None the less I won't deny myself of the happiness and memories I could get in the remaining days.

I was so happy around him, he did bring the best out of me. He did beat me in English almost all the time and I was learning a lot from his English in our conversation. On top of all of this, he did have a British accent and that made me love him the more. I always loved him talking in class and arguing with our literature teacher. I just admired his intelligence and maybe it was reciprocal, he wouldn't hang around someone who didn't match up to his brightness. I even saw him in class he would rather be alone and indeed we were birds of a feather.

Instead of going home, this early, Maritim suggests that we go for a ride. We would ride bikes to his favorite spot and take some pictures. We go and hire two bikes for two hours and we start our hike. We race around as I follow him. After around twenty minutes of continuous cycling, we arrive at a park. It has some green grass all over it and several trees with nice shades. Beautiful flowers are all over and birds are chirping some beautiful rhythms. I already love the place just by its entrance. There is much ground for riding bikes, there is also someplace to rest and have a picnic or something of the sort. We race around and I am now exhausted to a point where I need a thirty minutes break. He teases about me being unfit and I just give in and lie on the ground restlessly. He goes on and continues riding.

I sit in the same shade where the sun doesn't hit my face and makes me ten times lazier and tired as I feel. I hear the sound of some birds chirping continuously and I walk towards it. It looks like it was entangled by some grass and was unable to move. I help it out and it flies away to look for its friends or is it, family. It disappears in the sky and Maritim startles me when he comes behind me and scares the hell out of me then raises me and he spins around with me. I beg him to stop since he will make me dizzy. When he stops and lets me go I fall to the ground since my feet are already weak and I am so tired. He follows suit and we are now lying there staring at the sky and birds on trees.

"Hey, Everett, I really have been happy around you lately and I think I am starting to fall for you." He says as he rises and sits holding his feet. I have liked you for some time but I never believed a girl would love me so I just kept it to myself before I got my heart broken by rejection. Every time I am around you it's like I am a different person. I feel happier and it's like I am in another world where I tend to forget all the responsibilities I have. I know I am different from other guys in school who dress extravagantly on a daily and wear expensive stuff and have money to take you out on expensive dates. I am so happy around you, even though we might remain friends it will make me glad."

I am here wondering what to do with this information. Alasdair was right and now my mind is giving me so many statements. 'Tell him it's mutual and that you like him too. I – I – I don't …

He interrupts me before I am done stammering and says. "It's okay if you don't like me back I will understand.

"I like you. The version of you on our prom night made me start eyeing you and admiring your character. I love how humble you are and I am not interested in material things, you are such an amiable person." I stop before I say things I might not understand myself. What I felt for him was so elusive. And the fact that I will leave in a few days made my heartbreak for a moment.

He wears a smile that increases the brilliancy in his complexion. He turns and lies on the ground with his stomach on the ground as he faces me. Well, the atmosphere we have created is now making us act so absurd. If he doesn't change the subject in his next statement I definitely will. His eyes are glued on me and I ask him to at least look at something else and before I am done with my statement his lips are on mine.

I don't know if it is so obvious but this was my first kiss. He stops and stares at me and I don't know what my face had but I am sure I wouldn't want to see myself in that face. My hand is already on his face and he now comes on top of me. It was a relishing moment and his body that indeed seem capable of enormous leverage was on top of mine. He already had a hard-on and I was now almost on climax mode. He carried his hand up my crop t-shirt slowly as though he waited for me to say no but my body really needed whatever it is that he was giving me. He was so gentle and started caressing my titties slowly and I let out low moans. I really needed his skin on mine and I removed his shirt. The muscles that I would see peeping from his shirt were now on my tiny body.

My nerves were sending chills to every part of my body that seemed to awaken my energy and sexual tension. His lips were really tasty and when he bit my lower lip I felt like I was in somebody else's body. I don't know if it was evident that it was my first kiss but I think I really wasn't doing so badly.

He stopped and looked at me and asked if I liked it. I nodded and he ran his finger down to my pants and I shivered for a moment. I still felt his boner and I pushed him to the ground that he was of me and my hand was making its way down his sweatpants. I am not sure where the energy came from and I also didn't know what I was to do but I went ahead and put my hand inside his boxers. It was so hot down there and I started rubbing him slowly and smoothly. I could feel the wetness of my pants already.

We heard some people approaching we really got up fast. He wore his shirt quickly and we pretended to be going. We got back to our bikes and started our way back home. No one had said a word to the other as soon as we were past the group that had interrupted our moment we just let out a laugh at the same time. I checked my phone and it was a few minutes to one o'clock. I don't know how far we would have gone wasn't it for the people but I knew the rest I was to finish it in my imagination.

I wasn't remembering the way back and I asked him to go on slowly since he finished the tiny bit of energy that I had remaining and had also interrupted my time of rest. Eventually, we returned the bikes and walked slowly home as we talked about the good time. He escorted me back home and went on ahead since they lived several minutes past our home. I have been smiling so much of late and I really love it. I got home and took a shower then went and had my lunch. I was so bored and so excited that I texted him and told him and explained how much I enjoyed his company today and our little moment.

I was so much in the mood and I gave him at least two hours since I was aware that he might be busy. I go and tell my sister how my day was and apparently she also has something going on with the prince boy. Whatever was going on between me and Maritim was nothing I would explain since I also didn't understand too. It is already past two hours and he hasn't replied to my text yet. I wait some more and it's already evening and I am there with Lauzon watching some show as I keep looking at my phone waiting for a notification. It has been several hours and still, I am overwhelmed with anxiety. I am tired of waiting and I go ahead and retire to bed. The day has been amazing but the way it ends didn't amuse me at all. "Didn't he have a good time that he thought of texting me and we talk about it or was he too shy to have a conversation about it?"

Being shy is one of the last things for him. By his actions, his eye contact with me didn't even hint at a bit of shyness. So why then isn't he texting me. I think I must have gone the extra mile today. I should have kept all that to myself. Now here I am regretting every event of today and a text back would have turned things and I would be smiling till my jaw hurts. On the other hand, I wouldn't really say that we were dating and that he was obliged to text me. I am so miserable right now. I was excited since that was my first kiss and there is just something about it. If we weren't interrupted would he have gone that far and still come and ghost me? I really hate myself right now. He had just mentioned to me that he wasn't quite busy today and here he is not replying to my text. I am not sure he has seen it or he is just ignoring me. After so much thinking and regretting, I force myself to sleep.

I was to take care of my visa and passport and ensure that I have them before time just to be on the safe side. I never am the person to do things last minute so I do them way earlier than usual. There is just something about the urge to resist the temptation of checking my phone. So I go ahead and disappoint myself by checking it. If there was a text I would have heard it in my sleep since I wasn't really in a deep sleep. I had ruined my morning so I went ahead and prepared myself since we were to leave with my dad. My voice was so low but vehement when speaking to my dad. I had to cheer myself up and act like all is fine as a teen of course that's the daily routine. There was a fervent sun and the sky was so blue. The day itself was just so bright that it just called on me and whispered 'why the gloomy face'. I picked myself up and chose not to ruin my day and week. My dad would enliven me that I was sure of so I just had to do a small bit and leave the rest to him. More so this was amongst the last moments with my dad so I had to live life to the minute.

There are many rules to follow but nowadays many people are in their homes due to the pandemic. There should be less contact and hence if you can stay at home the better. You don't risk getting affected by the virus that really did take away many lives in the past six months. The only advantage is that one didn't get to really stay lining up to get served. Few people were flying in and out and hence at the embassy we did get served so quickly. My dad was really so enthusiastic today and he was sending all this energy to me and I really enjoyed it. I was still checking my phone and I wasn't bothered by not being replied to. My dad was just a whole vibe. We were attended to in a matter of time and my dad said he had a surprise for me. It was a two-hour drive and along the way, he gave me advice on how to handle myself during campus. He did say about campus relationships and tell me how I am too young to risk my future by throwing it away by unwavering pressures of my age mates and campus students. I had too much faith in myself and knew that people would never stop me or force me into something I don't want to do. He told me of his campus moments how he had no money and how other guys always had parties every weekend and wore elegant clothes.

After about two hours of driving with endless stories embedded with laughter, we approach a fancy place. There seem to be several bungalows in it. "In here, it is Halloween each day" okay now I get scared and wonder why my dad thought of this place. I am hesitant at first but my dad promises it will be fine and I go ahead and trust him. There is a tiny gate that seemed to be so small that one had to crawl in. we registered and were shown the way to the first house. 'Might be scary but it isn't real' were the words displayed on the entrance. I was thinking of bailing out but I also wanted to try and not miss out on the fun. We get blindfolded, and our hands tied up to the skeleton. We are then offered some chairs that are made from skeleton bones. The seats themselves are scary and I feel like crying for accepting to come in here. A slow wind with some breeze blows past my ear and whispers "You are welcome here! Try not to scream" It hadn't started yet but I felt like screaming already.

'In the first game, you are to guess which insect or animal is crawling on you. Remember what you read on your way in. lastly if you scream there will be more to make you scream." Why would my dad even pay money to have me in here? I'd rather if he chose us to go to our favorite hotel even though we have been there since fifth grade I will never not like the place, especially with his presence. Something slimy walks on my hand approaching my elbow and I just focus on it being unreal. I am literally crying already as I say with disgust that it might be a snail. My dad is already breathing so hard and I can feel him sweating already. Well, it was a surprise for both of us I can see. I can feel his seat shaking and someone whispers to him that once he falls off, the game is over for him.

On top of being scared and one shaking, you have to be stable not to fall since the skeleton bones weren't really strong enough to hold someone's weight while trembling. One had to guess correctly so that whatever creature was on him would stop crawling. My dad had made several ties and I heard him shout chameleon. His voice was trembling and I really seemed to be doing so well and that gave me some motivation. It was instantaneous, I felt a creature like a mouse on my fingers. I shouted a 'rat' and I felt it go on and walk to my elbow. When you are wrong and not close to the guess you would just feel it move faster and approaches your face. Should I scream and be out of the game and expect a scarier event? As I am here in thoughts I feel it start biting on me and I can't help it anymore.

'Hamster' I shout now sweating vigorously. My voice is already weak and I doubt if my time comes to scream if I will even produce any sound. It's my dad's turn and I can relieve for a few seconds. I hear a thud and I know my dad's seat which was feeble had already taken so much of his weight and was on the floor. I felt someone touch me and I cringed since already my body is prepared for the worst that could happen. We were untied and were shown a way to go through since we had qualified.

It starts appearing beautiful and we start approaching the auditorium. It was time for a movie and I always enjoy going to the movies with dad. I was still wiping off my sweat and my heart rate was reducing to the normal rate. I thought it was another quest. In my whole experience in theatres, he was the best I ever had. It was a 7D I guess. I felt like I was in another world. I made sure to be the one who chooses the show since my dad clearly made some choices that really didn't favor both of us. This was a very fun place. It was a blend of scary shit and amazing experiences that would surely not be forgotten. It was a place with several places in it. The hotel was the next amazing part. Their service was topnotch and the food exceedingly mouthwatering. There was a restaurant in it where the floor was pure glass. The bottom was flowers that really made the place so beautiful. It was also a bit dark and some parts of the walls had something glowing in the corners. How come I have never seen this from the internet where people visited and really praised the place? Oops, I am forgetting that I rarely pay attention to what people on the internet or even love visiting places. Every time I go out with my family or dad since they are the only people that I travel with it's always a new experience. I don't even I can put everything into words but this place was just amazing. When we first stepped foot here I didn't think I would even find myself saying that I love his place. Moments ago when I was sweating and shaking.

I teased my dad about him being the loser since he fell and how he was breathing and I was extremely happy today it felt like a crime. We made fun of that moment inside that creepy place and were glad that we were out of it. That meal must cost my dad several dollars and the whole time we have been here. Just after we are done, some hot tall guy' comes our way. Well, another beautiful thing in this place. He is carrying some photos of me and my dad in that creepy place. I didn't even look at them twice. That must be a rare version of myself but we were said to be somewhat brave. We didn't scream on our first try like most of the others. I was so scared but I can't explain where I found the energy to keep going. I am glad my dad fell since I think we would have gone all the way and maybe got to the scariest part. This was a moment we wouldn't forget. I am glad they photographed the moment. Time was going so fast especially after the creepy place. All in all, we had so much fun on our bonding trip and I really would miss my dad. He really made me think twice about leaving even though I had applied for the visa and everything I still felt that my heart was heavy. The new life really scared me for a bit and I just hated thinking about it. There would be nice places I would go, new people, I would meet and befriend but again east or west home is best. I trusted everything and believed I would adapt and have a great life. Pushing away that thought was a hectic task.

This cute guy was really amusing my eyes. His hair was a dark shade of blue that made me stare at him wondering where he is from. While he was leaning the hair covered the half side of his face and it was denying me the view. "You must have really gathered all the courage to even pass the first try. I never even sat for a minute. I was already on the floor by the moment I sat and got blindfolded" he turned to my side and now I had the whole view and on top of that, he even spoke to me, okay us.

My dad started making jokes with him and he offered to take us to the remaining places where we would just peak and plan another day to visit. He didn't have a tag like the others and I now started thinking of him to be amongst the owners or the son of the owner. He had fluent English and he dressed like he really owned the place. He was so humble and interacted with us so politely. The only place we hadn't visited was the bird place where there were species of birds that were of so many colors and a cave that people could have picnics in them. They had really made the place amazing and outgoing and I would rate them a six-star out of five. It was already evening and we needed to be back home early before the curfew. I even remember that he had said his name when he came to our table but I was so busy staring at him that I didn't even catch his name. He gave us a token of appreciation for choosing the place and gave us some dessert and some food packed for dinner. Of course, I would be back here I don't know when but I have to and I have to find him here. 'Thankyou' are the only words I said the whole time he was showing us around.

My dad had taken so many pictures of me and I hadn't had enough and the hot guy if I wanted one with him and I was so excited. He was a young guy just by looking at him you would see it.