The Bucketlist

22| UNEXPECTED EXPECTATIONS

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" I nudged Romilda.

It was a bright Thursday afternoon to stay indoors. I almost regretted taking a leave from work. Almost. Work at Bexley's was intense at times, but it kept my head occupied. It's better to fry your grey cells than sit and watch stupid stuff on TV. I missed peeking at Josh's handsome face, to be honest. If it were not for Stupid Turner, I would have told him Josh much I adored him. Will Turner promoted to the Stupid level. At this point, I had an established hierarchy for his simultaneous erratic behavior:

Indifferent Turner < Drunk Turner < Grumpy Turner < Tyranny Turner < Stupid Turner

"I am not waking up till it's evening!"Roms cried from her bed.

Poor girl had been sleeping in for quite a few days this week. The nearing graduation had driven her crazy. After a year-long drop, she did exceptionally well at her third-year finals. Kade had kept her sane. 

"You sure?" I asked.

"I am damn sure. I feel it in my tits!" She said groaning.

I decided to spend the afternoon reading a Jane Austen novel. I settled with 'Persuasion'. 

"I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant..." I nearly cried reading Wentworth's confession. 

Austen had me questioning on how many Anne Elliots and Frederick Wentworths were still out there! I had not heard of a love story that bloomed with a 'second chance'. Why? Life was small, and there were plenty of fish in the sea! Forevers are once in a lifetime, and could anything change that. What about the anonymous Office Romeo?  The thought had me unsettled.

"Whatever, I will still find a way for him to be with his Juliet. I don't want to lose Josh." I muttered when I heard sounds in the kitchen.

"Who wants some pasta, Indian style?" Roms screamed from the kitchen.

"Weren't you sleeping in?" I asked, putting the book down.

"I have got places to be. I am going out on a date!" She squeaked and danced a little as she walked into the kitchen.

Wow. To be young and in love!

 I wondered what people do on dates. I was not a prude or an old whack, but truth be told, I could count how many boys I had kissed to date. There wasn't much to count, just two - Brian from Middle School and Will, and if a dare counts then, Ronny from college. A realization hit me. I hadn't dated much. Will's face popped in my head with the thought. Ridiculous! To think there could be anything good between Will and me. I sighed.

~

"This is really good." I said taking a spoonful of pasta.

I heard the knock on our door. Did Kade finally decide to lift the veil of anonymity? I had never seen him pick up Roms before. It was about 3:45. The date was up for 4. Roms had told me a hundred times that she needed to be out before 3:50.

"Was Kade gonna pick you up, Roms?" I asked.

"Nope. Must be someone else!" Roms giggled as she put on her lip-gloss.