The Other Side

Part 2

Nate

Chemistry class was exciting but I dreaded the part where I had to go back home with Ryn to complete the assignment the teacher left us. I wished he never had assigned us partners because right now I was in a bundle of nerves. My palms were sweating when we exited the classroom and headed for the parking lot. Phone in my pocket vibrated and I retrieved it to read the message mom had just sent me.

Hey baby. I'm going to be late today, I have to stay late I'm finishing a case for a client then file some paperwork. I'll probably sleep in my office. Your dad went away for a business meeting he'll be back in a week. Good news is that your cousin Armstrong came to visit he's at the house right now. There's food in the fridge please don't starve yourselves to the death. I love you.

Armstrong and I used to get along so much when we were kids. He was my favourite cousin but when he left for the military, we didn't  see much of him. But now he was home, we needed to catch up. But after completing my assignment with Ryn.

" My friends are waiting for me at the parking lot. I'll just give you my address because I have to drive them home." Actually no one was waiting for me aside from Ray who could just catch a ride with Neilani any time. I just didn't want to ride with her on her bike.

" Wait a second, can't you let your friend Ray drive them so you can ride with me. I might get lost on the way." She was making fun of me I could see. She wanted to see if I was afraid. Truth is, I was afraid no questions. My entire life I had never rode a bike, whether as a passenger or anything else, but it was on my to do list.

I had a list of things I wanted to do before I died. The list kept growing every time I found something that intrigued me.

√ Get married
√ Ride a bike
√Give up my first kiss to the girl I loved
√Sing at the top of a high building
√Kiss someone under the rain.

The list was longer. Some of the things on my list were downright madness but others were things that I really needed to do to get a sense of satisfaction and feel the thrill of life. I had never really been loved and craved in my life before, and I wasn't talking about my mom's love. Some of the things sounded cliché, like the kiss someone under the rain part, but I just wanted to feel things I never felt in my life. I wanted to share a part of me with someone I felt I could trust with my life. And those things on the list were the only way to express the kind of love I wanted to experience. At least before I died.

At that time, Ray appeared out of nowhere and just agreed with the whole plan.

"I think that's a great idea Ryn. I'll just grab the keys and I'll be on my way." He said the corner of his mouth rising up in a corny smirk.

'I'll get you for that, traitor .'

"He doesn't know what he is saying. Ray, dou you even know how to drive?" I turned to his side to question him hoping he give up the idea of trying to get me to ride with Ryn.

"I know enough to not kill myself. That's all that matters, now give me the keys." When he realized that he was not going to get any keys from me, he took it upon himself to grab my bag and look through my stuff opening each zipper searching for the keys.

"Give it back you idiot. Don't you have a sense of privacy for people's stuff?"

"This is not people's stuff Nate. Its my best friend's bag." He said that like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Still you have no right!" I continued to glare daggers at him but it wasn't working.

"I have the keys in my pocket. If you ask nicely, I'll give them to you. Don't tell you're going to barge in my pockets too."