Who I am {Phil Lester}

chapter 16.

PJ'S POV;

"Love can change a person the way a parent can change a baby; awkwardly and often with a great deal of mess." ~ Lemony Snicket

"Hey, it's PJ, I was just wondering if maybe you'd want to go to dinner tonight- if you're available? I mean, don't feel obliged to but I just thought it might be nice to catch up?"

I paced back and forth along the stretch of corridor as I spoke to Kim's, ever so familiar, answering machine.

"Umm so yeah, get back to me if you can and see you around maybe. Okay, bye," I abruptly ended the message whilst slumping down against the wall, sighing greatly.

This one girl was managing to make me into an embarrassing, disastrous mess and all I could do was fumble about and watch it happen.

I was contemplating whether to just delete her number and exit her out of my midst when the phone buzzed to life in my hand.

"Hello?" I answered, timidly as I glanced down at the caller ID.

A soft and just as timid voice, one that I couldn't recognise and didn't belong to the caller, answered back, "Hey, about your message? I'd like to, yeah. What time?"

Then, just as the last question was asked I realised that this is Kim. But not the Kim that I have come to know her as.

"Umm..is 7 okay?"

"Yeah that'll be great, where?"

"I was thinking of 'George's Kitchen' maybe? It's not too expensive and has food to die for!"

"Yeah okay, I'll see you at 7."

"Okay, bye Kim," I finally replied, biting hard on my knuckles in anticipation.

"Goodbye," she replied.

And the line went dead.

***

I waited in anticipation outside the restaurant, glancing from one end of the street to the other hoping to catch sight of Kim's usual self. Quickly, I dared to look at my watch. 6:47. I was a tad bit early but it didn't bother me in the slightest.

I plugged a headphone into one ear and let the first song I came across play its gentle melody. My finger lightly tapped along on the side of my thigh to the steady beat.

The day was drawing to a close as the suns fiery glow slipped away into the towering city skyscrapers.

I let myself wander around my mind thinking of new ideas an letting my creativity be pumped out my heart and flow through my veins, covering every inch of my body.

Just as the distant chime of Big Ben echoed through London to strike 7 O'clock a girl appeared gracefully strolling down the street heading straight towards me. It shocked me that only after a few seconds did I realise that it was Kim.

She looked stunning. Her brown mousey hair was glossy and hung in little curly locks down her slender back. The two dreadlocks were nowhere to be seen. Her tanned skin was almost glowing in the candle lit room and her bright glistening blue eyes stood out like the ocean on a summers day amongst her dark eye makeup. Her lips were coated in a shimmering peach gloss and a slim silver lip ring clutched onto her bottom lip.

She wore a modest, rose coloured, slender dress with a thin black belt around her waist. If I walked past this girl anywhere else I wouldn't have recognised her as Kim other than the low cut crisp white converse which had been cleaned from all the dirt.

As she approached me, I could smell a fresh scent of tropical perfume drifting from her presence along with a sense of butterflies in my stomach.

"You look...Umm...just...wow," I stuttered, stumbling on each word.