and we forgave

Chapter 12

"Are you excited about your junior year?", Mark asks me. I have to smile. I am an English lit major. Only the best major out there. I know I might sound weird, but I really love college. It sometimes gets too much, but I love it. I love the vibe of it too. The college friends, my second family. I don't know where I would be now without those four girls in my life. I like the lunches we eat together at the canteen, the five of us with the Fab Five. I like the late-night learning sessions and dorm life. I can't say I don't somehow dream to get out of Wrencore. Go out and just live like an adult. Get a job. Make some money. Have a house to call my own home. Start a family.

But I like Wrencore too.

"Yeah", I reply. "But I am also excited for the year in itself", I add. "Did you know the drama club makes a new play? Nini got into casting after she killed it last year as Juliet." I am proud as I say that. Nini is a drama major and played the lead of Romeo and Juliet last year. She was so good, she even got invitations to some castings. She'll star in a romcom soon. Getting over you. I am so proud of her. "And Dia is going to sing at the showcase." Dia, a music major, is always shy to show us her voice, but she has the best voice out there. And she has been invited to sing at Wrencore's official showcase. Taking place at the New York Opera House. A pretty big deal. "And..."

"The drinks are here", he says, interrupting me. I swallow hard but get it. Mark doesn't quite like my friends. Feels intimidated by the Fab Five. And since most of my friends date those guys, he avoids spending time with them.

I understand. And give his hand a squeeze.

"I am so glad we came here", I say. I mean it. I love this place. It's one of my favorite in this whole town.

"I love it too", he says, lifting my hand up to his lips and giving it a kiss. "And I love you." His words make me blush brighter than my red dress. I usually wear white or pastel blue but decided to go with something more romantic for tonight. And since red is the color of love, I thought it would be a nice look. Especially since I changed the style a bit too. I usually wear cardigans, or sweaters, or knitted tops, or cami tops usually in white, sometimes with flowers on them. I always match them either with jeans or checkered blue skirts. But mostly with denim overalls. And one of my Converse to top the look. I have Converse with flowers I embroidered on them. I have with daisies, roses, tulips, dandelions...Any type of flower. Today, I am wearing this short red dress, a necklace with a heart around my neck. Mark gave it to me for our one-year anniversary some time ago. I don't wear it so much, since I hate stuff hanging from my neck. But I thought this occasion would be nice. I couldn't part my Converse though. I'm still in my black pair of shoes with red roses on them. My black hair is falling freely down my shoulders, my lips are red too.

Not my usual look. I don't hate it. I don't love it.

"I want to take you out tomorrow", he says. I nod smiling.

"Where to?", I ask him, a part of me screaming bookstore date. I always wanted to go on a bookstore date with him. But we never went there. I guess he's afraid he'll have to hand me his wallet and I'll end up emptying it.

Chances are big.

But I won't do it. For him.

"The lake in the park. We can hire one of those boats and I'll sail..."

I feel dizzy. I think I might fall.

"I'll sail you on the..."

I wonder why it is so hot in here. Is it hot? Am I hot?

"On the..."

The cookies I baked earlier for the girls and snacked on some come back to me.

"Nessie, are you alright?', he asks me. I nod, not wanting to look weak.