I Like Your Shoes | ✓

Chapter 26 | You aren't the One I Came Here to See

"Gods, I hate this place. It's so stuffy in here." A voice comments from behind me.

I hold my breath. It sounded exactly like the voice on the phone, and exactly opposite to the one on the plane.

"Ambrosia?"

I don't turn around.

"Yeah?" I say, my voice on the verge of breaking down.

"Ah, it is you. I would recognise that blonde hair anywhere!" The voice says and walks into my field of vision. I don't lift my eyes to see him clearly but I sense him shrug out of his jacket and sit down on the chair in front of me.

Truth be told, I was afraid to look. I almost had the suspicion that I wouldn't be happy from what I saw.

So, when I finally made myself look at the man sitting on the chair in front me, I saw the old grin, the grin I'd seen so many times before but came to hate afterwards, not the one that I'd been missing for so many days now.

This isn't him, I panic immediately.

"Ambrosia! Aren't you glad to see me?" The grinning man in front me asks, looking nothing like the man I'd talked to for hours on the plane.

"S-sure."

This was the Benjamin from High School, I don't know how I could be mistaken into believing that he had any resemblance to the guy sitting in front of me. He had a perfect smile, while this guy had a chipped teeth and chipotle stuck in between his teeth. He was leaner and muscular, while this guy has gained a few pounds over the years.

And the eyes. How could I ever believe that Benjamin from High School had eyes like him? Benjamin from high school had muddy green eyes, while his were clear, crystalline, an unending pool of warmth and love. Eyes that made you feel like you were swimming in a pool filled with chocolate...

"Ambrosia? You've been so quiet. Isn't it nice seeing your crush-for-lifetime in person after so long?"

And he wasn't conceited. He was gentlemanly and made me feel like I was a human female and not a piece of chicken leg to be ogled at. He made me feel good about myself, made me feel like pizza and soda were indeed a fairytale come true and that true happiness is competing for the last slice of pizza with someone you love.

"Ambrosia? Snap out of your daydreams, I'm not that handsome. Even though I can totally see where you're coming from."

That did it. I snapped out of my thoughts and stared at the High School Benjamin. He had a huge nose, a smile too small for his face, and squinty eyes that resembled a rat, and his hairline was receding.

I asked myself, why did you have a crush on him again?

I had no answer.

I asked myself again, what made you think the plane guy was Benjamin the jerkface?

No answer again.

And then I smiled.

If Benjamin on the plane wasn't the Benjamin from High School, then he wasn't the one who poured pink paint all over me and humiliated me in front of the whole school. The Benjamin on the plane was someone else, someone who liked me for who I was, someone who hadn't changed, because he was like that in the first place. That was great because everytime I thought about him, I wouldn't have to put up with the fact that he was my bully in High School, someone who had to change to become so awesome. I wasn't even mad that he'd been lying to me, I was just glad that he wasn't the jerk sitting right in front of me. I curse myself for believing the impossible for this long.

Benjamin on the plane wasn't the Benjamin from High School, and I couldn't be happier.

"Ambrosia, have you married me in your head already? Why are you smiling like that?"

"You know what, Benjamin? It was nice seeing you and all, but I don't think you're the one I came here to see." I smile at him, with as much sweetness I can muster.

"What do you mean? You don't love me?" He asks, incredulously serious.

"No, Benjamin. You can hit it off with someone like Natalia for all I care." I say with a huge laugh.

"Natalia?" He seems confused for a second and then smiles. "You're right. She was the one for me, I should've known. Thank you, Ambrosia."

See? Totally not Plane guy.

"I should leave now. So long, Benjamin Earlswood." I say, rising from my chair.

"I'll see you sometime, Ambrosia!" He calls after me.

"I hope not." I mumble under my breath and get the hell out of the diner.

But on my way out, something catches my eye. The huge, fake plant in one corner of the diner was shaking unnaturally. I squint my eyes and I could swear on the burger I ate during lunch that there was a gold ring glinting in one of it's branches.

"Weird decorations." I mutter and walk out.

On my way back home I call Nectar, meanwhile munching heartily on Reggie's brownies.

"Hello, Johnny boy. I've been waiting for your call." She drawls seductively.

"What?" I almost spit out the brownies.

"Ambrosia?! What the hell?" She shrieks, sounding almost embarrassed.

What the hell?

"Don't tell me, Nectar. I don't want to know." I say quickly.

"Okay. Why did you call?"

"There's been a mistake, Nectar. The Benjamin you found out wasn't the Benjamin on the plane after all. He's someone else."

"You want me to check on his flight details?"

"You can do that?"

"Well, yeah. I've got a friend on the inside. I will let you know tomorrow."

"Wow, thank you. I'll go now, don't want me to interrupt your adventures with Johnny boy." I tease, laughing under my breath.

"Ambrosia! Oh my God!" She protests, totally humiliated. I laugh out loud and hang up.

Even though I should've been kind of bummed out about how things played out, I was surprisingly deliriously happy.

~•~

Uh, finaaaaalllyyyyyy!
My fingers had been itching to write this chapter for so long now! I didn't even proofread this, I typed it out so fast!!
So, what did you think? Good or naw?
And what do you think will happen now? Will Ambrosia find out it's Calum or will Calum reveal the secret before she finds out?
I've no idea either.
Do vote and I'll be back soon! Ciao.