First Love (is being edited)

Chapter 8

Since she didn't care where they went as long as it was a place full of people, they spent some time walking around the square, taking in the sights that they both knew all too well.

Still, walking with John made the experience different for Gem. Everything seemed more beautiful because she was in such a good mood.

The person who understood her the best was right there next to her, and she couldn't help but bask in the comfortable feeling.

However, no matter how good it felt to spend time with him, she couldn't help but worry.

What if they were just good friends?

Does he even like her in that way?

Did she choose the right outfit?

Those and some other strange questions kept running through her mind.

Even knowing how different John was, didn't stop her from worrying about the superficial stuff.

Trying to calm herself down didn't help because it was something that defied control. It was so deeply ingrained in the human psyche, that it took a lot of time and effort to get rid of those kinds of negative thoughts.

Although she spent most of her life being different from others, one part of her always tried to fit in, wanted to be accepted and loved.

The problem was that society had a different concept of what was normal from the one Gem had, and even from John's view of what was usual.

As if sensing her anxiety, John suddenly stopped and asked her a question she didn't expect.

"Would you like us to go to the botanical garden?" he asked.

"Yes, that would be awesome," was her immediate response.

She always wanted to visit their city's botanical garden, but it felt a bit weird for her to go alone, and none of her friends were interested.

They always said that it was very boring in comparison to hanging out in the newest coffee shop.

However, Gem thought that there was something in the uniqueness of nature that was simply mesmerizing.

She didn't believe that the same kind of feeling could be found behind the four walls of a coffee shop, and her friends found that strange.

The interesting thing about the botanical garden in their city was that it also had a mini zoo, so it contained two things that Gem simply adored plants and animals.

Although she had never been there before, she knew all there was to know about it because she often browsed their website.

When John suggested going there, she couldn't help but feel that it was very uncanny how much in common they had. It didn't matter if he had been there or not, the mere fact that it was the first place that came to his mind, told her more about him than anything else could.

The more she got to know him, the more she was surprised that a guy like that existed and that she had the privilege of spending time with him.

During their walk through the botanical garden, she couldn't focus her attention only on the garden, she kept stealing glances towards John's hands, wondering if he would take her hand.

For her, that would be a clear sign that something more than friendship was going on because her radar when it came to men seemed to be broken.

She either chose the wrong men to have a crush on or assumed that someone was into her when they were not. One time she even thought she had a best friend when all that time he was in love with her.

The last time she liked a guy, it turned out that he was gay. That was how bad her judgment was.

Upon noticing her looking at his hands, John took that as a sign that he could do what he had wanted to do for a long time, to touch her gentle skin.

As they held hands, they could feel a kind of electricity going through them that they never felt with anyone else.

There was a comfortable warmth spreading from Gem's hand, through her arm, and then her whole body.

It felt like it was more than a simple touch, it felt like magic.

Gem found it ridiculous, but even though she knew there was a rational explanation, she chose to go with magic.

Even while all that was happening, they were still talking. They never stopped talking, and she loved that.

People rarely appreciated the fact that she talked a lot, and it was generally believed that people who talked too much often said the stupidest things.

Luckily for her, John didn't seem to think so. In contrast, he seemed to enjoy her stories more than she thought possible.

As for John, he couldn't get enough of Gem's tales. He was fascinated by the way she told them.

She had so much energy and a range of different emotions. Her whole heart was in the story, and he couldn't help but admire that.

The more she talked, the more he found his eyes wandering towards her lips. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to kiss those gentle lips of hers.

No matter how much he loved listening to her talk, he didn't think it would be so bad if he stopped her constant talking with one long kiss.

He wanted to linger on those smart lips of hers and feel their texture, taste them.

He couldn't stop himself from wondering what kind of kiss it would be.

Would it be a gentle peck that would last for just a second?

Would it be a soft but lingering kiss that makes his heart melt?

Or would it be a strong and passionate kiss that makes his heart skip a beat?

It was like he wanted all of them at the same time, but he was too scared to do anything.

When he finally gathered the courage to hold her hand, he felt like it was such a big deal and was hoping that she couldn't feel how much his hands were shaking.

Never before had he been so nervous about a date going wrong, although he had been on a lot of dates.

It was different because they already had a strong connection, and he was afraid that if he made a move, it might ruin that special bond.

Their clasped hands helped soothe some of his doubts, and just that simple touch made him feel more emotions than he had felt ever before.

Even kissing other girls had never made him feel as good as holding Gem's hand.