If we never met?

13. Love A, The Countdowns.

January 23. The seminar starts.
The seminars were pretty hectic. Conducting these whole day sessions for 9 days? That too being a conference chair? Try me. Tyler has been a great help I must say. I've been handling all the technical aspects while he's been doing the field work. But it's worth all the hard work with all of these lunatics, my friends. We are running all day trying to handle these kids trying to make the conference a success, have lunch sitting on the ground; it's a big deal of experience I must say. Plus I get to spend time with Tyler so that's good.
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1st Feb
It's the conference of grade 7 today and by now we are sick of conducting the conference. The worst part is the keynote speech session and probably that's the only hour we get a break during the entire day. Today we decided to lie down backstage. It's dark and cozy there. Tyler isn't here yet, I rest my head on Howard's stomach while Mia is lying on my stomach. That's pretty much the idea, everyone's resting on someone and we made a chain. Tyler comes after like 10 minutes and digs his head on my arms at first and then rests his head on Howard's belly beside me.
"Howard could you please stop moving I'm trying to sleep" I say. He can't really hear me because he's too busy with Isaac watching videos and laughing at them.
"I think we are becoming a huge pressure on him" Tyler says.
"Okay I'll just lie on your stomach" I say.
I move and lie on Tyler's stomach while Mia is still on my stomach. Tyler and I are fooling around; I hit his stomach with my head whilst he's trying to stop me and unknowingly we both engage into a small fight and I stop suddenly; he's holding both my hands and we're looking at each other. Sigh. Without further getting awkward, I leave his hand and look away lying on his stomach.
We are all chatting with each other and of a sudden he starts massaging my head and runs his head through my hair. Wow Tyler doing this? I must be lucky because he always takes service from his right and left hand, Aly and his best friend. Okay it's nice and I'm getting a good feeling from this.
"It feels good doesn't it" Tyler says.
"Hmm that's why I'm enjoying it without saying a word" I say.
"Okay let's make a chain. Since we are all relaxing on each other, let's give a head massage to each other." He says.
I start massaging Mia's head, she does Howard's, Howard does Arya's, Arya doing Marina, Marina doing Isaac's and Isaac is massaging Tyler. We are all enjoying this and all of a sudden we start moaning unintentionally XD and laugh together. Small moments like these are making my stressful gap bearable. I can't believe just a week more with them. Can not afford going back to that ugly depressing phase again. My eyes get watery thinking about them.
"Hey Isaac stopped massaging me, chain is broken no more massaging Avery, everyone stop" Tyler whines.
I keep on continuing massaging Mia indifferently. Tyler notices this and starts massaging my head again. Love.
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5th February
The day before the senior conference starts. Tyler and I are scheduled to go to the base camp (where we'll be spending a day and a half during the conference)to check the site and set up according to our plan. Last 4 days of our job and my heart already aches. So basically our routines everyday till now have been the same thing- same conference schedules everyday, talk to sponsors, handle the kids and it's been the most hectic days ever! But the days felt good because of the small memories that we made and Tyler occasionally teasing and flirting, everyone making fun of the relation we have.. it's surprising that all of us got so close to each other in such a small span of time!
Anyway, Tyler as usual is late- he can never wake early and I'm freaking out as if he's late then he won't be taken to the site with me today and I don't want that to happen. I keep on texting him but he being the badass never replying! We are all working at the registration table, preparing for the conference today and this is the first conference Tyler and I won't be here but I'm pretty confident that the team will handle well.
I'm sitting on a chair registering the student names and handing over their lanyards while Tyler comes stands beside me and caress my cheek. I know I've got chubby cheeks and that only draws his attention. He sits beside me and starts registering other students. Glad. It's very nice of him to understand the workload and divide it at times. There were a million of times when I was pissed at him for not helping us girls. Howard and Isaac are as hopeless when it comes to work but Tyler shouldn't be so reluctant when it comes to work at times.
Anyway, the admin team walks out to the car as we are about to leave soon. Tyler and I start walking behind them whilst our beloved friends start cheering from the back. "Enjoy your date!!" Mia shouts.
Oh goodness. There's like a hundred of students present and that's how they are behaving. Embarassing.
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I get on the car and sit on the last seat in the hope of finding food in the bonnet. Tyler was insisting to sit one seat ahead but I said I don't want to be this close to the teachers. He and I agreed on this one thing and sat behind. I was sitting beside the window while Tyler kept his bag by the window on the other side and sat really close to me. Like really close. He sat so close, pressing his body into mine, engulfing me in the smell of his perfume.
Avery don't lose your emotions, he's taken and he's leaving after a week, just control. I look outside and wear my earphones. He takes out one of the earphone and puts in his ear. There it is. The more I try to stay distracted; the more he tries to pull me closer to him.
I know the few songs he keeps on listening and start playing them.
"Oh thank you for playing the good songs I love them" he says.
"I know that's why I'm playing these" I reply.
He doesn't reply and enjoys the music by resting his face on my head.
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We are done with our work at the base camp. It went pretty smooth; but there was Tyler's occasional bragging about his physical strength to the trainers over there. One incident I could highlight was - he was riding on a tire swing and pushed him off on the ground. He was covered with sand. Annoyed he said "you're going to wash my sweats"
"You're the one going to London, practise doing your own work alone"
"I know" he said in a very deep saddened voice. Shit. He's hurt and sad I shouldn't have given him this reality check yet. I don't say anything to him and get on the car. As we were returning, we sat in the same position but the sunlight piercing through the window was too strong. I was trying to take a nap but the light was too strong for me to sleep. Tyler notices and pulls me closer to him and puts his jacket above my head to cover my eyes. I love when he's caring like this.
I rest my head on his shoulder and he puts his head on my head while his hand his wrapped around my shoulder and my leg on top of his. It's so cozy and I'm just living this moment, only if Ava wasn't in the story..
I am almost asleep in his arms and that's when the car enters a really bumpy road and both of us jump to two different sides of the car.. Melodramatic situation but this is what happened. Irritated, I decide to stay away on the other side since such an intense moment was ruined. I don't even know when I'll get him this close again. But I loved every bit of the day with him. It was nice having a change of being away from all the other friends, just the two of us <3
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