The Minor Complications of Love

Chapter Thirteen: Not That Bad After All

"It's fine," Mark grinned. "We all have those moments, you know? Besides, you're still quite young. You still have a lot to figure out," Mark said as if he was way older than his actual age.

Mia nodded. "Yeah... I guess I do," she smiled back at him as she shrugged.

"And with that, I'd also like to apologize in behalf of my sister. Somehow I think her 'tutoring' is responsible for the tears that just streamed down your cheeks right now."

Mia gulped, remembering what had happened earlier. She then laughed a little after remembering when she had bumped into Mark. She wondered what her teary face with some snot must have looked like. She probably looked incredibly silly.

These moments were one of those rare times Mia could laugh at something so easily. She couldn't understand why she had suddenly thought to be ridiculous, but perhaps it could be because of the new company and the lightheartedness that the place offered.

"Yeah, sort of," Mia shrugged. "I just heard Drew and Peggy talking about me," she began to speak as she had suddenly felt comfortable around Mark. "It wasn't really nice to hear, but when I look back at it and think about it now... I think it was kind of childish to think that... I could end up like Julia Roberts in 'My Best Friend's Wedding'," she laughed.

"Wait. 'My Best Friend's Wedding'? Don't you know what happens at the ending of that movie?"

Mia shrugged. "Um, Julia Roberts gets together with her best friend?"

"You didn't watch the movie until the end, did you?" Mark smiled sheepishly.

"Um, no... I had to go home that time for dinner so we didn't really finish it."

"Well, guess what rom-com genius, Julia Roberts doesn't get together with her best friend," Mark says as he points his spoon at her.

"She doesn't..?"

Mark shook his head. "Nope. Not in anyway does her best friend really fall in love with her. He was way too in love with Cameron Diaz."

Instead of feeling hurt at the idea that Drew didn't reciprocate her feelings, Mia projected a smile. "I guess I am in some way then... a Julia Roberts."

She honestly couldn't understand why she was suddenly feeling even happier. She couldn't tell if it was because she could in a way compare herself to Julia Roberts or a main protagonist in a story rather than the sideline girl or whether it was because the ice cream she was eating just raised her dopamine levels.

Mark smiled as well before looking back at his nearly finished ice cream. "I guess in some way honestly, all of us is Julia Roberts in that movie."

"Yeah," Mia beamed.

After they were finished with their ice cream, Mark offered Mia to bring her home, because he didn't feel it right to just leave her alone. Along the way to her place, they talked and talked, engaging in conversations they never expected that they would ever have, most especially with each other.

"By the way," Mia started with her hands in the pockets of her sweater, "when exactly did you watch 'My Best Friend's Wedding'?" She asked with a smirk, wondering if Mark was a romantic-comedy geek too.

"One of my friends' sister watched it all the time. Well, I don't really know if it was really 'all the time', but the point is is that she always watched it every single time we were there. I'm pretty sure I know the whole movie to the point that I could probably spout out every single line right now. I have to admit though that it seemed to be getting better and better every time I saw it."

Mia laughed. "I didn't peg you as the romantic type of guy."

"I wouldn't say I am, really," Mark shrugged. "I guess I just really like the stories. They have a lot of charm, but when it comes to real life," Mark paused as he looked at Mia.

When Mia looked back at him, he suddenly looked off at somewhere else, "I guess I just suck."

Mia let out a deep sigh. "Yeah, I get what you feel. I think I have it much worse though. I don't think... anyone is really going to love me, but you... All the girls might like yo--"

"Hey," Mark said before Mia could finish. "Why do you think that?"

A little bit embarrassed again, a tint of sadness spread all over Mia's face. "I guess it's because," she began to explain, "Drew is the only person who really accepts every side of me. Other kids at school... They think I'm really weird. I'm sort of like an outsider. And if... And I guess if... If he can't love me, who else will?"

"Mia Cabrera. There are a billions of people in this entire world. What makes you think that out of the billions of people in this world, there won't be a single one of them that could ever love you? Besides, you're not too weird. If you ask me, every person in this world has a weird side too, you know? You can't let other people define you. I know this is a bit 'off' I guess... Coming from me and all, but I just... I think you're an amazing person Mia."

Mia's heart skipped a beat. No one other than her family, Drew, and Bella have complimented her. Sure, it was a simple compliment, but coming from someone who didn't totally know everything about her and who wasn't basically her family or friend (not yet at least), she honestly couldn't feel happier.

"Like... Just you being you is amazing. I know my sister gave you a total makeover and you know, if you're happy with it, it's really not an issue and it's perfectly fine. It's just that... I guess I just sort of wanted to let you know that you don't really have to change yourself if you're uncomfortable with it. You've always been cool, you know?" 

"Thanks... Mark," she grinned as
Mark smiled in return.

"Anyway... This is my place now," Mia said as she pointed to her house. Mark nodded.

"Right," he said. "Well, it was nice hanging with you."

Mia nodded in agreement and before he walked over to his place, she told him, "Yeah and... I don't really say this a lot to people, but I think you're sort of cool and I'm sorry for starting off on the wrong foot with you, especially since your my best friend's brother. I hope we could, you know. Start over again without being prejudiced over each other." When Mia finished, she took a breather. That was the first time she had said anything like that, but for the sake of setting things straight, she had to. Besides, she wasn't lying. Mark was actually pretty cool and she thought that it would be awesome if she could get along with him too. Basically, the bottomline is... She has sort of found a new friend in him...

...And so did Mark.

"Sure," he replied. "That would be cool."

"Awesome," Mia said back to him. "Bye then."

"Bye," Mark waved.

Mia smiled as she walked back into her house. She felt cool, awesome, and a little bit more confident with herself, especially after someone told her that she was cool by just being herself. And best of all, she had just gained a new friend.

Guess this day wasn't that bad after all.