Monique's POV
"How's the movie?" She asks me once we walk out of the movie house.
"Good. I've always liked Nicholas Sparks' books anyway." I give her a small smile.
I dare not to look into her eyes because of something that happened earlier halfway through the film.
"I-I'm really sorry about just now." She apologizes as we walk slowly along the aisle.
"N-never mind."
Every time I remember it, I feel like to dig a big hole, jump into it, and bury myself alive. It's really embarrassing!
"O-okay. Now, we shall go to the underwater world. It's just nearby." She slips her phone back to her bag.
I think she has arranged and planned today's events nicely. That's so sweet.
Ellie's POV
I almost died when that incident happened. It's making my heart gallop like a wild horse right now. I wonder if she feels this way, too.
It's like this. I was shifting a little as our position got me a little uncomfortable. My hand slipped and touched her breast.
Who knows that I have a naughty hand right?
I quickly apologized to her and repelled away as soon as that. We stayed distant from each other after that.
It was AWKWARD.
I remember seeing her crimson red cheeks even under the dim light. You can tell how embarrassing it was for both of us.
What have I done?
"Stop thinking about it. I'm really okay with it since you didn't do it intentionally." She says upon seeing my worried look. "Or did you?" She adds playfully.
I chuckle nervously, "You're thinking too much, girl."
"Right then. So, are we supposed to take the free shuttle or cab again?" Asks Monique as she glances through the bus service board.
"Hmm, the bus will be crowded at this time. Let's take a cab. Is it fine with you?" I ask and look at her.
She squeezes the soft toy with her left arm and nods cutely. I'm dying.
We stroll to the waiting area for cab and I see her, fanning herself with her hand.
"Are you hot?" I ask and realize that she still has my cardigan on.
"You think I'm hot?" She teases and pushes the soft toy to me.
I watch her as she takes off my cardigan but quickly divert my gaze down my feet after hearing the words she say next, "Stop looking. Put it on. You're too sexy like that."
I grab my cardigan hastily and put it on sloppily. My heart is thumping wildly at her words. She maybe joking but that's the effect she has on me.
"C'mon." I say as a cab stops in front of us. Again, I open the door and let her in first.
"To the underwater world, please." She says to the driver. I close the door and smile when our eyes meet.
"Can you tell me more about yourself? Since you hardly talk." She says directly.
"Oh.." I nod and frown, thinking of what to say about myself. "I.. have seven friends only."
"Who are they?" She asks.
"Uhm, Yam, Lily, Toni, Samantha, Kim, Cheska, and James." I name them out and show her my fingers.
"That's cool. I only have one. Sophie." She says coolly.
"Why don't you try making more friends?" I ask curiously. Having one close friend is really ridiculous for me.
"I don't really like to open up to people." She explains. "But for you, it's different."
My breathing hitches and I lick my dry lips. "That's...good." I let out a nervous chuckle.
"Ellie." she calls out.
"Hmm?" I hum without looking at her. I can't look at her right now. I don't want her to say that she wants to be friend with me and that's all.
"Ellie, look at me." She says sternly.
I turn my face to the side slowly and look at her with my mind flooding with millions of questions.
"There's something I want you to know." She says.
What? Does she want to say that she knows I like her and she just wants us to be friends because this kind of relationship isn't allowed?
"G-go on." I say, trying to maintain the eye contact. This is killing me.
"I-"
"That would be $3.50, please." The driver cuts her sentence off.
I sigh in relief and fish out my wallet hastily.
"Come on." I urge her as I open the door on my side. I wait for her to walk over to me and force a smile on my face. "Let's go in now."
"Ellie, I'm not yet done talking." She says as she pulls my arm. She's strong. I can't even move my arm.
"Alright, continue." I say with my heart pounding wildly against my chest, making my breathing hard.
We are standing in front of the entrance and people are walking in and out, some are looking at us.
"Let's go to the side." She pulls me. I stumble a little but manage to steady myself. "There's something I wanna tell you. I don't know when the appropriate time is because we have just met, but I feel like this is it." I furrow my eyebrows.
"From the moment I saw you, everything changed." She breathes out nervously. "I'm not sure if you'll return my feeling, but...there's something that tells me you will."
I think I understand where she is heading to. No, I don't want her to say it. Please.
"No. Please don't say it." I shut my eyes. I try to calm my nervous mind down and gradually open my eyes. "You don't have to say it."
She remains quiet as she watches me doing whatever thing to calm myself down."
The bead of sweat trickles down my forehead and she takes out a piiece of tissue paper to wipe it off. "I know you know what I meant, Ellie. Let's not run away from it."
I look into her eyes to search for an answer. Her gaze shows me care. Her action shows me love. What is it that is holding me from saying the thing she wants to hear?
"I know it is too fast, but you can't control your feeling." She continues and lowers her hand after she finished wiping away my sweat.
"I don't know, Monique." I swallow the lump down my dry throat.
"You don't have to know. Just follow your heart. I'll give you time. Believe me." She throws me a smile and walks over to the dustbin to throw the tissue paper.
I stare at her back with my query eyes. Will she be able to stand those weird stares from people in the future if I tell her my answer? Will our parents accept it? Do we have to fight for it? I'm not a fighter, I've told you before. This feels like the beginning of a losing battle.
"Shall we go in now?" She asks and links her arms on me. I manage to lift a smile on my face and nod.
□ □
"Oh my gosh! Look at the nemo!" She exclaims as she points at the school of clown fish.
I laugh heartily and tease her, "That's not nemo, you silly. They're called the clown fish."
"I don't care. I call them nemo. Ah! I will be Nemo and you will be Dory! Then you'll come and find me." She says with her playful look.
"Sometimes, I wonder if you're really older than me." I tease and earn a light slap on my arm from her.
"Call me sister then." She says shyly. She knows that I don't like it whenever I'm reminded of the fact that she's older than me.
"No." I say and turn away to look at the other side of the aquarium.
I hear some shuffling of footsteps and feel someone tugging on my cardigan. "I'm sorry.." she apologizes cutely as she pokes my arm with the soft toy's leg.
"Err, you're forgiven." I say and snap a good picture of the purple fish. I like purple.
"Can we take photo together?" She suuggests as she points to my phone.
"Good idea." I switch to front camera and she wiggles herself into my embrace. "1..2..3"
"Gosh, I look like a derp. Take it again!" She snatches my phone away and deletes the photo. I thought she looked good though.
"You take it then." I say and she nods.
Hesitantly, I snake my arms around her waist, making her freeze under my touch. This is magic.
"O-okay. One.. t-two.. three." She snaps the picture with her cheeks flushed faintly while I'm grinning widely.
I quickly snatch my phone back just in case she would delete it again.
"Hey, let me see!" She tries to reach for my phone but I block her away.
"I will send it to you. Wait." I say and send her the photo. She stops fighting with me and takes out her phone too.
"I look like a tomato.." she comments with a pout and I chuckle.
"You're pretty in the picture."
She blushes heavily and fixes her fringe to hide it from me. I love seeing her shy.
"Pretty girl, shall we go now?"
"Hey! Stop teasing me." She pushes me away as soon as I put my arm around her shoulders.
She quickly walks away and I jog up to catch her. "Hey, don't be angry. I really mean it when I say that."
"People are looking." She mumbles and looks down to hide her flushed cheeks.
"Look at your nemo, aren't they cute?" I say as I point to two clown fish. They are swimming side by side.
"I'll be the left one and you'll be the rght one." I whisper to her ear when she's looking at the fish. It's pun intended.
She turns back and sticks out her tongue at me. I chuckle softly and shake my head before I catch up with her.
I see Monique turning around as if she's searching for something.
"What's wrong?" I ask her with concern.
"Violet?" Monique pushes me to the side as a girl walks up to us.
I stand in between the two and watch them. Why does this girl looks like Monique.
"What are you doing here?" Asks Monique and gives her a quick hug.
"I come here with Joash. And why are you here?" The girl asks and surveys me.
"Oh, uhm.. This is Ellie, my f-friend." Monique says and shoots me a weird smile.
"Your friend? I thought you only have Sophie? Anyway, it's good to make more friends." The girl says in a playful tone like Monique's.
"And hello. I'm Violet, Monique's little sister." She holds out her hand and smiles at me.
"Oh hey, I'm Ellie. Nice to meet you." I say as I take her hand to give her a few shakes.
"Well, I've to go. Joash is coming back. Bye sis. See you home later!" She bids farewell and runs to a guy who looks like a small boy.
"I didn't know that you have a sister." I say as we start to walk again.
"Well, you know now. Do you have any siblings?"
"Yeah. I have one little sister and one older brother."
"You have a brother? That's cool." She chirps.
"That's not cool at all when he's not always around. He's studying abroad and I'm left with my little sister." I pout when I remember my brother.
"Aww, cutiepie. C'mon, let's get some ice cream." She says upon seeing the ice cream stall.
"What flavor do you want?" I ask.
"Vanilla with chocolate chips. You?"
"Sir, two vanilla with chocolate chips please." I say and turn to smile at Monique. "Isn't it sweet for two to always eat the same thing together?" I grin and look at her playfully.
I'm getting more and more comfortable around her. Before we know it, we start flirting unintentionally.
"Maybe." She says with an arrogant look aas she starts to walk away with her ice cream.
I quickly pay and follow after her. "You shouldn't walk alone with a soft toy in your hand while eating ice cream."
"Why?" She asks me in curiosity.
"People may report you as a lost child." I joke and receive roll eyes from her. "Okay okay. It's 4pm now. Are you hungry?" I ask as we stroll down the aisle again.
"Nope. Are you?"
I shake my head as I eat my ice cream quietly. It's my nature to be quiet even though I can joke around.
"When's your birthday, Ellie?" She asks me after a while.
"August 24, you?"
"February 19. Which number do you like the most?" She questions again.
"Hmm, 7?" I say unsurely. I have never thought about it before.
She stops to ponder for a while and I just watch her quietly. I can watch her all day if she lets me.
"What's your favorite color?" She asks again and I chuckle.
Is she that interested in me that even the littlest thing about me she wants to know?
"I guess, black." I furrow my eyebrows, pouting my lips as I think again. "And white.. and blue too!"
She chuckles a bit loud as she covers her mouth with her hand. "You're so cute."
I grin widely as I rub the back of my neck. "I know. Now, let's move to our next destination."
"Where are we going now?" She asks as she finishes her last bit of the ice cream. I do the same too and fish out my phone.
"Cable car." I grin happily and hold her free hand.
"You know that only couples can hold hands, right?" She asks me expectantly.
"Yeah," I nod and continue, "but friends can hold hands too."
"You're an idiot." She mumbles but I catch it.
I pretend that I didn't hear anything. "Let's go up there to take the cable car."
She nods with a grumpy look and I laugh under my breath. "Come on, smile!" I snap a picture of her and show it to her.
"You're dead Ellie Carlson." She hisses at me. I quickly run away with my phone in my hand.
"Hey! Delete it!" She shouts from a distance after we run for a while.
"I'm gonna set this as my wallpaper and stare at it every day!" I shout back and pretend to set do something on my phone.
Actually, I have set the photo we have taken earlier on as my wallpaper instead.
"When I catch you, you're dead. Don't you dare move an inch!" She warns. I just stand there as I watch her storm her way towards me.
She grabs my phone and looks at the screen. I watch her cheeks become bright red again. "You look so pretty when you blush." I say earnestly and brush off her fringe from her cheek.
"H-hey." She whines softly and pushes me away in a gentle manner.
"I think I love you." I whisper to her.