Initially, I just wanted this chapter to be the last chapter, but you guys inspired me to make each and every chapter better and funnier. And for this, thank you. I wouldn't have gone this far without you guys. :)
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Chapter 5
Are you my midnight superhero?
'Aaaah!' Tammie woke up, breathing heavily.
She sat up and pinched the bridge of her nose. Closing her eyes, she tried to forget about her dream. She had been dreaming of that first date with Ryan ever since that fateful day.
But, as her subconsious had it, a series of flashbacks came to her.
'Are you...' She asked, wanting to finish the sentence. Ryan blinked. 'Huh?'
Suddenly, a large crowd of people gathered around them, curious. Two strong men volunteered to take the pole away--the pole had been standing for more than a decade, and it was time for the pole to move on.
'Are you guys alright?' One of the ladies standing along the stalls went up to them with a first-aid kit. Tammie found the short hair familiar, until she realised it was Ginny again. 'Hello!' Ginny grinned. 'We meet again.'
Tammie tried to get up, but her left arm collapsed. The woman lifted her arm, making her wince in pain.
'Just a bit of stretch,' Ginny cooed. 'A bit of massaging and a day rest, and it should be fine.'
Ginny turned to Ryan, and immediately her eyes widened as she cupped her hand over her mouth. 'Wait. Aren't you-'
Ryan waved her off and told her to calm down. 'Yes, now don't say it out loud or else girls will come running after me.' Ginny, who was still starstruck, nodded numbly.
Ryan turned to Tammie.
'I'll um, help you.' Ryan offered, and slowly he lifted her up.
I didn't know he had strong arms, Tammie thought. Despite Ryan's almost lanky frame, he was stronger than she had thought.
After walking away from the line of street food, Ginny, Tammie and Ryan walked to the nearest train station. Ginny had offered to take Tammie home, since they lived around each other, Ryan lived at the furthermost west side of the town.
'Can you go on ahead of us?' Tammie informed Ginny. 'I want to talk to Ryan alone.' Ginny raised her eyebrows, and walked quickly to the bus stop.
'Are you sure you don't want me to take you home?' Ryan asked. 'I'm a guy. I should be taking my date home on the first date.'
Tammie turned to him. 'It's alright. Thank you, for saving me.' she shrugged, and her voice became softer. 'And thank you for the date. I had a really great time with you.' She was looking down on the floor while she was saying all this, and her cheeks were burning.
Ryan leaned closer, his lips forming a smirk. 'Wait. What did you just say?' Tammie frowned at him. 'I don't need to repeat myself now, do I?' He laughed. 'Did you really mean it?'
He was staring at her. With those caramel-brown eyes. The more she tried to resist his penetrating gaze, the more she wanted to tell the truth.
'Yeah,' she bit her lip. 'And...' 'And?' Ryan leaned even more closer. 'I'm waiting, Tammie.'
Tammie held her breath. She wasn't used to a guy whose face was inches closer to hers, especially when it was a cute guitarist.
Tammie shot him a glare and went back to her line. 'And, I hope that there's a second one.'
At this point, Ryan's eyes widened. 'Are you serious?' he exclaimed.
Tammie grunted. She couldn't handle this teasing attitude Ryan had towards her.
'Whatever, I'm going!' She crossed her arms and with her chin up, she turned her heel and walked in the other direction towards the bus stop.
'Tammie!' Ryan called out. Rolling her eyes, she turned around once more.
'Thank you, too. For you know, the date.' he smiled. From afar, he seemed like he's smirking, but Tammie wondered if Ryan really meant what he was saying.
They had eye contact for a moment, and after the awkward silence Ryan cleared his throat. 'I know you'll come back for me again.' This time, it was evident that he was smirking.
Ugh he's so horrible, Tammie thought.
'In your dreams, cheesy boy!' Tammie gritted her teeth and turned around for the last time.
'I'll see you again, Tammieeeeee!!' Ryan called out, like he sounded really excited for the next date.
Unknown to him, Tammie smiled to herself, as she wrapped her arms around each other.
Excited for what's to come between her, and Ryan.
---
'So you're telling me that you're forced to go on a blind date with the lead guitarist of Goldenrod, and if you don't someone will tell your father.' Ginny summarized the whole situation out to Tammie.
Tammie sighed and rested her head on her palm. They had just boarded the bus. 'Seriously, if I didn't want to, I can just tell my father right?' 'But then your father would have done something to you, worse he might make you guys migrate somewhere else.' Ginny shook her head.
'On the bright side,' her eyes lit up as she looked at Tammie. 'How was your first date with Ryan?'
Tammie was tongue-tied. 'Can you not,' she waved her off. 'Awww it went well, didn't it?' Ginny batted her eyes at her, making Tammie narrow her eyes at her friend.
She rested her head on her palm. They had just boarded the bus. 'Seriously, if I didn't want to, I can just tell my father right?' 'But then your father would have done something to you, worse he might make you guys migrate somewhere else.' Ginny shook her head.
'On the bright side,' her eyes lit up as she looked at Tammie. 'How was your first date with Ryan?'
Tammie was tongue-tied. 'Can you not,' she waved her off. 'Awww it went well, didn't it?' Ginny batted her eyes at her, making Tammie narrow her eyes at her friend.
Ginny sighed and slumped back on her seat. 'But you know what, whether the date was nice or not, it doesn't matter.'
Satisfied with her reply, Tammie smiled. 'It still doesn't change one thing about you and...' She heard Ginny murmur something, and cocked her head to look at her. 'What did you say?'
'Huh?' Ginny said, startled at how Tammie had responded, and shook her head. 'It was nothing.' From the sound of Ginny's voice, Tammie knew that her friend was hiding something.
'What do I not know?' She asked. 'Nothing,' Ginny said almost instantaneously, the back of her head turned to Tammie.
Tammie leaned closer. 'Ginny, you're hiding something.'
Ginny just pursed her lips and shook her head in denial. 'Was that about me?' Tammie reached for Ginny's arm. 'Hey, you can just tell me.'
Ginny hung her head low, and after what seemed like minutes she turned to look at Tammie.
'I think,' Ginny's voice was soft. 'I think that Kevin likes you.'
---
And now, two days later, Tammie was back in her room, the door shut, the sky dark, and the impact of Ginny's voice ringing in her head.
She hadn't seen Kevin lately. It was the one-week holiday, it was Tuesday night and she still couldn't find any signs of Kevin anywhere.
He hadn't messaged her during the weekends. It worried Tammie that she couldn't go on a day without Kevin, but after that incident with Ginny on the bus she was even more worried about spending the whole day with Kevin.
'Argh!' She buried herself on her soft quilt. Just as Tammie's world become colourfully messy because of Ryan, now Kevin had to come in.
And Kevin. Her best friend Kevin. She couldn't imagine her best friend falling for her, more so about her falling for him. They'd gotten along very well, they completely understand each other, and Tammie feels safe whenever Kevin's around.
But so much to call it as liking Kevin, she wasn't sure.
Tammie sat up once more. Why was she even taling Ginny's words so seriously? Maybe she was just kidding about Kevin.
But still, the severity in her tone caught her attention, and she knew that Ginny wasn't a friend who jokes about something serious.
And one more thing. What about Tammie's feelings? Tammie shook her head. Now that she had an assumption that Kevin might like her, did she reciprocate back his feelings?
Nowadays, Tammie felt a deep aching in her heart everytime she saw Kevin. He would be so sweet to her that Tammie wondered if she and Kevin will be something more.
She pulled the covers over her head, and she squeezed her eyes shut, blocking out everybody. Ginny, Ryen, Henry, Kevin. Anyone.
It wasn't long before she opened her eyes and saw the breaking of dawn, the first rays of light spilling from the window, bringing colourful hues of red, yellow and orange around her room.
She got up and rubbed her eyes before putting on her glasses. She turned to the picture frame on her bedside table to get her glasses, when she saw the picture of her and Kevin, arms over each other's shoulders while posing to the camera.
Her head began to ache again, and her heart started beating wildly. Tammie clutched her chest, and with one last deep breath, she climbed out of the bed and made a quick visit to the toilet.
Tammie found her father already at the dining table, munching a cookie in one hand and holding his phone over the other. She could already hear the familiar 'Ding' sound from the famous game. And as always, what was five cookies Louis Tayer had bought last night was just a cookie on the white porcelain plate.
'Yeah, new high score!' Her father tried to pump his fist in the air, but since he was holding a cookie he went to take another bite. Tammie sat down across from him.
'Mmfh, you're early.' Her father said in between eating the cookie in his mouth. Tammie stared solemnly at lone cookie on her plate, then stood up to get the new loaf of bread and a jar of Nutella before joining her father at the table.
When it came to food, Tammie and her father can never get along. Her father almost always eats more than 99% of their meal combined.
'Oh yeah,' her father swallowed the last piece of his cookie,'I'm inviting your tutor over for a family dinner. It's been a long time since we ate with Kevin together, eh?'
Tammie almost choked on her bread.
'Be here by 6 in the evening, okay? I don't want to be late for our dinner.' Louis strapped his small Manhattan bag over his shoulder. 'Clean the dishes for me, eh? I'm cycling to the East Coast baby!'
And then he skipped his way out of the house.
Tammie shook her head. Dad and his stupid bike sessions, she thought. She wore never to touch a single bike ever again.
Ping. Tammie went to check her phone.
Kevin: Good morning Tammie. Do we have lessons today?
She had to suppress a laugh. Kevin was too formal for words. She called him.
'Can you stop being so formal?' She giggled. 'What?' Kevin sounded like he just woke up. Tammie rolled her eyes. Boys.
'Hey listen. Instead of studying, let's just go to Baytion Park and have a stroll.' Tammie munched on her bread. 'W-what?' Kevin stammered. 'But it's like 7am in the morning!'
'Why not? It's a brand new sunny day!' Tammie chugged her glass of milk. 'Come here in fifteen minutes.' Then she hung up even before Kevin could mutter a protest.
Then, at that split moment, she realised what she had done. Had she done it our of habit, or was she longing to see Kevin again? Whatever it was, it made her nervous, but excited to see Kevin at the same time.
She changed into her jogging attire--she was sensible enough not to follow her father's fashion nonsense-and looked out of the window.
Why won't you tell me you like me, Kevin? The thought in her head made her jump back in shock. Obviously she didn't mean it that way.
She slumped back on the couch and closed her eyes. Whatever it was that she was feeling, she had a feeling that it would go on for a long time.
---
Meanwhile, Kevin was trying to sort out his things, trying to find a suitable outfit for his date with Tammie.
Date? He blinked. It wasn't a date, it was just a day out with his best friend.
But why had Tammie put it like they were having a date? Kevin wasn't sure.
'Ehhh,' He heard Yuki groan from the other end of the room. Yuki was his roommate, and who had eventually introduced him to Gemma and Ginny.
'Sorry Yuki, but I have to go to Tammie's for a while.' 'Going out with your girlfriend at this hour??' Yuki got up. 'Dude she's not my girlfriend,' Kevin hurled a small pillow at Yuki.
Yuki placed his long stick-like legs on the side of the bed. 'Just tell me how it went,' he yawned and got up. Yuki was a bit taller than Kevin, with a sharp pointed nose and a deep bass voice. He was tall, but in a skinny way.
'I thought we'd be playing Minecraft all day.' Yuki frowned. 'I thought it's supposed to be bros before anything else?'
Kevin laughed while slipping on a royal blue Puma sports tee. 'It's just for a while. I'll be back by noon, and we can play any MMORPG game you have in your console.' He then looked over in the mirror and adjusted his newly-shaved sideburns.
'Kevin, wait.' Yuki stopped behind Kevin, facing the mirror. 'Did you just...' Yuki made a motion of hovering his hand over the hair above his ear.
'Yeah, do you think I look good?' Apart from the tee, Kevin was wearing jersey shorts and sports shoes. He sprayed another dose of Calvin Klein before turning around to face Yuki.
Yuki waved his hand in the air. 'Dude, you put too much cologne,' he grinned. 'But I bet Tammie will just fall for you even more.'
'Hey what!' Kevin punched his friend's arm. 'When I say we're best friends, we really are, alright?'
Yuki sighed. 'One day.' he wagged his finger at Kevin. 'One day you will realise how you treat each other more than what the both of you seem. And then you'll thank me.'
Kevin shook his head and turned to keep away the clutter in his bed. He had rummaged through each and every shirts and pants just to find a single outfit for Tammie.
This wasn't like him at all.
Soon after he left the apartment, he spotted Yuki's two-seater bicycle leaning against the railing. It was as ordinary as ever--just a deep copper-brown, with a basket large enough to fit in his small backpack as well as Tammie's.
I think Yuki won't mind me borrowing his bicycle in the morning. Kevin thought. His bicycle was missing a tyre, and he had forgotten to get a new one because he had gone to the hair salon to shave his sideburns.
Still, Kevin wondered why Yuki was suddenly riding bicycles, especially those with two seats.
Kevin got on the front seat and cycled to Tammie's house, which was just about five minutes away. Come here in fifteen minutes, Tammie had said, and when he arrived at her house he had calculated his early arrival at a minute and two seconds.
It was simple calculation, solving how early he was. But solving his feelings towards Tammie, it wasn't simple.
He propped the bicycle up on a railing, then walked to the doorstep. He wasn't nervous at first, but upon stepping on the 'Welcome' mat, his hands were shaking and his heart was beating fast.
Kevin tried to shake his anxiety away. What am I nervous for? He thought. He needed to appear calm and collected, as if he had forgotten about what happened at the park.
He rang the doorbell, and a couple of seconds later, Tammie opened the door.
'Humph,' she unlocked the front gate. 'You're early.' Tammie was wearing a simple orange cotton tee and a slightly longer pair of FBT shorts. Her hair was combed back in a ponytail, and her face was aglow.
Kevin wondered how Tammie could look so good in a simple outfit.
After locking the door, she turned around and her eyes landed on the two-seater bicycle a couple of metres away.
'We're going to the park in that?' Tammie asked, wide-eyed.
Kevin scratched his head. 'My bicycle is spoilt, and I know you don't have a bicycle.' He pointed to Yuki's bicycle. 'But hey, we still need transport to get somewhere, so I think that's our best shot.'
Kevin ran to the bicycle to lift it from its stand, then beckoned Tammie to come over. She followed, biting her lip. Kevin knew that whenever Tammie bit her lip, she was nervous. But not until recently-Kevin found it extremely cute.
'Do you even know how to ride this thing?' She grabbed onto the handle of the bicycle and tried to twist it. Kevin grinned. 'I say we try it.'
He climbed onto the front seat and turned the bike towards the road before steadying it with his feet on the ground. 'Come on you coward!' he smirked at Tammie.
Immediately Tammie's face went red. 'I am not a coward!' she yelled. 'And I'll show you I'm not!' She quickly climbed onto the last seat, placing both her feet at the edge of the bicycle.
'Hold on,' Tammie stopped. 'Did you cut your hair?' Kevin turned to ask her why, but his breath caught when he saw her face just inches from his.
Kevin quickly looked away. From his peripheral vision, he could see that Tammie realised what just happened, so she looked away too.
'Yeah, just yesterday,' Kevin cleared his throat, trying to make the situation less awkward. 'You know, trying out something new.' He turned to her and smirked.
'Tsk,' she flicked his forehead with her thumb and index finger. 'I didn't know how vain you became.' Kevin laughed.
'Ready?' Kevin turned back to the front. 'Vroom vroom!' he made the sounds of a car engine ready to start running. 'Vrooooooooom!' he heard Tammie laughed behind him and she slapped him in the back. 'Stop being so childish!'
'Here we gooooooooo!!!' Kevin yelled, as he started pedalling towards the road, turning a bend as they left the estate.
Kevin pedalled hard as they went faster and faster, the strong breeze whizzing past them. 'Woooooooooo!!!' Kevin yelled as they whizzed past streets and stoplights, going against the wind.
Kevin realised that Tammie was keeping silent for a long time, and when he turned around to check on her, she was crouching, her arms frantically gripping whatever she could hold on to. Her eyes were queezed shut, and her lips were pursed.
'Tammie,' Kevin slowed down,'if you're having trouble holding on, just hold on to me.'
'Eh?????' Tammie opened her eyes in shock. 'Come on!' Kevin smiled. 'I'll take care of you. Trust me.'
He could see the hesitance written all over Tammie's face, but he turned around and continued pedalling, one foot over the other.
Slowly, he felt arms wrapping around his waist, and a gentle bob of her head on his back. Kevin turned his head, being careful not to disturb Tammie.
Tammie had placed her head to the side, and her eyes were closed, but as compared to her scared expression just a moment ago, she looked calm and serene.
Kevin smiled and turned to the road, feeling the strong rush of the breeze and the occasional bob of Tammie's head on his back and her strong hold around his waist as they made their way to the park.
The thought of Tammie so close to him gave him butterflies in his stomach. Tammie had depended on him to take care of her, and now, Kevin realised how important she was in his life.
Her smile, her laugh, the special glances she gave him whenever they walked past or attended the same lectures-Kevin wanted to see those whenever he woke up, and not just during his dreams.
There are many things that fall. The warmth of the sun was falling down upon them, the leaves that fall gently on the concrete floor, the occasional rain that falls whenever he reflectively thought of Tammie, the way Tammie's head fall back to his back, the spot where his heart was.
There was one more thing that fell.
Tammie, he thought, I might be falling. For you.
---
'Dude,' Non heard someone calling him, but he was too lost in his own world to answer.
'Non!' He felt a hard slap on his back that eventually snapped him out of his reverie. He turned around to see Solum, who was now joining him on the couch.
'What's wrong with you these days?' Solum was waving his hands at him. 'You're acting like Ryan!'
'Oh.' Solum leaned closer. 'Is it a girl?' His jaw dropped. 'Don't tell me you're starting to be serious on girls?!'
Non shoved the pillow he was clutching at Solum. 'Why would I be serious about girls?' He uncrossed his arms and picked up a piece at a chessboard on the table. 'Girls are meant to be played on, like little pawns, and the goal is to send them out of your life.'
He threw the chess piece back at the chessboard, expecting the piece to topple over the table. But the piece kept rolling, and eventually landed in its upright position.
It was a rare phenomenon Non was stunned. Stubborn chess pieces don't stumble and fall at all, no matter how he tries to throw them out of his chessboard.
That was what he had been trying to do all this time-flirt with girls, make them fall for him with his fame and charisma, and dump them in the end.
But after that event at the carnival, he began to wonder if there were actually girls who wouldn't just come to him just because he was the famous pianist of Goldenrod.
Jenna, he thought. There was something different about her.
Non too, came to the carnival alone for no apparent reason. He had just finished his reading session at the library and came across a brochure to the carnival.
Cool, he had thought. I can see and flirt with empty-headed girls there.
That was until he stepped on the carnival and someone bumped into him.
'Sorry!' he heard a mellow girl voice before he looked down, but he could only catch a glimpse of the girl before she ran away.
It was only a glimpse, but it was all Non ever needed. A potential girl I can flirt with, he thought, but for the first time, he doubted his intention.
For the next two hours, he tried to look for the girl, searching every game booth and queue to find a girl in a red-and-white striped singlet.
It was only by luck that he stepped into the funhouse and saw her dancing in front of the mirror. Graceful but strong-willed, that's was his impression of her. Someone who can be beat, someone who doesn't give up.
And he was surprised at how quick he had responded when she almost tripped over, scooping her up in his arms.
But the weirdest thing was when they locked gazes. Her chocolate-brown eyes registered awe, but she saw confusion and surprise, like she had met him before somewhere.
She didn't look striking from afar, but up close Non could see how big and pretty her eyes were, and how her sideswept fringe fitted her round face and small but proportionate frame.
They shared an awkward silence, and Non wanted so much as to start the conversation, and learn more about who the girl is.
No, he thought. He shouldn't get too friendly with her. He had to justify his hunch by flirting with her. He had to do what he had believed he was supposed to do to girls.
It was obvious that she didn't know who he was, and she seemed very indifferent to him. Everytime he tried to flirt with her or acted cocky, she wouldn't buy it, even before they parted ways.
'Pfft,' she would narrow her eyes at him. 'You're such a lousy flirt. I'm a better flirt than you are.' she smirked, then spun around and walked ahead of him, like forgetting that he was even there.
And Non would follow her, not because he wasn't giving up on convincing Jenna, but rather he wondered how she could be so smart as to perceive his actions all this while.
She was as stubborn as a tiger lily, refusing to be uprooted by strong winds.
But Jenna was easygoing, witty and funny, and Non felt comfortable with her. And what was surprising was that she didn't show any sign of interest, something to justify that she was attracted to him. He felt that Jenna was relieved that she wasn't alone anymore instead of being starry-eyed at him.
She was treating him like a new friend from another block.
Usually, Jenna walked aimlessly alone, and she had this faraway look, like she was trying to remember something that she shouldn't, didn't need to remember.
'Have you been here before?' Non blurted. He didn't mean to ask such a serious question, but he felt like it. 'Yeah!' Jenna exclaimed, and turned to grin at him.
But Non knew well enough to notice her immediate response and how her voice squeaked an octave higher when she replied. Even as she smiled, it was lopsided, like she didn't feel like smiling but she did anyway.
As much as Non tried to woo Jenna, he enjoyed spending time with her at the carnival. And he believed that she enjoyed herself, too.
Non had expected to part with Jenna in good terms, but as they stepped out of the carnival gate, suddenly a large group of girls outside came up to him.
'Aren't you the pianist of Goldenrod?' One of them asked, and the rest shrieked as they held out their pieces of paper, asking for his signature.
'You're so hot!' 'I'm your number 1 fan!' 'Date me please!' They surrounded him, and Non struggled to break free.
He tried to find Jenna among the crowd, but the only thing he saw was a wisp of her red-and-white blouse, and she was gone.
---
'Hello. Earth to Non. Am I invisible or are you ignoring me?'
Non shook his head and turned to Solum. 'Oh, sorry. I didn't know you were still here.'
'Are you okay?' Solum waved his hand over Non's face. 'I've been here since a minute ago!! You were staring at the chessboard for a long time.'
Non blinked. He didn't know he had zoned out that long.
'You've been staring into space and spending more and more time alone. You don't even respond when I show you pictures of hot girls. I swear to God, Non. I think you're going mad.' Solum explained.
Then, Mihi came into view, having showered a couple of minutes ago. His usually waxed hair was splayed everywhere, and he only have but a towel draped over his shoulder, exposing his bare chest over his long jersey shorts.
Mihi was vain-he liked to show off his ripped body, but Non thinks that he was too skinny to even be ripped.
'Sup,' he sat down beside Non so Non was in between the two, as Mihi grabbed his towel to dry his hair.'Morning Mel,' Non said. Just as Solum's real name was Leon Yong and Non's real name was John Steele, Mihi's real name was Melvin Nicholson.
'I think our dear John here has a problem. A female problem.' Solum draped his arm over Non. 'Woah, our John Little is growing up!' Mihi shook Non's arm.
When he joined the band, Non was chatacterised as 'John Little'--because he seemed the most innocent out of all of them, but after showing his charisma towards girls, the boys realised that he was the most experienced out of all of them. Even then, the name still stuck.
'Whatever guys,' he shook his head. 'You know that I'm not serious towards girls right? I wouldn't want to be friends with them nor get close to them.' Non pulled an ugly face.
'Hmmm, yeah,' Mihi nodded slowly, then turned to Solum. 'Maybe he's just stressed out at the rate of girls moving on him.'
'That's what you get for being so hot, bro,' Solum shook his arm. 'Hey, no matter what happens, we'll be here for you, alright?' Mihi placed his arm on Non's other shoulder and nodded.
Non couldn't be any more thankful to have such good friends. 'Thanks guys,' he smiled.
Non, Mihi and Solum heard the back bedroom door open, and they turned around to see Ryan step out.
'Ryan!!' Solum called. 'We were having a heart-to-heart talk just now.' 'Yeah! Come here and we'll have a bro group hug.' Mihi beckoned Ryan to come over. Ryan sat in between Non and Mihi, and the four wrestled each other in the couch.
'Oh yeah,' Non suddenly spoke up. 'How was your date last Saturday, Ryan?' He wanted to push the question to Ryan on where all of them went when he was at the carnival to avoid suspicions.
'Hey what!' Solum's eyes widened as he punched Ryan's arm. 'Why didn't you tell me you already have a date?' 'What what what I didn't know about this too! Dude!' Mihi exclaimed.
Non laughed as he explained the situation to the two boys.
'Damn Ryan!' Solum whistled. 'Esther had to choose a girl for you? You're impossible!' Mihi and Solum chatted away.
Non turned to Ryan, who was looking down and shuffling his feet. He knew that this was the first time Ryan had ever gone on a date, even though he was always surrounded by girls. Non could empathize with Ryan.
'I think,' Ryan finally looked up,'I should just abandon this date thing altogether.' 'What?? Why?' Mihi exclaimed. 'Scrap the date and leave the girl waiting? No way man!'
'I think Ryan has a good reason for that, guys,' Non replied.
Ryan looked gratefully at him.
Ryan sighed. 'I don't think I have time for the dates.' 'Are you serious?' Solum rummaged through his light brown hair. 'We have a lot of free time these days, and you're just going to leave your damsel in distress?'
'It's not about the free time,' Ryan explained. 'Career is more important for me these days. You know what happened the last time I had too much commitments.'
All of them knew what happened. Getting into a lot of commitments was a pivotal factor to Ryan's decline, which was why he was building up his career again. And because of his mother, Ryan didn't want to go into a relationship.
It wasn't that Ryan didn't want to find a girl, he was afraid of what would happen if he fell for one.
'Which is why you need to experience going on a date.'
All heads turned to Non.
'I thought you were on my side!' Ryan exclaimed.
'I am!' Non protested. 'I'm telling you this for your own good. I know how much you don't want to be close to girls besides Esther, but if you don't experience it for yourself, how will you learn?'
Solum laced his fingers together. Mihi put his hand around the nape of his neck.
'At least be genuine and sincere on making friends with your date. You can't just live without girls forever.'
And when Non said those words, he wasn't sure if he meant it or not.
Ryan crouched down and rested his elbows on his thighs. 'I guess you're right, John.' he said. 'All this time I've been trying to push girls away, not knowing how to deal with them unless I opened up to experience for myself.'
He rested his hand on Non's shoulder. 'Thanks man. For making me realise that.' Non put his arm around Ryan and smiled. 'Anytime.'
Mihi laughed and wrestled Ryan. 'So Ryan, if you don't complete all the dates I will personally force you to talk to your mother everyday!'
'Hey guys, what!' Solum crossed his arms and frowned. 'I'm out of the bromance?'
Non, Ryan and Mihi looked at each other for three seconds, and started howling and laughing as they hopped on top of Solum, crushing and wrestling with each other.
Their band name might be Goldenrod, but Non knew that their brotherhood was more than golden.
---
'We're here!' Kevin exclaimed before slowing down to a halt under one of the trees.
He felt something lift from his back, and he realised how bare his back felt when Tammie looked up.
'Where are we going--hey!' Kevin turned around to see Tammie quickly climb out of the bicycle and run up what seemed like an gently sloping area at the park.
'Last one up is a fat pig!' Tammie stuck out her tongue and smiled slyly. Kevin quickly snapped the bicycle in place and chased after her.
While he was running, he could hear Tammie's giggles in the morning air, and the shuffling of their feet in the grass. It was music to his ears.
Eventually, Kevin caught up with Tammie a couple of seconds before they reached the top at the same time.
They stopped by under a tree to cool down, and once they had relaxed enough they sat down and watched the scenery before them.
The town of Baytion was spread out before them, blooming bright in the morning, and where Anders was in the horizon, Kevin did not know.
'Shall we play a game of frisbee?' Tammie grinned, all geared up with a frisbee in hand. Kevin laughed. 'Oh, I am so ready,' he smirked, and on the flat surface of the meadow they were standing on, they played a hardcore game of frisbee.
When the sun was higher up in the sky and exhaustion was settling in, they sat down under the shade of the big tree once mode.
'So,' Tammie reached up to take out her scrunchie before tying her hair back to a ponytail. 'I heard Dad wants to see you later.'
Kevin had almost forgotten to tell her. Louis had called him the night before, saying that he wanted to meet Kevin in person.
'Initially I want to discuss about my daughter's progress,' Louis Tayer had told him,'but since your close relationship with Tammie is very evident, I also want to meet you on a man-to-man basis. To find out your intention towards my daughter.'
Kevin had shuddered then.
'I wonder why Dad wants to see you,' Tammie frowned. 'I mean, there's nothing wrong with me now, right? I'm doing fine in school.' She blew a strand of hair away from her forehead.
'So you don't want to see me tonight?' Kevin clutched his chest and rolled away from her. 'Ow. That hurts.'
'Ehhh!' He felt a hand grab his arm and pulled him close to her, so much that their faces were inches away feom each other.
'Don't, ever, run away from me.' Tammie's voice was firm, but it held a softer tone in it. Even her expression was serious, like he would disappear any moment.
It was like she was implying I don't want to let you go.
Tammie quickly pulled away from Kevin, and together they leaned against the tree trunk and turned to the landscape before them.
'So,' Kevin broke the silence,'what university course are you planning to take?'
Tammie shrugged. 'I don't know,' she murmured. 'Whatever my grades take me, I guess. But I think I'll stick to science-related fields.' She turned to Kevin and grinned. 'Thanks to you, I love Physics and Chemistry already.'
They turned back to the view, and a couple of seconds later Tammie turned to Kevin. 'How about you?' she cocked her head to look at him. 'I bet you're signing up for the Science Research Attachment, aren't you?'
Kevin frowned. He had thought about joining the attachnent, and he had thought of considering science research as one of his course choices. But he knew that Tammie would never go for that course.
'Maybe,' he turned to look at her,'but I think I'll go for the science-related fields too. I don't want to waste my time researching useless science info.' He gave her a dead look, and Tammie laughed.
'I knew you wouldn't take that seriously,' she smiled. 'But if we ever go to university together, at least we'll still see each other.'
She sighed wistfully and carried on. 'I can't believe we're in this point of our lives where our decisions can drastically change our futures.'
Tammie frowned. 'It's amazing, but at the same time a scary thing altogether, you know-life is so unpredictable nowadays.'
Kevin nodded. 'But I guess that's the beauty of it all. As we change and mature, we grow out from our colours and replace then with new and more vibrant ones.
Their eyes met, and Kevin saw the uncertainty in her eyes. She must be wondering where we would go after this, he thought. The major examinations were coming up in two months, and after which they will be given plenty of choices--to stay and complete the final term, to drop out and work, or to study overseas. The possibilities were endless
If Tammie's scholarship was successful, she would have to study overseas, and they have to separate ways.
Upon realising that they were looking at each other for too long, they looked away and move further apart, occupying almost one side of the tree. Tammie wrapped her arms around each other, and Kevin remained numb, putting one leg up.
'Kevin?' He heard a soft murmur. He turned around. 'Yeah?' 'I don't know what I'd do without you,' Tammie replied, and looked down on the grass, one arm over her face. She looked as if she was about to cry.
'Tammie?' He went up on his feet and crawled to her side. 'Hey, don't be like that.' He knew at times as serious as this, he had to speak softly.
Tammie lifted her head. 'I have to make a decision in two months. Two months. And I'm not yet ready to make a choice.' She rubbed her eyes. 'If I do get in the scholarship, I'll study overseas, and if I don't, I will still have to leave Anders, leave everybody here. We'd have to part. I don't know what to do.'
Kevin's heart ached for her. Seeing Tammie so sad and distraught made Kevin feel the same way. He couldn't bear to live without Tammie, either.
It wasn't before long when he heard Tammie sniff and quickly rub her eyes. He reached out for her arm. 'Hey don't cry,' he tried to assure her,'no matter what happens, we'll still look out for each other. We'd still talk to each other everyday.'
He didn't know whether to go on, because Tammie started to weep louder, but he carried on.
'Just because we don't see each other doesn't mean that we will drift apart. I'll be there for you, and you'll be there for me too.'
He laced his fingers around hers. 'And if there comes a time that we will have to separate ways for a long time, just remember that I'll still be thinking about you often. So what we have to do now is make the most out of our time for each other.'
He looked at Tammie longingly, and she looked up at him, sadness written all over her face. Then, to Kevin's surprise, Tammie placed her head on his left shoulder, and closed the gap between their fingers. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and before Kevin knew it Tammie had fallen asleep.
Carefully, Kevin placed his head above hers, remembering that every single time they had was precious. And as he stared across the distance, he wished that this moment would never end.
---
Louis heard the front door open. 'Dad, I'm back.' He heard Tammie yawn before locking the door. He was on the couch, fiddling with his phone. 'Where did you go?' His eyes never left the phone as he spoke.
'Played frisbee.'
'With who?'
'Does it matter?'
Louis looked up to see Tammie roll her eyes before going to her room.
Must be in a bad mood, Louis thought as he shrugged and went back to his phone.
Wait. Louis had noticed Tammie acting differently these days. She kept to herself more often, and everytime he asked about her tutor she tried to change the subject.
'Is something wrong with the both of them?' He wondered aloud.
Tammie never came out of the room the whole day, and Louis was surprisingly getting worried. At first, he didn't want to get worried, because every time he thought of his daughter, he immediately thought about her mother.
Louis shivered. He didn't mean to get acquainted with Tammie's mother at all. She was a bright woman--yes, but he never had any romantic feelings for her. His heart was somewhere else.
The day he found out that he had a child with the woman, he was devastated. He swore to himself that he will never love his child. From then on, he refused to show affection to Tammie, because he thought that if she looked too much like her mother, she will eventually become like her mother.
But throughout the years, Tammie grew up to be a happy, playful child. Even though she was always reprimanded by him, she didn't take it too seriously, and she continued to be patient with him.
Not until Tammie learnt of her mother's death.
The loss had made Tammie irrational, and she finally admitted that whatever she did, it would not gain any recognition from her father.
At this point, Louis should be happy. His own daughter was already keeping her distance, but why did he feel guilty and indebted?
As Louis pondered about this, he realised that Tammie was different from her mother, almost complete opposites. While her mother was empty-headed, Tammie was smart and independent, and she never gave up.
Tammie grew up to be like the girl Louis had fallen for, a long time ago.
He may not be the best father to Tammie, but he still cared about his daughter.
Is it too late? Louis thought. Many years have passed, and he was doubtful if Tammie would ever forgive him for being a bad father to her.
'I guess I have to try,' he told himself.
At around the late afternoon, Louis knocked on her bedroom door. 'Tammie,' he asked, trying to sound partially nonchalant,'we have to get ready soon.'
He waited, one minute, two minutes, then he opened the door.
'Tammie,' he called. He saw his daughter on the computer and writing something down on a chemistry notebook, with her earphones on.
'Why are you studying so hard for?' He sat down on her bed. Tammie didn't respond.
Louis got up and pulled her earphones out of her ear. 'Are you even listening to me?' He exclaimed.
Tammie grabbed her earphones from his hands. 'Why do you even care?' She glared at him.
'Because I'm your father,' he replied,'and I ought to know what's going on with you.'
The severity in his tone left Tammie wide-eyed and speechless, and she looked away from him.
'What are you doing here?' she spoke softly, her eyes darting back and forth as she got up and sat down on the foot of her bed. 'There's nothing wrong with me.'
Louis sat down on the other side of the bed. 'You can't lie to me,' he said,'I know there's something troubling you these days.'
Tammie sighed. 'What do you even know?' Her sentence was terse. 'You're so dumb and slow you can't even finish Dumbs Ways to Die in thirty seconds without dying twice.'
'I am NOT dumb!' He bellowed, but when he realised that it was supposed to be a joke he quietened down.
'Don't you want to come for the dinner?' Louis chose his question carefully. 'It's not that I don't want to go for the dinner, I really do Dad,' Tammie replied,'but why do you want to see Kevin?'
Louis shrugged. 'I don't know, I have this feeling that I want to see who has been making my daughter happy these days.'
'Dad!' Her face turned beet red, and she shuffled her feet. 'Seems like my little Tammie has something for her best friend.'
'Since when were you this nosy? You've never been nosy,' she shoved her pillow at him, and she slumped. 'Dad?'
'Yeah?'
'If Kevin likes me, will you be mad?' Her question came as a surprise to Louis. 'No! Not at all,' he gave her a reassuring smile. 'You sure, Dad?' She raised her eyebrow. 'You won't drive him away, right?'
'Hmmm let's see,' Louis began,'Kevin's smart and athletic. He's independent, and he's a gentleman. He seems to care about you a lot, always thinking of you first before himself, and if he ever has feelings for you, it'd be genuine, and he seems the type that he won't compromise your already very close friendship just because he likes you.'
Louis turned to his daughter. 'Why wouldn't I approve of him? I think he's really good for you.' Tammie laughed. 'You really think so, Dad?' 'Why not? There's no harm in liking someone, right?'
'Well,' Tammie bit her lip,'how did you and Mom met, anyway?'
Louis' smile diminished. He looked away. 'There were actually three of us.' he began. 'Your mother, me, and another girl. We were the best of friends, and we did everything together. Your mother was the most playful out of all of us, always going out on her own, and she was very aggressive.'
Tammie nodded intently. 'So where's the part when you fell for Mom?'
'I never had romantic feelings for her then,' Louis sighed and continued, 'I just thought of her as a friend, nothing more. But then, one night, she told me that she loved me, and I didn't know what to do.'
'Why were you so hesitant towards Mom?' Tammie asked, confused. 'You're telling me that you've never loved Mom?'
Louis couldn't take it anymore. He knew he had to tell Tammie the truth someday..
'What happened after that?'
'Does it matter?' Louis exclaimed. 'How could I tell your mother that I was in love with our other best friend without jeopardizing our relationship? And when she eventually found out about my secret relationship, she took revenge on me.'
His voice was bitter as he buried his face with his hands. 'This is not the time to tell you everything, but I have to let you know that no matter how much I tried, I could never love your mother. My heart belonged to someone else. She made my life so grey, and when you came along, I thought I'd never see the true colours of life.'
He rubbed his nose and sniffed. 'But I was wrong. You brought colour to my life again, and I was too blind to realise it. Many times I compared you with your mother, assuming that you're as bad as your mother. I prevented you from doing the things you wanted, and I made your life miserable, not knowing that I'd been so selfish to you all this time. I'm a bad father, and I'm really, truly sorry, Tammie. '
He started weeping softly, when Tammie reached out and hugged him.
'I didn't know, Dad.' She murmured. 'I didn't know.'
After so many years, Louis felt a heavy weight of his conscience lift off his shoulders. His own daughter comforted him, and was so understanding.
'It's alright if you don't tell me everything now,' she had told him. 'I'm sorry too, for not being perceptive enough to find out what's wrong with my own father.'
'I'm not too late, aren't I?' He asked. Tammie smiled. 'Nothing is ever too late when you want to reconcile with your family member. I'm actually grateful that you told me.'
'Shall we start over?' Louis asked. Tears streamed down Tammie's face as she nodded and hugged her father, finally at peace with each other.
'I love you Dad, and don't ever forget that.'
Louis smiled, as he let the tears flow down his cheeks.
'I love you too, Tammie.'
---
After the reunion, a lot of things had changed since then.
'You look so horrible, Dad!' Tammie reached for another shirt from Louis' wardrobe and shoved it to him. 'You seriously need to change your style!'
'Hey what! I look good already!' Louis laughed. 'Fine!' Tammie crossed her arms. 'If you wear that I won't acknowledge you as my father later in the restaurant.' 'Just as when we're getting started!' he exclaimed.
'Then wear something more appropriate!' Tammie took out Louis' neon-pink blazer and fastened a black-coloured tie over his formal blue shirt.
Tammie stepped back. 'Now I can finally call you my DAD!' she grinned, and grabbed his arm. 'Now let's go, Daddy, before Kevin calls for us!'
Just as she finished her sentence, the doorbell rang. 'Coming!' Both of them said in unison, and glared at each other. 'I'll get it!' they screamed at each other.
'No I'll get it!' Tammie ran out of the door. Louis chased after her and overtook her. 'I'm the father so I should open the door!'
Tammie bumped into his back, just as Louis bent down and grabbed her legs to piggyback her. 'Dad! Put me DOWN!' Tammie laughed and shrieked as Louis ran to the door. 'NEVERRRRRR!' He yelled.
He opened it and saw Kevin, confusion written all over his face upon seeing Tammie on Louis' back.
'Uhhh, hi Uncle.' He stammered. Tammie hopped down. 'Hi Kevin!' she exclaimed, and upon seeing Kevin's face she frowned. 'Why are you looking at me like that?'
'But...' Kevin pointed to her, then pointed to Louis, then back to her.
'Haven't you heard, Kevin?' Tammie went to hug Louis. 'Me and Dad are super close now!'
'Really?' Kevin smiled. 'Uh, congrats to the both of you.'
'Don't judge Kevin,' Louis narrowed his eyes at Kevin. 'Alright, shall we go to the sushi place?' He looked at Kevin and Tammie.
'Okay!' Tammie exclaimed. 'I'll drive.' 'No, I'll drive.' Kevin raised up a hand. 'It's getting dark soon.' 'But I can drive at night!' Tammied protested. 'I thought you were scared of the dark?' Kevin asked.
'I'll drive.'
Kevin and Tammie turned to Louis. 'You can drive?!?!' They both said. Louis shrugged. 'Bicycles are not the only thing I ride on.' He winked at Tammie, and took the car keys from her hand.
'Both of you, sit in the back.' Louis said, and soon after they were on their way.
Louis parked the car on the basement of the mall, and led the way to the new sushi restaurant. When they were ushered to a table, Louis and Tammie sat together, while Kevin sat at the opposite end.
After ordering their meals, Louis placed his hands together. 'So, how are you Kevin?' Kevin raised his eyebrows. 'Me?' 'Yes you.' Louis replied. Tammie snickered.
'I'm alright, I guess,' Kevin said,'I recently got in the Omega Programme. I think your daughter is in the programme too.' Louis turned to Tammie, who nodded. The Omega programme was a big thing in their college, and getting accepted into the programme was regarded highly.
'You didn't tell me?' Louis pouted. 'I thought I told you a couple of months ago?' Tammie crossed her arms. 'You weren't listening back then.'
Louis asked Kevin plenty of questions during their meal, most of them related to Tammie in one way or another. He didn't care how much he made Kevin uncomfortable--it was his duty as a father to embarrass his daughter in front of her friend.
Occasionally, Tammie would glare at him or hit his arm, but eventually she was amused over him interrogating Kevin.
'Do you care about my daughter?' he asked.
'Y-yes, sir.' Kevin replied.
'Do you think you can give my daughter a better life that I gave her?' Louis continued, then took a sip in his mug, his eyes never straying away from Kevin.
'W-what, sir?' He asked.
'Are you a coward to say that you cannot give my daughter a good life??' Louis placed his mug down quite loud that it reverberated around them.
Tammie laughed.
Throughout the dinner, Louis noticed the long stares Kevin and Tammie kept having for each other. They would just lock gazes for more than five seconds, and they would look away timidly.
They're so cute, Louis thought as he reminisced about the girl he fell for so long ago. They had started out small too--they just kept gazing at each other, and over time their feelings had developed and blossomed into a colourful feeling.
The thought of the girl was so painful Louis had to wince. If he wasn't so single-minded, he wouldn't have lost her.
But she's long gone, and she doesn't love him anymore, he thought. As he looked at his daughter and Kevin, and how they looked at each other, he hoped that they wouldn't end up like him.
---
'Thank you for your honesty.' Louis stood up and shook hands with Kevin. Tammie, who was witnessing the whole thing unfold, giggled.
Kevin had been perturbed ever since he saw Tammie and her father get along so well. During the car ride, Louis Tayer had blasted the stereo so loud and he and Tammie were singing 'Treasure' to each other.
Kevin, in the meantime, sank in his seat, frightened at how alarmingly close Tammie and Louis were.
Weren't they so distant just a week ago? He thought. Sometimes, fate can work in mysterious ways. But nevertheless, he was glad that the both of them were more like family.
Louis turned to Tammie. 'I have to go home now, so feel free to stay with Kevin a bit. I give you full permission.' He then looked at Kevin. 'I'm counting on you to take care of her.' He placed two fingers and pointed it at his eyes, then back to Kevin.
'Bye Daddy!' Tammie hugged Louis, and he left the restaurant.
Kevin turned to Tammie. 'What was that all about?' He blurted out.
Tammie laughed. 'We had a heart-to-heart talk just a couple of hours ago, and we realised how much we were missing out on each other.'
She smiled. 'Don't worry, I think we'll be much closer, now that we clarified our misunderstandings. And I think Dad is actually pretty cool.'
Kevin shook his head. 'You guys are too fast. But I'm happy that you and your father are finally okay with each other.'
'Yep!' Tammie said, popping the 'p'. 'So where shall we go?'
They had just stepped out of the restaurant, and was walking side by side to the open street in the mall. 'Let's just walk around.' Kevin replied, and Tammie nodded.
Suddenly, they heard numerous 'pop' sounds above them, like a firecracker exploding. They looked up, and a burst of colours scattered over the night sky, as it spreads out as small colourful sparks of light.
'Fireworks,' Tammie breathed.
Kevin took out his glasses and let out a 'Wow', as they stared at the fireworks, changing from red, to yellow to green.
From his peripheral vision, he saw Tammie look at him, so he turned to her. The sound was deafening that he couldn't hear anybody else.
They faced each other, and Kevin realised how close they were from each other.
Tammie took off her glasses and looked up. 'Beautiful, aren't they?'
She smiled. Her dimples were showing, and her eyes laughed.
Kevin leaned closer, their foreheads almost touching as Tammie turned to face him once more. Tammie held her breath as Kevin stared into her eyes.
The fireworks didn't match up to Tammie. He had to say it.
And they stood there, under the fireworks, illuminating their space in different colours, as Kevin's words hung in the air.
'No,' he replied,. 'You are.'
---
FYI, this is strictly a Kemmie chapter. So next chapter, it will be about the rest of the character ships/loveteams.
I just came back from two weeks of hectic school days hehhh.
Happy holidays guys! :)