PAST
Girl: Was our meeting an intended act of fate? Or was it just a mere coincidence holding importance of nothing more than iota in the whole universe? Why did I fall in love, if it was just a mere coincidence? Why did I choose the path of love when I could have flamboyantly chosen the path of ignorance? Why is the pain of his absence so interminable? Is this pain just a mere coincidence?
As I took a deep breath, I looked at myself for the last time in the mirror. The short heart line light pink dress with a flowy tulle skirt looks perfectly fine on my body, along with my silver shimmery heels. I grab a necklace from my drawer which has a tiny silver heart in the middle and wear it around my neck.
"Perfect." I think out loud.
The D-Day, aka, Homecoming has finally arrived. And I am nervous as hell. Not just because I have definitely outcasted myself from the dancing category of people, but also Jake is going to be with me, all this time. If it were for me, I would have certainly given a big no-no to this Homecoming shit, but all of my friends were going, and let's just face it, Jake asked me out to Homecoming. I remember just how nervous and anxious he was when we asked me. Thinking about it, a small smile curves up on my lips and I cannot help but blush because of it, that I, Sarah Jones, aka, a short-puppy faced girl, left Jake Smith, aka, The Greek God, speechless.
How interesting, don't you think?
"What are you so happy about?" I was so caught up in my dreams, that I didn't really notice when my mother entered.
"Nothing, I am just-you know----excited, for this."
"You, Sarah? Excited for Homecoming? That's pretty hard to accept." I feel like punching myself multiple times, to the point where I am a teensy bit knowledgeable of my speaking skills. What was I thinking? She is my mom. Ofcourse, she knows my likes and dislikes. But I cannot just go forth and say, 'Yeah actually, mom I was thinking about a boy whom you are going to meet in few minutes, who is as hot as a volcano and who is responsible for all the girls to stop talking and turn their heads in his direction whenever he walks by.'
So, I decided to wrap this topic up by, "Well, mom how am I looking?"
"You are looking beautiful, as always." She spoke with the sensitive warmth as she walked towards me and kissed me on the forehead. Well, this is basically my mom. Ella Jones, who is very scary and other-worldly when things are not in their proper places, but at times like these, she would be the most sensitive person on the planet.
"Mom, I am not going anywhere. It's just some boring shitty Homecoming" I say playfully to lighten her mood.
"Yet, somehow you are excited for it."
Well I did not see that one coming. I should have thought that through.
"Come on, tell me, who is he?" She says with excitement filled in her voice.
"What?! What makes you think it's a person?" I say clearly abashed by her bluntness.
"I am your mother, Sarah. Believe it or not, I've been through this. So, tell me, who is it?"
I look helplessly around my room, trying to find anything, any excuse to escape from this conversation, but as it turns out, my brain has practically ran out of all the plausible excuses and just like a loser, I release a sigh.
Clearly, noticing my uncomfortable behaviour, she quickly rebounds with, "Ok fine, don't tell me his name, just tell me, is he good? Does he like you?"
I give my mom an incredulous look, like, 'do you even know what are you talking'.
But all in all, I would not disagree to the fact that whenever his brown pair of eyes looked at me, my heart always did a back flip and my stomach was tied up in knots. I've been feeling like this for a while now, and I am not going to jump to quixotic conclusions. I think it's just a kind of silly attraction that I have towards him, like all the other girls. But what's inexplicable is, the extent of effect that he has on me. Did he have the same effect on the other girls?
"Earth to Sarah." As my mother shakes her hand from side to side, I am brought back to the present.
"I asked you a question?" She said with a raised eyebrow, clearly analysing me.
"I am sorry, what?"
"Does he have a girlfriend?"
As if that thought did not pop into my mind.
Whenever I thought, Jake was spending his time with another girl, I was quite okay about it.
Well, who am I kidding, I was a teensy tiny bit jealous.
Before my mom could pop another question, the doorbell rang and I could hear the door open and my father welcoming someone. Even amidst these muffled voices, I could recognize that voice. Hell, I could recognize it even in my dreams.
"Jake's here." I say looking at the mirror once more and adjusting my make-up.
"Jake...I see." Mom said with a suspicious tone.
"What? He's just my friend." I say exaggeratedly with my arms flowing in the air.
"Yeah, well, whatever you say." She said with her arms still crossed, a clear sign that she hasn't given up this topic yet.
"We are waiting for you downstairs, Ok? Come fast."
"Okay, mom."
As my mom left, I cannot help but freak out because I am suddenly conscious about my dress, make-up, my hair-do. What if I mess up?
"You're gonna get through this." I say out loud to my reflection.
I take a deep breath as I am opening the door of my room. I start climbing downstairs with my sweaty hands.
As I reach the bottom of my stairs, my black eyes directly meet his brown ones. I don't know about anyone, but I could surely see that glint in his eyes. That look of awe!
He looks me up and down, and I could feel blood rushing in my whole body, it was as if he was looking straight through me, into my soul. He was looking at me as if I was the only person in the room ... in the whole damn world. He looked at me as if I mattered to him, as if I was the most important thing to him in that moment and I couldn't help but bite my lip in nervousness. It was as if his hypnotizing gaze was looking right through me and in that moment I felt that nothing and no one mattered to me in the world and that he was my only reason to smile.
Hey, where did that come from?.. okay.. I may have ..only a little bit but I may have started having feelings for Jake. Feelings that are very much on the edge and utterly undefinable.
"Wow, you--" He opened his mouth to say something but then his eyes fall on my father who is looking at him. I cannot help but chuckle to that scenario.
As I look at him covetously, I could not help but admire that this Greek God, standing in front of me, wearing a sexy black tuxedo with gelled hair and sharp jawline, just raised the bar of gorgeousness. My breath was caught up in my throat and I couldn't get any words out of my mouth. As if, my dictionary was running short of words.
Yet, here I am standing like a dumbass teenager, with my eyes fixated on his, clearly not knowing what to do. I really wanted someone to become the ice-breaker. But, judging the pin-drop, silence, I knew that it had to be me.
I did not know what should I talk to him, in front of my parents, so I said, "I think we should go." He nodded his head in agreement, giving me a sign 'let's get the hell outta here'.
"Bye Mom, Bye Dad." I said as I rushed towards the front door.
"Bye, sweetie. Have fun." Mom said with that smirk on her face.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes on that.
I opened the door and I just couldn't control my eyebrow from reaching the top floor because of what my eyes saw.
"Is this yours?" I finally managed to say after recovering from the shock that Jake came to pick me up in a Maserati Levante. I mean, handsome plus tall plus smart plus filthy rich is equals to the Knight in Shining Armor, people!!
"Who else do you think would own this?" He said as if he was the richest person in the whole New York City.
But anyways, how rich is this guy? Surely he brings an Aprilia RSV4 in school which is enough to grab attention of each and every person when he enters the school, but it's hard to believe that he would own a Maserati.
"How much time would it take for you to finally accept that I am this rich?" He said, clearly reading my thoughts like an open book.
"Yeah, well, whatever." I said rolling my eyes and gently opening the door of his car not wanting to cause a tiniest scratch on it.
"The pink colour looks good on you." Jake said with a sheepish smile on his face as he stood on the other side, looking straight at me from the roof. I couldn't help but blush because he practically said I look beautiful.
"Thank You." I said with a goofiest smile covering my face.
As I sat inside, I couldn't help but admit that it was just as sexy as the outside. If it helps, it was much cooler than the outside. He sat on the driver's seat and before I know, we sped off towards the destination in a Maserati.
*
I could barely even hear the voice of Adele belting amidst the foghorn of the vehicles. We were stuck in the traffic for like an eternity, and looking ahead I think it will take another eternity to go. It was getting really frustrating, and judging from my mood, I think today will be the worst day of my life.
In the whole ride till here, only few words were exchanged between us. I was getting restless by the silence in the car and the constant drumming of Jake's fingers on the steering wheel.
Tired by the silence, we both began at the same time,
"You know what-"
"I am-"
"You first." I said.
"I have never been excited about Homecoming or Prom. Have you?"
"That's exactly what I was going to say. I just don't get the whole idea of, you know, going-to-the-hall-with-your-partner-and-dance-your-ass-off thing. It's just cliché." I said.
"Then, you have to put that creepy smile on your face to see your photograph on the yearbook."
"It's so funny." We said that at the same time.
I did not know that Jake would also hate Homecoming and that stuff. I thought that I am the only person on this planet who found this stuff to be boring. But now I know that even Jake feels the same.
"I thought that you liked it." He said while he put on his I-am-busy-thinking-face.
"I decided to go because all of my friends were going and they forced me to come." I said remembering how Lisa threatened me that if didn't come, she would practically tell the whole school that I have a crush on Alex. Well, didn't want that.
After a minute or two of familiar silence, Jake's phone rings in his pocket. He pulls it out and answers it.
"Hey man." He says giving me an unintentional confirmation that he is talking to a boy and not a girl.
"Why? What's wrong?" He said clearly not happy with what the person on the other side had said.
I could hear the male voice from the other side, but not clear enough to know what he was speaking. From the change in the expression of Jake's face, I felt that the other person did not have any good news to tell. I felt that something wasn't right.
"Ok." Jake said before hanging up the call and putting it in his pocket again.
"Who was it?" I asked out of concern.
"Andrew." He said while he still kept his eyes fixated on the road.
"Is anything wrong?" I said as I saw the expression on his face was turned into a more serious one.
"He's not coming." He said with a monotonous tone which compelled me to think that something serious was going on.
"Is he alright?"
"He's fine. He got caught up in some personal issues." Jake said as he removed his eyes from the road filled with vehicles and looked towards the left and then back again at the road. I got my cue. He was lying. If I wished, I would have pushed him further but I decided to go the other way around. Because it wasn't my business. I am not going to be that nosey bitch who always has her ears to other people's business. Besides, it's about Andrew. It's not like I don't know him, I know who Andrew is. He is a new student this year just like Jake. I remember Andrew talking to Jake and them becoming friends in just few days after he joined the school. It felt strange at first, but after meeting Andrew I realized that he is a very likeable person. Not that I have anything for him, I am sure the other girls fell for his charming personality and his Greek God like physique instantly.
As I am pulled out of my reverie by the movement of car, I realize that the traffic was getting cleared and the vehicles started dispersing. Thankfully. But as we were nearing a crossroad, Jake took a sharp left instead of taking a right which was supposed to take us to the school.
I said "I think the school is on the right."
"I know". What? That's it? Does he even plan on giving explanation to where he is taking me?
"Then are you dyslexic?" I say as emotions take full control of me.
"I just had an amazing plan."
"And that would be?" I asked sternly as his vague answers were getting on my nerves.
"By going someplace else than the hall." He said clearly enjoying to irritate me.
"Again. That would be?" Only God knows that with how much control have I asked that question.
"You'll know that when we get there." He said with a sly smile on his face.