I stare at her. I shake my head from side to side. I can't believe it. It can't be true.
"No. That's not possible. He can't be." I can't figure out what to say to her. Why would Veron love me?
Ronica looks down at the table, a single tear going down her cheek.
"You don't what it's like to love a person that's in love with someone else." She whspers.
I always thought I knew how that felt like. I had a crush on Veron when he was with Ronica. But I never loved him. The pain she might be feeling over this has to be so much worse than what I felt.
I stay quiet, just looking at the ground. I look up when I heard the screeching of the chair against the floor to see Ronica already standing up. Her eyes wide open like a deer caught in headlight. They are red and shinning. She looks scared.
"I wasn't suppose to tell you've anything. No." She tells me and then gather her purse in her hand. "I have to go."
Before I couldn even say another word she is out the door.
I can't figure out what to do about this. How can Veron be in love with me? Why? He has Ronica who loves him, who suits him. Why would he wont from me?
Even if everything is so confusing, I can feel butterflies dancing in my stomach just thinking about the fact that Veron loves me.
He loves me!
Taking the menu back to the counter, I find Daniel giving me a sad smile.
"I saw what happened but I didn't hear anything." He didn't hear us screaming? Weird. " I'm sorry she left on you. There'll come another one just as pretty as this one. Don't worry." He smiles at me wickedly. He knows very well that I am not gay.
"Oh, quit it!" I was smiling when I went to answer a customer calling for me.
At around 10 p.m. I left to come home. I was thinking about all this on the way home that it took me about 30 minutes. I walked slowly just to clear my head.
At home, I had a shower and took my phone to bed with a bowl of cereal, I logged into my Facebook account and a message pooped up.
Chelsea: Hey girl! Remember me?
I haven't seen her in nearly 2 years now.
After I dropped out of high school, I met her only about once. She and Umiko are my best friends. Were, actually. I'm not sure if we are still best friend. We drifted apart because of everything that happened with my family, which they don't know exactly what it was. I couldn't explain. Also, I didn't want to. It's all a little embarrassing.
Me: Hey Chelly! How are you'll?
I hope she is online. Her message was sent at around 8.
Waiting for her reply, I went o Ronica's Fb page. Her relationship status has been changed to single. I knew Ronica when we were in high school cause Vernon dated her but I never knew more information about her. Looking at the page now, she is actually rich. As in her family is rich. Her parents own a huge house and it seems it's just outside of Seattle, her fathers a doctor it says but there's no mention of her mother.
Veron's page looks exactly the same, nothing changed since this morning, his family is rich as well with both his mother and father being doctors and his father having a hand in some businesses as well. Veron's page is full of photos of so many expensive cars. Most of the photos are a black and red BMW Z4. Have a feeling, they own all of these cars and the Z4 might be his.
Honestly, comparing everything, I should be invisible to them.
A 'ding' tells me Chelsea replied.
Chelsea: We are all good. It's been a long time. I missed you so much! :(
Me: Yea... too long. I missed you too :(
Chelsea: Hey did you hear about the rumor?
I really don't know if I should tell her I know or just lie and say that I don't. Chose to be honest.
Me: Yea, I did. It's not true.
Chelsea: Oh, thank god! For a second I thought I was going to be an aunt.
I laugh at that.
Me: No :) you still have time for that.
Me: Do you know why anyone would start something like that?
Chelsea: I don't really know. But it's like many of them knows who you are exactly. I guess they just wanted to put Veron down.
Me: Why?
Chelsea: Well... Most of the guys are jealous of him being the best footballer with a killer hot body, the best student, for being rich and having a pretty girlfriend.
Me: Ahh...
Chelsea: I mean, that's like every guy's dream. Heck! Even girls dream for that.
Me: Yea... but still. It's rude to do that to a person.
Chelsea: I know right?
Chelsea: So how did you find out about the rumor?
Oooooh! I really hoped she wouldn't notice that. I don't know why I feel nervous to tell that Veron came.
Me: Veron came and talked to me today...
Chelsea: What? Hold up. He came and talked to you? Damn girl! I need details. I don't know why didn't start with that. Give me your number, we need to call.
I smile at her response. She has always loved to hear gossip. Whenever there anything to know about someone, Chelly would always know.
I've missed this so much that it hurts.
We exchange numbers and my phone starts ringing.
"Hey." I answered.
"Oh my god! You have to tell me everything!" I laugh at her.
"I don't know why we messaged when we could have just called." I can imagine her smile at our stupidity.
"Now quit laughing and tell me!" She sounds impatient.
I smile. "Always so impatient for gossip."
"Nothing in the world excites me as much as this."
So I tell her everything that happened today. I can't even believe it's just one day. I mean, in just one day, so many things happened. I met both Veron and Ronica and now I'm talking with Chelsea.
Three years of nothing and everything happens in one day. Really?
"What!?" She screams in a really high pitched voice. "Veron loves you!? No way! Why would he love you?"
Ouch!
I know Veron doesn't really have a reason to love me but the way Chelly says it with emphasizes hurts a little.
"I don't know for sure. I don't even know if it's true. That's just what Ronica said."
"I don't get it. He has been hating you for years now."
"Yea... I know."
" I have to tell Umiko about this."
"Chelsea, no one else okay? Can't start another rumor." Chelsea has a nonstop mouth. She doesn't really know when to stop.
"Ok ok. Hey! How about we meet tomorrow? Evening at our usual place? Like old times?"
"Oh... Sounds good."
It's good to hang out with them again. I really do need to get away from my monotonous life.
"Yes! Come there at 3. I'll let Umiko know bout this."
"Ok. So I'll see you guys tomorrow?"
"Yup! Bye"
After several attempts to give flying kisses, I'm laughing as we hung up.
My cereal is soaked now and the milk is cold. I hate cereal with cold milk. It taste weird.
Cleaning the dish in the kitchen, I come back to bed. I'm so tired today that I instantly fall asleep, dreaming about Veron and me together.
I went to work early the next morning cause I have to get my evening free. There weren't much customers today. Plus, I had cleaning work to do. But even so, when I asked for an early leave, Mr. Travor was a little hesitant. But he gave me leave anyways.
I actually feel guilty for doing this but it's not like I do this a lot. This is actually my first time. I've never really had a reason to go home early before.
I came to Cafè Aroma. At around 2.45 and waited outside. Looking up at the place, it hasn't changed much in the last 3 years. I fell like 15 again just standing here.
Suddenly, someone wraps his arms around me. I get that urge to fight. My body tense up and adrenaline rush through me. I look down at the hands to yank them away from me but I soon figured that it's Umiko and her infamous bear hugs.
"I missed you. So. Much!" Her voice is muffled by the squeeze.
"As flattering as the back hug is, can I please turn around so I can hug you back?" Try to wiggle a little but she doesn't lose her grip on me.
She laughs but say "You've grown thinner than last time." Her voice hinting a little sadness.
Her grip loosened and I turned around. Her face scrunched up in worry but I smile at her. "I missed you so much as well."
Her smile return and we hug again. "For your own safety, please don't surprise people by hugging without a warning. You might end up giving that person a heart attack or you will be punched." I remark.
"What were you going to do?" She asks leaning a little back to look at me.
I shrug. "Punch."
Umiko burst out laughing and we all join her.
We were still laughing as we enter the cafe after that. I know Chelsea doesn't like hugs cause she says it messes up her hair so I don't try hugging her.
In the cafe, we started talking as soon as we sat down in a booth. We are practically shouting, with Umiko being the loudest. I can see people throwing us nasty looks. Even I don't like it when some table is screaming in a restaurant. But today, I don't really care cause it's been a long time since I last saw them.
"Oooooh! So Veron loves you huh?" Umiko asks.
I chuckle nervously. "He doesn't love me. Can't be."
Right then, the waitress comes to take our order.
She is about the same age as us but the scowl on her face makes me want to slap her. Now I understand why Mr. Travor always tells us to treat customers smiling, no matter how hard our day is. This girl looks like she has better stuff to do than wait tables.
We order our usual and right after the waitress leaves out table, Chelsea says "Wow! It seems like she doesn't even want us here. I think we should complain about her."
Umiko and I, we both "Shhhh" her but the waitress heard it. I'n sure Chelly said that loud enough for her to hear. She turned to look at us, her face hinting with worry or scared. She hurried off without saying anything.
"It's not that she didn't want us here, she didn't wanna be here." Umiko explains.
I look at the direction that waitress disappeared to. "Waitressing isn't easy. It's annoying, really."
Chelsea looks at me with sad eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry Hope. I wasn't talking about every waiter. Just her."
The mood gets a little heavy in our table. I can't tell her that normally, people that doesn't treat waiters well are really frown upon. She does this a lot so if I told her that, it will be like slapping her.
Umiko starts to change the topic to avoid the awkwardness around the table. "Chelly, tell her what we found today."
That made Chelsea squeal in excitement.
"Oh yes! So, after what you said about Veron being in love with you and all, I searched around to find why he was with Ronica this whole time. Guess what?" She beams looking at me with pure excitement.
I look between the two of them. Honestly, they both look so happy with this new information.
"What?"
"It's actually a promise!" Chelsea says.
I look at Umiko with confusion but I smile at how she gives me the look of "ta-da".
"I don't understand. What kinda promise?"
"Ok. So they are in relationship because their parents are childhood friends. So they want to be a one big family through Veron and Ronica. That's why." Chelly explains.
I think about this for a while. I'm really not happy about knowing this. I mean, why should the parents decide who their child gets to marry? It's not that I want Veron to marry me or anything. But having a promise made by your parents for you to marry someone since your were kids is a bit cruel.
It's unfair to the children. It's their life not their parents. Some day, when the parents aren't there anymore, the child has to live with the person his parents married him off to. That's really unfair.
But this promise between Veron and Ronica, might be true considering how their parents are all doctors except for Ronica's mom. They all might know each other.
"So maybe... He might really love you." I look at Umiko and shake my head.
"Still no. It can't be, I am no one. He doesn't even know me that well." I say.
I don't know why I'm trying so hard to say that he doesn't love me when my heart is happy with the thought that he does. Maybe it's cause it's not that easy t believe.
Anyways, we talked about all of that and about each other and everything that happened in the last 3 years, that's it's late without us even knowing.
Deciding to meet again soon and to call each other, we parted our ways.
I'm heading home while they are going to this party. They invited me too but I politely declined saying I'm tired. Mostly, it's cause if I go there people will get to know that "Hope" from the rumor is actually me and throughout the entire party, I would have to endure everyone looking at me a certain way.
Also, I don't want to face Veron if he is there. Just not yet.
Getting closer to my apartment, I see a guy leaning against the door to my building. It's a little late and no one's around except me and this guy. I'm actually afraid to go close but I don't have any other option but to. I mean, where else can I go for safety if not my apartment?
Trusting myself to be safe, I walk towards him.
As I get closer, I notice that he is wearing jeans and a black sweater with his hoodie covering his face from light. My heart starts to beat fater. I can't see who it is and it makes me be much more scared than I have ever been. I slow my pace but keep on walking.
When I get closer, he looks at me with his light blue eyes shinning. Veron.
"Hey." He says, casually.
I try to calm by shaking hard but it was in vain.
"H-hi." My heart is still beating fast even though I know it's only Veron.
"I'm sorry for coming this late at night. But, I'm actually grounded." He shrugs like it's not that big a deal. "So I can't help it."
"How did you find out where I live?" I ask.
"I followed you last night." He shrugs again.
Even thought he says it casually, I feel really creeped out. He followed me last night and I had no idea I was being followed.
"Hope, there's something you should know."
I want to ask him why he is grounded but I'm sure the answer to that will come out soon, so I stay quiet.
"I know how this might look in your view. I mean... I was with Ronica this whole time, but it wasn't cause I loved her. Heck! I can't even stand her. Her constant nagging and chatter is so annoying." I feel really bad towards Ronica.
He puts down the hoodie and look at me. I can see his face now more clearly, shining in the streetlight. He looks a little nervous.
"I can't tell you why I was with her though."
I don't say anything to that. If what Chelsea found was true then I already know why.
"Hope?" he says it more like a question. I look up to meet his eyes, my heart skipped a beat when I see that his eyes are already focused on mine.
"This maybe a little weird to hear right now after all this time but..." He stays without saying anything until finally, he whispers.
"I love you."
His voice sounds emotional. His gaze and everything is to intense to bear, that I blink a few times to distract myself from him and look away at the street.
I already knew that he loved me but hearing him say it, him confirming it, is just as surprising as finding out about it.
He takes a step towards me but I stumble back, not wanting to be close to him. No matter what he says, I have trusting issues about all of this.
He stops moving any closer when he notice that I don't want him close but says. "Please say something." He sound hurt.
I look at him then and ask, "Why?" The only thing I wanna know now.
He chuckles rather nervously. "Cause you are cute. You are sweet. I love the way you scrunch up your nose when you are confused, the way you blink when you want a distraction, the way you massage your fingers when your hurt, the way you laugh, your smile, everything. You don't even know every little thing you do that makes my heart fall in love with you all over again. So why?" He says raising his eyebrows.
"Because it's you. That's why."
I'm breathing hard. That sound really cute. No one has ever said anything like that to me. No one has ever notice these things about me before. Not even my parents. I thought I was more of a secret person. Ever since I was small, I was good at handing what I feel. But hearing what Veron said about the things that I do, the little things, makes my stomach flutter with glee. I never thought he was paying attention to me.
Everything he said gave me hope. That maybe he knows exactly who I am and maybe that's why he loves me.
I look at him. "I-I didn't know."
"It's okay now." He comes closer to me. Even though I was going to move away from him, I stopped myself. I don't trust him yet but I think I can start to try.
"Do you think we could try to be together?" He asks, barely a whisper. I hear him clearly cause we are only a few inches apart.
He leans in closer.
"I'm sorry for all the time I stayed away from you. I know it's not easy to give an answer so suddenly. So maybe think it over?"
I check him eyes for emotions and they are clouded with hope. I love the way his eyes show everything he's feeling. It's like his eyes are a window to his heart. What I see right now is so beautiful I can't seem to look away from him.
Being this close to him, I can feel his breath on my cheeks. Even though it's cold out here now, I feel sweaty. My heart is beating fast seeing how close we are standing.
Even if this is what I want, this is what he wants, I don't think we will have a happy future together. For one, I can't really bring myself to trust him. I don't about the future but right now. I don't really know why but something about him tells me that he is not easily trustful. Also, no matter what we say, our social statuses are going to matter. Even if it won't matter now, it will someday.
"I don't think it's a good idea." I whisper back. All hope leaves his eyes as he looks at me with confusion.
"Give am a chance. Please Hope." He leans away from me and takes a deep breath. "Let me take you to dinner tomorrow?"
He takes a shaking hand through this hair waiting for my reply. His blue eyes look at me pleadingly and I have to look away from them cause they are distracting me.
I do want to spend time with him. So, having dinner just once won't hurt right?
At least I hope it won't.
"Okay." I look at him and I can see a smile building up in his face slowly.