Chapter 22

LATER THAT DAY when I got home, I wrote everything down in my journal I keep secretly under my bed. I fill it, not with secrets, but with ideas and funny memories, and this was definitely something to remember. Then I called Kaitlin to tell her the whole thing.

“OH MY GOD!!!” She screamed into my ear. “AIKA!!!! I so ENVY you right now!! I’m so excited!!”

“But why?!”

“Because my bestest friend EVER just lived one of those romantic fantasies that happen on TV! I want to hear it ALL!!!”

“But why are you excited, Kaitlin?” Sometimes I never understood her logic.

“I’m excited because you’re finally in a relationship, I can give you advice now! And honey, I’ve been waiting for this day ever since you told me you were single!”

            I couldn’t see it, but I’m sure she had this funny smile on her face and ended that sentence with a wink.

“Well, yeah, about that…”

“WHOA don’t tell me you’re already keeping secrets from each other!!”

“No no, that’s not it, I just… I didn’t tell my parents yet.”

            There was pause, and I knew on the other line she was making her “Oh my gosh, Aika” face.

“Oh my gosh Aika…” Yeah, I was right. “Just go out with him! SHEESH!! I swear, you listen to your parents waaaay too much!”

“I know I know, but listen, yesterday they gave me the privilege to start dating!”

“WHOA NO WAY!!”

“Yes way! But there was a condition…”

“Wow, there’s always a condition with your parents. Anyways, go on.”

“The condition was I could date, but the boy has to ask me, I can’t ask him, and I have to tell them first before giving my answer to the boy.” I tried to speak quietly, making sure my parents couldn’t hear me.

“Tisk tisk, Aika Aika… You can’t see me right now, but I’m shaking my head! I’m shaking my head bad!”

“I know you are.” No really, I did know. “And there’s also another problem.”

“Tell me, I might be able to help you!”

“Ok, I told you about Kevin and Justin right?”

“Yes you did! NO WAY, ONE OF THEM ASKED YOU OUT??? WHICH ONE??? I bet it’s Jusitn, huh! I knew it would be him!”

Oh right… I never told her who asked me out. I just said someone did. “Uh, no.”

“Huh?! What do you mean ‘no’! So Kevin asked you out?!”

“….. Yeah…..”

“The rude, jerky, manipulative, Kevin?!”

I sighed. “Yes, Kaitlin…”

“But, that’s so OPPOSITE of you! Jusitn was a perfect match!”

“Well, they do say opposites attract right?”

“Stop quoting old people!”

“I’m not!”

“Anyways, what was your problem??”

“Oh yeah, my problem… I didn’t tell him yet, but I think I like him more than Justin, but then I feel like that’s the wrong choice.”

“SO YOU LIKE JUSTIN?!”

“Well, I did like him first after all.” It started getting awkward.

“Oooooh!!! Aika is cheating!!!”

“Well it can’t really be cheating, it’s not like I said “yes” to him!”

“Well are you?”

 I had to think of a good response that Kaitlin wouldn’t twist around to make it sound bad. “Ok, listen, anyone would have said yes! It was raining and we were sharing an umbrella! Plus, he was all beat up, his face was just… to fall for! He had this sorrow look in his eyes that drew me to him! And when he fell on my shoulder.. UGH!!”

“So, are you going to say yes??”

“NO I won’t! At least not yet, maybe, I don’t know! Anyway, we didn’t even say anything when he walked me home, and then he left.”

“Ok, then what would you say? I mean, if he asked. And believe me, he’ll ask.”

“Well, I guess I would have said…” I thought hard; What exactly would I say? I kind of made a pros and cons list in my head, it looked like this:

JUSTIN (pros): I met him first, he’s the one who really swept me away, he was always so kind and caring and gentle towards me, he had a good sense of humor and can stand up for the people he cars about; he’s the typical ideal boyfriend.

JUSTIN (cons): He can be kind of a flirt, and because of his condition right now I won’t be able to see him as much, he also can’t go out in public without a disguise or else he’ll get kidnapped.

KEVIN (pros): He gets what he wants (hm, should that be in the cons list?), but when he wants to he can be a caring guy, he stands up for what he believes in and protects the ones he loves.

KEVIN (cons): HE’S A STRAIGHT UP JERK!! Really, sometimes I have no idea what’s going on in his head!!

            Alright, that was a pretty hard decision. They kind of equaled out, and I’m not saying I have a thing for the bad boy types, but Kevin stood out a little more to me than Justin did. Ugh! What do I do?!

“HELLO, AIKA?! Are you still there?” Kaitlin’s screeching voice hit me like a hard ball.

“Yes yes, I’m here! I was just thinking.” I bit my lower lip. “Anyways, I guess I would say…If he did ask me out"”

“And he will.” She interrupted me.

“Anyways, when he asks me out, I think I would say…” I re-read the list in my head very fast. Both boy’s faces appeared and I knew I just had to pick one. I could hear Justin’s gentle, sweet voice saying “I only have eyes for you.” Then I could hear Kevin’s serious, yet captivating, tone saying “My heart belongs to you.” Then, as if in unison, they would end with “Won’t you be mine?”

            The thought rang in my head for several minutes. I felt like the room was spinning, my eyes were getting heavy, and I could faintly hear Kaitlin in the background shouting my name.

            To reduce the chances of me passing out over the phone, I clicked the [END CALL] button and fell onto my bed. I closed my eyes and once again started thinking about the boy who could possibly become my first boyfriend. But then 3 things also struck me: Number one, what was up with Kevin being all bruised and stuff? He didn’t tell me anything about it; I have to ask him later. Two, where in the world was Justin?! I mean, he wanted to meet me there too! So, where was he? And that’s what made me think of reason three, Kevin was the one who came through. Obviously he got into some trouble. I don’t know what it was, but even though he got beaten and bruised he still came to tell me that he liked me! And I don’t know where Justin was, but the worst case possible was that the kidnappers got to him. Yeah right, he’s smarter than that…

            So he chickened out; Not very manly when you think about it. He could have at least called anyway!

“But no matter what happened, Kevin still showed up. Through the rain, no umbrella, scratched up and could hardly walk, he still came for me.” I opened my eyes. “Kaitlin,” I looked over to the turned-off phone in my hand. “When Kevin asks me out, I think I’ll say yes.”