Chapter Five: Shocked to the Core

We've now both been sitting in our respective seats and staring at one another for what feels like eternity, our eyes have never broken contact since our sparkly touch of the hands.

"Tally? Can I ask you something? It may seem a little personal but I fear that if I don't ask it'll never come up in a normal conversation, ever."

"I guess so?" I say shrugging my shoulders in uncertainty.

"Do you consider yourself to be trash?"

"What?! NO! What are you trying to say Gus?"

"Uhh, umm..." he rubs the back of his neck before he speaks again, "I was going to come by your house and pick you up at ten as well..." he trails off with a quiet smile.

What the hell is he on about?

"So first you insult me and now you ask me out? Have you hit your head on the way in here or are you just screwing me over?"

"Tallulah, I was making a joke at the same time as asking you out on a date," he stops momentarily as he reaches across the table to take my hands in his own.

We lock eyes and the energy between us ignites once again as if someone has flicked a switch.

"Ever since I laid eyes on you when I walked in here I knew they you were the girl I had already fallen for. Since we began talking online all those months ago you just seemed too good to be true and I thought that you really would be some old guy trolling the internet, but soon enough I saw your personality shine through - all the words you've written and said with such gusto. I still didn't want to admit that I like you but as soon as I stepped in the door of my oh-so-favourite café and I caught sight of you in your corner with the book in your hand, I knew that I had already fallen for you."

"I, umm... Gus I don't know what you're trying -" I try to stumble out of my mouth, but am rudely interrupted by a phone ringing and vibrating off of the table causing me to retract my hands from the boy across from me in the fright of all that's just been said finally sinking-in in my mind.

It's just as I realise in embarrassment that it's my phone that's going off, Gus picks it up from the table and swiping the answer option on the screen, and proceeds to lift the device to his ear.

"Tallulah Page's phone, how may I help you?" he looks at me and hold his thumb up obviously thinking that he's doing me a great feat.

I still don't quite know how to react to this boy. I want to say something, but I don't even have the words. I don't even have words to at least try and understand what Gus's whole big speech was about either. In the end my body takes over for my brain thankfully, but my body decided to do the worst thing possible in a situation like this as I feel my face redden to that of a cherry tomato all the way up to my now burning ears.

"No I don't think she's heard anything back yet sir, but not to worry I'll be stepping in the role of temporary party planning assistant."

Again I don't say anything as I now want to know who Gus is talking to and what about.

"August Blake sir;" and silence yet again briefly follows.

"Yes I do sir but I left the car at home unfortunately..." he's quiet for a moment obviously listening to whoever is on the other end of the line, "Well I have to share the car with my mother and two brothers, but I also enjoy walking a lot."

He goes quiet again and flicks his eyes back to me as he's listening, "Okay sir, no problem," he says before handing the phone over to me.

I tentatively take a-hold of my phone and put it up to my ear, still unsure of who it is that's calling.

"Hello?" I try to say but my voice is shaking, a lot.

"There's no need to sound all mousy on me Tally." It's Matthew, of course it's Matthew! Only he would interrogate anyone who answers my phone that isn't me.

"I was only phoning to ask if you wanted to bring your new friend home so that we can all meet him."

"We? All?... Wait who even told you about this?" I ask him in a blurry of panic.

"You can thank your Dad's sister for that one. She's the one who text me a photo of the two of you together, and now I want to meet the guy, alright?"

"I take it I don't have much choice in this now?" I say in such a deadpan tone that even Gus gives me a strange look.

"Uhh..." I hear Matthew thinking, how his brain is ticking over but of course I know that I really don't have any way out of this. "No, not really. Unless this guy himself doesn't want to, then no you don't have any other choice."

"Fine!" I manage out with the most exasperated sigh I can muster, "Just give me about twenty or thirty minutes at the café first."

"No problem, but bring the boy Tally!" he calls out dramatically, but just as I'm about to hang up on him he continues, "Remember to bring the boy with you my dear child" he finished before hanging up on me. I swear he likes Disney too much for a grown-man; I think that was his best attempt at sounding like a villain with a sneaky plan as well.

I smile to myself, and put my phone down on the table again.

I look to Gus who's obviously still wondering who he was talking to on the phone. Clearly Matthew was putting on the mystic act by keeping his identity a secret - see, the villain thing again!

"So, do you want to finish our drinks then come to meet the rest of my family? Well I only say the rest of them since you've clearly already met my aunt Mona on several occasions without even knowing..." I trail off yet again, since I realise I was rambling once more. I end up smiling shyly.

Luckily Gus smiles back at me, his eyes shining, "Sure."

"Really?" I say, actually surprised that someone would agree to that request after having a phone call with none other than Matthew.

"Yeah! And while I'm at it I may as well see if they think I'm worthy enough to become your permanent-party-planning assistant" he wiggles his eyebrows at his last statement.

Wait, he wants to what?

"Oh and I want to be all old fashioned like and ask for permission to take you out on a date since I'm already going to be asking them a lot of important stuff."

I look at him shocked, and he looks so smug about all of this. How can you possibly say things like that and not expect me to react?

I feel like shouting, screaming, crying, jumping for joy, and kissing him all at the same time.

Wow, back up a second, did I just think about kissing this guy?

Kissing, really?

Well, I think there must be something wrong with me because I've never actually thought about kissing anyone. But now I think about it I've never had anyone to think about kissing before, have I?

This just feels weird now; either I've just realised that 'Hey Tally, you can actually be attracted to someone', or I'm still in shock from just about everything that August Blake has said and done since he first said my name out loud.