Rollercoaster Ride

I was at Starbucks after school with Neyla, just hanging out together.

“So,” I said, starting a new topic, “Are you going to homecoming this Friday?”

She swallowed her drink before answering, “Actually, no.”

“Why nooot?”

She shrugged. “Family dinner.”

“Oh. Well that sucks.”

“Pretty much. Are you going?”

I smiled. “John asked me to go with him.”

“Naww, that’s sweet. So you’re going.”

I nodded, smiling even wider as I sipped my frappucino through the straw.

“Exactly tell me how he asked you to go with him,” she persuaded.

I swallowed my drink. “We were watching meteor shower… and then he just asked me.”

“Just? John Ohh never just asks a girl.” She narrowed her eyes skeptically. “Did he kiss you?”

“You think?” I giggled.

“Oh my god, he did, didn’t he?”

“Neyla, it’s not like you never knew we kissed…”

She laughed. “It’s just that… you guys didn’t talk for two weeks and all. And it looked like you lost half of our life because of that.”

I smiled again, imagining of how my life would be without John.

She then stared at her phone screen for a moment before frowning. “Apparently, my mom is already home from her work.”

“Wow, she’s early.”

“I know, and she wants me home.” She pouted her lower lip.

“Aw maaaan.”

She collected her things on the table. “So I’ll see you tomorrow at school, mkay?”

“Alright, bye,” I said as she stood up.

“Byeee,” she replied and left with her drink in her hand.

I huffed before taking another sip of my drink. A few minutes later, I got up and left.

Let’s see what’s new in the CD store.

Neyla
I stretched out my arms and then stared at the notebook on my bed that night. My eyes traveled to the Geography textbook next to it and groaned. Mr. Erman is one of the craziest teachers – he’d give you loads of homework, only to piss you off.

I was too tired to continue working on the homework. I’ll continue tomorrow; the homework is due 2 more days.

I lay back on my bed for a moment, until I heard a knock on my balcony door. I got up and opened the curtain to see who it was, and I grew a huge smile as I saw the person.

He had to climb up from the tree in front of my balcony to enter my room, because my parents didn’t like him that much. They didn’t even like us as ‘friends’. I’m not even sure why.

I opened the door for him and he entered my room. “It’s not polite to be in a girl’s room this late.”

“You call 8 o’clock late?” he chuckled, shaking his head.

I shrugged and joined him sitting on the bed. “8 o’clock is already late for my parents.”

“Geography, huh?” He took the textbook and flicked through pages.

“Yup.”

He closed the book and looked at me with his blue eyes. “Are you going to homecoming?”

I bit my lower lip and shook my head no. “Family dinner with grandparents and all.”

“That sucks,” he sighed.

“I know, Garrett. But this happens only once a year.”

He sighed again and placed his head on my shoulder.

“I’m tired of keeping this as a secret,” he mumbled.

“Do you think I like it?”

He shrugged. “Maybe.”

I placed my head on top of his and wrapped my arms around his body.

We stayed like that in silence, until he pulled away and grabbed back my textbook. “I can help you with this thing.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Now tell me which one you are working on.”

- - -

We spent the next hour working on my homework. Thanks to him, I now had 2/3 of the homework done.

I stretched out my arms again and yawned.

“Oh look, someone is sleepy,” he grinned.

I smiled at him and lay my head on his shoulder.

Moments later, someone knocked on my door.

My mom called out through the door, “Neyla, are you awake? Kennedy’s here!”

Our eyes bulged wide. Shit. My mind searched around on how to hide Garrett.

“Hide in my closet!” I whispered as I got up, pulling him along. I opened the door to my closet and pushed him inside. He crashed the wall, making the ‘thud’ sound.

“Ow,” he winced, rubbing his head. “No need to be so harsh.”

I ignored him and shut the door, right when my door was opened. Kennedy entered the room.

“Oh hey,” I greeted.

He raised an eyebrow. “Whatcha doing there?”

“Uh, I was looking for my shirt.”

“Did you find it?”

“Uh, no.”

“Want me to help?” he offered, walking towards me.

“NO! I – I can do it myself.” I walked away from the closet door to approach him.

“Oookay?”

“So what brings you here, Brock?”

“Just wondering if you would to go to homecoming with me,” he smiled.

“I want to, but I have family dinner on Friday,” I frowned. One, because I couldn’t go to homecoming. Two, because I repeated the same reason for the third time of the day.

He frowned too. “That sucks.”

“I know,” I sighed. “Let’s get something to drink downstairs, hm?” I said, grabbing his hand and pulled him out of my room. I hope Garrett was gone by the time I’m back.

But apparently, Garrett didn’t leave.

I spent one and a half hour downstairs watching TV with Kennedy, and when I came back to my room, he was there, lying on my bed with his back against the headboard and my laptop on his lap.

“I thought you left,” I said after closing my door.

He shrugged. “You need more songs in your iTunes.”

I laughed. “I hope you’re not downloading songs.”

He remained silent, staring at the screen.

“Oh god – you’re downloading songs, aren’t you?!” I exclaimed, grabbing my laptop.

I went through the ‘Download’ window. Brighten… Hit The Lights… Every Avenue… Artist vs Poet…

“You’ll like them, I promise,” he flashed a grin.

“Alright.” I placed the laptop aside. I yawned. “I’m sleepy and going to bed. Aren’t you going home or something?”

He shook his head. “I’ll head home after you’re asleep.”

I smiled. “Okay.”

I went to my closet to change into a comfortable oversized tee and a pair of shorts. Glad my closet was pretty big, so I could change inside.

I crawled onto the bed and lay under the blanket, positioning myself closely next to Garrett. He wrapped an arm around me after turning off the lamp on my bedside.

He kissed the top of my head and whispered ‘goodnight’, and I soon fell asleep.