"I've got it bad Gerald. I never even thought about her when she left and now she's back and it's like I'm the obsessed one." I sigh and run my hands over my head letting the frustration wash over me.
"Man, you've got to relax and let up. You are acting crazy! I love you like a brother but she's been back for like three days and you're acting like she's the love of your life. You said it yourself, you haven't thought about her in years. Do you like her because she grew up and got hot?"
"No! God, its not like that Gerald." The waitress sets some plates of burgers and fries down. "Like yea I mean she's gorgeous. It goes beyond that though. You remember when you lost your skateboard you never used? It was like you didn't realize how much you missed it because you didn't appreciate it. It had always been there for you when you didn't acknowledge it. Then when you got it back it was like everything was different, you couldn't imagine not having it ever again. You rode it everyday until it broke."
"You comparing Helga to my old skateboard?" He chuckled. I shot him the dirtiest look I could muster while laughing. He had a point but at the same time I knew it went deeper than that. "I get what you're saying man, kind of. I'm just saying if you gave her space, let her see that you're not some kid but the kind of guy she should want as a friend then maybe she'll come around. Look, I know a good amount about her from Phoebe. She's not the girl we knew man, she's had some serious stuff happen to her. She has a lot of trust issues and she has some problems she working through. Honestly, just do your project, keep your head down, and let her come to you on her terms.
I pull away from Chad's lips and settle back in the seat. He looks at me with sparkling eyes and a wicked smile and I try to steady my insides. Even as I have this guy who girls would kill for lusting after me I cant help but think about what He said. After we left the dinner Chad drove us to his secluded spot so I could calm down. It started when he wiped the tears away from my eyes. I tried to push his hands away but he just kept doing it. It wasn't long until he was kissing me, pulling my lips into his. I tried to pull back but he wouldn't let me. I think he knew deep down I needed this so I stopped trying to fight it, I let him kiss me for a while, just losing myself in the motions.
"You alright babe?" He looks at me and honestly it scares me a little. He looks like a lion stalking his prey. It's almost comforting though, like someone is fiercely protective of me. "You should have let me kick that guy's ass. He had it coming the way he talked to you."
"It's not worth it though. He was right I've been acting like an ass to the kids I grew up with. You know, when I left, I left things really screwed up and I never really fixed any of it. I want to though, you know? I don't like how I left things. Its getting late though, think you can bring me home?"
"Not without another kiss I cant." I lean in one last time, Arnold's words nagging my head.
Gerald's right, I've been acting like a crazy person. I really should apologize for yelling at her like that. She may have been being a bitch but that doesn't mean I'm allowed to loose my temper on her like that. I could have talked to her like a normal person, sat down next time she came over and worked it out like adults instead of a couple of kids. I'll shoot her a text and apologize, that way she can respond on her own time. I'll make it nice and simple though. "Hey Helga, look I just wanted to apologize for how I acted earlier. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I did mean what I said the other day though, I want to be friends, but on your terms. I'm sure things weren't easy when you moved away and basically if you ever want someone to talk too just call me." I hit send before I could think too much about what I was doing.