Monday night came quicker than expected and soon I was on a porch waiting for my girlfriend to answer the door. I told my parents that Janis invited me over for dinner and a hangout, so it wasn't a complete lie, just a different person. She opened the door and a garlicky smell wafted out. She smiled and pulled me inside, locking the door quickly behind me.

"Sorry, I just didn't want any of my neighbors seeing you and getting the wrong idea."

"I get it."

"So… Welcome to my humble abode."

I glanced quickly around the cozy beige-walled living room/dining room with nothing but a few geometric shape artwork and obscure old band posters hanging in it. The TV was pushed against the wall with the door with the small pale red couch a few feet away from it. The dining table was pushed against the wall opposite the TV and it only had room for two people, I could tell she had fallen asleep while grading many times there. The kitchen was separated by a wall with an open door frame. There were three doors on the side of the house away from the kitchen, one being her bedroom and one a bathroom and the other probably a closet of some sort.

"I like it, it suits your personality."

"Thank you."

"So what's for dinner?"

"I made cheese tortellini with garlic bread. I assumed you liked Italian, most people like Italian, you like Italian right?"

"Yeah. I haven't really tried much Italian food, but I've liked what I tried so far. And if you made it, I'm sure I'll love it."

This seemed to put her a little bit at ease. She sat me down at the table, which was lit by a single vanilla candle and the light leaking out of the kitchen.

"Is this lighting okay?"

It was a little too dim. "It's perfect."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, now calm down."

"I'm just really nervous."

"I know, but you have nothing to be nervous about."

"It's just that you're in my house, and it's a school night, and you look pretty."

I looked down at the short cherry blossom dress I wore. "Sharon, it's just me."

"That too. You're you."

"Okay, I don't know what that means, but I need you to take a breath."

She closed her eyes and I helped her take a few deep breaths.

"Sorry."

"It's fine."

We started eating the food.

"How is Regina doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"She had to deal with the embarrassment from the performance and you're her friend right?"

"Kind of."

"Kind of?"

"Can we just not talk about her, alright?" It came out a little harsher than intended.

"Alright." She shrunk back.

"I'm sorry, it's just really complicated and I don't really want to get into right now."

"Okay, I'm always here to talk when you need to."

I nodded. I knew she was trying so hard, but I couldn't give her all of it.

"This tastes really good."

"Thank you, I really just followed directions on a box."

"Regardless."

"Why don't we play a game?"

"What kind?"

"I don't know, I spy?"

"Really?"

"Do you have any better suggestions?"

"Fine… I spy with my little eye something… green." I looked at a geometric tree.

"Is it that magazine?" she pointed towards a green covered national geographic.

"Nope."

She looked around a bit more. "The tree?"

"Correct!"

"Yay!"

"You go now."

"Okay, I spot something shiny."

"The TV?"

"No."

"The forks?"

"No."

I searched around for anything that could be considered shiny. "Ummm... the needle on that record player?"

"Yes, you got it!"

"My turn. I spy…" suddenly I got an idea, "...something cute."

"Uh, that stuffed animal." She pointed to a stuffed elephant on a shelf.

"Nuh-uh."

"It's not me, is it?"

"Kind of."

"Kind of?"

"Be more specific please."

"Umm… my face?"

"Something on your face."

She took time before coming back with the right answer, "my nose?"

"Yep."

She blushed. "Now I spy something… mesmerizing."

I thought about what was mesmerizing about me. "My body."

"No, although it is quite good."

I had it. "My eyes!"

"Yeah."

"I spy something I want to hold."

"My hand?"

"You."

We got up from the table, having finished our dinners and started to cuddle on the couch. She pulled a blanket over us and I wrapped my arms around her tiny delicate figure. She turned on a movie, but I wasn't really paying attention to it. I buried my face in her hair, which smelled like a mix of coconut and hibiscus, and I felt her hand trace along my arms. Our breathing synced to the same slow rhythm. I completely tuned out the movie. But by the time the movie ended and it was time for me to go I could tell she had fallen asleep. I carried her back to her bed and tucked her in. I quietly snuck out and walked back to my house. My parents had already fallen asleep by the time I came home, so I didn't need to lie to them again. I stumbled upstairs to my bed, already half asleep, and passed out.