Hey guys, I want to start off how I start off every chapter; with an apology. It's been three weeks this time and I've been super busy. I'm sorry and I wish I had more time to write but y'all are awesome and gave me awesome reviews so thank you all so much!
I had equal requests for Jix and Navrina this time so I did the smart thing (which I should have done before) and put them both in the one chapter. That's all from me so thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!
John
I step out of the car, eyes squinting against the sun as I peer up at the building in front of me. It's nothing special, dirty red concrete-like coating behind the title of 'Foodland', cracked foundation, and rows of carts lined up unassumingly in the various corrals scattered around the store. The only thing mildly interesting about the place is that it's attached to a mall. Nobody would ever think this building would be the site of such pure confusion.
I close the car door and lock it, starting my reluctant journey toward the grocery store, which I know will only end in frustration. I've only ever gone to the grocery store by myself a handful of times and it's always ended in either bringing home the wrong items or leaving in quiet defeat when I can't find what I need. Dad usually does this, by now I'm sure he's memorized every aisle and it's contents better than the people that work there. I on the other hand wouldn't be able to find my way here if it wasn't for Dad reminding me that it was in the same mall as a sporting goods store I go to regularly. He doesn't usually do this to me, but today was a particularly busy day for him so here I am, apparently ready to conquer Foodland.
I reach the automatic doors and step through quickly when they smoothly slide over to permit my entrance. I yank a random cart out of one of the many rows lined up by the doors and slowly wheel it forward as I search my jeans pocket for the list Dad wrote for me. I pull it out and flatten it out on my leg before I hold it up to see the first item. Shampoo. Easy enough right?
I stop at an intersection, the daunting lines of shelves standing tall on either side of me. I study the aisle labels for a minute, before choosing a direction at random, shaking my head at my hopelessness. Now that the aisle labels are on my right, I crane my neck as I walk, struggling between looking ahead of me and trying to find anything related to shampoo. After about five minutes of searching I start to consider the possibility that foodland may only sell food. I mean, Dad assured me that I would be able to find everything on the list at this store but I can't help but think that my thoughts make make sense. It's 'Foodland', not 'Everythingland'. Right? If there were other products besides food in here they'd name it something different. It's only logical that Foodland sells strictly food.
When I realize my eyebrows are tugged together as a result of my mental argument, I quickly let the thoughts go, praying that nobody saw. I look back to the aisles to continue my search for... wait, what was I searching for? Cursing to myself, I abruptly stop my empty cart and fish the note out of my pocket again.
"Ugh, shampoo." I mutter. I quickly scan down through the rest of the items and nod as I decide to start a hunt for another product on the list. This one is actual food because I don't want to spend an eternity searching for something that may or may not be in the store. Though something in the back of my mind tells me that Foodland does indeed sell shampoo. I'll probably just ask an employee to help me after.
Thankfully, I recall where the freezer section is located from my past handful of visits here, and it only takes me a couple of minutes to get there. So now all I have to do is find a bag of fries. How hard can that be? I push the cart along the series of glass doors and try not too grin too hard when I come across the product I'm looking for. I triumphantly pull open the door but freeze as I reach for the bag, noticing about twenty of the same looking bags, but all the brands are different. My eyes widen as I take in the sheer amount of the same product. I shouldn't be surprised though, I've run into this problem before. It doesn't make it any less confusing. Shaking my head, I grab a bag at random and throw it in the cart, where it lands with a resounding clang.
Deciding I'll save time by getting all of the freezer items at all the same time, I get the list out again and look for anything that could possibly be located in the freezer aisle. My plan is cut short as I hear a cart approaching behind me, and I start to push my own cart away, deciding I don't want an audience accompanying me while I struggle.
"Jesus, how many brands of fries are there?"
I freeze at the voice, partially because I was just having the same struggle, but also because there's no mistaking the person behind that complaint. I try to discreetly turn around but I'm pretty sure I look painfully obvious as my eyes settle on Maren, now in the process of tossing a bag of fries in her cart that's slightly more stocked than mine. She's by herself, and since she doesn't look like she's aware of my presence, I assume she was muttering the complaint to herself. Judging by how loud she was, I doubt she cares if anyone heard either.
I quickly turn around as she starts to wheel the cart forward again, pushing my own cart at a slightly faster pace as I decide what to do. Maybe I shouldn't talk to her, she already seems irritated as it is and I doubt talking to me would help her attitude, plus I've seen her a lot this week, she's probably sick of me. I don't even have anything to say to her anyway.
Consulting my list again as I make my hasty retreat, I push the cart with one hand as I scope out the next area I'll need to investigate.
"John?"
I stop in my tracks, shocked to hear her voice again. I wouldn't believe she was talking to me if she never said my name, but here she is. After recovering from my surprise, I stuff my shopping list back in my pocket and turn to face her with a smile I can't contain. All of the other times we've talked, it's been because I spoke to her first. This is the first time she's initiated any type of interaction between the two of us, and I'm more excited about it then I'd like admit.
She smiles a little too when I turn around, but her expression looks more relived then anything. "That would have been really awkward if it wasn't you." She says with a small laugh.
"I don't know, you could have made a friend." I reply, grinning as I turn my cart around.
"Yeah, making friends is my top priority when I come to the grocery store." She rolls her eyes and goes back to looking in the doors of the freezers.
Some may take this reaction as the end of the conversation, but knowing Maren, even her bothering to initiate a conversation is a big compliment considering her personality. I decide to leave my cart behind and stroll up to her, hoping it's the right move. She scowls at the freezers while I approach and I can only hope the expression is directed towards the endless products.
I approach her slowly, taking in her appearance. It's the same as always; loose ponytail, faded blue jeans, and her regular pair of black sneakers. There's nothing really different about her other than the fact that she's wearing a zipper-up sweater instead of her regular T-shirt or hoodie. Somehow she makes the combination look like designer clothes.
She opens one of the many clear doors in the area, cold air spilling out only for a second until she grabs a bag of peas and chucks it into the cart roughly. She glances at me and I quickly turn my gaze away, the contents of her cart suddenly intriguing.
"Something interesting in there, John?" She asks, amusement in her tone.
I nod enthusiastically as I search desperately for something that could be worthy of holding my attention. A pack of toothbrushes catches my eye.
"So Foodland doesn't just sell food." I murmur. I hold them up to Maren, who looks mildly concerned about my amazed reaction to a toothbrush. "Where did you find these? And do you know where the shampoo is?" I look to her hopefully and she cautiously takes the package from my hand, dropping it back in the cart, a smile slowly building on her face at my desperation.
"Uh, yeah." She answers, tilting her head to the side a little as I grin. She eyes me cautiously. "Are you going to be okay?"
"Oh yeah, I'm good. I just..." I loose my train of thought as her eyes widen in exaggerated concern and I can't help but stare at the somehow vibrant grey in her gaze. I laugh sheepishly and tear my eyes away from hers. "Really need shampoo." I finish my sentence stupidly, rubbing the back of my neck as I feel a bit of heat rush to my face.
"If it means that much to you, then I guess I could help you out." She replies, a hint of an amused smile on her face. At least I helped improve her mood, though it was at my expense.
"Thanks, I seriously have no idea what I'm doing." I admit with a chuckle, walking with her as she moves forward, her eyes scanning the freezers again. "I could help you look for stuff though, if you want." I offer.
"This coming from the guy who literally just told me he has no idea what he's doing." She aches an eyebrow at me with a slight smirk, perfectly achieving the 'really?' expression.
"Well when you put it like that it sounds stupid." I mutter. A grin breaks her sarcastic expression, but she only lets me see it for a second before she turns back to looking for whatever she needs, shaking her head. I chuckle at her which she ignores.
She grabs something out of the freezer before making her way out of the section. "Come on, lets go find your precious shampoo." She says flatly.
"But that's the direction of the checkouts."
The corner of her mouth quirks up into a smile and she rolls her eyes. "We need to get you a new cart, someone took your other one."
My eyes widen and turn around, mildly horrified when I see the absence of the cart where I left it. I sigh dejectedly and follow a few steps behind Maren as she leads me back to the place where my suffering began. "It took me so long to find those fries." I grumble, looking back again, now with an angry stare instead of sadness.
"Whatever, it was squeaky anyway. You can get a better one." Maren shrugs.
"You can't replace memories." I sigh dramatically. She rolls her eyes with a short laugh and I can't help but grin.
It doesn't take long for us to find another cart, and soon we're back to wandering the aisles once again, now migrated to what seems to be the soda and junk food section of the store. Once we get to the middle of the aisle, Maren stops to take out a list much like mine, scanning it quickly before looking around at the plethora of items around us.
"I thought we were getting shampoo." I say.
"Not everything is about you, John." She replies jokingly. "I still have stuff I need to get." She looks back down at the list in her hand while I chuckle.
"Alright, What do you need?" I ask, wheeling my cart ahead to look over her shoulder at the wrinkled note filled with tidy printing. She scrunches the note up before I can get a good look at it, apparently not wanting assistance. What is it with this girl and refusing help?
"Is there anything on your list that's in this aisle?" She asks, already walking to the front of her cart to find something. I almost forgot that I needed anything.
I take out my own slip of paper and gather the respected items with some struggle, but manage to complete the feat semi fast. When I walk back to my cart, Maren is standing a few feet away, reaching for something on the top shelf. She's not short, her height about the average for a woman, maybe a bit better. Still, she struggles to reach a bag of chips even standing on her toes. It seems that the shelves here were not built for anyone under six feet tall. Even knowing she doesn't want help, my feet move me forward until I'm standing beside her. Even being quite a few inches taller than Maren, I still have to stand on my toes to grab what she wanted. I hand it to her with what I hope she takes as an apologetic smile.
"Thank you." She says not unkindly as she takes the bag out of my hand. "I was about to resort to jumping." Her voice enters into a mutter at the last part and she walks back to the cart, wasting no time before pushing it forward.
"What would you do without me?" I can't help but tease her as my longer steps quickly catch up to her pace.
"Without you, I'd probably have my shopping done now." She retorts. "But instead, I have to bring you all the way over the the other side of the store." We've now entered another aisle, this one mainly consisting of canned food. Again, she stops to consult her list, causing me to stop a few feet behind her.
"So why don't you just point me in right direction and you'll be on your way?" I counter. Maren sighs, then after a second she turns around so she can face me, one hand still resting in the handle of her cart.
"Because you're one of the few people I actually like."
By the bored look on her face, nobody would think anything of her words. But I can tell by the way she paused before turning around that she debated saying anything at all. And also, holy shit. The girl who scowls more then she smiles just told me she liked me? Even knowing she only meant it in a friendly way, I'm very aware of how many people she puts the title of 'friend' on, and it's not many. I grin stupidly, strangely elated to be friend-zoned by Maren Elizabeth. I guess it's a step up from being acquaintance-zone.
"I guess I should feel honoured." I joke before I can look too stupid. With the grin splitting my face, I fear it may be too late.
"Considering the amount of people I hate, yes you should." She replies, thankfully taking another glance down at her list, giving me time to tame my excitement. God, I really need to get my emotions in check. This is getting ridiculous. "Is there anything you need here?" She asks.
"No." I don't even need to look at my list. "Dad doesn't like canned stuff."
"Okay, well make yourself useful then." She says. I'm confused for a second until she continues. "I need corn, mushrooms, and tomato soup."
I can't keep my eyebrows from raising in surprise. Seriously, what is going on today? Literally two minutes ago she made it painfully clear that she didn't want any help, so what changed between then and now? Does she need a certain level of trust established before she considers assistance? If so, I couldn't have possibly gained that much trust in the amount of time it took to travel the distance of one aisle. This day just keeps getting more and more confusing. First, Maren talked to me without having to be prompted. Then she said she likes me, and now is requesting help after declining it a minute ago. Speaking of which, I should probably get started on that help thing.
I shake my head to clear it before stepping into the middle of the aisle to begin scanning the vast assortment of cans. I stay there for a second but quickly deem it impossible to read all the labels while standing in the one spot, and I start a jog down the centre of the aisle. Corn... mushrooms... soup... corn... mushrooms...soup. My head is on a constant swivel as I try to locate the items, repeating them all in my head so I don't forget. Corn... mushrooms... soup... mushrooms!
With a triumphant grin, I pluck the can from the shelve, immediately starting my search for the rest of the list. It doesn't take long to find them and I quickly return to the cart where Maren throws the last item in. She takes a look at my findings.
"Good job." She comments with a nod. I grin and drop them in, pride running through me from actually doing something right in the grocery store. "Now we can go get shampoo." She says, doing a smooth U-turn with her cart.
"I was starting to think that you forgot." I say jokingly.
"About something this important?" She shakes her head. "Never."
I chuckle. "You know, Maren." I start, trailing closely behind her. She turns around to give me an expectant look. I grin. "I like you too."
"That's comforting." Is her flat reply.
I laugh and she turns right at the end of the aisle, proceeding into long path, aisle entries on either side. This part of the store is wider, wide enough to fit two carts side by side. Deciding it would be easier to talk while walking next to her, I jog my cart up to the left side of hers and lift myself up on the handle so my feet are off the ground as I drift up next to her.
Maren eyes me as I approach, arching an amused eyebrow at my stunt, but not really seeming impressed. I set my feet back on the ground as I begin to slow so I can walk along with her.
"So," I start with a grin, determined to keep our conversation going. She raises her eyebrows expectantly at me. "Who forced you to come here?"
"Nobody forced me." She replies. I almost laugh. Of course not. "But Mom did suggest that I come."
"Yeah, my Dad is behind my uh... presence here." I admit. "I don't do this often."
"Really? And here you seemed like such a natural." She says flatly. I laugh and she lets a smile out. "You know, you should really get a better understanding of this place, I'm not always going to be here to help you."
"You make it sound like a personal sacrifice." I chuckle.
"Just trying to help." She shrugs.
"How selfless of you." I mimic the flat, sarcastic tone she uses so often and just manage to keep my expression neutral. Maren arches an eyebrow at me, another common expression for her.
"Was that supposed to represent me?" She asks.
"Maybe?" I shrug, a smile quickly making its way onto my face again. "Was it good?"
"No." She replies quickly. "Glaring doesn't suit you."
"And it suits you?" I challenge. I almost regret the words when her gaze jumps to me, her eyes suddenly more steely than vibrant. With the feeling between us quickly migrated from teasing to something more serious, I quickly become aware that I should probably be more careful about what I say to her. Her stare tells me to drop the subject. Well shit, I've already annoyed her, I might as well dig a deeper hole for myself. "I think other expressions suit you better." I say. As many times as I've gotten distracted by her eyes, you would never think I'd want to look away from her gaze now.
"You don't know what suits me." She says finally. "You barely know me."
"Tell me something then." I retort. Maren's eyes snap to me again, but this time it's her who looks away first. She shakes her head once and I start to think she won't answer. Then she glances back at me, an slight puzzled expression on her face, suddenly looking less intimidating.
"You confuse me, John." I almost laugh but manage to bite it back. I confuse her? Well damn, if I'm confusing to her, she must be near impossible to understand. If anything, I'm embarrassingly transparent. "Turn left."
Because of the sudden topic change, it takes me a minute to comprehend what she said. Thankfully I comply before it's too late, and we turn into an aisle where we have to switch to a single file line, Maren up front. I don't pay attention to the contents of the shelves.
"I confuse you." I repeat. I can picture her rolling her eyes and quickly move on. "Can I ask why?"
She sighs, probably already regretting saying anything now that she's been asked to explain herself. She tilts her head to the side slightly, no doubt thinking about how to phrase something she doesn't feel like admitting.
"I'm trying to figure out why you want to be friends with me. I mean-" she shakes her head, frustrated at the lack of preparation she had for this conversation I assume. "I'm not particularly nice to you, and you're popular as it is. So out of everyone you could have chosen to be nice to, you chose me. I just don't get why." She says it like she can't possibly have any likeable qualities.
Maren stops now, in he middle of the aisle and turns around to look at me, her steely eyes filled with question, arms folded loosely over her chest as she leans her shoulder on the shelves. I bite the inside of my lip as I try to conjure up a reason for my liking her that doesn't involve the words, beautiful, funny, or badass. Even though she's all of those things, I would never say that to her, not now anyway since I know she's not digging for compliments. It's almost a joke, the uncertain set of her jaw, the genuine curiosity in her eyes. I doubt this girl even knows that half the people at our school would throw their friendship at her if given the chance. She doesn't know how amazing she is, despite her confident attitude. It's almost a shame. I look down at the floor, hoping my mind will be clearer than it is with her features taking up my vision. Why would I want to be friends with her?
Smiling slightly, and hopefully assuringly, I turn my gaze back to her, daring a look in her eye. I shrug. "Why not?"
Maren's eyebrows shoot up. For once she looks surprised. She only lets me see it for less then a second before she looks to the floor, then the shelves, shaking her head. Never in my life did I think I would see her speechless. I don't know why, it was only two words. Did she expect some ulterior motive or for me to request something in return? I doubt I'll ever know.
"Uh...okay." She gestures across from her, at the many products I haven't had a reason to look at yet. "Well, we're here. Shampoo." She mutters.
"Right, thanks." I tell her, quickly finding the bottle I see so often in the shower. I walk over and grab it off the shelf. Instead of heading immediately back to the cart, I stay facing the shelves for a second, tapping the bottle once in my hand while I think about what she said. "You know, Maren. You're not always not nice." I turn away from the shelves only to find her eyeing my doubtfully. "I mean, you tied my shoe for me that time at the gym." I point out. She chuckles shortly, slowly regaining her usual aura of confidence, though she's not quite back to herself yet.
"Yeah, my one act of selflessness. Thanks for reminding me."
I shrug, still holding onto the shampoo. "I think you need to be reminded. Sometimes you forget that you have a habit of doing good things too."
Maren presses her lips together and looks down, I can't place the emotion on her face. I don't try to understand her. I have a feeling her personality won't get any less confusing for me. She clears her throat, placing one hand on her cart.
"Is there anything else you need help with or are you good from here?" She asks. Her fingers drum on the cart handle.
"Oh, no. I'm good now." I reply, tapping the bottle in my hand once again. I nod. "I should be able to find everything else, thanks." I don't really want Maren to go, but I know that I have no say in her decision so I don't try. Plus, she will most likely take the opportunity to leave. A situation where she's not in control is not a situation she wants to be in. At least I've learned that much about her.
My suspicions are confirmed when she nods. "Alright, well I'll see you tomorrow I guess."
"I guess you will." She gives me a tight smile before starting to make her way out of the aisle, not going too fast or too slow. I guess she's back to normal now. She gets to the end of the aisle and is about to turn.
"Two." I call. She stops and turns around, confused.
"What?" She asks.
"Two acts of selflessness actually." I explain. "You counted one for tying my shoes but you didn't count one for right now, for helping me find this." I hold up the bottle that I haven't managed to put down yet. "Thanks."
She shakes her head, looking conflicted. About what I don't know. "Don't mention it." She replies, then she's gone.
I take out my grocery list again and I'm not surprised when I draw a blank when I try to think of the location of the other items. Despite this being my most confusing visit to the grocery store yet, I can't help but grin. Because despite how quickly she recovered, I never thought I'd see the day when Maren Elizabeth was rendered speechless, much less by me.
Marina
"Okay. Focus." I command myself, my Biology book and worksheets the only things I have to keep me company in the silence of my room.
I am currently sitting on my bed, my biology book and a huge collection of worksheets and notes surrounding me messily. One worksheet, that's all I need. I got it today so it should be relatively simple the locate, or so one would think. The truth of the matter is that I have now been looking for that same worksheet for a frustrating twenty minutes, and by now everything is starting to look the same.
My lips pressed together and eyebrows furrowed in concentration, I very slowly scan over the pile once more, carefully eyeing each piece of paper with malice. Despite my intimidating glare, the worksheet still fails to make an appearance and I lean my back into my headboard with a mournful sigh of defeat. I've checked my school bag, around my room, and even the porch for this particular thing, so it's safe to say I've now run out of options. It's probably laying somewhere on the floor in the school hallway right now, and with my luck, there probably won't be any extras when I go to class tomorrow. No, I need to find it. My teacher, Mr. Byrne, hardly ever gives homework, and it will not look good if I fail to turn anything in the one time he assigns something, especially something as simple as that worksheet was.
Knowing it will be useless, I scan the papers again. And again. And again. My frustration builds to anger as I fail to find the sheet over and over again, and I look to the door with a clenched jaw, silently praying for a distraction. I know there won't be one. Mom is at work and Ella is gone to a friend's house so there's no rush for supper and no abandoning-homework worthy activities taking place, much to my demise. I don't pray often, but I look to the sky now, as foolish as my reasoning may be. Please give me something else to do that's more important than homework.
I'm startled by a loud buzzing and I snap my gaze toward my nightstand, where my phone is vibrating. Someone is calling me.
"Damn, that was fast." I say to no one before grabbing my still vibrating phone off the table to see Joseph's name of the screen. My eyebrows shoot up involuntarily, but I quickly cover my surprise click the button, holding the phone the my ear.
"Hello?"
"Marina of the sea!" He exclaims. Before I can even think about it, a smile is on my face full force. "How are you doing today?"
"Good I guess." I reply, not really knowing what else to say. I sit up straighter on the bed. "You?"
"Never better." Is his cheerful reply. He pauses for second. "Are you doing anything important at the moment?"
"Uh..." I take a moment to glance at the books around me, my elusive worksheet still very much not in sight. "No, nothing important. Why?"
"Perfect. You see, Marina, I was wondering if you would be interested in going out with me tonight? Like, as a date." He asks casually, like my heart didn't just stop beating for a moment. "I was thinking we could go to dinner and hang out after, like go for a walk or something. If you want to of course."
My grin widens and I feel like laughing, already stupidly giddy. God, I need to calm down. I manage to reign in my emotions and find myself eternally grateful that he can't see my face, or my excitement. Though I fear her may be able to actually feel the latter through the phone.
"Yeah, that sounds great." I say, hoping I sound calm, but the grin on my face says otherwise.
"Perfect!" He says again, his grin audible. I suspect mine is too. "So, can I pick you up at six?" He asks.
"Uh..." I lean forward so I can take a look at the digital clock on my nightstand. It's 5:30 now and I'm wearing pyjamas, no makeup, and my hair is sprawled on my head in a floppy bun with tons of loose strands hanging out, not to mention it's frizzy. "That's in thirty minutes." I say slowly, hopefully getting the message across that I need more time.
"Oh, is that not enough time? Because I already made a restaurant reservation for six-thirty..." My mouth drops open and I snap my eyes to the clock again, silently hoping time would magically reverse to give me more time to get ready. Although, even through my panic I still can't help but be thrilled at the fact he already made plans. That's not to say I'm not freaking out though.
"Oh?" I choke out, already starting to shove my papers into a pile, holding the phone to my ear with my shoulder.
"If that's not enough time I can't try to reschedule it-"
"No no, it's fine. It's good, I've got this, it's okay." I interrupt him hurriedly. If this was important enough for him to make plans without knowing if I would come, I can rush to get ready for it.
"It doesn't sound okay, are you sure? Because-"
"Yes I'm sure. Completely." I would feel bad for interrupting him again if he didn't chuckle, probably picturing my struggle. He can most likely hear the loud crinkling of all my sheets too as I finally manage to get them into something that resembles a stack.
"Six is good." I pick up the messy pile in one hand and attempt to open my school bag with the other. "I just-" my sentence dissolves into a curse as my phone very rudely falls from my shoulder, landing with a thud of the floor. I drop everything and lunge off the bed to grab it, thankfully the screen is still intact. I hear Joseph laughing when I bring the phone back to my ear and I roll my eyes.
"I'm sensing you're in a rush." He chuckles. That's an understatement. "I'll go and let you get ready."
I nod even though he can't see me. "Yeah, that would be good."
He's still laughing when he answers. "Alright, see you in a bit."
"Yup, see y-" I suddenly remember that he made a reservation, and a reservation probably means this place is a rank up from casual. "Wait, where are we going to eat?"
"It's a surprise."
"Let me rephrase that, should I dress casual or fancy?"
"You'll look great in whatever you wear."
I sigh, but a blush rises on my cheeks anyway. "Joseph, that's not what I mean-"
"Well, I can't tell you anything, it'll ruin the surprise." He says teasingly. I sigh and he laughs at my exasperation. "See you at six, Sea Queen." He hangs up the phone, leaving me in my panic and indecisiveness.
I look at the clock again. Twenty-seven minutes to get ready. I can do this.
Exactly twenty-six minutes after that I burst from the bathroom, spraying some anti-frizz product on my hair, which I decided to keep down. I spray it around my head quickly as I make my way to a window that looks down to the front of the house, looking out for Joseph's presence. Thankfully a glance to the driveway tells me that only one vehicle is in the driveway and it's mine. I rush back to the bathroom and slam the bottle of spray back onto the counter before taking a careful look at myself in he mirror. I study my simple, but hopefully still classy looking, faded red, long-sleeved sweater/shirt thing paired with my least washed-out pair of jeans. I went for the in-between approach, not too fancy but also not giving off the impression of no effort. I hope it suits where he's taking me. I mean, I think jeans are kind of formal right? Maybe they're not, I don't know. Maybe I'm overthinking it. I suspect the last one is accurate.
The doorbell ring sounds through the house and my heart pretty much jumps from chest. I checked for Joseph literally ten seconds ago. I check the time to find it's exactly six o'clock. Damn him for being on time. I do another rushed look in the mirror, quickly scanning my hair hanging over my shoulders, which was extremely hard to tame but actually looks somewhere near presentable now. I'm not wearing much makeup since I didn't have too much time, the 'natural' look I think is it's formal name. Whatever, I call it 'rushed'.
The doorbell rings again, a respectful few seconds after the first one. "One minute!" I yell while pretty much sprinting to my room to grab my phone and a light jacket in case it gets cold. I pull it on while making my way down the stairs, grabbing a pair of flats from the rack once I get to the porch. Are flats formal? I guess it's too late to think about that now.
I take a breath before opening the door, revealing a smartly dressed Joseph. He actually looks as formal as I've ever seen him, wearing a shirt that actually buttons up and everything, though it's paired with dark jeans and what I assume to be his best looking pair of sneakers. His hair is still a wild mess of curls, but somehow it matches his half formal appearance perfectly. I guess I got the outfit category right at least. It seems that he was looking around, but when I open the door his gaze quickly shifts to me, that disarming grin he often wears slipping easily onto his face. His eyes shift over me and I feel heat rush to my cheeks when his mouth drifts open slightly before he bites his lip. Nervous excitement runs through me, making my stomach do flips
"Hey." He says, it sounds like a whisper.
"Hi." My voice comes out accompanied with a thread of nervous laughter.
He clears his throat and straightens up, composing himself quickly. I only now notice that one hand is behind his back. "Marina of the sea." He announces. Emerald eyes lit up, he tilts his head towards me. "These are for you." He pulls a small bouquet of colourful flowers from behind his back and presents them with flourish. My eyebrows shoot up in surprise but I quickly take them from him with a grin.
"Thank you." I say appreciatively. He grins, looking relieved that I didn't decline his gift, as though I would. I hold them in my hands, unsure of what to do with them. I've never encountered this before. "Oh, water. I'm gonna go put-" I stumble on my words and point towards the kitchen as I struggle. Joseph nods and gestures for me to go.
"Take your time. I'll be here."
I nod and quickly walk to the kitchen, searching desperately for a vase or something. Do we seriously have no vases in this house? I settle for a tall glass and fill it halfway with water before carefully placing the flowers in it. They almost fall out but manage to hang on. It's as good as it'll get I guess.
I return to the porch to find Joseph still there, just like he promised. I walk out and lock the door. He grins at me, his eyes warm as he arches an eyebrow. "Shall we?"
I laugh. "We shall."
We start walking together but he quickly breaks from our pair, jogging in the direction of his car which isn't too far away. It isn't his regular vehicle though. I don't know much about cars, but I know enough to figure out that this particular model is a Ford Mustang, a blue one. And damn, it's a nice car. I cover my awe with a smile as I pay attention to Joseph, now opening the passenger side door for me. It swings open to reveal a sleek, dark interior. I struggle to refrain from gaping at it.
I slip in after thanking Joseph and sink into the comfortable leather seat, Joseph quick to close the door after my feet are safely inside. He jogs around the front of the vehicle and hops into the front seat, turning the keys and starting it up with a smooth purr from the engine.
"Nice car." I comment.
"Thanks." He nods and pats the steering wheel appreciatively. "It's Dad's pride and joy. He only lets me drive it for really important stuff." He winks at me and I laugh as he carefully guides the vehicle out of the driveway and onto the main road.
"Alright, are you going to tell me where we're going now?" I question.
"I already told you, it's a surprise." He answers, looking ahead as we continue down the road. "Patience." He chides. I roll my eyes and he laughs at my eagerness, watching me out of the corner of his eye before shaking his head.
I raise my eyebrows at him. "What?"
"You look stunning, Your Majesty."
Of course, a blush rises to my cheeks immediately and I can't help a nervous bubble of laughter that rises in my throat. "You don't look too bad yourself."
The drive doesn't take long, and pretty soon we're pulling into the parking lot of a recently built restaurant. I've never been in there, but I've heard it's very popular among the younger generations, and it's popularity is exemplified by the mass of cars in the parking lot. There's barely any parking spots, but Joseph manages to find one where someone is just pulling out, pulling the car in before anyone else can take it. We both look at the time when the car stops. 6:15.
"I thought there was going to be more traffic." Joseph says sheepishly.
I shrug. "They might have the table ready early, we can go in and check." I suggest. His face lights up like it's the best idea in the world and I chuckle at him.
"Yes, that's a great idea." He quickly unbuckles his seatbelt and I do the same, reaching for the door. "Wait!" His voice stops me and my hand hovers over the door handle. I send a questioning look at him while he hurriedly opens his door. "Wait there." He holds up a hand in a quick 'stop' gesture before closing the door and jogging around to my side of the car, where he promptly opens my door with his usual grin.
"Can't have you opening your own door, that would be rude." He explains himself.
"Oh yeah, what a tragedy." I say sarcastically as I step out of the car, then I turn to Joseph, still standing there and looking happy to hold the door. "Thank you." I take a step away so he can close the door.
"I aim to please." He replies cheerily, coming up to walk along next me as we make our way across the parking lot. I look up at Joseph when we're about halfway to the door, where he's still walking happily.
"Are you going to lock the doors?" I remind him.
His eyes widen. "Right yeah, that would probably be a good idea." He chuckles, reaching into his pocket before pulling out a set of keys. A honk from the car tells me he has the door locked and he looks sheepish as he returns the keys to his pocket and resumes our journey.
Of course, he darts in front of me when we get to the doors, opening one and letting me go past. Though he's stumped by a second set of doors when we get inside, still not recovered from holding the first. I consider waiting for him but that seems needy, so I settle for pulling it and letting him grab it from behind me to open it the whole way.
The music was muffled when we entered the first set of doors, but it's loud now, not club loud but just too loud to talk comfortably. Oh well at least it's good music. Joseph starts to walk purposefully toward the front counter but has to stop multiple times to ask people to move so we can get through. It seems they're all waiting around the entrance next to a couple of benches that are also overflowing with people, all waiting to get a table no doubt. Joseph politely asks people to move aside and lightly puts a hand on my back to help usher me through the crowd. I don't really need the help but don't say anything.
When we finally break through the crowd, Joseph approaches the counter with the hostess behind it. He takes his hand from my back as he talks to her, apparently deeming me capable of standing upright without his help. Joseph tells the woman his last name and she begins searching through a list she has in front of her. Her eyebrows tug together after a moment and she looks up.
"I'm sorry sir, I can't see your reservation here." She tells us with probably fake regretfulness.
"Well we're here early, could that have something to do with it?" Joseph asks, already looking more than mildly concerned about the start of this exchange.
The woman shakes her head. "No, all of the reservations are here, I can't seem to find one under 'Reyes' though." She shakes her head, and I watch Joseph as his concern turns to panic.
"I made the reservation at five, it has to be there." He says.
"I'm sorry sir." She says again. "We're really busy tonight, there could have been a mix-up, it happens sometimes." She apologizes, it sounds rehearsed, like she's said it a thousand times before. Maybe she has.
"But-"
"There's nothing I can do sir, but you're welcome to wait for the next available table."
Joseph's expression is like a deer in headlights as he looks down at me and I smile in what I hope to be a reassuring manner. He returns the expression tightly and runs a hand through his hair as he turns to look at the mass of people crowded around the entrance and piled on the benches.
"Okay, uh... how long is the wait time?" He asks, hopefulness still present in his voice.
"Right now it's forty-five minutes." She smiles politely and Joseph's mouth drops open. He glances cautiously at me before turning back to the hostess, who doesn't look particularly concerned by our predicament.
"Forty- five minutes?" He repeats.
"That's right, should I put your name down?" She looks expectantly at him and he looks down at me, an apology in his eyes. I don't know why, it's not his fault. He looks like he doesn't know what to do, he planned this out so great and now it's falling apart and he's not sure how he should proceed.
I turn to the hostess. "No, we're fine." I cut in with a smile. The hostess nods, unfazed, while Joseph snaps his head to me, confusion written on his face. "Come on, we can go somewhere else. It too loud in here anyway." I shrug, indifferent about the situation and also trying to ease his nerves a bit.
"Wait, but I wanted to take you to a nice restaurant. We can figure something out here." He looks back to the counter and seems like he's about to say something, but I put a hand on his arm to stop him. He turns his wide eyes to me and I can't help but chuckle at the expression.
"Joseph, there are other restaurants where we won't have to wait forty-five minutes for a table." I tell him. He presses his lips together. Feeling bold, I let my hand slip down to his as I start to walk backwards. His eyebrows shoot up and a smile crosses his face. "Lets go." I urge gently.
He grins and nods, suddenly more compliant as he starts to follow me out. Once I'm sure he's coming behind me I turn around and start to battle the crowd, letting go of his hand in the process since it would be awkward trying to get out like that. He can't get the door for me this time since he's behind me, but reaches out from behind me when I open it enough for him to grab it and pulls it the rest of the way.
"So, Sea Girl, any idea of where we should go now?" He asks when we stand outside the door.
"You didn't make a plan B?" I tease.
"Didn't think I'd need one." He laughs. "What kind of restaurant just loses a reservation?"
"Not one I'd want to got to."
"Well they didn't seem to want us either so I guess you're in luck." She says with a sideways grin that I can't help but laugh at.
"You know, we probably shouldn't be insulting a place while standing right by the door." I point out. Joseph's eyes widen with mock fear and he checks behind him jokingly.
"Yeah you're right, we might get arrested." He says, actually looking serious. I roll my eyes and he grins. "Come on." My heart leaps as he laces his fingers with mine and starts to walk in the direction of the car. I quickly follow to keep him from pulling me and his grin seems to widen while he glances a me out of the corner of his eye. "I think I just found a plan B."
-page break-
A relaxing breeze washes over me as I step out of the car and onto the pavement, just a few feet away from a beach where water laps at the edge of the grey rocks, round and smooth from years of erosion. I can see a few seagulls fly around in what's left of the dull light from the quickly retreating sun on the horizon.
"The beach." I laugh, watching Joseph as he closes the car door behind me. He turns to look out at the horizon with me and gestures widely around us.
"I figured it was symbolic." He explains. "You know, you're a sea queen and this is-"
"The sea, yeah I get it." I finish for him. He grins at me.
"You're a perceptive one, Your Majesty." He gives me a little bow, making me roll my eyes, amused at his behaviour. I turn away from the beach and find a small, white building that I assume to be the restaurant. A sign by the bottom of the stairs leading up to it says 'By Da Beach'. "Ah I see you've noticed the main attraction." Joseph has now turned around, standing next to me.
"I have, think there'll be a wait?" I ask. He shakes his head and starts to walk towards it with a relaxed pace. I follow.
"Oh, not a chance. It's a little family owned place, but the food is great. Of course they sell a lot of seafood but..." he pauses and glances at me with an arched eyebrow of question. "How do you feel about pizza?"
"I feel very strongly about pizza." I answer, trying not to sound too excited about the idea. A grin lights up his face and I suspect my efforts were futile.
"Well it's your lucky day then." Joseph jogs up the steps and pulls the door open, holding a hand out welcomingly as he waits for me. I climb the steps at a fast pace, not wanting him to wait on me for too long. "Welcome to 'By Da Beach'." He announces as I pass.
As soon as I step in, the scent of fried food fills my senses and I feel hungry at once. The door jingles behind us as Joseph lets it close after stepping inside himself. He leads me through the small entrance and past a sign that tells us to seat ourselves, where he opts for a small booth next to a window, giving us a perfect view of the ocean and the beach. There's only about twenty people here, the sound of quiet conversation cutting in over the radio, playing some station that I don't recognize.
Pretty soon, a waitress comes over to hand us menus. Taking Joseph's advice, I order the pizza and he does too, though his is vegetarian and mine is pepperoni. Although as I look around, I notice a lot of people eating fish and chips and I start to wonder if I should have had that instead. It does look good.
"So, Marina of the sea, I don't know a lot about you." Joseph speaks up and I tear my eyes away from a plate of food someone else is enjoying. I really get distracted by food too easily. Joseph smiles warmly at me. "Tell me about yourself."
The question stumps me. I'm not really exciting or interesting in the least, I can't really search for anything to say so I just shrug. "What do you want to know?" I ask.
"Hmm, I don't know. We might as well start off with the deep stuff." He replies and I raise my eyebrows at him as he goes serious. "What's your favourite colour?"
I laugh and his stoic expression breaks into a grin. "Blue."
He nods understandingly. "Figures, being a sea queen and all." I roll my eyes which I have been doing a lot of today, he doesn't seem bothered. "Mine is green. Next question; hobbies?" I open my mouth but nothing comes out yet, as I'm having trouble thinking of anything to tell him that he doesn't already know. I'm relieved when he cuts back in after a second, because I was drawing major blank. "Well, I already know about art and skating, so what else?"
I shake my head, admitting to defeat against trying to find anything remotely interesting about myself. "I can't think of anything else really. I guess I'm just boring." I reply with a laugh.
"Impossible." He replies.
"How do you know?" I ask, amused.
He shoots me a teasing grin and I try not to get lost in his bright eyes. "Because I don't date boring girls." He replies confidently, making my cheeks heat up, of course.
"I guess that settles it then." I say, struggling to refrain from laughing. "Alright, next question." I urge him.
He tilts his head a little, narrowing his eyes jokingly. "How do you know I have another question?"
"It would make sense considering you've asked me two already."
"Touché." He gives me a nod and I smile in triumph. "Are you sure you're ready? They're about to get difficult."
"I'm ready." I answer.
"Alright, here it is. Favourite subject." I pause to think about it but he shakes his head. "Don't think about it, just say the first thing that comes to mind. Go!" He points a finger at me and I'm hit with a sense of urgency as my mind fails to recall any of my classes.
"Uh... biology." I blurt out. As soon as I say it I think about art class and I silently regret my quick decision. I guess it isn't completely wrong though. If I were to pick something other than art, biology would probably be my first choice.
Joseph nods like it's the most interesting thing in the world, making me doubt my boringness for a second. "So, are you going to go into med school then?"
I almost laugh at his question. Between taking care of Ella and dealing with Mom, I've barely put any thought into what I'll do when I finally get out of high school. At least it's good to have some ideas. "I actually have no clue what I'm going to do." I admit, shaking my head. "You?"
"No, I'm in the same boat. I know I want to do something useful though." Joseph replies. His smile is mostly gone but of course, some remains tugging at the corner of his lip as always. "I know everything is useful and all that but, I want to help people. Do something that makes a difference." He nods, something like determination in his bright eyes.
"That would suit you." I tell him. He smiles at me and nods his head.
"Thanks."
He continues asking me questions, that I'm pretty sure he searched up on the internet. All of them are just general things about myself. I don't mind answering them at all, it's actually fun, but I would like to know more about Joseph instead of all of the focus being out on me, but he usually moves into the next question before I have the chance to ask him anything. I know he's not doing this just for conversation, I can tell by the way his crossed arms allow him to lean closer, green eyes watching me intently that he's genuinely interested in my answer. It makes me like him even more, if that's even possible.
"Okay so, your family?" Is his next question. "I already met your mother and Ella, but is there anyone else? What about your dad?"
"Uh..." it's an easy question, and a simple question to a lot of people but not me. How am I supposed to explain my father's death and the terrible way Mom is without the conversation getting awkward?
"Sorry if it's too personal, you don't have to tell me." Joseph says gently, probably sensing my unease about the topic. I look up to him from where I was staring at the table since he asked the question. His eyes are comforting and earnest and I know he would except me declining the subject in a heartbeat, but what's the point? I'll just be delaying the inevitable if we keep going out.
"My Dad died a couple years ago." I explain, smiling tightly to hide the pang of pain at the thought of him. "Cancer." I add. Joseph lets out a huff of air and shakes his head.
"I'm sorry." He says gently, his eyes holding mine, full of sympathy and oddly anger. My heart warms when I don't find any pity in his gaze. I made the right decision by trusting him with this.
I shrug. "Don't be, it's not your fault." Anyone else would move onto a different subject, so I'm shocked when I feel Joseph grab my hand where it was resting on the table.
"I am though. I'm sorry that happened to you and Ella and your Mom." His jaw clenches a little like he's angry at the world, but his eyes are insistent and earnest. "Life is stupid, and that should have never happened so yes, I am sorry." He squeezes my hand. "If there's anything I can do to help, let me know." He takes his hand back even though I kind of wish he'd keep it there.
"I appreciate it, but I've been doing it myself for two years now so I think I've got it down." I assure him, not wanting to bother him with my home life, even though I know he'd only be too happy to do anything.
He smiles a little. "I'm sure you do. I'm just merely trying to be useful." I smile back and am about to say something when I see the reason he took his hand away.
Our waitress is now right by our table and laying down our food. I quickly take my hand off the surface to make space for my plate, which looks to be steaming hot. It also looks like it's in the running to be the best pizza I've ever had. Joseph must see my amazement because he grins at me, tuning back to his cheerful self easily after our conversation.
"Impressed?" He asks. I nod and he takes a piece out of his own mini pizza and holds it up like he's giving a toast. With his head tilted slightly to the side and a lopsided grin on his face he says, "Well, at least we'll always have pizza."
We eat what is probably pizza better than the school's, and I'm suddenly glad I listened to him and refrained from ordering the fish and chips. We either talk or eat in companionable silence, I'm fine with either. After we're done, I try to pay for my own food but as usual, Joseph insists and tells the waitress to put it all on one bill, explaining to me that "A gentlemen always pays." Which I roll my eyes at with a smile I can't seem to keep off my face.
Later that night, we walk along the dark beach, smooth rocks under our feet that shift with almost every step. I never loose my balance though because sometime between now and when we left the restaurant, Joseph slipped his hand into mine, and he's made it his duty to steady me. I could make it by myself but I'm too busy enjoying the feel of his warm hand to tell him.
Any hint of remaining sun when we got here is now gone, replaced by a dark sky dusted with stars. Only the light from the moon and the campfires dotted around the beach keep us from walking in complete darkness. Though with darkness, comes cold, especially here with the wind off the water. It blows past playing with my hair and sending a slight chill through me, and I find myself walking closer to Joseph. He doesn't seem to mind. A conversation later, we're further down the beach and Joseph seems excited as he suddenly lets go of my hand and bends down to pick up a rock, shifting it in his hand.
"What are you doing?" I ask curiously. Even in the darkness his eyes twinkle.
"Marina of the sea, have you ever skipped a rock?" He asks, arching an eyebrow. I shake my head and his grin widens.
"Well tonight, you will learn." He exclaims. He offers the rock to me but I push his hand back.
"You need to show me first. I want to make sure I have a qualified teacher." I say, gesturing out to the relatively calm ocean.
"Ah, okay. As you wish." He makes his way over the rocks and down to the waters edge, drawing his hand back and tossing the rock, flat side to the surface. I lose track of the rock but I see the water ripple five times. He turns back with an obviously proud grin. "Now you've seen it, your turn."
"I don't know, it looks hard."
"You'll pick it up in no time." He says, seemingly unconcerned.
I shrug and make my way down to where he's standing, already with another rock to give me. He shows me how to hold it and gives me a few tips before giving it to me. I wind up and toss it like I saw him do, but my rock only leaves one ripple before sinking with a small splash.
"Well that was anticlimactic." Joseph comments, joining me again. I laugh and he holds another rock out for me. "Practice makes perfect." He says wisely.
"I don't know if practice can help me, that last one was pretty bad." I say. He laughs and shakes his head.
"No, you are going to learn this." He demands, pointing a finger at me. "You taught me how to skate and how to do French, so now it's my turn to teach you something useful."
I raise my eyebrows at him. "And learning how to skip a rock is useful how?" I challenge. Joseph does that half-smile thing that almost looks like a smirk but without the arrogance.
"Well, I use it to impress girls." He winks at me and I can't help but laugh. "Did it work?" He asks.
"A little." I admit, chuckling.
"Well there you go."
I try to skip the rock a few more times until it finally leaves three ripples in the water. I have to admit, I do feel proud that I did it. Joseph cheers when I finally manage to do it and puts and arm around me. I expect the gesture only to be in celebration but he keeps it there, pulling me closer. I don't mind at all, above all else, I appreciate the warmth.
"So, did it work?" I ask.
He looks confused. "Did what work?"
"When I skipped the rock, were you impressed?" I tease. Understanding dawns on his face and he laughs.
"You never fail to impress me Sea Queen." He replies, glancing down at me before turning back to the water, biting his lip. It's not hard for me to figure out that he does that when he's nervous since he rarely wears the expression and I've only seen it a couple times. The wind blows a wild curl out of his eyes, which look conflicted. I nudge him lightly.
"What are thinking about?" I ask with a light laugh. I expect him to put on his handsome grin and shake off the expression, but he just shakes his head and lets out a huff of air through his nose, looking like he's working himself up to do something. He takes his arm from my shoulders and the cold air is disappointing before he turns to me, a slight smile on his face, suddenly looking more confident.
"This." He says.
The last thing I notice are his emerald eyes before his lips are on mine, warm and soft. I stay frozen for a quick second, unsure of what to do and worried I'll do it wrong. But then, as though I already know what to do, I kiss him back, a thrill in my stomach that I don't think will go away anytime soon. After a moment he pulls back, grinning. I'm too shocked to grin, but a airy laugh comes from me anyway, filled with nerves and excitement. I wish my face wasn't so hot.
"I've wanted to do that since we were at the rink." He says. Even in the dark I can see a blush on his cheeks. I find it hard to formulate a response, too focused on the flipping going on in my stomach.
"Which time?" I finally ask.
"All of them." He replies, a chuckle going though his words. It's only now that I notice his hand is on the back of my neck, his thumb gently rubbing against the base of my hair. "But I figured it would be rude to do it before we even went on a date."
"I wouldn't have cared." Is my stupid response. I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear as he grins again, trusting, earnest, beautiful green eyes gazing down at me.
"Well maybe we should do it again then." He suggests, then his eyes widen. "I mean, if you want. I don't want to pressure you or anything, if you don't want to that's alright too-"
He stops talking when I nod with a smile. He leans down again, this time both of his hands find my face, fingers resting behind my ears. The kiss is stronger this time, both of us less hesitant about it. Unsure of what to do with my hands, I let them rest on his hips, not knowing if it's right. It feels right. It feels perfect.
As we part and he grins at me the same way he did when he first said my name, I can't help but forget everything else. My worries, troubles, fears are gone for the time being. In this moment I can't help but think that everything could turn out alright.
So as promised, lots of Navrina and hopefully a satisfying amount of Jix too. I figured it was time for some romantic stuff to go on with Navrina but did y'all think that was too fast? Think they're going not fast enough? Is it good? I don't know? Anyway as always, thank you so much for reading and let me know what you thought of it in the reviews :)