Move On

I poked the bowl of ice cream with a spoon as I quietly waited in the ice cream shop. I hated the fact that I was all alone. It makes me think about Kuki. I sat there desperately trying to block her from my mind when all of a sudden, "BOO!" I jumped and turned sharply to the person who startled me. And I found a thirteen-year-old Asian girl standing there with a big smile on her face.

"Did I scare you?" Mushi smiled as she sat across me.

"What are you doing here?" I ignored her question.

"I'm just hanging out. I've got nothing else to do and I'm bored. What about you, what are you doing here?"

"I'm waiting for someone"

"Ooh, a date?"

"No"

She stared at me. "You look weird. You're so pale and stuff. Something wrong?"

"It's none of your business" I sighed. I sat still for a moment as she gazed at me.

"Kuki told me about last night" She grinned.

I stared at her because I was annoyed. There was nothing to smile about.

"What were you doing hiding under our tree at night?" She laughed.

"I was stalking your sister…" What I said made her laugh. Why is it that people never take the truth seriously?

"You are such a weirdo" She giggled. By the way she was acting it was obvious that Kuki didn't tell her the whole story about last night.

For a minute Mushi and I didn't talk. There was no awkwardness or anything, just pure silence. Finally, I looked at her and asked, "Where is she right now?"

"Who? Kuki?" She said, "She's with Chad"

Just as I thought…

I looked up at Mushi. She was reading the cardboard brochure on the side of the table. As I watched her I compared her to her sister. They were almost completely the same. Both of them were pretty, preppy and sweet. The only thing different between the two was the fact that Mushi was single.

I watched Hoagie greet Mushi as she was about to leave. After that he sat on the table with me.

"Long time, no see" He said.

"Thanks for still coming" I said.

"Don't mention it. I haven't seen you for weeks anyway. Why were you avoiding us?"

"I had to focus on quitting"

"Quitting what?"

"Drinking"

"Oh. I thought you hated us or something"

"No. I just really had to be alone"

The afternoon went by fast while Hoagie and I talked and tried to catch up on each other. Our conversation didn't feel any different than before. It was as if nothing happened. It was as if we just talked the day before.

"So" Hoagie said as he fed on a sundae, "I saw you talking to Mushi earlier. What was that about?"

I sat silently for a minute. I felt hesitant about telling him what I did. But soon enough, I told him.

"I asked her out…" I said blankly.

I watched him as he choked on his ice cream. "You what?" He gasped.

"I asked Mushi out on a date"

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah"

"But she's Kuki's little sister!"
"So? She's thirteen. That's mature enough"

"Still. She's Kuki's sister"

"Hoagie, you were the one who told me to date other people and stop lamenting over Kuki and Chad"

"Yeah but I didn't think you'd go for Mushi"

"Just leave it alone Hoags. I can ask out who ever I want…"

"Whatever"

Later that afternoon as I walked home, I was thinking whether I did the right thing or not.

It's gotta be the right thing. I can't just stand around dreading Chad and Kuki's relationship. I had to do something. This was what I told myself. But I also knew that the reason why I asked Mushi out was because I was hoping it would feel like being with Kuki. After all, they are almost the same.