Me: Did you finish the interview?
I shifted around on the couch; it was running out of comfortable spots. I held my blanket closer and more cocooned around me to gain more comfort and warmth.
Kate: Yes, it started great and then it became very bad.
Me: We couldn't. Rachel didn't even want to watch it.
Kate: Lucky you, I wish my roommate did the same.
Me: Sorry about that, we could watch a movie tomorrow to make up for it.
Kate: If that's what you want to do.
I let out a strangled laugh. She was refusing to give me any hints or ideas about herself. I was more frustrated with myself for being so nervous about it, rather than her for being so hard to understand.
Me: You're making this difficult.
Kate: I just want to know what you'll choose. No matter what, I think I'm going to like it.
Me: I have a couple ideas, but you have to promise me that your friends won't need you. Do you wanna be together all day?
Kate: I would love to! I'll tell them, don't worry. Is eight a reasonable time?
Me: Yup! I'm gonna start looking for places now. Goodnight Kate.
Kate: Can't wait. Goodnight, Max.
I lied in bed, searching for places on my phone, but I kept doubting myself. I find one place that I think she'll like it, then change my mind after. I was feeling really scared and nervous to choose anything. She said she'll like it regardless, but I didn't want to just take her to small places. I listed the day out: cafe, museum, travel, museum, ice cream, and outlet. I had to borrow some money from Rachel or Chloe for sure, but I hope they don't give me everything they got. I found all the places I wanted to take her, turned off the TV, and went to sleep before I could change my mind.
In the morning, I woke up around six. Judging by how quiet and dim the room was, Rachel and Chloe were still sleeping. I fixed the couch, stretched my arms and legs, and plugged my phone to charge. There were no messages or missed calls, so that was a good sign. I decided on a long shower to rid of the anxiety I was feeling. I became more relaxed feeling the hot water around me, filling me with a small amount of confidence for the day. When I was done, I left the bathroom in my pajamas again, bumping right into Chloe.
"Dude, change, what the fuck." Chloe raised her eyebrow.
"I don't know what to wear yet." I walked around her and went into the room. Rachel was sitting up, lap still under the blanket, and yawning loudly as she stretched her arms up.
"Good morning Maxie." Rachel mumbled.
"Morning," I greeted, "Can you help me with what to wear today?"
"Of course!" She suddenly perked up and jumped out of bed to my side. I felt myself jerk from her outburst, holding my hand to my chest from it happening.
"What colors are you thinking?" She asked.
"I'm not sure. I was just gonna go with black-and-white."
"Alright, super simple, I can dig it," Rachel nodded her head, "Then, this shirt... these pants... those new shoes... and do you want a flannel or not?"
She handed me a black shirt and khaki pants, "It's hot today, so I think I'll pass."
She added a black-and-white flannel, "Try wearing it in a different way and then show me."
"Will do," I take the clothes with me and left to see my phone, "Oh, she's awake."
Kate: Hey Max, are we meeting at school?
Me: Yup!
Bravely, I changed my clothes in the middle of the living room. I could hear Rachel walk in and open the fridge, wolf whistling from the kitchen. I could only laugh as I put on my new outfit. This whole outfit was a favorite of mine, especially the shirt because of the little Vans skateboard on the front and the bigger one on the back. I wrapped the flannel around my waist last.
"How does it look?"
"Fucking awesome, that's a look," Rachel complimented, walking up to me and folding the sleeves again, "Just in case you need to show off more of how gay you are."
I chuckled, "Thanks, that's just what I need."
"So, what are your plans for today? What special places are you taking her?"
"I found museums and places to eat, and I'm gonna take her to the outlet. I just hope to walk around with her and take the metros. I hate to ask for some money."
"Don't feel bad! It's fine! Let me get some tens and twenties from my suitcase." She left right away before I could refuse. Chloe then came out of the bathroom, back in the uniform she hated so much. Chloe was swinging her arms and looking off into space.
"Are you okay?" I started to tie my hair up.
"Since Rachel put the picture up, I'm preparing for people to recognize who I am. Are you ready yet?"
"I'm waiting for Rachel to give me money. Isn't she coming with us?"
She walked back into the room, holding a bundle of cash in her hand, "This is five-hundred."
I nearly choked on my spit, "Isn't this a lot?"
"I don't want you to run out! If you have any left, just give it back." She grabbed my hand and placed the money in it.
"Rache, are you coming along?" Chloe folded her arms.
"I said I would, but I'll just stay here for today. You guys text me if you need anything, alright?"
She looked disappointed, but she was for sure staying because of what happened with the interview.
"No problem." Chloe grabbed her keys from the dining table.
"I'll keep that in mind."
On my way out, I grabbed the newer Polaroid camera I owned but never used. I loved my vintage one, but I was running low on film. It was a white one, and the case was plain black and has a shoulder strap. It was convenient and I still had plenty of film for it. During the drive, Chloe tapped her fingers against the wheel.
"Why are you using that camera?"
"My other one is low. Plus, it's good practice."
Chloe hummed, "Nice. Are you scared?"
"Yeah? I don't want to disappoint her." I took a shaky deep breath. Despite doing all I could to forget about the nervousness, I was still full of it.
"I doubt she's gonna hate it. She doesn't look like she's even capable."
"It's a lot of pressure."
"You'll be fine, TJ Max."
When we arrived at school, there was no one there. I checked my phone and noticed I was ten minutes early. I stared at the curb, thinking whether I should sit and wait there or in her car.
"Do you wanna stay in here or nah?" Chloe asked.
"I'm thinking." My foot tapped and my fingers fidgeted together, I then said, "Yeah, I'll wait there. You just get to work."
"Alright, have fun on your date."
I got out and left to the curb, hearing the car leaving behind me. It was the same spot Kate was sitting at when I met her on that Wednesday. Now here I was, sitting with my phone, fully charged and looking through my dashboard as I waited. I hate to admit it, but I really wanted to run away. I was becoming really scared and nervous and felt like I was better off staying away than even trying at all. I even stood up for a second, but sat back down again, sticking myself to the curb as much as I could.
As I continued to go through my phone to distract myself, a pair of hands covered my eyes from behind, "Guess who?"
I chuckled, "I hope it's Kate."
"Correct!" She took them off my face and then sat next to me. I was going to joke around with her and tease her a bit, instead I was speechless and all that came out was an inhumane squeak. She had a black skirt on and it had suspenders, she had a white shirt that fit snug on her body, she had converse sneakers on, and her hair was down, covered with a beanie. My breath completely left my body and I couldn't blink anymore; it lasted for so long, Kate had to shake me and snap her fingers in front of my face to get me back.
"Max, come on, speak to me." Kate grabbed my shoulder and shook me around.
I finally breathed again, hyperventilating, and rubbing my eyes. Was this reality or was I making this up? Putting my hands down, I was sure it was completely real.
"Sorry, but... wowser, you're beautiful." I finally gasped out. Where did that come from?
"Oh, stop it you!" She playfully pushed me. Her cheeks became very pink and she smiled from ear-to-ear.
"Did your roommate do this?"
"Nope, I chose and did everything today. It has my roommate seal of approval."
"I need this as a picture!" I stood up and kneel down again, readying my camera at her. Kate didn't know how to pose, so she just sat there and continued to laugh. It was perfect to me.
"Is that a new camera?" She asked after I stood up again. She stood up too, dusting off her skirt.
"No, I don't remember where I got it, but my other one doesn't have enough film."
"It's nice. One of my friends has one and she uses it all the time," Kate then touched my face, "Do you ever let someone take pictures of you? You're pretty too."
I dropped my camera, thank dog it was on a strap, "I usually take pictures of myself. Selfies and whatnot."
She put her hand down, "You should let someone do that. Now, what did you plan for this day?"
I wanted to reply, but I only wished I thought of flirty and witty things. "I have plans until the night, so I hope you could keep up. Do you like walking?"
"I love it. Where to first?"
Our first destination was a bit far. On our thirty-minute travel, Kate held onto my arm as we walked along the sidewalk, talking about ourselves, and learning more about each other. I learned her middle name and last name was Beverly and Marsh, she owns a pet rabbit named Alice, she was born and raised in Oregon, her favorite color is yellow, her favorite food is anything sweet, and her favorite genre of films and shows to watch are animation, comedy, and slice of life.
"Beverly Marsh? Like, in that horror movie?"
"You would know that it was the same. I never asked my family about that."
"You should. Maybe they actually like those kinds of movies."
"Then they're hypocrites, because I was never allowed to watch rated-R."
I burst out laughing and she hits me on the arm. It was pretty hilarious; I had to take her to a horror movie now. Oh dog, what a dick move. I'll do that soon.
"What about you then?" She asked me.
"In that order?"
She held onto my arm tighter, "Yes."
"Uh, I don't have a middle name, but I'm Maxine Caulfield. I don't own a pet, I'm from Oregon too, I guess I like all colors but green or brown is pretty cool, pink too, I like food in general. I say I like horror, but to be honest, I can't pick a favorite genre, but I can say that I love Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and Donnie Darko."
"We have quite a few things in common. You don't like Maxine?"
"No, it doesn't fit me... I don't think."
"Then I agree. You look more like a Max."
We arrived at a cafe in a busy area. Ironically, it was called Max's and Kate laughed immediately after hearing the name and seeing the sign.
"You didn't pick this place because your name was in it, right? We were just talking about this."
"I didn't, I swear... Okay, only a little bit."
Upon walking inside, we were greeted with the smell of breakfast foods and lively atmosphere. Many colors that filled the room were either brown or beige. It was early and not many people were in the seats just yet, but the room was filled with chatter. We were greeted by a host, seated us at a two-person table, and given menus that were a single piece of paper. I looked around at the tables that had people and the portions of food were very big. That was the real reason why I chose this place.
"Do you maybe want to share?" I asked her.
She put her menu down, "Sure, you saw the plates too?"
"Yeah, I couldn't finish that," I laughed, "Is there anything you want?"
"You choose."
We both ordered green tea and my food choice was an omelet that had ham and four cheeses. Kate didn't complain or laugh about it, so I think I made a good choice.
"You know, I used to never finish any food I ate." I mentioned. It lasted all my high school years; my plates would always have a handful of leftovers on it. Why I left any was a mystery, even to myself, but I suspect it had to do with my social anxiety in some way.
"Why is that?"
"It was just something I did a lot," I played with the spoon I left in my cup, "Since Rachel has been here, I've been eating more real meals."
"That's good. If you still did that, I would be really worried about you. I wouldn't want you to be sick or anything."
"I'm trying to balance it out. But, I can't help that I just drink coffee for days."
"Maybe I should look after you too." She shook her head and continued to drink her tea. She was looking off towards the kitchen; I took that moment to take another picture, her eyes twitching when she saw the flash. She only giggled; it was expected at this point.
When we get our meal, we placed the oval plate in the middle of the table. The food was definitely enough for two people. Kate started to eat first, smiling and nodding upon first bite.
"What do you eat at your apartment?" I took one bite and melted from the taste. I think I actually moaned from it, because Kate's reaction was giggling and shaking her head.
"My roommate just buys really expensive food. Restaurants with Michelin stars and places like that."
"Does it actually taste good?"
"There have been times when the food didn't taste good at all," Kate sipped from her cup, "To the point I couldn't eat it, but I still finished it because she bought it."
"What's her name, by the way?"
"Her name's Victoria. Oh my gosh, I need to show you her reaction!"
She took her phone out; I would have never guessed she had a single pocket on her. On this particular day, her phone case was pale pink and covered cartoon possums and roses.
"That's an interesting case you got there." I said after swallowing.
"It was a gift." She then showed me her screen, handing me her phone showing a video. I pressed the triangle in the middle of the screen, playing a video of Victoria throwing pillows and screaming at the flat screen TV. It was mute, but did I really need sound to know what was going on?
The video was getting progressively worse as she started to hit the TV with her fists and attempting to lift it up. It ended when she threw one more pillow. I was laughing throughout the whole thing; Rachel has to see this.
"Can you send that to me?" I gave her phone back.
"Yeah! It was all happy sounding yelling at first. By the end, she was just shouting for the host to be quiet."
I groaned, "I know, she's the reason we stopped watching."
I checked my phone as I continued to eat. I got messages from Chloe and Rachel wishing me luck on my day. I got the video from Kate, sending it to Rachel right away. I snickered to myself just thinking about it again.
"Is she like that a lot?"
I put my phone away and noticed the omelet was down to the last few bites.
"That's the first time I've seen her react so much. She's more aggressive through her words. Even then she doesn't become so over the top."
There was one bite left and Kate and I just looked at each other. I pushed the plate towards her, awkwardly and wordlessly. I watched her as she stabbed it and then lifted it to observe it. She then reaches over, fork in front of my face, and then hummed "ah." I wavered for a second, taken aback, but I happily ate it off her fork. She smiled and then put it back on top of the plate.
"I brought some cash just in case." Kate said as she reached into her skirt pocket.
"No need. I'm paying for the both of us today."
After paying, we left again, Kate's arm around mine once and went off to the next destination. My heart skipped a beat every time she did that, but I happily accepted it, dreaming about actually holding her hand.
"This place is delicious," Kate sang, "Where to next?"
"I have a couple of museums in mind. Maybe they could inspire us for school."
"Great idea! I do enjoy museums."
On this walk, I felt Kate's arm slowly snake down towards my wrist, which I paid no mind to because she goes back to her original position every time. My hands were clammy from being so nervous. I hope she can't see how all of this was making me feel.
"When's your birthday?" She was still walking a hair slower than me.
"September twenty-first," I replied, "What about you?"
"That's so funny, mine is September twelfth!"
"What a coincidence! We would definitely have like parties on the same day."
"Yeah, somewhere in between. Why do you walk fast? Or am I somehow shorter than you?"
I then stopped and stood in front of her. I used my hand and tried to measure if there was a difference. I was just slowly waving my hand above us, which looked pretty stupid after a moment. I couldn't tell, to be honest.
"We have to ask later," I walked off again, holding onto her wrist, "Maybe I'm just happy to be here and excited to take you places."
She pressed her head against my shoulder, hugging my arm, only releasing a sigh.
We arrived at the Museum of Modern Art, which I felt was the perfect place to go first. It was a large brown building and it was also not busy yet, so we were able to go in without waiting for so long. I nearly passed out from the twenty-five-dollar entrance fee (fifty dollars for two), therefore I paid for it and rushed away. Kate and I didn't talk much throughout our viewing. We were actually more apart than together and we always had to find each other after a couple minutes.
We ended up being separated for about thirty minutes and we met again at a series of aerial photographs of rivers and cities.
"Enjoying yourself?" I continued to observe the photos.
"I'm loving this place. I haven't been able to go to places like this because I never had someone to go with."
"Then I'm glad I took you here."
There were multiple floors and plenty of exhibitions taking place, eventually the museum was filling with people. We decided now to stay together, walking side-by-side with our hands behind our backs, looking at sculptures and large descriptions on the walls of the art and what they mean. She stopped once in a while to look a little longer; I waited for her.
There were quite a few times that I backed up and took pictures of her standing and looking, her back towards me. They were my favorites so far and she agreed, them being her favorites too.
I ended up being the one locking my arm with hers near the end. As we continued to go through the rooms, we were stopped by a person tapping on my shoulder. When I turned around, it was a girl close to our age. A jolt went through my body and I froze there.
"Hey, I just wanted to say that you two are cute together."
I had to repeat it in my head a couple of times. I was so stuck on it that I nearly missed Kate saying "thank you" and the girl left with another girl.
"B-but we're not a thing." I finally choked out.
"It was easier to say thank you than explaining why we're super touchy and matching colors." She pulled me by the arm and started to look again. I was rendered speechless the rest of our viewing.
When we left, I finally cleared my throat. "Whoa, it's noon already." I checked my phone. I got a text from Rachel, Holy shit I need to meet her!
Kate chuckled slightly, "Were you okay? You didn't talk that whole time."
"I'm fine!" I answered way too fast.
Her eyes looked at me, up and down, then said, "Alright, but I'm watching you."
Shit, I fucked it up again. But damn, she said thank you and was okay with being complimented as a couple. I felt my heart race and my hands were shaking, but I took deep breath and reassessed myself. We stayed in front of the museum, sitting at the artsy fountain with a statue of copper abstract twists and turns.
"Has that happened to you before?"
"Has what happened?"
"You were with another friend and someone said you guys look great together. You answered her pretty smoothly."
"It has never happened before. I just saw you freeze up and that was the first thing I said."
I just nodded. My hopes were up in space now, but I just need to open up more, way more... or maybe she was just really touchy and whatever about this stuff?
"How's that film going?"
Kate fiddled with her fingers, "It's good, though they still need to find another actress. We already tried acting ourselves, but it wasn't that great."
I gasped, "Maybe Rachel could. She was in drama when we went to school. I don't know about Chloe, but it doesn't hurt to ask."
"It would be great, but neither really look like or are shy types."
"Shy types?"
"Yup, because both characters are very timid together. Though they know and suggested you, I declined just in case you didn't want to."
"It's more like I just can't. I never got into acting or anything." A pain in my chest hit me just at the thought of being a part of that.
It was quiet and we were listening to the water behind us. I thought about what Kate said, my mouth curling at the ends into a small smirk.
"Do you talk about me with your friends?" I crossed my arms.
"I do because recently, when I go to see them, I'm either with you or I'm going to see you. They ask a lot of questions about you."
"Like?"
"Just your personality or what you look like, stuff like that."
"I hope I don't sound way cooler than I actually am."
"You are cool!"
"You're way cooler than me."
"No, I'm not," she pushed me kind of hard, "I don't compare to you!"
I pushed her back, "I should be saying that to you."
After I said that, we continued to push each other back and forth, pushing a little harder than before, until we forgot why we were doing that at all. I grabbed her into a tight hug with one arm around her shoulders and we both laughed hysterically. Her head rested my shoulder and I could feel her hand holding me on my back.
We let go of each other, laughing awkwardly and shyly.
