Zoe sympathized with her father. It must be hard thing, to be a father; living in fear that your daughter would meet a boy she liked. How ghastly it would be, she thought, shuddering, if Mr. Orimoto (let's call him Nathan) had even the slightest inkling of exactly what she did like.
Nathan left early in the morning, with a goodbye wave, and she Zoe went upstairs to brush her teeth. When she heard the cruiser pull away, she could only wait a few seconds before she had to peek out of her window. The motor was there, waiting in Nathan's spot in the driveway. She bounded down the stairs and out of the front door, wondering how long his bizarre routine would continue. She never wanted it to end.
He waited beside the motor, not appearing to watch as she shut the door behind her without bothering to lock the dead-bolt. She walked to the motor, pausing shyly before Takuya hopped on the bike and Zoe following him. He was smiling, relaxed—and, as usual, perfect and beautiful to an excruciating degree.
"Good morning." His voice was silky. "How are you today?"
"Good, thank you." She was always food—much more than good—when she was near him.
"You look tired."
"I thought I'm driving today," she almost forgot, automatically swinging her hair around her shoulder to provide some measure of cover.
"Later," he replied as he started the engine. She was becoming used to Takuya.
She laughed. "You promised."
"Don't worry, you're gonna get to drive later."
"So where are we going?" Zoe asked.
He chuckled. "How about to the Amusement Park?"
"Oh, that's right. There's a new Amusement Park downtown." Suddenly, the gear caught and pulled them forward.
And they were dashing.
She turned it immediately to the fourth gear.
"Takuya, slow down!" Zoe shouted.
"What's wrong?" Takuya was startled. But the motor accelerated than decelerate.
"You're going a hundred miles an hour!"
"Relax, Zoe." Takuya rolled her eyes, still not slowing.
"Are you trying to kill us?"
"We're not going to crash."
"We're not in a hurry."
"I always drive like this." He smiled crookedly.
"Keep your head on the road!"
"I've never been in an accident, Zoe—I've never even gotten a ticket." He grinned. "Built-in radar detector."
"Very funny." Zoe fumed. "Dad's cops more than a detective, remember? I am raised to abide traffic laws. Besides, if you turn us into a pretzel around a tree trunk, you can probably walk away."
"Probably," he agreed with a short, hard laugh. "But you can't." He sighed, and Zoe watched with relief as she noticed that they were drifting eighty. "Happy?"
"Almost."
"I hate driving slow," he muttered.
"This is slow?"
"Do you wanna go to the first gear until neutral?"
"No."
"Then let me drive my own way," He snapped. "Geez, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."
Zoe bit her lip.
"Do you wanna talk while driving?"
"No!"
"Oh, c'mon! Driving without a conversation is pretty boring," Takuya whined.
"Focus on the road!"
"Please…?"
"Fine, what do you want to know?" Her forehead creased. She couldn't imagine anything about him that could be in any way interesting to him.
"What's your favorite color?" he asked his face grave.
She rolled her eyes. "It changes from day to day."
"What's your favorite color today?" he was still solemn.
"Probably brown." She tended to dress according to the mood.
He snorted, dropping to his serious expression. "Brown?" he asked skeptically.
"Sure. Brown is warm. I miss brown. Everything's that's supposed to be brown—tree trunks, rocks, dirt—is all covered up with squashy green stuff here," she complained.
He seemed fascinated by her little rant.
"You're right," he decided, serious again. "Brown is warm."
They were at the amusement park by now. He turned back to her as he pulled into a parking space.
"Oh, I almost completely forgot," she remembered her conversation with Nathan. "Dad seems to trust me now."
"How did you know?"
"Well, when I told him that I'm going out with you it's like he's giving me his full permission to make my own decisions."
"That's wonderful!"
"I know!" Takuya hugged Zoe and spin her around.
Takuya later put Zoe down. Both of them proceed to the entrance.
They never noticed that Koji, JP and Koichi were following them to take a look at their 'date'. Koji was wearing his favorite blue jacket with matching black sunglasses; Koichi wearing his baseball hat; JP wearing his blue jumpsuit.
They emerged one by one from the entrance. JP into the clearing fell back immediately, allowing the other male to take the front, orienting himself around the tall, Koji in a manner that clearly displayed who was leading them. The third was Koichi; from the distance.
They closed ranks before they continued cautiously toward Takuya and Zoe.
As they approached, Takuya could almost see 'the pack'. They quickly hide behind the walls.
"What's wrong?" Zoe asked.
"I thought someone was following us," Takuya replied.
The couple continued walking to the entrance of the Bump Car.
Koji checked if the coast was clear. He thumbs up and walked forward to the Bump Car. Their walk was catlike, a gait that seemed constantly on the edge of shifting into crouch.
Their sharp eyes carefully took in the more polished, urbane stance of Takuya and Zoe, who, took their individual bump car rides.
"Do you guys wanna ride?" Koji faced JP and Koichi but they weren't where he expected but they left him.
Koichi stepped guardedly forward to his bump car ride. Without any seeming communication between them, JP straightened into his bump car seat beside Koichi more casually, erect bearing.
"Hey, guys! Wait up!" Koji easily caught up with his pack. He smiled an easy smile as he jumped on his bump car ride, exposing a flash of gleaming white teeth.
"You're going down, brother!" Koichi laughed.
"Guys, we're on a mission here," Koji snapped.
"Our mission here is to have fun!"
The bell rang and each and every vehicle moved. Koichi direct hit Koji.
"Grrr…" Koji groaned. "You asked for it!"
After the ride, Koji, JP and Koichi stepped toward to each other, smiling.
"Where are they?" Koji said in panicked voice, scanning the amusement park. "Great! We lost them!" He gestured to JP and Koichi.
"Calm down. We'll find them in no time." JP pointed, deliberately. Koichi felt a shock when he saw a chick.
The funky chick was wilder, her eyes shifting restlessly to Koichi, and the loose grouping around him, her chaotic hair quivering in the slight cool air. Her posture was distinctly feline.
"If you excise me, I've got a girl to flirt with," Koichi said. Before Koichi take his very first step away from Koji, his twin brother grabbed his shoulder.
"C'mon Koichi, we've got work to do," Koji smacked Koichi's head. "We split up. Meet each other here in ten minutes!"
Ten Minutes Later
"Yummy!" JP said in friendly tone as he sucked his cheezy thumb.
"You guys find anything?" Koji questioned.
"Nope. Not yet," Koichi raised his hands.
"Actually, before I bought French fries I saw them. But French Fries got me. Are you planning to ride on the roller coaster?" JP said.
"You egghead!" Koji scolded JP.
"Koji? JP? Koichi?" A friendly tone called their names.
The three turned around. And met Takuya and Zoe.
"What are you doing here?" Takuya wondered.
"We're asking the same question, what are you doing here?" Koichi repeated.
"Zoe and I are on a date," Takuya replied.
"Are you following us, again?" Zoe folded her arms and raised her left eyebrow.
"Ha!" Koji snorted. "Of course not!"
"We're…uhm…on…we…" JP got nothing.
"We planned yesterday to go here!" Koichi snapped.
"Right!" Koji added. "Seems like Takuya and Zoe run into us," Koji chuckled. And JP and Koichi followed.
"Where were you guys heading?" Zoe asked.
"We were…uh…"
"We were supposed to head north!" JP interrupted Koichi. "The Starbucks!"
"Well, we've been walking for hours Takuya," Zoe sighed. "I think we need a break."
"You're always welcome to join us in Starbucks!" Koji said causally.
"Cool!" Zoe jumped for joy.
After they drank their beverages at Starbucks. They decided to try some of the games at the amusement park. Zoe played 'Dart'. Takuya played 'Ring Toss'. JP played 'High Striker'. Koji played 'Bucket Game'. Koichi played 'Target Shooting Game'. They all won several plush toys.
"I heard that there's gonna be some fireworks at seven o'clock!" Zoe announced.
"What time is it?" Koji asked.
"Its quarter to seven," Koichi took a look at his watch. "Whoa, I didn't know we've been playing games for hours."
"We've rode the 'thrill' rides three times, remember?" JP reminded.
"We could fireworks if we take the Ferris Wheel," Zoe pointed to the Ferris Wheel.
Koji cleared his throat. "I'm going to ride with JP and Koichi."
"Looks like Takuya and Zoe are going to ride together," JP winked.
"Uhm…Koji," Koichi tried to say something.
"I know, it's the best idea I've ever had," Koji said in whisper and a chuckle.
"I know…but," Koji pulled Koichi to the Ferris Wheel ride.
Koichi stop before the ride but JP pushed him and he was trapped inside with Koji and JP in the Ferris Wheel. It was taller than he expected and thought.
Koichi looked down not once nor twice but thrice. He gulped.
"What's the matter with you brother?" Koji wondered. "It's not like we're going upside down over and over again."
Koichi imagined the Ferris Wheel rolling over. Koichi breathed slowly and out and pointed his finger to the outside and closed his eyes. Dizziness took over his place.
"Oh…you're afraid of heights," Koji finally realized.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" JP questioned.
"What?" Koichi mouthed.
"Just don't imagine the boat rolling gently down the stream. Rolling like, rolling over upside—"
"I get it, okay?!" Koichi interrupted Koji. He covered his mouth.
"Is his face turning blue or green?" JP said nervously.
"Both," Koji corrected.
"They were following us, weren't they?" Zoe wondered.
"And you knew right before we went here?" Takuya did answer her question.
"Yep."
"They get really obsessive about having a mission about love," Takuya chuckled.
"What mission?"
"Their mission, follow the couple."
"And Koji's the leader."
"You got that right."
A few minutes later talking, Takuya decided to give Zoe her present.
"A teddy bear?" Zoe was amazed to the cute plush bear of hers.
"Won it from the Ring Toss," The plush toy was brown and fuzzy fur, little ears, shiny and heart-shaped black nose.
"Aww…I must be the luckiest girl in the world," Zoe squeezed the toy.
"You love teddy bears, don't you?" Takuya asked.
"Definitely love so cute teddy bears!" Zoe giggled.
Takuya and Zoe can hear the countdown. Takuya and Zoe had a good spot on the spot for the fireworks. They stopped at the top. 5…4…3…2…1!!!
There were noises, lights everywhere. Smokes were everywhere in the sky. Zoe stood near the window and watched how the fireworks do their thing. The fireworks are burned with colored flames and sparks in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and silver. There were a lot of kamuro and spider effects.
Zoe sighed and smiled. "Beautiful."
"It's very cool, isn't it?" Takuya stared at Zoe.
"Very cool," she replied.
"Here comes the finale!"
It was like a bomb full of golden sprinkles.
"Whohoo!" Takuya put his hands up.
"I love you, Takuya," Zoe whispered through Takuya's ears.
Takuya smiled and hugged her romantically. "Not as much as I love you."
ANNOUNCEMENT PEOPLE OF EARTH! I WON'T BE UPLOADING 'I AM YOUR LIFE' MAYBE FOR A LONG TIME. I'M ABSOLUTELY SURE ABOUT THE FOLLOWING:
ONE, I HAVE A VACATION IN ISABELA AND NUEVA ECIJA IN FOUR DAYS WITHOUT INTERNET. (WHAHAHAHA)
TWO, I WILL BE TOO BUSY TO WORK ON THE NEXT CHAPTER. I WILL WORK ON MY THINGS FOR HIGH SCHOOL.
THREE, I'M MIGHT BE LAZY.
I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND AND ENJOY THE CHAPTER. DON'T FORGET TO READ/REVIEW!!!
INGATZ MGA MADLANG PEOPLE! (IN ENGLISH: TAKE CARE COZ' I CARE!)