Day 2

It was a cold afternoon that day, in that the same park. Days earlier, we’ve decided to set our first formal and definite date, although we were going out with each other casually many times before. Those weren’t really something we can call as dates back then, as it was mostly us talking with each other and occasionally getting a few snacks. If those did seem like dates, then we’ll say that we have been dating each other without knowing it. We were just hanging out with each other, as we knew it, but today will be our first date. Or, at least, the first one we want to call as date.

 

Thus, I wait on this park for her, hoping that bad luck wouldn’t play with me and have me waiting here for nothing. It’s a bad feeling, really, when you waste a lot of time to wait for something that never comes.

 

Until, I hear a familiar voice.

 

“Hey!” Marisa called out. I turned my head to look at her direction, and she was coming towards me.

 

“Oh, hey,” I greeted her. I almost thought you weren’t gonna show up.”

 

“You thought that I wasn’t gonna show up? I was just late for three minutes!” She retorted.

 

“I was worried.” I said.

 

“Why are you worried?” She asked me.

 

I then answered, “I dunno. Just a gut feeling, really. No bad implications or anything.”

 

“…Are you sure that you’re worried?” She asked me, with a voice that sounded as if she was asking for me to be decisive.

 

I then went silent for a few moments and thought about it. Perhaps I did feel some sort of agitation, but maybe I was wrong in saying that it was worry. I then took a quick, deep breath and said, “Okay, I’m nervous.”

 

The first reaction she mustered was as if she was to laugh out loud, but she stopped herself short. “We’ve done this before! Why are you so nervous?!”

 

“I thought I might screw or mess things up, you know?” I told her, as I rubbed the back of my head. “This is our first real date, so I don’t know what to do or how to do it.”

 

“Oh, come on.” She comfortingly said. “Just because we called this one as a real date doesn’t mean it’s going to be different from when we hang-out with each other. Just think of it as a more official version of that, so relax yourself. Don’t worry about it.”

 

“Really?” I asked her.

 

“Yeah,” she said.

 

“I might not give you a good time with this date, that’s what I’m worried about.” I explained.

 

She then went close to me and looked at me directly in the eyes; as if she wanted me pay full attention to her. “Trust me, you did it before, so you can do this. Okay?”

 

By that time, I knew what she meant. During our times with each other, we were happy and easy-going enough that we enjoyed each others’ company without worry. We might not have called those times as dating in our minds, but we were practically dating each other before. So why should this one be any different, I asked myself. I realized that she has practically accepted me into her inner circle long before, so why should I be nervous around her?

 

And by that, I nodded my head towards her. I understand now. She then smiled at me with that old mischievous grin she had, and everything was alright.

 

She then asked me, “So, where do you want to go now?”

 

“I have something in mind, but I just want to know if you’ll rather eat first or do something fun.” I replied to her.

 

“Let’s say I want to eat first,” she chose. “I want a steak.”

 

“I was pretty much thinking of the same thing.” I said.

 

She gave me this incredulous but flattered look. “You just said that because I said it, did you?”

 

“Of course not,” I said. “I planned to take you to a steakhouse.”

 

“That’s great!” she said. “Then don’t give me a surprise; tell me what happens after the dinner.”

 

I paused for a while and then said, “I’ve got two tickets for the opening night for a classic horror movie fest week.”

 

“Well, I thought you were scared of the dark or something like that. What’s with the horror movies, then?” She inquired.

 

“They’re showing this weird old horror movie called Eraserhead.” I replied. “I’ve heard things about the film and how supposedly great it is, so I became curious. I will see it first time in my life, so I decided to see it with you.”

 

“Okay.” She shrugged smugly. “I don’t want any hiding away from you, though; especially not behind my back.”

 

“Don’t be silly. You know I’m always a movie fan.” I said to her with a straight face.

 

“Fine by me, then.” We then went silent for a while after we made up our minds about the date. She broke this silence by asking, “Let’s go?”

 

I nodded in agreement, and we began to walk together.