"Nicholas?" I exclaimed in shock.
"The one and only," he said, striking a handsome pose.
"Hahaha, what are you doing here?" I asked.
"Oh, my mom had something delivered to her acquaintance who owns a shop here. I was about to go home, but then I saw you, so I approached you," he said.
"Do you have a date?" he added, smirking.
"No, it's not a date. Gray's sister gave us the ticket, so we couldn't refuse. But there was a sudden emergency at Gray's house, so I'll be watching alone," I explained.
"Well, I'll take Gray's place then, so the ticket won't go to waste," he said, giving me a wink. I was about to protest, but he pulled me inside the cinema. Once we entered, we looked for seats as the movie was about to start in a few minutes. We sat at the very back. Tsk, we're surrounded by couples. it's because it's a romance-themed movie Emily you're so stupid. Hahaha, I'm talking to myself.
" it's starting" Nicholas said excitedly
As the lights dimmed and the movie began, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and awkwardness sitting next to Nicholas. The movie turned out to be a romantic comedy, and as the story unfolded on the screen, I found myself occasionally stealing glances at Nicholas, trying to gauge his reaction.
Surrounded by couples cuddling and whispering sweet nothings, I focused on a movie. I thought it was a romantic comedy, but then there was a plot twist in the end—the girl died. I got teary-eyed as the movie continued, and then the boy also took his own life because he wanted to follow his beloved. That's where the movie ended.
I started crying. Love really has the power to make someone sacrifice their life for their beloved. But I know that in reality, no one can do that.
Someone handed me a handkerchief, and it was Nicholas.
"Oh, your tears and runny nose have been flowing since earlier," he said.
"Thank you," I replied, wiping my tears and nose. I handed him the handkerchief to return it.
"Ew, you can keep it," he said, disgusted.
"You're so exaggerated. It's like you don't crying and runny nose , huh? By the way, why didn't you cry?" I asked.
"Is it worth crying?" he asked.
"Yes," I said.
"I would only cry if it happened to me, but I doubt it ever will," he said.
"Because you're a playboy. I hope you fall deeply in love and get rejected by that girl," I said, laughing and cursing at the same time.
"Hey, take that back. I'm not a playboy, and you better watch out if that ever happens because I won't stop until I get my revenge on you," he said.
But I just laughed at her and we left the cinema. When we went out, it was raining. What will happen now? I won't be able to go home yet. Sigh.
"Come on," Nicholas invited me.
"Where?" I asked.
"To the arcade. It's still raining, and we can't go home yet, so let's enjoy here" he said.
"But..." I was about to complain, but he pulled me towards the arcade.
As we entered the arcade, the lively atmosphere and the sound of arcade games filled the air. Nicholas led me to a racing game, and we took our places in front of the steering wheels.
With each rev of the engine and sharp turn on the virtual racetrack, the worries of rain started to fade away. Laughter replaced my initial frustration as we engaged in a friendly competition, playfully nudging each other's arms whenever one of us overtook the other.
As we moved from one game to another, the arcade became our own little refuge from the downpour outside. We tried our luck at shooting games, basketball hoops, and even danced together on the colorful pads of a rhythm game. Time flew by, and soon we found ourselves lost in the joy of the moment.
Hours passed, and when we finally decided to leave the arcade, it was getting dark outside. I looked at my watch and it was already 5:45pm, but I didn't realize how much time had passed because I was enjoying myself so much at the arcade.
I was about to say goodbye to Nicholas when suddenly my stomach growled, a sign that I was hungry.
"Are you hungry? Let's go eat," he offered.
"Oh, no, it's fine. I don't want to inconvenience you. I'll be going home anyway," I said.
Despite my initial hesitation, Nicholas insisted that we grab a bite to eat and offered to give me a ride home.
And since I had nothing else to do, I just said yes. I expected that he would take me to fancy restaurants, but we ended up at a street food place. I didn't know that Nicholas goes here, they are rich so I thought he wouldn't eat here. day by day I always discovered a unique personality on him.
We got off and walked around to find food. First, we had pancakes for 10 pesos and sweet corn for 10 pesos. We also bought a hotdog for 15 pesos, 10-peso fish balls, and a drink for 15 pesos. So we spent 60 pesos each.
We were near the river, and there were bleachers on the side. We sat there, and I looked at him to see if he would eat what we bought.
"What are you looking at? Are you enchanted by my handsomeness?" he arrogantly said.
"No, I'm just surprised that you're eating this," I said.
"Hey, don't judge me just because we're rich. We only eat expensive things. I come here often," he said.
"Oh really? With your other girls?" I asked, laughing.
"No, I only brought you here," he said, and I felt a flutter in my stomach.
"Wow, every time I get to know you I always discovered something unexpected about you. You're actually nice and fun to be with," I said.
"Ohhh, you might fall in love with me," he said, grinning.
"Yuck, even if you were the last man on Earth, I wouldn't fall in love with you," I said, and we burst into laughter.
As we continued to enjoy our street food snacks near the river, the atmosphere between Nicholas and me became more relaxed and comfortable. We shared stories, laughed, and got to know each other better. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that behind his initial arrogance, Nicholas had a charming and genuine side to him.
I decided to go home because it was already 7pm, and Nicholas escorted me to our house.
"Thank you, Nicholas. I had a great day because of you," I said to him.
"You're welcome, Emily. It's nice to spend time with you today. So, are we friends now?" he asked. Why would he want to be friends with me? Oh well.
"Yes, of course. I consider you a friend because you always save me when I'm in trouble," I said, and then we shook hands. As I touched his hand, I felt a slight electric shock run through my body. I let go of his hand and said goodbye to each other.
I waited for him to leave before I went inside.
When I entered, my mom greeted me. "So? Did you go on a date with Gray? Why were you out for so long?" She asked many more questions, but I only answered her with,
"No, Mom. There was an emergency at Gray's house this morning, and I went to the mall. I'm not hungry; I've already eaten." I said and went into my room.
I checked if Gray had messaged me, but there was nothing, so I sent him a message instead, saying, "Are you okay? I'm already home." And without realizing it, I fell asleep.