Let's Just Fall In Love Again (ch. 6)

Chapter 6: Old Memories, Riddles and Messages

“Is Vanessa still upstairs”, Emma asked. She was sitting in the counter, nibbling on an apple.

"Yes. I think she’s already sleeping.” Mrs. Summer asked while giving her a glass of hot cocoa. Emma loved drinking hot cocoa before sleeping.

“Thanks.” She sipped at her drink and her spirit lifted.

“What happened to your knee?”

“What? Oh, I fell outside. Its okay now, Daniel helped me. All it needs now is a good cleaning and a clean dressing.”

After a moment of silence, Emma spoke.

“Mum, I have a question for you. Did you like dad before dad said that he likes you?”

Mrs. Summer smiled.

“Hmm, let me think. I liked him in a way.”

“What made you realize that you love him?” Emma asked again. Mrs. Summer looked at her daughter; spreading fallen drops of water on the counter, making shapes out of it by her finger.

Danielle relived the memories. Who would never like the hot quarterback star, Aiden Summer? Every boy in school wanted to be friends with him. Every girl swooned at the very sight of him. But not her. She had a secret crush at him like every girl in school but tried to hide for she thought that she would never have a chance with him.

She thought wrong.

It all started with their English project. A pair of students should make an essay about their partners. Fate was there to cross their lines and made them partners. During the first week of their ‘getting to know each other’, they keep on getting in each other’s nerves. In the middle of their workdays, she realized that she will miss him. She’ll miss every fighting and shouting and bickering. She’ll miss the constant exchange of insults and knew that she enjoyed every detail of those days.

She tried avoiding him every bit as possible but each day, but she knew that she became more and more drawn to him. One day changed their lives. The day their essays were being read, she listened to what he wrote and what she heard touched her. Couldn’t hide her feelings anymore, she dragged him away the minute she saw him to a tree behind their school building where no one could see them and kissed him full on the lips.

Mortified of what she had done, she pulled back and started to run way but was stopped by Aiden. He caught hold of her left wrist and pulled her none too gently back in his arms. Her eyes widened when he said those three words. I don’t have to tell you what those words are, you already know it. After that, no one knew what she did but everyone knows that she had the bad-boy in school wrapped around her fingers. Until now.

“I don’t know. All I know is that during our last day together as partners, I knew that I’m going to miss our constant bickering. Later did I knew that I love him was when he was reading his essay about me.” Her mother answered.

"Does my daughter felt the same way to a guy?”

Startled, Emma scoffed. She gave it a deep thought. In love? Ha! I mean, with whom?

DANIEL. A voice inside her said.

Emma choked on her drink causing some of her drink to spatter on counter. Her mother was already on her and handing her a towel and a glass of water. All her appetite for her hot cocoa was all gone.

“Are you okay?” Danielle, her mother asked.

“Yeah. The cocoa’s just hot. I’m tired. I’ll go upstairs now.” And with that, she left her mum standing alone in the kitchen and went upstairs in a daze.

Vanessa was covered by the blanket when Emma saw her so she silently went inside the bathroom, picking her pajamas on the way. After she changed, she laid on her bed and thought about what she thought a while ago.

She must be crazy, she thought. How could she still be in love with Daniel? It was a long time now. It had worn off.

Wrong.

She knew she still love him. It took one look at him and all the feelings that she thought was gone came rushing back to him like a wave hitting the side of a hill. It hit her so hard she felt like jumping off the hill.

No. She couldn’t be. Not Daniel. I just want him back as my best friend. I don’t want to ruin what we have. She thought over and over.

She was starting to drift away when her cell phone vibrated. It was a message from Daniel.

How’s your knee going?-Daniel

Emma smiled at his concern. If only he was here, then she’d kiss him full on the lips.

What?! I’m going crazy again.

She shook her head and texted.

It’s alright now and thanks.

After a few seconds, her phone vibrated against her chest. She opened the message and Daniel texted:

Good and thanks for what?

Emma started and sent it right away.

Thanks for helping me back there and thanks for understanding my ‘snapping’ attitude. I don’t know why I did that but that was embarrassing. I’m really sorry.

Emma put her cell phone back to her chest and closed her eyes. She didn’t know why she snapped at Daniel. Maybe she got frustrated about her body’s reaction from Daniel’s touch that caused her to be snobbish to him. A few seconds after, she jumped when he phone vibrated. She opened the message.

It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.

Emma wasn’t convinced.

I’m really sorry….

A few minutes later, she saw the lights in Daniel’s room turned on and heard his sliding door slid open. Then, as if called, his shadow was there outside her room.

She tip-toed across her room to the sliding door and slid it open. There he was, sitting on the chair in the corner of the balcony. His face illuminated by the light from the lamppost was facing straight ahead. Suddenly, noticing her, he turned to face her and smiled the smile that made Emma’s knees weak.

“One more sorry and I’m never going to talk to you again.” He stood up and took a step toward her. She took a step back out of instinct.

“What are you doing here?!” Emma whispered.

Ignoring her question, Daniel held her hand and slowly led her to the rails. He stood beside her and looked up to the sky.

The sky was filled with stars and the moon was shining like its smiling down at the world. They were silent for a moment. No one dared to speak. It was getting creepy. It was like old times when Daniel would climb at the nearest branch and jumped to Emma’s balcony. They wouldn’t do anything, just lying on the blanket which Emma brought out and look at the stars.

Emma sneaked a glance at Daniel who was still watching the skies. Does he still remember those old times like this?

He really had changed, she noticed. Not just on the physical. He didn’t say anything yet but something inside Emma that said that he was not the same Daniel.

A pair of green eyes was suddenly staring back at her. At the greenness of those eyes, she thought that anyone who stares at it for a long time would certainly drown. And she was beginning to drown herself.

I need to stop staring!!! Emma thought but she didn’t do it. She started towards him when she saw Daniel mouth moved.

“Is there something on my face?”

She stopped and blinked.

What was she doing?

“Er – what was that?”

“I asked you if there was something on my face.” He smiled again that she had to grip the rails for leverage.

“Oh, there’s none.” She turned away and her gaze was seized by a couple of shadows sneaking beside house which was a few blocks fro Nicole’s. She was starting to tell Daniel that someone was trying to steal in the house of their neighbor when she saw that the two shadows were actually a girl and a boy.

The couple looked like they were talking. The boy was holding the girl’s hand when suddenly the boy reached at his back and brought out a flower he probably picked along his way to the girls house. The girl smiled sweetly and kissed the boy’s cheeks. Maybe the girl said something that really pleased the boy because he was suddenly hugging the girl and twirling her around. He put her down and kissed her, looking like he didn’t want to let the girl go.

“Hey”, Daniel spoke closely to her ear that she jumped softly after hearing those words. He followed where Emma was staring and he saw the kissing couple.

“Do you know them?”

He felt Emma shook her head.

“I’m envious of that boy.” Daniel spoke after watching the boy hesitating to leave the girl at the front door.

“Why is that?” Emma asked, her gaze still fixed at the couple sweetly parting each other for the night. She turned to look at Daniel when he didn’t answer. He was now slowly walking away from her and upon reaching the rails, he turned to look at her.

“Because he got the girl he likes. Not like me, she’s within my reach already but still she’s not mine.” And with that said, he suddenly climbed the branch, jumped to his balcony and in a flash, he was closing his sliding door behind him.

That’s enough for now. Daniel thought, leaving a confused Emma behind.

Emma watched his door for a long moment before walking back to her bed in a daze. She lay quietly in her bed. She was confused.

What did he mean by that?

Emma pondered about his last sentence after falling into a fitful sleep.