Six
“Good morning, grandpa.” King greeted as he was passing by at the living room where his Grandpa Alexander was sitting, reading a newspaper with a cup of coffee on the table in front of him.
“Good morning, son.” Alexander replied and suddenly his brows raised as he turned to look at King. He saw his grandson walking to the kitchen with a charming smile. He just shrug and pay his attention back to the newspaper.
“Good morning, mom.” King greeted as he went to table in the center of the kitchen and sat.
Jenalyn was busy frying a fish as she turned her head halfway. Enough to see him sitting while energetically smiling at her.
“Hey, what’s with that sparkling smile?” She teased as she flipped the fish and decreased the fire of the stove.
He raised his brows as he shrug, “What? Don’t I smile like this before?”
“Yea… But not as sparkling as it seems.” She turned off the stove and removed the fish from the frying pan. She put it in a rectangular stainless, together with the fried fish that she cooked earlier.
Those words from her mother hit him that made him grin from ear to ear. His eyes was following her while she removed her apron and hang it beside the refrigerator. She washed her hands in the sink near the stove and dried it with the small fabric hanging on the ref. She took the rectangular stainless and put it in the center of the table where King was sitting.
She glanced at his son who was eyeing her the whole time, “You’re probably dating someone.”
He chuckled, “What? How’s that even connected?”
She walked to the wooden compartment that was hang above the sink and took some plates and spoon. She walked back to the table and set the plates and spoons.
“Well.. You can say whatever you want to say but your actions speak louder than your words.” She hinted and went to the living room to call Alexander for breakfast.
His eyes followed her until she was gone and he secretly chuckled as he looked down.
– Daniel King Carnillo’s POV –
How does everything happen so fast? I mean, it feels like it was just yesterday when Hannah asked me to help her improve her grades in Math. She always believe that she is so terrible at it, but for me, she is not that bad. Mathematics is really a difficult subject, as well as Science. Maybe my intelligence is a gift that I can handle those subjects pretty well.
Lately, Hannah and I have been together, most of the time. We always talk about our lessons aside of Math over lunch, sometimes, during break time. I had never felt this comfortable ever since. Yeah, I talked and smiled to my classmates but I felt different when I’m with her. I felt more comfortable talking and laughing with her, specially when I stared on her beautiful smile. I never thought that we will be close. She is completely out of my league but fate is so damn playful. There is something in her that connects to me and that feeling is what I don’t want to lose.
“Something funny underneath the table?” I heard my mom teasing.
As I raised my head to meet her gaze, she was already smiling at me while walking towards the table with Grandpa Alexander. Mom sat across me and grandpa sat at the center.
“Can’t wait to see someone in school?” Mom continued with a playful smile.
I didn’t noticed myself smiling like an idiot until it took me a few minutes before I get my thoughts together. They were both staring at me like they were waiting to hear something interesting from me.
I snapped the thought of me and Hannah in my mind and glanced at the food.
“Are we going to eat without a rice?” I pointed. I hope my mom would bought it.
Mom stared at the food. Her eyes slightly widen when she suddenly remembered that she forgot to put rice on the table. She stood and went to the rice cooker. She took the aluminum pot of it and went back to the table. She put it beside the rectangular stainless as she sat.
“How’s school, son? Are we celebrating a top 1 this quarter?” Grandpa asked on a serious tone.
“Well, about that…..” I instantly paused when the thought about my report card suddenly crossed my mind.
Shoot!!
“Now that you mentioned it, I haven’t seen your card.” Mom asked fixing a suspicious look on my eyes.
I avoided her look by getting a rice from the rice cooker to fill my stomach so I could think of a good excuse, “Actually.. Mrs. Onevic already announced the top 5 for this quarter but she hadn’t released our report cards.”
Immediately, I put a spoon full of rice straight to my mouth and lightly moved my eyes just to have a small glimpse of her reaction.
She just shrugged then grandpa and her exchanged looks for a while. Later, they help themselves by getting rice from the rice cooker and fried fish from the rectangular stainless.
After I chewed and swallowed all of the food in my mouth, I started poking my fork on my plate. It caught their attention. Mom stared at me with curiosity.
“Is there something bothering you, King?” Mom asked. Her serious tone hit me.. Like I wanted to scream to her that some self-centered asshole took my report card and threw it somewhere. But of course, I don’t want to create a scene at school. So I just come up with something else.
I was still poking my fork when I replied, “Mom… Will you against with the idea of me… dating someone?” I wasn’t sure if this will be the right topic but since I’m already into the idea of me dating Hannah….
I heard my mother laugh and I lift my head to see her overreacting. Her jaw was almost to drop and her eyes widen.
She looked at grandpa who was smirking at me, “Did you heard that dad? He’s already dating someone. I knew it!” She exclaimed in her tone full of excitement.
“Our young boy is now a grown man.” Grandpa started with a casual smile.
I looked back at my plate as I smirk but still poking my fork on it.
“How long you’ve been dating this girl?” I could feel mom’s excitement. It’s like she’s more excited than me.
I swallowed as I gather my thoughts together, “It’s not an official date. Most of the time, we were together for some reports and assignments. And we also spend the lunch together.”
“Then make it official.” Mom immediately blurted. It caught my attention and directly meet her eyes, “Invite her here for a dinner. I’m sure your grandpa would love to meet her.” And she glanced on grandpa with a smile.
Grandpa nodded, “Of course, son. I won’t be against that but be sure to prioritize your studies above all.”
I nodded with a smirk. I was smiling the entire time while eating. I never thought that they would support me, knowing that there is nothing I could hear from them aside from study first.
Mom was staring at me while grinning. I could feel her eyes on me, though I tried to focus on my food. I know mom was kind of protective. She wants me to finished my studies first, but maybe it won’t hurt her knowing that I’m dating since my grades was never a disaster.
How will I asked Hannah? It’s not like I said something intimate to her or even show it. We never talk about crush or something related. It will be awkward if I asked her directly. She will surely wonder. Probably decline.
I never dated before though I have some crushes but I never confess to them. It feels like something new to me. Thinking about this stuff makes my heart race like an idiot.
I was slowly taking steps towards the room, intentionally waiting for a certain person. I already asked some of my classmates but they said she’s not yet in the room. I was looking down trying to come up with something good to say but it seems nothing comes to my mind. My mind was filled with random thoughts that I can’t put together. Why am I so intelligent but can’t even asked a girl on a date?
“Carnillo. Why are you still outside?” The voice sounds familiar but I’m sure it wasn’t her.
I lifted my head as I looked behind me. I saw Guillermo walking towards me with…. Hannah behind her wearing her most gorgeous smile as ever.
I don’t know why but my eyes suddenly struck to her. She smiled at me when she noticed me. I can’t get my eyes off of her. Like I was staring on a goddess that came down from heaven.
I instantly flinched when Guillermo slapped my shoulder and blink at the same time. Darn it! Did I look like an idiot just a few seconds ago?
“Are you that beautiful Hannah to make the top 2 stun?” Guillermo mocked with a teasing smirk.
Brickson and Hannah chuckled with their palms covering their mouth. I swallowed as I turned my back to them and looked down.
“Drop it, Vanessa. I’ll see you later.” I heard Hannah’s voice.
I heard Brickson’s and Guillermo’s voice chuckled as I catch a glimpse of them eyeing on us. They both entered the room ahead of us while keeping their eyes at us until they are totally inside.
“Hey..” I heard a soft voice beside me. I’m sure it’s her.
I lifted my head as I looked at her. Our eyes meet as she smiled at me.
“Vanessa is just joking. Don’t mind her.” She was smiling awkwardly while trying to avoid my eyes.
I was forced to smile as I looked down. I felt uneasy. My heart is beating fast. I haven’t feel like this before.
“Shall we go inside?” She broke the awkward silence. She sounded like she was hesitating.
“No!” I uttered. I didn’t mean to raise my damn voice but I just did.
Her brows crossed and her lips was slightly parted.
“I mean…” I swallowed as I tried to calm myself and think of something to back up my foolishness, “I-I…There’s something… I wanted to tell you.?”
I know my words was stuttering and it sounded like I wasn’t sure. I was looking down when I said it. I can’t look straight to her eyes.
“Tell me.” Her voice was like music to my ears. And that’s the weirdest feeling I ever felt. Her voice was so comforting that makes me uneasy.
I could almost hear my heart beat and my palms are sweating. I could feel her eyes on me. Waiting for an answer. But damn it. I can’t even look straight to her eyes.
“Actually….” I paused and swallowed to drain this awkward feeling, “My mother asked if you could drop in at our house for dinner.” Words came out of my mouth almost a whisper. I shut my eyes after saying. I don’t want to see her reaction.
A cuddling smile flashed on her face, “Why would she asked?”
Oh no! There is the question that I’m unprepared. I gripped the straps of my backpack as I exhaled.
“Maybe because…” I paused. Having second thoughts about the word dating. I was still looking down, avoiding her look, “She thought I was dating someone.”
She looked down as she pouted. I catch a glimpse of her face and she seems disappointed.
“So we aren’t dating?” Her voice was low like she was whispering.
I looked on her, finally had the courage to face her, “No… I mean, yes, we are dating…” I paused, the moment she lifted her head and meet my eyes, “I wasn’t sure if your thinking the same…”
Gladly, her charming smile came back as she bite her lower lip, “I’ll drop by at your house after class.”
My face was almost to thorn when I grinned from ear to ear. Is that a yes? And did I just asked a girl for a dinner? It was my first time and luckily, I wasn’t rejected.
My heart was still beating so fast. Or I was just too overwhelmed. I can’t stop myself from smiling as it keeps on crossing in my mind. I really thought she would decline. I don’t understand why she said yes, but perhaps, she also have butterflies in her stomach?
Or am I overthinking too much. It’s just a dinner with mom, grandpa and her. But there is something weird from the back of my mind that makes me uneasy.