“Kidding your ass!” I snapped, rolling my eyes before grabbing the plastic bags and heading to the kitchen.
The next morning…
“What the heck!”
I exclaimed out loud after realizing that my brother and my best friend ditched me and left this morning with all the stuff we prepared last night. How did I know? Haist! It’s because I read the note they left on the table.
But then it just added more to my annoyance when I noticed the front tires of my car were both flat and I don’t know how to fix them.
I tried to call both of them but neither of them picked up.
“Argh! What the hell happened to them? What were they thinking? There’s no way they didn’t see those flat tires this morning!” I continued blabbing as I simultaneously dialing their numbers.
After trying to call them for a few minutes and still getting no answers, I decided to stop and put my phone back inside my pocket. I was about to go back into the house when a car stopped right in our driveway.
A frown immediately creased on my forehead as the confusion and curiosity hit me at the same time. But then the frown deepened when I saw David get out of the car.
“Sam,” My breath hitched when he smiled upon calling my name.
“David,” I said, slowly walking towards the gate.
“Good morning,”
“Good morning, what are you doing here?” I asked, as I opened the gate for him.
“Well, your brother called me earlier and he said you got flat tires and —”
“Uhuh! So they knew I had flat tires but they still left without me!” I complained, giving him the tiger look I should have given the two, but they weren’t there. “Anyway, you’re here to help me, right?”
“Y – Yeah,” he nodded slowly. “Do you have any spare tires?”
“Ah-ow!” I shook my head as I have him a sheepish smile.
“I only have one in the compartment,” he shrugged.
“Then what should I do?” I asked him, pouting and he chuckled at me.
“Why don’t you just ride with me since we have the same place to go?”
“Hmm… What else am I supposed to do? Do I have any other choice?” I huffed, folding my arms in front of my chest.
“So, are your things ready?”
“Yes, I’ll just get them inside,”
“Let me help you.” I was about to refuse his offer but he had long strides and was so fast in reaching the door.
I was left without a single choice that morning but to ride with him to wherever that beach Dale and Jack were talking about.
“David?”
“Yes, Sam, did you forget something inside? Let me get it for you,”
“Nope, thanks, I’ve got everything I need.” I shook my head. “I just want to ask you something and I want you to give an honest response.”
He was stopped from putting on his seatbelt as he looked at me.
“Alright, what is it?”
“Do you know all this?”
“What do you mean?” He frowned.
“The things that my brother and Jack are doing… you know, from planning a sudden outing to leaving me behind with flat tires so we can be riding in one car to the beach… these things… do you know about these things?”
“What? No!” The crease on his forehead deepened as he shook his head. I guess he was telling the truth based on the shock his face showed when he heard my question.
“Do you mean if I have any participation in the things that are happening now?” He asked, looking at me straight in the eyes and I quickly nodded. “To be honest, Sam, no.” He paused, shaking his head. “The truth is… Jack called me yesterday and she and your brother invited me to come and join you for dinner. Then, I thought of something to give you guys as a simple token of appreciation, so I decided to drop by the supermarket which I didn’t know you were also at.”
-‘Ahh… so that’s why he was there,’- I thought, never taking my gaze off his handsome face.
“But you didn’t buy anything,” I remembered he told me he would just come by at anytime.
“Yeah, because when I saw you, I suddenly was at a loss and I didn’t know what to get,” He told me, giving me a shy smile as he scratched the back of his neck. “Besides, when you said you didn’t bring your car, I immediately thought of driving you home since I was going there too.”
“Alright… but what about this morning?”
“What about this morning?” He repeated the question.
“Did they tell you to come get me and go on the same ride together?”
“Uhm… that was not what exactly they told me.” he shook his head. “When I talked to Dale this morning, he asked me if I could come over and take you with me to the beach because they saw you had flat tires and you didn’t know how to fix them. And he said he forgot to put it in the note they left for you.”
“Whoa! Amazing— what an amazing excuse, dear brother!” I exclaimed as if I was talking to Dale and he was in front of me. “They knew that I don’t know how to fix those damn tires and yet they still decided to leave!”
He just gave me a shrug.
“Well, maybe because they knew I had a car so they figured… why drive in separate cars when I can drive both of us there, right?”
“Do you think so?”
“Yeah, and honestly, I’d rather have you ride with me than let you drive alone.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I know and I’m more at ease when you’re next to me.”
Boom!!! My mouth suddenly hung in mid-air. I didn’t expect to hear that.
“So, have I answered your questions and some other things that are bothering you?”
“Hmm… yeah, kinda,” I shrugged, giving him an awkward smile.
He began to settle in and prepared to drive while I too managed to calm all my senses. I buckled my seatbelt and took another deep breath before glancing back at him.
“Are you ready?” he asked and I nodded. “Okay, here we go!” He now started the engine and off we go.
We had been traveling for about 10 minutes when I suddenly remembered something.
“This isn’t the car you used last night, is it?”
“Nope,” he replied, smiling.
“Ahh… I knew it! That’s why I wouldn’t have recognized you easily earlier if I hadn’t seen you get out of the car.”
“I had it washed this morning so, I decided to use this one today.”
“Hmm…” I nodded. It was the only thing I could respond to as I already lost for words.
I turned my gaze out the window, trying to focus my mind on other things like counting the people we passed or the dogs I see on the street being carried by their owners… something like that… because I don’t know how to start another conversation with him.
“Did you have breakfast this morning?”
-‘Whew!’- I uttered a silent prayer when I heard him ask from the driver’s seat.
“No, I was busy being annoyed at my brother and my so-called best friend that I forgot that breakfast is part of the 3 important meals of the day!” I breathed harshly, forming my fist into a ball.
But then I snapped in is direction when I heard him laugh.
“Let’s have a breakfast then. I haven’t had anything yet.”