She stared at her phone contemplating whether or not she should text him first. He was the one kissing a girl, she shouldn’t be the one to make the first move, she thought.
“Yeah … but you were with Theo the night before he left, and you didn’t show up at his house to say goodbye to him,” Jan said.
“I did go to his house …” Hazel was being defensive.
“But he didn’t know that … to him, you ditched him and then failed to show up the next day,” Jan was laying on the bed beside her playing with her own phone.
“Look … look …” Jan tapped Hazel’s arm, “He posted these on Instagram, have you seen them?” she showed Hazel the pictures Lee posted of his vacation in Korea.
“Is it new? I think I’ve seen them all up until last night,” she was unimpressed with old news.
“No, this one … the caption … ‘wish you were here’ … who do you think he’s referring it to?” Jan pointed to a close-up picture of him in front of an ice cream parlor with the word ‘Hazelnut Coffee Cream’ next to him.
That made Hazel smile, she hadn’t seen that one. “So … should I text him?”
Jan snatched Hazel’s phone from her hand and went to her Instagram, “Reply on the post … Mischa will see it too, this post is definitely for you, and if he’s seeing Mischa the way you think he is, he wouldn’t post something like this.”
She was reluctant to do it at first, what if Jan was wrong? But what if she’s right? She took a deep breath and started typing. She tapped the picture twice, right on his super sweet smile and his dimple and then she typed, “I miss you, dimples.”
It was the simplest and truest thing she ever said, she felt something hardened in her stomach. What if he doesn’t respond?
But before she could think anything else, her phone dings. A WhatsApp message from Dimples.
Dimples: Two weeks … no goodbyes … no messages? I could strangle you.
Her heart fluttered. He was upset with her, but she was smiling. No matter how angry he was at her, he’s never been mean to her. Even in his text, she could sense that he misses her too.
Hazelnut: I ran to your house … you were kissing HER.
Dimples: Typing …
She braved herself to tell him that, she wanted answers, she waited in anticipation while watching him typing and paused, typing and paused again.
Dimples: Are you punishing me for kissing a girl?
It was quite a short line for typing them so long. She thought about it before replying.
Hazelnut: I don’t like how it made me feel … is she your girlfriend now?
Dimples: No … she’s not … I’m sorry
She gasped silently, his apology was unexpected. She hadn’t typed anything yet when she saw him typing again. She waited.
Dimples: Can I call you? I miss you terribly
It melts her heart, she squirmed and leaned on Jan who was sitting beside her. It made her peeked at their conversation.
“I told you so … and all that sulking and silent treatment were for nothing,” she nudged her elbow.
Hazelnut: Voice or video?
Right after she sent the text, her phone lit up with Lee’s face on display. He was calling her through voice call.
Lee: Hi …
His voice warmed her heart. It’s what she’s been longing for two weeks.
Hazel: Hey …
She could hear him took a deep breath and cleared his throat.
Lee: Hazel … I’m sorry … I didn’t know you came that morning, I thought you’ve forgotten about me or some other stupid reason that held you back … I thought it was Theo or … I don’t know …
Hazel: No, I wouldn’t miss it for the world … you should’ve known better than that … but when I got there you were …
Lee: Yeah, I know … I’m sorry about that too … (he dug his hand in his hair and wiped his face) … that was stupid, I was stupid … I don’t know how else to explain it.
Hazel bit her lower lip and held a smile, she tucked her hair behind her ear and sat on the edge of her bed. They were saying things they don’t usually say to each other, it felt weird that they were having their first misunderstanding over a kiss.
Lee: I want to tell you something …
Hazel: What is it?
Lee: I want to tell you in person.
Hazel: (Grinning like a lunatic) Why can’t you tell me on the phone?
Lee: I can’t … it’s important to tell you in person …
She could imagine him blushing with his dimples deep in his cheeks for saying that to her. She giggled.
Hazel: I have something to tell you too …
Lee: (Laughed lightly) Okay … you’re not doing that just to make me curious, right?
Hazel: (Laughed) No … it’s for real, I want to tell you something too … when are you coming back?
Lee: In two weeks … I feel like I can’t wait that long now (chuckles) I miss you Hazy, we’ve never been out of contact for this long
Hazel: I miss you too … yeah … it’s been cruel hasn’t it? I’m glad you called, I thought you’ve forgotten about me too
Lee: That’s impossible … (smiles) … I have to go now, my dad’s waiting to take us out for lunch, can I text you later? I just want to know that we’re good now, right?
Hazel: (Nodded) Of course … call me, text me, send me pictures … everything, I’ll be waiting.
Lee: Okay … I love you, Hazy
Her heart almost stopped. In all the times they were friends, they never said that to each other before, even though they felt it.
Hazel: I love you too, Dimples … (giggled)
They have always loved each other, just like she loves Jan and vice versa, but something about the conversation that day made it sound more than it was.