twenty

Kao

I was biting my lip trying not to smile as I watched the guy before me list down the order while the same waiter who attended to us last time waited, occasionally smiling at me.

I didn't want to come off as a creep or mental but I just could not help but smile every time I think about the fact that I was with Pete and that he just gave me his number the same way I gave him mine.

What more, he just told me I was the only one he wanted to have it despite him being cradled by all those girls from my school earlier.

Okay.

I'm not that delusional.

I mean, yes, I might have been crushing on Pete and I have had admitted it to myself already but that does not mean I would just let my self go and be all assuming about us going out this way.

I mean, for all I know, and for how he always behaves for all those times he was given favors, maybe this time, he also just wanted to thank me for helping home with his cut and bruise from last time.

And him giving me his number and asking for mine, was his way of being friendly and well, who knows what really he is thinking.

"Here."

I blinked at him when he handed me the order slip.

"Hmm?"

I asked bewilderedly as I took the paper from him.

"You want to add anything more?"

Fvck, Kao!

Speak!

Don't just gawk at him!

"I-I-ah, you didn't ask me the last time."

I said when I was finally able to wire my brain to my moth properly.

"That was because it was your first time here I thought I'd order the food I thought you'd like. Why? Didn't you like the food I ordered last time?"

Okay, Kao, breathe.

You don't want to go all red now do you!?!

"It was, it was okay. I mean good. I mean delicious. I liked it."

I saw him shrugged.

"Good. So, I presumed by now you have your own food to order?"

Do I?

I mean, I was looking at him the whole time and was thinking about this whole dinner thing and of how I could have been crushing with him so yeah, no way I was thinking about what food to order.

"Uhm, no. It's alright. I'm just going to have what you're having. Just the same as last time."

I swallowed dryly when Pete looked at me intently before regarding the wait staff.

"You heard him?"

The wait staff smiled before nodding at the both of us and left.

We were sitting with each other in silence after the wait staff left us alone on our table.

I was trying to look around the place and focus on other things except Pete.

But I couldn't help but glance at how he was thumping his fingers quietly on the table as he jammed on to the background music playing at the eatery which I had no idea what about.

So what now?

No talking?

Are we really just here to eat!?!

"Pete."

I called out after mustering all the courage I have.

"Kao."

Why does my name sound like that when he says it?

Like, he was meant to say it.

"I-how was your mouth?"

I asked.

I should have really thought of a better question before jumping right to it.

"It's healing."

Pete answered after he run his right thumb over the cut.

"Thank you."

I blinked at him.

"For helping me cleaning and treating it and stuff."

I nodded and smiled a little and it was quiet yet again.

"So why are we here?"

I asked after another round of trying to avoid each other while waiting for our food.

"To have dinner."

I stared at Pete who raised his eyebrows at me.

"Yeah, I know that. But why?"

I need to know the answer or I'll have to make made up reasons in my head and that would really not be nice.

"I don't know. Why do people even have dinner? Maybe because they're hungry or something?"

I narrowed my eyes at Pete and give him my 'really?' look.

He's the one who had the idea of throwing a crumpled paper invite at me and he would tell me just that?!?!

"So you mean to tell me you have been hungry since you threw me that invite the last time? And why would you even do that? Why can't you just tell me in person or something?"

Pete cleared his throat before leaning towards me on the table.

He seemed to have something to say but decided against in the end to my disappointment.

"Don't worry about the guys from last time. They won't be bothering you anymore."

I made a face at him.

What guys!?!

Oh, wait, yes!

Those who tried to harass us and failed.

The guys headed by the one who snatched my phone but failed in the end because of Pete.

What about them?

I actually haven't thought of them since the incident.

Should I have!?!

"I wasn't worried. Wait-did you just invite me to eat out for you to tell me that?"

I saw him shrugged again.

Was that a yes?

"Also, Kaleb is busy so I don't have anyone to eat out with. I don't have a lot of friends."

He waited for days after the invite, did he like anticipated that Kaleb would be busy to eat out with him that he waited for Friday for a dinner with me!?!

But wait.

He said he didn't have many friends to eat out with right?

That's why he invited me.

Does it mean he considered me his friend now?!?

"Also, I-I want to thank you for your help with the car from last time and the other time. I mean, although that incident with the boys was entirely my fault, you still stuck around and helped me after. It must have a chocked you to see those kind of violence in the streets, no?"

Pete making that reserved and then wondering face was really worth the effort of coming her with him on a public bus as he told me the scooter he used the last time when he 'delivered' his invite was his classmate's and un commissioned at the moment.

But that was really not the point, the point is what the hell was he talking about!?!

He basically just went from ten to zero real quick with what he was saying.

"You make it sound like I'm a sheltered, overprotected kid. What's with the shock statement? I already told you, I'm not some 'rich kid' as you and Kaleb both think. It's just happened that we somehow could get by with life and my parents can afford to send me to a private school with the other real rich kids but I'm not really that kind of rich kid. I mean, why am I even explaining myself to you? But here's the thing, I'm not rich, okay? And even if I am, so what?"

I'm not easily annoyed but Pete was making me at the moment and I don't even know why.

"Alright. Alright. Just chill. You seemed so worked out."

I rolled my eyes at him.

He was the reason why I was.

"Do you have like-a rich people complex or something?"

I hope it was the car, or I would think he just really categorically hate me.

"What? No. I'm just not really good with you guys."

I rolled my eyes at him.

"I live in a an exclusive subdivision yes. And I go to a private school and my parents are doing well with their small business but we're not rich rich. And even if I am, so what?!?

Pete and I stared at each other for some time before he spoke.

"This dinner is a bad idea."

He shook his head as he said that mostly to himself.

"What!?!"

He heaved a sigh before he sat back on his chair.

"Let's just eat and then go."

Really!?!

What the hell is wrong with this guy he's such a stupid confusing specimen!!!

"Yeah, okay? But in between that, let's talk. Explain to me what this is all about?"

Because I'm seriously confused at the moment.

"What is there more to explain? This is a dinner to thank you for helping me out last time. Like the one before this. And I'm sorry if I could only bring you here and not to smoke fancy restaurants."

I rolled my eyes for the nth time with what he said.

Seriously, this guy would kill me with exasperation!

"Also, this would be the last time. You won't see me or Keng anywhere near you anymore. You shouldn't have talked to us after you got your phone, I didn't know why you even bothered anyway."

Fine!

I'm crushing on Pete.

But it's possible to like someone and still want to punch them on the face right!?!

Because that was what I really wanted to do at the moment.

"And why is that?!?"

I asked him a little louder that I meant to which made few other customers looked our way.

But I didn't care.

"You don't have to shout."

Pete informed me as if I didn't know that.

"And you don't have to be this annoying."

I glared at him.

"Look, I'm just trying to say-that-you're better off with all your rich friends."

I rolled my eyes yet again.

Seriously.

If I hear one more line just like that form Apollo, I'm really going to kick him on his knee under the table.

"What would a private school student want from over age high school students, right?"

What!?!

"Why does it even matter so much to you!?!"

And here I thought Pete could not be anymore annoying.

"Because it matters! Big time!"

He said in gritted teeth as he looked straying into my eyes.

"Your people don't go with my people and it sucks!"

He almost whispered the words as he enunciated each one very carefully as if in doing so, I would get his point.

I didn't.

Until he looked down on the table and continued.

"It sucks because I want to be friends with you but I know I should not."