Celia sent a crying face sticker
Max sent a hugging bear sticker
Jane sent a heart sticker
Jane: WE love you, Celia
Max: I just think you’re over thinking
Max: He must have been busy or something
Me: Maybe
Max: Talk to him tomorrow, when he’s nice and calm
Jane: Don’t forget to tell us what happened
Me: Okay
Celia sent a fingers crossed sticker
I clicked away from the group chat, and saw one text from Ned.
Ned: OUR date is today :D
Me: I’m not ready
Ned: Why?
Ned: You promised
Me: I got some emergency going on
Me: I can’t go out tonight
Ned: Okay, what about if I come to your house?
Me: Umm, sure
Ned: COOL!
Ned: See you there! :D
Me: Okay
****************************************
My father came back in the afternoon and started cooking dinner at an early hour. I stayed in the living room with my mother, and as usual, the idiot box was going. We were alone together in the same room. I wondered if she would attempt anything irrational or attack me again. She was sitting sluggishly on the couch in front of the television, her body slumped over and loose.
I heard the doorbell.
I got up and walked to the front door. When I opened the door, Ned carried some printed papers, and a small pencil case. He looked at my face for a minute without saying anything at all. “Are you going to come in?” I asked him.
“Oh, yeah. Thank you,” he replied.
He entered, and I beckoned for him to come to the living room. We sat on the sofa near each other, and he placed his papers and pencil case on the coffee table. I couldn’t get my eyes off his Happy Burger t-shirt. It was a burger with eyes, accompanied by a big grin.
“So?” he said.
I took the papers he brought and read some of them. “You want us to create a comic book?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’m great at drawing comics, and you’re great at planning, so we make a great team,” he explained.
I doubted that we made a great team, and blurted, out, “Are you sure? This could take a while. Do we have time for this?”
“Absolutely,” he said, and grinned his cheesy grin.
He showed me the other papers with comics he drew on, “Look, these are some of the comics I drew,” he said. “What do you think?”
I looked at them. They looked like a professional comic book; I had to admit it. He was really good. “Yeah, you’re really good,” I said, offering a compliment. “Actually, you’re excellent.”
He blushed, and rubbed his hand on his lap out of nervousness. “Thank you, that means a lot from a hot girl like you.”
Did he just say hot girl? “So what’s the plot like?” I asked.
“Um, that’s your job. You should write it,” he instructed.
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve never written any plot to a story before.”
“Try.”
“Okay, when do you need it?” I asked.
“Let’s say by next week.”
“Ned, I don’t know if I can deliver it that fast.” I hated to turn anyone down, but right now, what with all that was going on in my life, I didn’t think I could. “What if I can’t?”
“Well, you have to, because we should deliver this project within two weeks,” he reminded me. “And I can’t do it by myself.”
My father came in from the kitchen and looked at Ned sitting beside me on the sofa. He stopped and said, “Umm.”
I got up and introduced them to each other, “Dad, this is Ned. Ned, this is my father.”
Ned got up and extended his hand, and shook my father’s hand.
My father smiled. “Nice to meet you, uh, Ned, is it?”
“Yes, it’s Ned,” Ned said. “My parents named me after my grandpa.”
My father nodded. “Ah, okay. Well, it’s nice to meet you, Ned. Please stay for dinner.”
“Thank you, Mr. Williams, it would be my pleasure, although I already had my dinner. I came here to discuss the project with your daughter, if you don’t mind.”
Ned’s good manners weren’t lost on my father, and he briefly gave me a glance, as if to say, he isn’t bad. “Not at all, you’re welcome here.”
“Thank you, sir,” Ned said.
My father excused himself and walked into the kitchen again.
I tried not to laugh.
“You have a cool dad,” Ned stated.
“I know.”
Ned’s phone rang and he picked up the phone. “Hey, yeah, I’m on my way now.”
He hung up, and turned to me. “Celia, I have to go. My friends are waiting for me at home. We got, umm, some important things to do, if you don’t mind.”
“No, not at all,” I said.
He waved to my father in the kitchen, “See ya, Mr. Williams.”
My father offered a brief wave in return. “Take care, Ned.”
Ned collected his stuff, and walked to the door. He opened the door, and looked behind him, “See you tomorrow?” He asked.
“We’ll text about it,” I said.
He left.
****************************************
I texted Kent before I went to bed to see if he was still mad at me.
Me: Kent
After five minutes of waiting he sent a text back.
Kent: Hey
Me: Hey!
Me: I’m so sorry about earlier
Me: I was in a bad mood
Me: I’m so tired, with everything that’s going on
Kent: Yeah, it’s fine
Kent: We really need to talk
Kent: The sooner, the better
Me: Yes, sure
Me: Anytime!
Me: Tomorrow then?
Kent: Sure
Kent: see you tomorrow
Celia sent a kiss sticker
On the other side, I sent a text to my girls’ group on Bubblechat.
Me: GIRLS
Max: I’m awake!
Jane: Yes?
Me: I’ve talked to Kent
Me: Just now
Max: Aww, how was it?
Jane: Did he forgive you?
Me: Kinda
Me:
