7 Chapter 6 – A Blast From The Past

They say that dates are fundamentally made up of two aspects: Number 1 is deciding where to eat and number 2 is deciding what to eat. Thankfully (as I was forking out for this date), I decided on pizza for lunch and Eve had no choice but to happily agree.

Upon taking our orders the clearly exhausted waitress wearily informed us she would bring the food to the table shortly, (most likely after downing a few caffeine shots and smoking some well-deserved joints). However the drinks were self-service and therefore in typically gracious fashion I informed Eve I would go pour us some.

Carefully placing the drinks on the tray as I began my short walk towards our table, it was at this exact time that certain...Recent events encompassed my thoughts, effectively reducing my concentration levels to zero (whilst exponentially increasing my levels of absent-mindedness).

Have you ever watched those old black and white movies where a young handsome male carrying a tray of drinks inevitably trips over a similarly young and incredibly pretty female bent precariously over a table, clumsily spilling the drinks all over her pristine dress.....So yeah.....That happened.

"Shit!!! Oh my god I am so so sorry!!! I'll get some tissues and help clean up....." As the gorgeous girl's gaze rose to meet mine, something about her crimson-red hair and familiar facial features caused me to pause mid sentence.

"It's Ok....Really these things can happen...Shimon?? Is that you??"

"Rea? What the?" Before you ask whether it was a compulsory theme park safety measure to wear official name badges (or if we had very recently undergone the rather unlikely feat of developing psychic powers), I had better explain a few things. Rea (full name Reagan Sparks) was a very old and dear Otaku friend of mine (anime/game lover) from my primary school whom I had sadly lost contact with after she moved away.

The gorgeous specimen standing shocked before me (drenched in a rather uncalled for mixture of Sprite and Diet Coke.....Yeah I know women and diet soft drinks go figure), was a far cry from the Rea I remember. Gone was the geeky over-sized glasses, scruffy unbrushed hair and slightly round face (with body to match)....And in it's place was.....What I can only describe as Perfection.

Disregarding the mess I made; Rea's silky smooth crimson-tinged locks flowed seductively onto her toned shoulders, being what I guessed very slightly taller than Eve, (albeit with wider hips and slightly less muscle than my sports-mad sister) and with plush sensual ruby lips, everything about Rea screamed sex appeal.

"Wow Rea....You....You look incredible...."

"OMG Rea!" The unmistakable sound of footsteps bounding eagerly towards us coupled with my younger sisters signature shriek caused me to stop mid-sentence. Though Eve quickly decided against hugging her old friend after noticing the consequences of my clumsiness coupled with my overly sheepish expression.

"You know Onii when you said your going to pour us some drinks.....This isn't what I had in mind you Perv!" Eve's lips pursed into a wide grin as her gaze narrowed playfully towards me.

"Eve leave him alone it was a total accident!"

"Don't defend him Rea!!! You'd be safer....And a whole lot cleaner away from him!!" Eve and Rea shared a few knowing glances before bursting out laughing. My initial tension and inhibitions had completely evaporated, being replaced with a warm familiarity thanks to this welcome reunion. Sadly my mouth has the occasional habit of being a few steps ahead of my brain, inadvertently causing me to speak without thinking:

"So Rea are you here with anybody?"

"Umm....Actually I am but....It's a long story...."

"Onii how dare you quiz a young girl like that!!! First you hit on your own sister and now your trying it on my old friend? Freaking Perv!!! Rea let's go get you cleaned up and far away from this useless Siscon!!"

With those final words Eve whisked Rea away in the general direction of the ladies bathroom, making sure I noticed her middle finger raised theatrically behind her. Taking my seat alone at our table after helping (the clearly irritated waitress) to clean the floor, I couldn't help but wonder if I might one day come to understand what the hell just transpired.

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The girl's took an age to return, (either they were having "girl time" or there were way more embarrassing stories about me than I care to remember). My earlier question towards Rea had clearly affected the mood as she hastily excused herself and left with only a sympathetic wave. Mean-whilst Eve completely disregarded recent events, instead speaking about her useless friends and their non-existent high school relationships. Upon finishing eating we decided to go on a few short water rides before heading home, however upon entering the house Eve's demeanour instantly darkened.

"Stop Onii we need to talk." Stood with my back to Eve, a deep sigh escaped my lips as Eve locked the door behind us with an emphatic click.

"What's wrong Eve? Did I do something?"

"Your smarter than that Onii....Cut the crap."

"OK.....But refresh my memory....Just so were on the same page."

"You want me to spell it out to you??? You asking me out on a date so suddenly with a face like I was a terminal patient!!!" Eve's tone was a far cry from her usual joyous self, screamed towards me in a delicate balance of anger and sadness.

Funny isn't it? Men tend to be far less intuitive at picking up on our own personal "habitualisms" as I like to call them. Subtle gestures we make or words we utter that hint towards our innate desire to secrecy. Sofia had easily picked up on it the other day and apparently Eve had too.

"Sofia came over the other day....." My words caught in my throat as Sofia's ominous words flashed across my mind.

"I know she did, we met outside the house and we went back to her place for dinner.....What's your point Onii???"

"She said that....That....That one day.....You'd leave." My pathetic words escaped my lips in a hushed whisper. I had initially utilised loneliness as an excuse, a protectional barrier in order to prevent the pain of loss of those I held dearest. Lately however I had come to both despise and fear loneliness; Suffering through loss is a small price to pay if you can enjoy and build memories which transcend time itself.

"Oh....She was just talking in general Onii....Everyone has to move on at some point in their life."

Remember when I spoke of "habitualisms"? For the second time (the first with Lucy), becoming preoccupied with my own insecurities had prevented me from picking up on Eve's particular "habitualisms." The lowered tone of her voice coupled with her highly generalised response should theoretically have alerted me towards a deeper hidden meaning.

"Eve I...I can't....After all these years....We only got close recently and.....And I.....I can't bear to lose you now!!!" My words faltered not due to lacking resolution, no this was something far different.....Far more important.

Interrupting my thoughts, Eve proceeded to wrap her arms tenderly around my waist, the warmth of her breath against my skin instantly calming my soul as she whispered affectionately into my ear:

"Onii I want you to listen to me.....I'm here with you now and I'm not leaving you today, tomorrow or next week for that matter.....But whatever happens whether were a few centimetres away or a million miles apart, your my one and only Onii and I love you more than anything in the world."

Leaning over my shoulder Eve tenderly kissed me on the cheek, playfully pushing me to the side as she proceeded to walk past me and half-way up the stairs before abruptly stopping:

"Oh and a quick FYI.....I graciously provided Rea with your number....She wasn't in the mood to talk as she recently broke up with her boyfriend...However I believe the word she used to describe you was cutie????? Hmm yep that's the one."

As Eve said the word "cutie" she turned around, providing me with her signature warm smile and adding a playful little wink.

"Good-Night Onii....Promise me that this won't be our last outing?"

Eve's words were generally fraught with a diverse mixture of sarcasm and ridicule, however as our eyes momentarily met the sincerity in her voice was crystal clear. I would eventually come to realise this was one of those special moments transcending time itself and therefore unable to hold back my joyous delight, my mouth broke into a wide grin as my final unhesitant words escaped my lips:

"I Promise."