HE WAITS FOR HER: HAPPINESS ENDS AND BEGINS 1

'Ten more minutes.'

David looked at his watch. His class is about to end. His eyes began to wander at the door, searching for someone. 'Is she here?' He sighed. Three days had passed by so quickly from his forced date with Christine. True to her words, Christine did not show her face to him anymore.

His professor was informing them about a test they should be preparing for but his mind keeps on wandering back to his memory with Christine... the way she smiles, how her eyebrow would arch, her hair being blown by the wind, her persistence, and of course, her lovely face.

David did not even realize that the class already ended. He woke up from his daydreams when the professor bid the class goodbye and walked out the door. His schoolmates stood as well and prepared to leave.

David, lazily stood up, 'Please be here.' He walked to the door and sighed after seeing no one waiting for him. 'I miss you, Christine.'

"Psst….hey…. David…"

He looked in the direction of the voice and saw Joe. He nodded his head to show he recognized her presence as a response.

"You okay?" Joe asked.

David nodded his head.

"Are you sure?" Joe asked again.

David sighed irritably, "You sure are annoying sometimes, Joe. I still have Basketball practice. You can go home by yourself, right?" he asked.

Joe opened her lips to answer but David was not in the mood for anything so he just walked away quietly with hands in his pockets. 'I hope she is at the gym.' He walked faster than usual. She is after all their team manager. She should be there. With a ray of hope, he smiled and went straight to the gym.

Eric and the others were already warming up. His eyes searched for Christine. She was not there. He went to his locker and changed into his jersey. Christine was still not there. After the warm-up, the practice began. Eric introduced several plays and they practiced them well. Still, no Christine. The practice ended, they were all getting ready to leave when Eric spoke.

"Listen up." They all looked at the captain. "Next week, we are having a new team manager. Due to some personal reasons, Christine quit." Most of the team groaned.

David closed his eyes. 'Why do you have to be so true to your words?'

*****

Joe kicked some dirt as she walked her way home. She sighed. David came back last Monday and from what she noticed, he changed. He became quiet even to her. He was never quiet when it came to her.

'I wonder what happened. Is he falling for her?' She pouted. She missed him so much. He would not even talk to her. If she asks him some questions, he would just nod or shake his head. 'David…'

She was startled and almost jumped after hearing someone honked at her. She looked back and saw a blue sports car parked by the sidewalks. She scrunched her forehead. The windows of the car rolled down. It was Kenji.

"Why are you walking here by yourself? Hop in," he said and smiled at her.

She smiled back and obliged. She opened the door and sat down on the passenger's seat. "So, when did your car get here?"

Kenji turned his left signal, checked the mirrors and maneuvered back to the road before answering her question. "Bob, drove it to school this morning," he replied and looked at her. "Why are you walking? Where's David?"

"He has varsity practice on Thursdays," she answered simply.

"Why didn't you call for the chauffeur?"

She shrugged. Why didn't she? She quickly thought of an excuse. "He might be doing something else. I don't want to bother him. Besides, he has a life other than driving," she replied and smiled at Kenji.

Kenji chuckled, "Next time you need a ride, call me."

Joe nodded and looked out the window. 'I wonder how he is doing now,' she thought of David.

Kenji looked at her and noticed her sad expression. He looked back at the road and thought of her worriedly, "Want to go unwind some place?"

Joe turned to him, "Huh?"

Kenji smiled, "Let's go to the amusement park. What do you think?"

Joe chuckled, "Okay."

*****

Christine looked at the mirror. She wanted to cry very badly but it would mess up her make-up. She could not show her face to David anymore. However, that does not mean that she would cease from watching him from a distance. It had been three days and the heavens knew how much she had controlled herself from approaching him.

"Christine," Rachel put her arm on her friend's shoulder. "Someone's asking you out?"

Christine shrugged her shoulders. She is not interested in going on a date.

Denise sat beside her, "Remember the hot guy you saw two weeks ago at the bar? He was looking for you last night. I think he's smitten," she giggled.

Christine sighed and rested her chin on her palms.

"Come on,Christine. You have to go out for all men to see that you are still available."

She pouted but nodded. David does not like her. She has to move on, "Did you set up the date?"

Denise nodded.

"Tonight at 7. He will meet you at Everlasting."

The Everlasting is a very expensive restaurant and is a well-known place where men proposed to women because of its very romantic ambience.

"Okay," Christine said and looked away. David.

*****

He was beyond bored. He wanted to call Joe but he does not want to be questioned. He might accidentally yell at her if he gets annoyed. He does not want that. Joe does not deserve any tantrums of any kind from him. Besides, Matt said that Kenji is with her at the amusement park. 'Let her enjoy, David. Don't drag her on your boring night.'

His mother was out of the country for a business trip. He was alone in the house with the butler, the chauffeur, and the maids. He groaned in exasperation. He stood up and took his denim jacket, his wallet, and his car keys. He started the engine of his new convertible and drove away from the Ji estate. The car was a gift from his mother's business partner. His old sedan, according to his mother, will be used in teaching Joe how to drive.

He was driving the streets of Chiness when he glanced to his right and saw the restaurant, Everlasting. He was about to look back at the road but he saw Christine by the glass window having dinner with someone else. He scrunched his forehead and immediately drove swiftly to the right lane despite the honking of so many cars. Without thinking, he immediately locked the door of his car and went straight inside the restaurant.

Christine was sipping her wine when someone grabbed her elbow and lifted her up. She quickly turned to see who it was and her heartbeat almost stopped after seeing David. David did not say anything but pulled Christine out of the restaurant. He unlocked his car, opened the passenger's door, almost pushed Christine inside, closed the door and hurriedly went to the driver's seat. He quickly started the engine and stepped on the gas. They were running past the speed limit.

Christine looked at David nervously. "Could you slow down a bit? I know your car is new but the speed is going to give me a heart attack."

David did not listen. He stepped on the gas some more. Christine closed her eyes and silently prayed that they would not get into an accident. She only opened them after she felt them slowing down. She looked out the window and was surprised to see that she's back at her apartment. She scrunched her forehead and looked at David confused.

David did not look back. He continued to stare at the road intently as if he was waiting for her to get down his car. Christine took her seatbelt off and opened the door. She stepped down and closed it behind her. David was not leaving yet. Christine walked to her apartment. She opened the door and as she went in, she heard the revving of David's car. She chuckled unbelievingly and looked at the window.

'What does that mean David Ji?'