Chapter 3. First date

SETH'S POV

Think Green had a unique schedule compared to other universities, funny enough, you have to pick one necessary sport as an extracurricular activity, it actually counts as part of your grade even if you're an architectural or language major.

I had no idea which sport to choose. I've never thought of myself as a picky person, well, that was till I picked up this list.

There were over seventy different sports to choose from. Wow, but I think I'll go with basketball, I better just choose something I'm familiar with. I'm curious about a whole other with funny names but it's better to just play something you're already good at. I love trying new things, just not today.

I got changed in the boy's dressing room, the court looked lively and pretty cool. Everyone else had started with warm-up exercises.

I heard someone giggling, do they also have a girl team? nice. I turned to my left. Oh, It's the cheerleaders.

The cheerleaders were checking me out— seriously? I was about to get started on my warm-up exercises when I noticed that...

"Wait, isn't that Melody?"

I mumbled.

She turned around to talk to someone. It WAS her.

"Melody!"

Her head bobbed in my direction, and she waved at her friend and jogged up to me. We were about two meters apart from the cheerleaders.

"Hey, Seth."

She found herself face-to-face with a...wall of blue jerseys. Melody was by no means petite, but she was forced to tip her head back to meet my gaze.

"WOW, Seth! I've only noticed it now but you're actually quite tall."

She mused, refusing to be intimidated by the height difference.

"You're not so bad yourself."

She seemed to like my comment because I was cut off guard by her one-sided dimpled smile.

"You joined the basketball team?"

"Yeah. it was either this or soccer. This may seem like it's coming out of nowhere but um...are you busy later today?"

I had to rub the back of my head so I wouldn't seem so nervous, I think I got the opposite results though.

"Yeah, sort of, I'm moving in."

"Huh?"

"I mean I'm gonna be on campus, my mom thought it'd be better if I did."

"Oh."

Did I seem too disappointed? probably.

"Gotta get back to practice, later Seth."

***

I stretched after my last lecture, I headed to Melody's department. Hopefully, I'll be to catch up with her before she leaves.

Unfortunately, I missed her, she had already left a few minutes earlier. I looked around and saw the girl who was standing beside her back in the hallway the other day.

"Hi, are you a Friend of Melody?"

"Yeah."

"I'm Seth."

"I know, everyone at school is talking about you. Yona's the name by the way."

"Do you know where Melody is?"

"Yeah, her roommates' helping her unpack since she has a project due today, she went downtown to work on the lyrics for it, she won't be back till twilight."

"I'll be gone by then."

"I could give you her number if you want."

***

I turned uneasily in my bed, it was chilly out in mid-September.

Tomorrow was a Saturday, so I wouldn't get to see Melody and she's all that was on my mind right now. It was just 9:39 pm, she could still be awake.

I dialled her number. No response. Could she be asleep this early? I tried again, took a while but she eventually picked up.

"Hello, who is it?"

"It's Seth."

"Oh hey, Yona told me you were looking for me. Sorry, I had a lyric sheet to edit and submit before the end of the day."

"And your move?"

"Yeah, I just finished arranging an hour ago."

"I didn't know your major was music."

"Well, you know now. I hope that the professor is impressed with my project."

I suddenly had the urge to hear her sing, was she into instruments or something else?

I exhaled, gathering up the courage to ask her out again.

"So, have you got any plans tomorrow?"

"Nope, I was planning to veg out all weekend."

"Wanna hang out?"

"Okay. so where are we going?"

"Anywhere you want."

***

Is there any royal family as strict as ours? Probably. But Dad made it a rule that we'd clean out our rooms on Saturdays by ourselves. Like seriously. After breakfast, my younger sister blocked my path.

"Seth wait, why are you so happy today?"

Soteria has always been the most curious one out of all of my sisters.

"What? is it a crime to smile?"

"Ignore her big bro, she thinks you're as excited as she is for our birthday on Tuesday."

Serena picked out the maraschino cherry crowning the top of her Sunday and popped it into her mouth, savouring the burst of sweetness.

"So you both are gonna be 14, right?"

"Jeez, what kind of brother forgets the age of his siblings," Soteria growled.

"The kind that has too many sisters, now if you'll excuse me I have somewhere I have to go.+

***

"I look okay, right?"

I asked Tiger for the umpteenth time as soon as I reached the convertible.

"For the hundredth time dude, you're drop-dead gorgeous, ya happy now?"

I laughed I couldn't believe Tiger said that, he's always had that secure mentality, always clear-headed and serious -no faults or bouts of anxiety. The real epitome of a bodyguard.

"Thanks, man."

***

I was leaning against the side of my car in the student parking lot, I checked my watch again, she was five minutes late now.

I wasn't at all surprised, Skipper had boasted uncountable times about how she'd arrive forty-five minutes late or more at least Mel-

"Sorry, I'm late Seth."

I turned around, she was at the other side of the car.

My eyes dipped for a sec. She'd look amazing in anything.

Her jeans hugged around her slender figure and her crop top hoodie had little helmets on it, I wasn't expecting her to wear a dress but I was even more shocked by her going with the 'I'm a baddie' look for a first date.

"You look awesome."

"Thanks, that's a huge compliment from someone so handsome you'd mistake him for some Greek god or something."

I laughed for the second time today, what's with everyone and their sense of humour today? I opened the door for her and she got in.

***

We watched a horror movie and headed to the amusement park. We went on rides all day. Melody and snacks were like two peas in a pod.

I just loved seeing her smile, she just had a way of tugging at my heartstrings with whatever she did.

I guess this is THAT feeling. Once we were out, it was six pm.

"Got any more places you want to go?"

She scrubbed her hand against her jaw like she was deep in thought. I didn't want to call it a day either.

"Wanna go watch the sunset, I know a perfect place."

"Sure, lead the way."

There was a park a few blocks from there, it had a nice view of the sunset from under an oak tree close to the woods.

She watched the sunset. I watched her. I don't think she noticed. When the sun was down she turned around and we were face-to-face, we stared into each other's eyes for a while.

I leaned forward, right into Melody's personal space.

She blinked as the space between us suddenly disappeared. I didn't give her time to think, or time to breathe before I bent my head and claimed her lips in a tender but searching kiss.

After a few seconds, she turned her head slightly, breaking the connection. She turned around and walked silently towards the car.

Her smile wasn't there anymore. Did I do something wrong? In the car, she said nothing to me. Our eyes met a few times but she would look away.

At the parking lot, I decided to apologize, maybe I read too fast into the situation or crossed some set boundaries I didn't know about.

"Melody I-"

She was already out of the car.

"Thanks, bye Seth."

She hurried inside.

***

Sage and Skipper were on my balcony.

"Why are you guys in my room?"

"Where were you? Mom and dad were worried," Sage searched my face for clues.

"We had to cover for you."

Skipper's eyebrows puckered in a frown.

"I went out with Melody."

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, a shriek that threatened to pierce my left eardrum followed. They both hurried over to me both asking questions simultaneously.

"Wow, you're fast bro, did she blush a lot?"

"Did you two kiss? spill! was it french?"

"Did you ask her to be your girlfriend?"

"We watched a movie, went to the amusement park, and watched the sunset together."

"Aww, so romantic," Sage was shrieking hysterically.

"Yeah."

Well, Melody was probably thinking the opposite. She should have said something, or at least let me apologize, why'd she leave like that? I'm so confused right now.

"But you're not smiling. I hope she didn't hurt your feelings, don't tell me she's just some golddigger?"

Skipper didn't even want to think about the last time she had Bosco and his boys beat up a girl.

"Well, I kissed her and she sort of ran off."

"That's it? I'm calling Bosco right now."

Skipper took out her phone and Sage grabbed it out of her hands with air bending.

"There's a reason for this. Just give her some space maybe she thought things were running too fast."

"Really?"

I rose a quizzical brow at Sage.

"Totally."

She replied to me almost immediately.