Opening Story - 015

After Massimo strong-armed me, I head back over to my place where Tayla is waiting for me. I go into the bathroom and splash my face with water from the tap.

I'm still a bit sweaty. I wish I could have a shower, but that'd be rude. I guess Massimo is right, saying that I should just talk to Tayla straight away.

No matter how thrown off I am, that's no excuse to be rude. She's my guest, even if she is an unexpected one. I should show her only kindness and hospitality.

With another sigh, I head back towards the main room, where Tayla's waiting for me.

"Sorry for making you wait."

"It's okay."

Her tone is kind. She doesn't seem angry at me. She isn't upset, as far as I can tell.

"So, what happened in the end?"

"Well, it all worked out, I guess," she began, "after what you told them, my parents confronted the leader of the Order chapter in Christchurch. He promised them that he'd talk to his son about it. Apparently, his son denied anything like that had happened, and he believed him. So, my family has left the Order."

"I see."

In the end, it all turned out about how I expected.

Perhaps if I was more optimistic, I might've thought that the leader would actually reprimand his son, but it seemed more like that he wouldn't.

All parents wear rose-tinted glasses, after all.

So, things turned out exactly how I thought they would. Not that I'm going to say that. Not that it's something to gloat about.

It's simply the obvious conclusion. Almost anticlimactic.

It's sad, especially when put that way, but it's the truth.

"I didn't think I'd see you again."

"Why's that?"

"I thought you'd be angry with me."

"I'm not angry with you."

"Oh… that's good."

"I'm irateful to you."

"That's worse!"

"No, but seriously… I am grateful to you."

She really means that. I can tell. Despite her banter, that last line is her true thoughts. It's what she really thinks.

"I was upset at first, but once I calmed down, I understood what you did. And, things didn't go as badly as I thought they would. My parents made a clean break from the Order, and it seems like everything's worked itself out."

"Mm yeah, that's what it sounds like from what you've said."

"I'm still a little upset that you went behind my back to tell my parents, but I get why you did it. You understood that things wouldn't turn out too badly, didn't you? That telling my parents was for the best."

I didn't say anything to that.

"I guess for starters, I should apologise to you."

"Huh? You don't have anything to apologise to me for."

"But… I was wrong. I forced you into making a decision you shouldn't-"

"You don't have to apologise for being wrong. Who do you apologise to for being wrong? If we had to apologise every time that we were wrong, it'd be endless."

"If anyone should be apologising, it's me. Regardless of whether it was the right thing to do or not, I went behind your back to tell your parents. I betrayed your trust. For that, I'm sorry."

Tayla smiles, responding, "apology accepted."

The way she responded to that… it wouldn't surprise me if her entire goal here was to make me apologise. Perhaps she never intended to apologise herself. I wonder what would happen if I asked her if that was the case.

Tayla reaches for the basket that she had brought with her.

"This is something like a thank you for everything."

"I can't accept-"

"You're not allowed to not accept it."

"Is that so? Then, thanks. For everything else as well."

"What's everything else?"

"Well… like the date," I mumbled.

"What? I couldn't hear you."

"Like going on the date," I say, louder but still bashfully.

As appears to be standard by now, Tayla revels in my embarrassment. She tries to stifle it, but she starts laughing at me.

"What? You don't have to laugh so hard…"

"Sorry, I just… I wasn't expecting that."

…

…

I don't reply. Just continue to smoulder my embarrassment.

Tayla doesn't say anything more either. She looks around awkwardly, like she's looking for something else to talk about.

I'm not sure what to say either. It's awkward.

We both sit there for a moment, then Tayla smiles to herself, and stands up.

"I guess I'll be off then."

I open my mouth to reply, but I'm not sure what to say.

I'm not good at keeping conversations going.

I guess I'm not a natural conversationalist.

Or as Tayla might say, I'm not a nature conservationist.

Tayla probably isn't either. Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure that I started most of the conversations we had when we were on our date.

When she does talk, she's always laughing, mocking. Usually at me.

It feels like she's just playing games with me a lot of the time.

I think she's a bit nosy; she asks questions about my past more than I'd like.

She asks all those probing questions, but if you ask any of your own, she becomes incredibly embarrassed.

Sometimes it feels like she's just making fun of me.

But I don't mind any of that. In fact, I like some of it. I like a lot of it, actually.

To be completely honest, I'm glad that I met Tayla. To think I almost walked past that night, pretended not to see what was right in front of me. I'm glad that I didn't do that, because otherwise I wouldn't have met Tayla.

I wouldn't have learnt all about her.

We never would've had all the fun talking that we did.

I never would've heard any of those silly plays on words that she does, that are so endearing.

I wouldn't have found out about her love of music.

I wouldn't have gotten to go on a date with her.

She's intelligent, cute, and fun to be around. I'm glad that it was someone like Tayla that I saved.

And, it would just feel wrong to end it here, wouldn't it?

I'd regret this, I'm sure.

Just like how I would've regretted it if I hadn't gotten involved that night, when I saw Tayla with the members of the Order.

No. I can't just let it end like this.

"Tayla!"

She pauses, and looks back at me. She already has her hand on the doorknob.

"Umm… how do I say this…"

To be honest, this is harder than I had been expecting. Though, it's still easier than being beaten up again.

"I guess what I want to say is… would you go on another date with me?"

At that, Tayla smiled. She smiled so dazzlingly, that any regret or misgivings that I'd had immediately vanished.

Yes. There's no way that I could just let our tale end like this.