Part Seventeen

"You left?" Kira asked.

"Yeah... I feel embarrassed, so I left." Allison answered.

"Maybe he needs some time to find out the answer to your question." Kira comforted her.

"Who knows..." Allison shrugged her shoulders.

That night, Allison could not fall asleep thinking about the boy that she wanted to get back with. She kept thinking about what happened to her and what might happen next.

'When will he tell me the answer? Will he get back with me?' she thought to herself while staring at the empty ceiling.

However, in the following days, Allison did not get any reply from Nathan at all. Although she kept telling herself that he would reply to her tomorrow, she felt a bit more sad and hopeless as time went on.

For Nathan, he did not know how to reject Allison. He once tried to tell her via text that he was with someone else already, but he was afraid that Allison would tell his mother about it. Therefore, instead, he decided not to contact Allison at all in the hope that she would give up eventually.

Days passed by and today was the 24th of December, the first Christmas eve that Nathan and Joseph had together. Nathan prepared a little surprise for Joseph. He decided to take Joseph to a cake making class, that he signed up for a week ago.

They met up and walked towards their destination. On the way, they saw Christmas trees adorned with glistening ornaments and shiny ferry lights were everywhere and people strolling along the streets with their Christmas attire. Although Joseph did not know where they were going, he was very excited and look forward to it.

As soon as they arrived at the place, Joseph found out that they were going to make a cake. He was so happy that his eyes were sparkling like diamonds.

They went into the classroom and there were other couples the teacher allocated a table, some kitchen utensils and all the ingredients needed to them.

They followed the instructions of the teacher to make the cake. Although there were other people in the classroom, they still had their own little world, ignoring all the stare and judgements from others.

"Now, please whisk the ingredients." the teacher said after putting the ingredients into the mixing bowl.

Nathan picked up the kitchen whisk and started whisking immediately. Joseph stood beside him and admired how his boyfriend mixed the ingredients. Seeing Nathan's serious and concentrated face, his heart started to race and fondness was showing in his eyes.

"If you the mixture appears incorporated, stop and pour it in the baking pan." the teacher said.

"Do you think I'm done?" Nathan asked Joseph.

"I think so." Joseph nodded.

"Great! Do you want to pour it in the pan?" Nathan smiled.

"Sure!" Joseph replied and Nathan handed him the mixing bowl. He slowly poured the mixture into the bowl.

"Let me help you." Nathan held Joseph's hands from behind to help him. Joseph's eyes were widened in shock as he did not expect him doing that. His heart beat faster and faster and his face turned red. Nathan knew that he would make Joseph blush and that was why he was doing it. He loved making his boyfriend blush like a rose.

"Okay class! Let's put the pan in the oven!"

Right after hearing the instruction from the teacher, Joseph and Nathan finished pouring. They put their pan into the big oven together with other people's pan.

"Now we'll just wait!" the teacher exclaimed after adjusting the temperature of the oven.

Nathan and Joseph smiled at each other and they could not wait to see cake they made together.

"Where do you want to eat it?" Nathan asked Joseph.

"I don't know... It's up to you."

"I want to eat it at your place. Is it okay?"

"Okay! Let's celebrate our first Christmas eve at my place!"

"I can't wait!" Nathan exclaimed with crinkles by his eyes.

After minutes of waiting, they finally got to see their cake.

"Looks good!" Nathan exclaimed with the cake in his hand.

"Now! Let's decorate the cake!" the teacher said.

Nathan used whipped cream to cover the whole cake and made a "J & N" on top of the cake with sprinkles.

"Aww, it's so cute!" Joseph grinned.

"That's the end of the class. Thank you for coming!" the teacher bowed with folded hands.

Nathan put the cake in a paper cake box and left the classroom with Joseph after saying goodbye to the teacher.

"My house is not that far away from here. Let's walk." Joseph said before he gently intertwined his pinky finger with Nathan's. Nathan noticed it so he took the initiative to hold Joseph's hand with their fingers interlocking.

They both felt the warmth from each other while heading towards their destination. Even though they barely talked during their walk, they still felt comfortable, simply enjoying each other's company without the need to fill up spaces with words.

But little did they know that someone was looking at them.

"Is that Nathan I see?" Kira tapped Allison's shoulder to get her attention.

"Where?" Allison furrowed her eyebrows. Kira pointed at Nathan, who was across the street.

"He's with that boy again!" Kira gasped, "And they are holding hands!"

Allison noticed it right after Kira said that. She was in shock but at the same time, she finally understood why Nathan did not contact her since the day she confessed herself.

"That's why he didn't reply to you! He has a boyfriend now!" Kira continued, "If we didn't come here to buy snacks and drinks, you and I would never know about this!"

"I... Let's just go." Allison said, "Give them some privacy."

The two girls left and went back to the school dormitory. They were going to have a Christmas eve party in the common room with other students living in the school dormitory.

The party would start one hour later and some of the students were preparing in the common room.

"I don't feel like partying anymore Kira." Allison said to Kira as they put down the snacks and drinks on a table in the common room.

"Okay... Get some rest girl." Kira comforted.

"Thanks." Allison left and returned to her room.