CHAPTER 29: A MERRY NEWS

"Dude! There's no way you actually thinking that!" Chuck responds to my previous remarks.

We are currently inside Allen's car. Me, Chuck, Allen and Joy. We are trying to reach the restaurant Marsha and Kenneth invited us to. I am in the middle of another argument with Chuck. This time, about the horror movies, The Exorcist V.S. The Shining.

"The shining is classic horror whereas The Exorcist is a cliché." I repeat my comment.

"I can't believe you!" Chuck throws his hand sup in the air dramatically. "It's art! You of all people should know that! Compared to that movie with a crappy director..."

"Jack Nicholson's amazing though," I frown at him.

"He wasn't really back then. And that woman, she was horrible."

"Her name's Shelly Duvall and no, she was amazing. You don't like her because she's not pretty," I state calmly.

"I never said that!"

"You don't have to. You think with your dick it's not that hard to figure it out," I scoff at him.

But, don't get me wrong, I also love The Exorcist. But if I have to pick, it's the Shining. Not only does it have that classic ghostly horror that I dread but also love at the same time, there's also that super confusing mystery classic of Stephen King, who is my favorite writer by far.

"I agree with Chuck, though," Joy chimed in again. "I think the best actor in The Shining is the little boy," She says thoughtfully but she grins apologetically to me.

"Joy! Stop helping him!" I groan for the hundredth times then turn to Allen. "Allen! Tell your girlfriend to stop siding with Chuck! Or better yet, help me!" I groan at him who only laughs his beautiful laugh.

"Well..." he starts as I wait for him to stop laughing. "I kinda agree with the both of you actually..." he says.

I lean back on my seat, rolling my eyes exasperatedly.

"You're worse than Kenneth," I groan and he chuckles.

My insides are burning from the sound.

"He doesn't watch much horror," Joy informs us. "He's more of an action guy," She smiles sweetly to her boyfriend. Chuck and I look at each other and roll our eyes at the new information.

Don't get us wrong, we also love action movies. But they are so typical of boys, don't you think?

"What about you?" I ask her, gulping down the bitterness in my mouth. "What are you into?"

"Well... my favorite movie is the 1960's Psycho..." she says slowly.

"That," Chuck and I say after grinning to each other. "We approve,"

"Gosh, you two are so adorable," Joy giggles as she looks at us. "I can't believe you two are still single,"

"I know why I'm still single," I scoff at Chuck who acts innocent. "This jerk over here keeps chasing people away from me. The most I can manage was three dates with the same girl at best."

"What? So you've never had a girlfriend?" she asks, turning around to face me. I smile at her embarrassed.

"No..." I admit as my gaze strays to Allen's face that seems uninterested and just keeps on driving while staring ahead. His smile already falls from his face.

"Are you... a virgin?" Joy asks carefully and I almost choke. So is Chuck.

Allen... he looks quite uncomfortable but soon regain his composure so Joy wouldn't sense it

"I...." God, this is embarrassing. "Am..." I almost slipped. Thankfully I didn't when I finally say and tear my gaze away as Allen's smile completely wiped from his face as said face turns slightly paler.

"Okay..." Joy says after processing the new information. "I thought, having a friend like Chuck would kinda, well, make you the same as him..." she shrugs.

"Hey! What do you mean by that?" Chuck pretends to be hurt, though I know better. I roll my eyes at him and smack his arm.

"He's a slut, I know. And though I want to meet girls, I am not going to be like him," I stick my tongue out at him. "He won't let me anyway," I shrug when Chuck sticks his tongue out at me too.

"Maybe he's keeping you for himself," Joy teases us and my face actually feels hot at that thought.

"Of course I am," Chuck says, grinning as he circles his arm around my shoulder.

"Of course he is," I scoff, folding my hands in front of my chest though I'm not swatting his arm away. I stare at everything but Allen's face. Joy is giggling madly now.

"You guys are so cute," She says and she looks at me again. "Seriously, though, do you want me to set you up with someone?" she asks.

"Nope," Chuck is the one answering. "Nobody's taking my baby's virginity. At least not for another ten years or so," He shrugs.

"You maniac!" I smack his head as hard as I can. I'm dying from embarrassment right now and I am completely afraid to even glance at Allen now. "First, I am not a girl. And I am not your girl," I smack him again.

"So not the point, babe," He just shrugs as he grabs my hand to stop smacking him.

"You're unbelievable," I shake my head.

"You're so cute, protecting him like that," Joy is giggling madly now.

"Again, I am not a girl," I say sternly to Joy. "I don't need any damn protection!" I say exasperatedly.

"You're not a girl but you definitely need protection," Chuck scoffs. "Who knows what crazy chick or perverted guys will do to you otherwise," He states, more to Joy than to me.

This conversation is starting to turn very, vey weird and somehow inappropriate and awkward and embarrassing what is wrong with people??!! Why are ya'll so interested in my virginity???

"I know. Lee's too adorable to be left alone," She giggles again.

"He's into martial arts and he's good at it, but he lacks sense and he's too oblivious to his surroundings and he's way too trusting," Chuck tells him.

Am I really?

"Go ahead," I pout. "Keep talking like I'm not here," Rolling my eyes and folding my hands, I say to them.

"We're here," Allen suddenly announces. He turns off the engine and we get off.

The place is beautiful! The huge round building is made of wood. It has an open side and stands above the waters of Jade Shore. Decorated with glittering white lights and flowers all around, the romantic air is so apparently fancy.

Chuck drapes his hand on my shoulder and whispers to me, "Smell that?' he asks.

I nod as I take in the refreshing smell of the sea mixed with the salivating smell of barbecue delights. Also the cringe-worthy smell of Marsha's antics.

She is definitely planning something. She will never have invited us to this kind of super fancy place, asking us to dress nicely (semi formal) just to have dinner and supposedly 'catch up with each other'.

"It's so fishy even the fish will think it stinks," Chuck remarks and I nod in agreement.

Curiously, the four of us step inside the restaurant and are immediately greeted by the greeter and taken to our seats outdoors.

There they are. Sitting at a round table. Kenneth at the furthest seat of the table with Marsha on his right. They both stand up when we approach them. They both look stunning.

Kenneth is wearing a blue dress shirt with black pants and black jacket that fits his body perfectly. He has an awesome body though not as muscular as Chuck. He's bigger than me and he looks manlier and more mature. Marsha is wearing a white long dress that falls perfectly on her body all the way to her ankle. She looks stunning. She's glowing with happiness and they both have the same glints in their eyes. I smile at them unconsciously. They are the most perfect couple the universe has ever created aside from Meghan and Harry, of course. But that's just my opinion.

We greet and compliment each other before sitting down. Chuck takes the seat beside Marsha. I'm to his right. Beside me is... Allen... and beside him is Joy with Kenneth to her right.

Not long after we are chatting cheerfully. The food, which Kenneth and Marsha ordered for us, arrives one by one. We start eating but the chatting isn't dying down. But we talk slowly now, softly as we enjoy the food.

Then Marsha drops it.

"Kenneth and I are engaged," She says loud enough for the whole table to hear.

We immediately choke on our food. Yes, even Joy and Allen. We are coughing and frantically reaching for our waters while Marsha and Kenneth laugh.

"I told you it would be fun," Kenneth grins at Marsha who elbows him playfully. She's also grinning from ear to ear.

"I'll get you back later!" I hiss before leaping out of my seat. "Congratulations!" I jump to the both of them, soon followed by the rest of the table.

"Thank you," Marsha says as we settle back down on our seat. She looks genuinely happy and we are also excited for them. "I was itching to tell you guys. But Kenneth wanted to make it as a surprise,"

"Yeah, right," I snort at Kenneth.

"What? You're that surprised we're getting married?" Kenneth asks.

"So not what I said," I retort with lots of sass.

"When's the date?" Joy asks excitedly.

"We haven't picked the exact date yet, but we're thinking of summer next year. Lots of time to prepare," Marsha tells her.

"That is so nice," Joy says dreamily.

"So, we're divorcing now, right?" I ask Marsha jokingly but also hopefully.

"Ha! You wish!" Kenneth snorted far too happily.

"Huh?" I blink in confusion.

What is it now?

"Instead of divorcing your beautiful wife- my soon to be legal wife- you'll be gaining an even more handsome husband. Aren't you glad?" he teases me, flashing his teeth in despise.

"That's not how that works, man!" Chuck comes to my defense, though I'm not glad of what he said.

"Tell him Chuck!" but I still use him, though.

"Ask Marsha," Kenneth says calmly, sticking his tongue out at us which Chuck return with the same immature gesture but me and him still go silent afterwards.

"Sharing him two ways makes sense. Sharing him three ways? Just impossible," Chuck argues.

"I am not some candy you moron!" I smack his head of course. That is just not nice. I'm not some kind of property. "Why don't you people just cut me up and divide whatever left of me amongst yourselves?" I huff and puff, annoyed.

"Do you want to divorce me?" Marsha asks slowly. Her face looks sad, but her eyes are glimmering with something that is definitely not sadness.

"What are we? Characters from some kind of cheap soap opera?" I say exasperatedly while Joy and Kenneth are laughing heartily.

"Dude, just take it," Kenneth says, "I'll be a certified doctor you won't have to worry about comfort," He grins, teasing me. I want to smack his head so bad but he's too far away so I glare at him instead.

"If I say I'll accept it, will you people stop chasing away anyone and everyone so in the near future, hopefully, I can actually have a girlfriend?" I finally say, well, plead.

Chuck snorts. I smack his head.

"Not a chance," Kenneth says way too happily. I want to smack him too.

"I'll think about it," Marsha says, smiling at me then at Chuck who stares at her.

"That's good enough," I nod feeling quite pleased, ignoring Kenneth's laugh and Chuck's snort.

"Here's to us!" Kenneth exclaims excitedly, raising his glass. We follow with our own. "To our old friends. To our new friends. And our new journeys," He says it cheesy-ly but earnestly and we toast.

And then we continue our dining in a more cheerful mode. Especially Marsha and Joy who are chatting excitedly about weddings. Girls, right?

I can't even feel slightly relaxed, though. I have been breaking in cold sweats for a while now, thanks to the the burning heat I feel all over my body.

Why, you ask?

Because a certain good looking blonde has been holding my hand under the table secretly every now and then. Every time I take my hand away from him, he'll put his hand on my thigh, or my knee and then I'll have to swat that hand away only for that hand to capture mine and hold it in his.

We keep doing that back and forth until finally, I get slightly pissed off and out my own hand on his thigh. I can feel his body tensing by my touch before he's obviously flinching when I pinch his thigh as hard as I can.

I turn to him and give him a warning look that translates, more or less as, 'don't do that again'.

"Sorry," He mutters under his breath so only the two of us can hear it.

"Then stop," I whisper back to him without actually looking at him and instead I smile at Marsha and Kenneth.

He stops, of course, after that.

But the place where he touched me still burns. It burns so hot it hurts. So damn much.