Chapter 24 Photo Album

CHAPTER 24 Photo Album

June 6, 2012 (New Present)

Doorbell rang

Ding-dong~

Ding-dong~

"Oh! It must be her."

I looked in the mirror. "I guess my clothes are fine. It's kid's clothes, but it doesn't look childish. I think this will do. We are just buying a gift anyway. "

I headed toward our door, seeing my mom and the girl.

"Sorry for waiting," I said. 

"No, I just got here."

"Okay, just be careful out there. Two of you must come home before it's dark, and Justin, protect Mrs Suazo's daughter, alright?" My mom demanded

"I got this, mom!"

  "Careful on your way, okay~," My mom said, and we left our house.

As we strolled towards the supermarket, my heart skipped a beat when I glanced at my crush's outfit. How she carried herself in that knee-length dress with a whimsical print in soft pastel shades. Pair it with a cropped cardigan or tailored jacket for a touch of elegance. Style with trendy leggings or jeggings featuring fun patterns or metallic accents. Complete the look with comfortable and fashionable sneakers. Accessorize with a charming headband and a statement necklace or bracelet with playful charms. This ensemble blends  left me breathless. Though the clothes were meant for children, on her, they exuded a sophisticated aura, making her look like a graceful woman. I couldn't help but appreciate how stunning she looked.

My crush turned to me with a smile. "Ah, Justin, thanks for coming with me today. You're a big help."

I shook my head. "No problem at all. I needed to buy a gift too, so it worked out."

I hadn't bought a present for anyone before, but I didn't want her to know that. She chuckled softly. "Don't worry, Justin. I'm sure we'll find the perfect gift for her together."

I nodded, looking at her intently. "Do you have any idea what she likes? You've been friends with her for a long time, right?"

She shrugged. "Well, she's turning seven tomorrow, but I'm not sure what kind of present a child that age would enjoy."

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, let's see. Maybe we'll find Something inside the supermarket."

We stepped into the supermarket, and my senses were overwhelmed by the abundance of goods around us. There were aisles of food, clothing racks, toys, and more. I asked my crush, "Which section do you want to check out first?"

She pointed her finger to a store filled with stuffed animals. "Let's start there. Maybe we can find the perfect gift for our little friend."

As we approached the store, I couldn't help but smile at the sight of my crush's excitement. She was like a kid in a candy store. I scanned the store's contents and saw plush toys of all shapes and sizes - pandas, cats, dogs, unicorns, and dolls.

I turned to the lovely girl and said, "Look at all these cute stuffed toys. Which one do you think our friend will like?"

But as I turned to her, I noticed she was missing. "Huh? Where is she?" I looked around and finally spotted her by the cat stuffed toy section, eyes bright and mouth agape as she squished a panda plushie.

I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. I was here trying to see my crush as a mature woman but seeing her act so girly made me realize she was just like any other eight-year-old. "You look so adorable," I said, earning a laugh from her as she hugged the fluffy toy.

I approached her, taking a closer look at the panda she was holding. "It's cute, that panda," I said, admiring the soft fur and the adorable little face.

She flustered and quickly put the panda down. "A-ah hahaha, y-yes, it's cute, that's all, hahaha," she stuttered, trying to act nonchalant. "Maybe this will be my gift to her, hahaha. That's right, 

I'm gonna buy this! And it's for her, okay!" she added, her eyes shifting around nervously.

I raised an eyebrow. Why was she hiding the fact that she liked the panda? "I think if you like that kind of toy, maybe you can buy one for yourself?" I suggested.

The beautiful girl's eyes widened. "W-what did you think of me? A kid?" she protested.

I chuckled. "Yes, you're a kid, and there's nothing wrong with that. You can buy yourself a toy if you want."

She paused for a moment, considering my words. "Ah! You're right! I'm a kid, right?" she said as if she had just remembered. "So I don't have to be embarrassed about buying this. Okay, okay, hmm hmm, I'm going to buy one for myself, hahaha," she said, placing her hands on her hips and striking a pose.

I couldn't help but laugh at her sudden change in attitude. "What is that? Did you just forget that you're 8 years old?" I teased, enjoying her playful spirit. "So silly, hahaha."

She purchased two huggable panda stuffed toys. The panda stuffed toy she bought was big, and because we're tiny, it looked like it's the same height as us.

I offered my hands to her. "Hey, let me carry the other one. I know you can't carry those two gigantic pandas."

"Huh? I can handle this. Those two pandas are just medium size, though." She said while trying to carry the stuffed toys.

"Yes, it's a medium size, but for our current height, it's enormous."

I grabbed the other panda. "Okay! Where should we go next?"

I think I should buy a smaller gift. This panda fully occupied my arms.

As we walked, my crush asked me what kind of gift I would buy for our 7-year-old friend. I thought momentarily and replied, "SomethingSomething practical, I guess. Maybe money?"

My crush burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh, you're such a grown-up! Who gives money to a kid for their birthday?"

I shrugged, grinning. "Hey, it's practical. But I guess I could find SomethingSomething else."

That's when my crush spotted a panda-themed photo album on a nearby shelf. "What about that?" she suggested, pointing excitedly.

I couldn't help but laugh at how much my crush was into pandas. "A photo album? You think a 7-year-old will like that?"

My crush stuck out her tongue. "Hey, it's practical and cute! Plus, she can use it for a long time."

I had to admit, she had a point. And I couldn't resist getting one for myself, too. Who knows what kind of happy memories I might want to store there?

We are done with shopping, and we go home. 

"Thank you so much for joining me in gift shopping; you're a great help."

I replied, "Not at all; you're the one who helped me. If I weren't with you, maybe I wouldn't know what to buy."

She laughed. "HAHAHA, that's what the friend was for. We just helped each other."

A friend, hahaha. She finally considered me as her friend, hahaha. I'm happy. But.. why my heart was racing! Aaaaaa, not this again. She's my friend now, and I'm content with that.

We reached her house. "Thanks for today, Justin." And she gave me that damn bright smile again.

I replied: "Y-yeah, same to you. So uhm see you again tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow!" Then she entered her house, but I don't know if I just saw things before she entered her house, but I saw a glimpse of loneliness on her face."

"Hmm, maybe her parents haven't come home yet. But isn't it too much to wish I could spend more time with her today? Aaaaaa, I hate this.

After a long day with my crush, I headed home.

"Hmm, I don't think they have come back yet," I said, recalling that their car was still missing from the driveway.

"Your father wants to have a barbeque party tonight, and we thought it would be nice to invite the Suazo family. But since they're not here, could you please go and invite their daughter? She must be feeling lonely without her parents around. Tell her that we'll contact her parents to let them know she's with us," my mom requested.

I felt a jolt of excitement at the thought of seeing my crush again so soon. "Sure, Mom," I said, grinning from ear to ear.

As I made my way to Suazo's house, I couldn't help but imagine spending more time with her. My heart was racing with anticipation, but I tried to remain calm and collected. I pressed their door bell.

Ding-dong~

Ding-dong~

CHAPTER 24 -END-

To Be Continued.