Attempt for normalcy

"OOHHH, I hate you! AHHH!" I shouted as soon as I saw Gemma standing in front of the kitchen sink. I placed my butt on the stool and slumped my head back on the black marble counter. I had a terrible hangover. My head was splitting in two. All I wanted to do was bang my head to make the pain stopped.

A headache was what I got for drinking too much. What was I even thinking when I consumed all that alcohol. Never in my life that I ever felt like this before. Well, I never had been to a bar before. Most parties I ever attended were at a high school party or a friend's home.

"No, you don't. Last night, you said you love me." She poured a cup of coffee and placed it in front of me. "Here, this will make you feel better."

"I take it back." Ignoring the coffee. What made me think that I could handle all that alcohol? If I was honest, I did enjoy the freedom that the effect of the liquor provided. I guessed it was worth all this pain. Besides, Gemma was not to be blamed for what I did, but I better not tell her about it.

Then, the memory of last night suddenly flashed in my consciousness. I quickly blinked it away. Of course, it did not work. It lingered on as a constant reminder of my transgression. Thus, if there was only a way to forget about it. I would surely like to know how.

When I looked up, Gemma was hovering over me. "You had a great time. Admit it. You two looked so good together." She paused, waiting for a reaction from me.

Suddenly, it clicked in my muddled brain what she did. "You set me up," I said accusingly. The whole thing was planned for the sole purpose of me meeting her friend. She tricked me into thinking that it was just hanging out with some of their friends, but she was playing matchmaker last night.

"Come on. You wouldn't have agreed," Gemma argued. "Daniel is a great guy. Just give him a chance." Gone was her playfulness. She was dead serious about him. "Be honest. You did feel great last night." Why did I even bother to get up? I mumbled to myself. I got up, but she pushed me back down.

"Oh no, you are not getting away that easily. I saw the two of you get cozy." Gemma stopped me. "I need details. Spill."

How was I supposed to confess to my friend what happened last night? That Daniel was not the highlight of what made the whole experience extraordinary, but someone else that I would rather forget. It was true, Daniel was sweet and funny, but he did not spark anything in me, compared to Nathan, whose kisses lit me on fire.

I finally grabbed the coffee, took a sip, and bit on a toast lying on the counter, trying to ignore her. If I would have to face her, I needed a little sustenances to deal with her.

"Daniel was nice, and I genuinely had a good time with him." I paused, finally acknowledging what she wanted to hear. "He asked me out for dinner tonight." I finally said to make her stop, hoping I could get back to my room soon, away from her prying eyes.

She shrieked again. If she could fly, I bet she would be floating around the room from with the way she was reacting to what I said.

"Gemma, stop! You're making my headache worse." I complained when her movement made my brain started buzzing again.

According to Gemma, she had set up Daniel on countless dates, but nothing seemed to make him interested until now. She was ecstatic and thought of us as an ideal match. I looked at her as if she had grown two-heads and gone insane. All I wanted was to strangle her cute, little neck, to make her stop her matchmaking.

At last, Gemma finally let me got back at the confine of my room. My first date in this new place was another attempt for normalcy again. I knew I should be happy to go out with Daniel. However, my bad experience with dating ruined it for me. I would go out on a date. I would either like it or hate it. Call me pessimistic. I would rather be cynical than be crushed hard on the ground. I dared not hope that this would be any different.

Around four in the afternoon, I heard a knock on my bedroom door. "I'm in the shower," I yelled out.

I heard my door open, "I have this nice dress that I think would be perfect for you. I am leaving it on your bed." Then I heard the door close. I thought Gemma was more excited than I was about this date. She acted like my fairy godmother, ready to bring me to the ball with a pumpkin carriage.

When I came out of the bathroom, I saw the dress that Gemma left in my room. It was indeed beautiful. If I would look inside my cabinet, I could count in my fingers the number of dresses that I could choose from, so Gemma lending me a dress was more than welcome.

It was a simple, yellow outfit. A strapless, knee-length dress that fitted my body perfectly. I appreciated selfless nature of my friend. She had helped me in more ways than I could count. She had understood that I was not bathing on a lot of money. I needed to be frugal with the way I spent the salary I earned from my job.

Although I never accepted any financial help from her, she still managed to assist me with other things like this one. Gemma was like an angel, sent to guide me in my journey to a new life that I planned to build for myself.

I was ready a few minutes before Daniel arrived. I applied a light touch of make-up and a neutral lip-gloss, then wore a flat sandal to match the dress. It was a simple dinner with a new friend. I did not want to complicate things by making a wrong impression.

Sincerely, I believed that we could be good friends, so I wanted to give us a chance to get to know each other. No pressure. I hope that we would be on the same page.