ILY

Just like how Jethro Carter usually spends his weekend, he headed to his favorite music shop. It was his escape from home. Well, not exactly an escape since he was always left alone. It was more of his refuge, a place where he can go to find company. Even though he barely knew anyone from the shop, he had already found a sort of familiarity with the place. It was far better than his empty house. Besides, Jethro was looking forward to seeing someone that day. She would visit this place too, but instead of the music CDs, she would visit the book section. Just like him, Topaz Layton frequents The Note Nest whenever school is out. Jethro would look at her sideways as he pretended to browse for music on the last aisle of CDs closest to where the books were. She too was always alone like him. Topaz had this black body bag that she always wears in front of her. Maybe she didn’t want her long black hair creased with the bag at her back. As usual, she would buy a book or two while Jethro would end up buying one. This is one of the reasons why he would always save up his allowance. He was looking forward to stepping on the cashier behind Topaz. Jethro looks forward to smelling her perfume. She always smelled good.  Then as always, Topas would notice her. “Hey, another new CD?” She would always ask.  “And a new book,” Jethro pointed to her shopping bag.  “I am done reading the other one.” was her most common answer before smiling.  But this day was different from the other weekends in that they would “accidentally” bump into each other here in The Note Nest. This time, Jethro had managed to build up the courage, and the funds to ask Topaz to hang out. “Hey, I am headed to Aroma Mocha, do you want to come?” Jethro has been rehearsing that line for several weeks in front of his mirror at home. He felt that he did manage to say it out loud with confidence. “Actually, I was planning to go there today too. It would be nice to have some company.” Topaz replied. You could only imagine how happy Jetro was hearing that from Topaz. He was so thankful that somehow he managed to ask her at the perfect time. Just like what his father would always say. It was always about perfect timing. And today was just his perfect timing.  Jethro opened the door for Topaz as they left the music shop/bookstore in their town. He didn’t want to look like someone who was too assuming. Instead of walking side by side with Topaz, he chose to walk a step behind - enough to give her space but close enough in case she starts a conversation on their way to the coffee shop. “So what did you buy today?” Topaz asked, turning around and looking at Jethro. She slowed down her pace as she walked backward to be able to see Jetro’s face. “Nothing, just an old album from Owl City.” “Which one is that?” Topaz asked curiously. She always saw Jetro buying CDs in The Note Nest. She didn’t fail to notice that he was always there every weekend, just like she was. “The one who sang the soundtrack for the movie with the owls. The Legends of the Guardians. I am not quite sure if you are familiar with it.” Of all the things that Topaz would be asking, Jethro felt that the CD he bought was the least interesting.  “Oh, I know that movie, the one with the twin white owls and the cute little one. What was her name?” She touched her chin with the tip of her fingers, thinking. “Eglantine. Yeah, that’s the name. It’s a nice movie. Too bad it didn’t have a second part.” She said, looking back at Jethro quickly and then back to where they were headed. The sidewalks were still bare from the presence of teenagers like them. It was just around nine in the morning. Everyone else is either sleeping at home or stuck with their computer games or gadgets. Somehow it helped Jetro with his confidence. No one was looking, hooting or teasing them as they walked together to Aroma Mocha. He quickly opened the door for her as they entered the coffee shop.  Jethro had waited for this for so long. He imagined this in his mind. He would open the door for Topaz, pull her chair and ask her what she wanted to order. The smell of the pastries filled the indoors as they sat on one of the tables close to the window. It will make you feel hungry. The smell of coffee was quite strong too. It was indeed a very conducive place for eating and for coffee lovers. Aroma Mocha features French pastries, other baked goodies, and coffee. It is popular among the young adults in the area but can be quite expensive for teens like Jethro. It’s not that he doesn't have the money. In fact, his family was quite above average when it comes to their finances. Both of his parents work. But as their only child, they try not to spoil Jethro that much. If he wanted something, he should save for it, or work for it if he wanted it so bad. “You know what, the beef turnovers here are fantastic. So are Napoleon and Tiramisu. Would you like to get one of each?”  Topaz said, pointing to the pastries on the menu. “Yeah, sure,” I told her as I enumerated our order to the waitress. “Black Americano, no sugar, and cream,” I added. Looking at Topaz who was looking at me too, “How about you?”   “Just the same as you are having.”  She smiled. Jethro has always been fascinated with Topaz Layton’s sweet, sweet smile. They both loved black coffee. For Jethro, it was already a positive sign for him. Her eyes would pop out whenever she did. It felt as if she was experiencing something awesome, or enjoying a first. She smiles as if there was always something new to discover, something worthy to be thankful for. “So, can you tell me about your book?” Jethro was determined to lead the conversation somehow. It was his chance to know Topaz on a more personal level. Of course, he already did his research but he wants to go beyond the basic facts. He wanted to know Topaz more. As they ate, Topaz shared a synopsis of the book, Ravissant. How she found it online and fell in love with the story. She was like a child, sharing a great story with Jethro. “So when I heard that the book will be published as a paperback novel,  I made sure to have my own copy. It is really one of my best favorites.” She pulled it from her bag and showed it to me. “Here, you take a look.”  “Do you prefer fantasy books?”  “Yes, most of the time. Name it, vampires, wolves, witches, immortals, banshees. I am fascinated by those beings. Teen fiction. I guess that’s what they call the genre. I am actually thinking of writing a book too, maybe during the summer.”  “So what are you going to write about?” I asked as I helped the waitress place our order on the table. I made sure that she was served first. “Maybe I’ll write about mermaids. They are very common magical creatures, they are often talked about. Mermaid sightings are even more frequent than wolves or vampires. But their stories are underrated. People always see them as temptresses, as being who drove men mad to their graves. I would like to change that.” Topaz noticed that Jethro was keen on listening to her. She smiled a bit. “Sorry, I seem to be talking too much.”   “No, continue. I would love to hear more.”  Jetro replied after taking a sip from his coffee. The two of them ate while Topaz continued with her mermaid story. Jethro listened with interest. He somehow felt that Topaz was really a smart girl. She might not be top of her class but her imagination and creativity were just beyond what he expected and imagined. When they were done, Jethro was quick to call the waitress to get their bill. Topaz was quick to hold his hand, “Don’t worry, it’s on the house.”  “Huh?”  She moved closer so Jethro could still hear her even with her voice, “My Mom owns the place.” Then placed a finger on her mouth, a clear sign that Jethro was not supposed to let anyone else with the secret. “The more reason I have to pay,” Jethro was insisting. He happened to save for this date with her after all. “Do that and I won’t be hanging with you again.” Topaz quickly said. This left Jethro with his mouth hanging. Topaz was looking forward to the next time, but only if he would stop insisting to pay for their meal. “Fine, you’ll let me treat you next time.” He said. It was all that mattered. Who cared if Topaz technically paid for their first date. He’s an optimist. Her looking forward to the next date was all that matters. “So what’s the best among the three meals that we had?” Topaz asked as Jethro opened the door for her. They were heading outside, the sun was starting to move closer to the top of their heads. “I guess it would be Napoleon,” Jethro answered. “Great, because I did that. Mom had to attend to something last night so I was the one who made them last night. I can make you some too if you really like it.”  Her voice was a question, waiting for Jethro’s approval. “Awesome, I would love that.” He was quick to reply. Topaz blushed. They stood there awkwardly, waiting for the other to say something. It was Jethro who spoke first. “So where are you headed right now?”  “I’ll be heading home, doing some cleaning, reading more I guess. You?” She looked at him, his cheeks still flushed “Same, I have laundry to do.” Jethro scratched his head. He already consumed all the courage that he saved up for this moment. “I’ll see you at school I guess, or next weekend at The Note Nest.” She said as she began to walk away. Jethro wanted to offer to walk her home, but then again, maybe it was pushing his luck too much. “Thanks for the meal,” he answered instead. “See you at school!” He waved and she waved back.