The Magic of A Rendezvous

Chapter 2

Author’s POV

10 Years Ago Somewhere in Shanghai

“Look, everyone’s looking at us.” Amber was getting out of a car while Chris was helping her by opening the car door. Chris was only chuckling as he was linking his long arms around her shoulders and they walked side to side. New lovebirds. That was what they said about them, although everybody only murmured but Amber knew it all, she was such a quick wit and she could study everyone’s faces.

“Who would expect I date the smartest girl in the school?” Chris replied her as he smiled from ear to ear. “Don’t worry about them.”

“You’re the smartest too and you know that, right?” Amber scrunched up her nose as she looked up at her companion. They were very close with each other, arms around each other like no one cared. No one at school expected this scene in front of them right now.

“Rivals to lovers. Everybody’s just jealous.” Chris tightened his grip around Amber’s shoulders as he walked her to her class. Every student was looking at them both being lovey dovey like that, it was something rare where two rivals were being close like this, furthermore, this was their third year at school and soon, they would compete again to know who would be the best student of the year.

“I’ll see you after school.” Chris made a quick peck on her lips before turning his body and running towards his class. Amber was still absorbing and comprehending the situation, a smile escaped from her lips remembering what happened yesterday at his house. She thought it was their turning point, it was their establishment. They were best friends since they were kids, it had been ten years since she moved to Shanghai from New York and Chris was her first friend even until now, they always pushed each other, supported each other.

It was their first time, making love for the first time. They realized each other’s feeling, they felt each other’s warmth.

Everyone was fussing, making rumor about Chris dating Amber was only his scheme to distract Amber then, snatched her best student crown for this year, but not less from them who supported this relationship between them. They were compatible, they were best friends, they were matched, nothing was wrong with that. Of course, Chris knew about the rumors going like wildfire but he did not want to think about that, he was sincere about his feelings towards Amber although actually, he had not confessed his feelings towards her yet.

“Ambs..” Chris placed his chopsticks on the side of his plate when they were eating together after school at the near restaurant. He looked at her figure in front of him, he did not know why there was something wrong with her but he tried to scratch that feeling. “You know, it has been two months since we were dating but I haven’t told you about my feeling towards you.”

She smiled to him. “For what? I know your feelings towards me and you do too. Words can’t describe our feelings, the thing is I like being with you. You’re warm and kind.” Amber’s hand reached his and wrapped it.

“I hope we could stay together.” Chris said to her, he wanted to assure her that he was being serious with her. “Look, in the last match of basketball, if I was the MVP, I would confess my feelings towards you in front of everyone.” He insisted. “I promise you.”

“Okay, I’ll be looking forward to it. Finish your food first.”

==

"And for today's MVP is..."

The host of the Basketball match announced who deserved the crown as the Most Valuable Player of today's final match. Chris was waiting for the announcement with bunch of his teammates, he promised someone if he could be the MVP of today's match, he would confess his feeling towards her. Although it felt like they had been an item but still, it needed affirmation.

"BO YUAN! CONGRATULATIONS!"

For a hundred times in his life, he would never beat him in sport. Many girls loved him, praised him, confessed their loves to him and Chris would always be the second forever academically and in sports.

He heaved an exasperation sigh, stomping his foot to the floor, glaring at Bo Yuan. He slowly walked away from the hall, he lost the game and he lost the chance to prove that he could be the best. He had been practicing so hard for this game, he just could not push himself to the limit.

Chris went to the changing room with his teammates, he wanted to change his outfit, getting ready to head home today. He opened the changing room's door and found the other teammates, "Oh, Chris."

"Guys."

"I saw your girl going away from the hall. You better get going." Dylan informed him, "Hmm.. You guys are an item, right?" He still wasn't sure about his friend's relationship with Amber, rumors were going on between them both at school, it was either they did not believe Amber would date him or Chris only took advantage on Amber.

Chen nudged his elbow, "He hasn’t confessed yet.”

Chris gave them a slight smile, "Thanks, Dylan." He patted Dylan's shoulder, excusing himself then, he ran to find her. The school was crowded by students, he couldn't even see her although her appearance was always standing out of the others.

Chris looked around the students, but he still couldn't find her, so, he decided to go home alone today. He was thinking all the way home, did he disappoint her or what?

He walked through the road that he and Amber always walked by together. When he was reaching the river, he saw her figure from behind and he knew it was her. "Hey, Amber!"

She turned around and saw him running towards her. Automatically, a smile appeared on her face when she was seeing him. "Chris."

"Why are you walking alone?" He asked her right away. "Why didn't you wait for me?"

She fixed his fringe on his forehead, "I wanted to surprise you actually." She bit her bottom lip. "Tracy invited me to taste her chicken curry with your sister, Wendy."

"My mom? She invited you? Are sure you're not inviting yourself?" He joked around her as he poked her left cheek. It was cute for him to see how red her cheeks were.

She hit his arm lightly. "Of course she invited me!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." He struggled because of her hit towards him.

"By the way, good game." She shifted the topic.

"Are you kidding me? I didn't do well for my team." He looked down at the road.

"No, you did great. I was consoled by your game, even though you didn't win but you were not selfish. You gave a chance for your team mates to shine." She smiled brightly for him, she tried to console him because she knew the fact that he wasn't happy for today's match. She knew it was his last game because soon, they would graduate from school but he did not win anything today.

"Oh.. Thanks." He smiled a bit.

"You're welcome." She replied his smile. “Don’t be sad, you win or not, we’re still together.”

Then, they were both in silence. It was the first time they became awkward like this, she seemed different today. Usually, she would joke around him, mock him and bully him every time he couldn't do well. Her reaction towards what happened today was very unusual. He secretly glanced at her expression, there was something in her mind, he guessed. He decided to play around by poking her cheek with his index finger.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

That was the reaction that he expected, she felt annoyed just like usual, but he looked deeply to her eyes. "Your eyes are red. Are you cry--"

"Allergic." She seemed uneasy with his worry towards her. “The weather’s not nice these days.”

"Be careful." He said, patting her head, still unsure if she was telling the truth or not.

She nodded, "Of course."

==

"How's the curry?" Tracy Zhao was curious about how these kids would react regarding her cooking today. It was a celebration for Chris’s last basketball game at school.

Wendy was about to whine, "Mom, it's too salt--"

"It's great! I love it!" Suddenly, Amber burst saying she liked it a lot and she ate the curry vigorously, making both Chris and Wendy look at her very weirdly.

"Amber, you like it?? Finally, my recipe is successful!" Mrs. Zhou looked very happy after Amber complemented her dish. "You want to have some more, darling?"

"Yes, of course!"

Wendy furrowed her eyebrows, she whispered to Chris, "Your girlfriend is weird."

"I didn't know she loves mom's food." He whispered back.

"Is she just being considerate to mom?" Wendy said again.

"Hey! You both stop whispering at table!" Mrs. Zhou scolded them, "Amber, here you go." Then, her mood shifted very fast when she was facing Amber. "I'll go to the kitchen, just call me if you want some more of it."

"Thank you, Mrs. Zhou." Amber said.

When Mrs. Zhou was going away from them, Chris talked to her. "You don't have to finish it all."

"Why? It's good, I love it. You should be thankful because your mother is still able to make you food." She replied him, her words shot him and Wendy. He thought about it twice, she was right actually but he didn't know why there was something different from her, he didn't know what it was.

He kept thinking about it even when he was walking her home, he didn't say anything but just accompanied her.

"Why are you so quite?" Amber finally asked him.

"There's something bothering me." He replied.

"What is it?" She looked up at him as she kept her pace to match his.

He stopped his steps and it made her do that too. He held her hands and made his body get closer to her. "Stop forcing yourself to smile, I don't like that."

She gulped looking at his face, she looked down at their entangled hands. He brought her chin up to look at him again. They looked at each other's face for one good minute before Chris decided to land a kiss on her lips. He did it very slowly and gently, he didn't want to scare her.

He released the kiss, he looked at her gloomy face. "What was that for?" She asked him as she touched her lips that were kissed by him.

"You seem sad." He answered. "I want to know your feeling." He was curious about her. "I'm sorry if I did something wrong to you."

She shook her head, "No, you didn't. You never did anything wrong to me."

“Are you sure?” Chris cleared his throat. “What about the time when we were having s*x together?”

“Making love. Not having sex.” Amber corrected him. “I thought it was beautiful.”

"I like you." He told her. "I really like you."

She smiled, "I like you too."

"I wish you wouldn't hide something from me." Chris said, hoping she would tell him what happened.

"I'll tell you when the time comes."