Learning to Be Human (FREE READ)

Chapter 7:The Date

Jay looked at me with the dullest facial expression as I couldn't help but continue laughing.

"It's not that entertaining," he scoffed.

"I can't believe it!" I continued, laughing like a hyena, "That really happened?"

"It was an intriguing lesson, that's for sure," he shrugged.

"So you mean to tell me she was that bold?" I was now having a pain in the side of my stomach.

"Unfortunately," he responded.

"Tell me how it went again, I can't even," I asked.

"Okay..." he sighed with regret, "It went something like this..."

::Jay's POV::

After Katie had left residence to attend her modern day s*****y duties, I devised a plan to take Ms. Juvia on one of these so-called "dates". It struck me by curiosity as to how sentimental these activities may be to the female population. It is sort of like a courting ritual. I did not have any plans to commit to anything other than platonic results.

I tried to look up some nearby eateries on the doordash app and found a suitable location. I've seen Katie watching and getting emotional on moving pictures called "anime".

As I head down the stairs I met up with Ms.Juvia at the entrance.

She smiled sweetly while collecting payment from another resident, "Why hello Mr.Jay."

I tucked my hands into my jeans and began to feel a bit uneasy. I was quite confident that I could do this, but this might be something intertwined with human emotions. Either way, I was going to pull through with the plan.

"Hello, Ms. Juvia," I replied.

"Oh please," she gave me a playful dismissal hand, "Just call me Juvia."

"Okay, Juvia," I corrected myself.

Instinctively, I scanned her body and there was a mixture of positive emotions that whirled within her body. This indicated that she liked my response. Now, to keep up the work.

"Would you like to be escorted to our date destination?" I gave a little bow.

"I can be your escort anyway," she giggled.

"No," I responded, "I will be doing the escorting."

"Works for me," Juvia winked.

Now, I have watched some films that suggested that winking was a form of communication. It lies within the flirtatious side though. I wasn't sure how to feel about being on the receiving end, but I gently held my hand out and she prompted her hand to join mine.

"Let the escorting... commence," I winked.

We arrived at the Dreamland Maid Cafe. One of Kati's favorite animes was titled Kaichou Wa Maid Sama. It entailed about a woman who lived a double life between class president and a maid servant at a cute restaurant. I thought Ms. Juvia would enjoy the ambiance of being served by cute girls and eat cute food.

But I was wrong.

Her body scan indicated that she was feeling uneasy about the chosen establishment. I encouraged her to keep an open mind.

"I- I have never been to one of these," she admitted.

"Same," I smiled, "Lets make our first memorable."

This seemed to enlighten her a bit, but I can tell she was still a bit nervous. There was another color of emotion that formed as we were seated by a pretty woman. It wasn't exactly disgust, but it was not pleasantry either. The emotion flared when the girl asked what we would like to order.

"I haven't eaten much, so I will go with the Omurice and chicken karaage," I ordered.

I looked over to Ms.Juvia who seemed to be having a difficult time selecting her choice. I tipped in and asked her if she would like to try the chicken curry, as it is usually a go-to for beginners of the place.

"I'll give that a try," she agreed.

The waitress soon left and then it was just the two of us at the table. Her nerves seemed to calm down a bit, but I couldn't make out what was going on with her emotions.

"So Juvia," I initiated, "Have you always been a landlady?"

"Well..." she mumbled, "Not really, but it's a long story... I don't want to bore you."

"Please," I encouraged, "This date is about you."

Her eyes glittered a bit more brightly and I knew I had said something right. She dwindled with her shirt under the table and began to speak softly, "It was an inheritance. From my father..."

She began to explain that she was the last of the children in Los Angeles who was on her father's will before he had passed. She had two other siblings who were not interested in being a landlord to a run down apartment complex. She initially took it on, for stable income. But, she has sacrificed her personal time for money, and has since regretted it.

"My dad died, and I felt like it was my duty to carry on his legacy," she pursed her lips, "But now, I don't know if I'll ever be able to write mine."

"So why don't you just stop?" I asked.

"Stop?" she looked at me confused, "Because my welfare depends on that as an income, and I can't just hire anyone to manage the accounting."

"Why not?" I curiously asked.

"You cannot blindly trust others," she folded her arms, "Money is the root of all evil, and there are a lot of people who will exploit the opportunity."

"Makes sense," I agreed, "But whether we choose to continue the chapters of oneself or others, we will all return back to soil."

Juvia paused and looked down at the table, "Sometimes I wonder what life is about, if it will all end the same way."

She then shot a worried glance at me, "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make things sound so morbid!"

"Considering you have been alone in such a dark place," I crossed my fingers across my lips, "It was the only color you've seen life as."

She tightened her lips and her inner emotions welled up, forming tears in her eyes.

"Here is your food," the waitress returned.

Juvia quickly grabbed a napkin and pretended she had something in her eye. When the waitress asked if she was okay, she said she was and accepted her plate.

It's fascinating, how women can bounce between emotions at any given second. I am not sure how it affects men, but some part of me is glad I chose not to inherit a woman as a vessel.

"What about you?" she cut off my thoughts, "What is your definition of life?"

I felt myself blanking abruptly. I tried to come up with a feasible answer.

What is the definition of life... this life? Or my REAL life?

I could never bring myself to admit that I am a being from outer space. There are scifis that indicated that humans will greedily try to possess knowledge of everything they come across.

"Or we can talk about our food," she suggested, trying to change the subject.

"No," I politely insisted, "It would be unfair to assume what life is for you and not explain what it is for me."

That seemed to pique her interest as she quietly began to dig into her meal. As the curry hit her tongue she melted at the taste.

"This is soooo good," she beamed just like one of the anime scenes. She continued eating.

"I think life shouldn't be planned," I started, "It's not bad to have an idea of what or where you want to be... but in this lifetime there are paths that open and close. I feel that we take the opportunity of benefit for ourselves."

"There's no right answer as to how someone should live their life," Juvia admitted, "You're not only handsome but you are smart as well."

As we continued eating our food, the conversations went on quite swell. Juvia was laughing and smiling. This made me feel a bit accomplished on the inside. It was like I was proud to get that as her reaction. Juvia may be middle-aged, but the more she smiled, the more she looked beautiful and younger.

At the end of the date, we returned to the apartment complex where she bid farewell as she had to be elsewhere. But before she did, she ran up and gave me a hug. Her embrace startled me, and I wasn't sure if heat from her body was transferring to mine, but I began to feel levels of overheating! She then leaned in and landed a kiss on my cheek.

"I know we can't be anything more, but I appreciate you friend," she then let go and entered a cab, leaving me dumbfounded.

::Katie's POV::

"You were blushing," I teased.

"I do not acknowledge what you are saying," Jay denied.

"Oh come on," I rolled my eyes, "Ms.Juvia isn't so bad getting to know after all."

"I believe that having a conversation with her just further proves that humans are social creatures and need each other to thrive," Jay sat himself down on the small couch.

"And..." he proudly continued, "I got your rent down by $100 a month and next month's rent is free."

"Wow!" I was amazed, "You did a good job."

"If I keep going on dates with her, maybe you will be exempt from rent," he chuckled.

"It sounds like you actually want to keep seeing her," I smugged.

"And end up with another offspring? No thanks, I still have a decade or so of child support. I cannot afford to add another," he joked.

"That is until you have to go," I reminded myself, which caused me to realize that even he was temporary.

"I go where life takes me," I heard him say, "But I'll promise that I will come back to visit you."

That should have made me feel better, but it didn't. I didn't want my friend to leave. I've been alone all my life and these past times with Jay made me realize how much I craved for moments like this. I never laughed this hard before. I never smiled and anticipated what was to come.

"Falling into depression will not benefit your state," he said, "Whether I stay or not, just know, I've enjoyed every moment with you."

"Okay," I exaggerated, "I think you and Ms. Juvia got a little too touchy-feely."

"I am still studying what it is like to be human, there are so many things that my kind cannot comprehend about your kind and their nature." he sighed.

"I think our kind is heading for its doom," I also sighed.

"The most we can do is hope that new doors can open up if that happens," he began to nod off to sleep.

Wait... he's sleeping!

When we first met, Jay admitted that he couldn't sleep. It was how he was able to scan through books and learn about us overnight. But actually seeing him snooze away and close his eyes made me feel that he is adapting more as a human. A part of me worried because I wasn't sure if that was the best choice. He already lacked his powers, and being human is not that great. If anything... I wanted to be him for a day. To know what it was like to be another being, with powers!

But it was indeed a blissful sight. He was now relaxed and I can assume when he wakes up that he won't understand what had just happened.

These past moments I've had with him were all over the place. Impossible to say the least. But it felt good to talk to someone. It felt so refreshing to share moments like this with someone else. Alien or not, I truly appreciated him continuing to be here. Like he said, life shuts and opens new doors. We just have to determine whether we want to take it.

But I couldn't help but shed a tear, because I knew the right thing was to make sure he returned back home.