The first Hangout
1475 Words
Chapter Four
Part Two: An Unexpected Evening
The moment Maya stepped into the eatery, she was welcomed by the soft hum of conversations and the gentle clinking of plates.
The place was warm and inviting.
The lights hanging from the ceiling gave the room a comfortable glow, while the smell of different meals filled the air. Groups of friends sat around different tables, laughing and enjoying their evenings.
For a second, Maya stood near the entrance, taking everything in.
It was a small thing.
Just walking into an eatery.
But for her, it felt like stepping into a different side of school life.
Most of her days had been lectures, walking back home, studying, and spending quiet evenings alone in her apartment.
This was different.
This felt like an opportunity to experience something outside her usual routine.
Her eyes moved around the room until they landed on a familiar face.
Faith.
She immediately recognized her from earlier that day.
Faith was sitting at a table near the corner, and the moment she noticed Maya, her face lit up with a smile.
She lifted her hand, waving slightly.
“Maya!”
Maya smiled back and walked toward the table.
“Hi, Faith.”
“I’m so glad you came.”
“Me too,” Maya replied softly.
Faith stood up briefly to welcome her before gesturing toward the empty seat beside her.
“Sit down.”
Maya took her seat, placing her small bag beside her.
It was then she noticed the person sitting across from Faith.
A young man.
He had been quietly looking through the menu, but when Maya sat down, he looked up and offered a polite smile.
Faith noticed her glance.
“Oh, I should introduce you.”
She turned slightly toward him.
“Maya, this is Ethan.”
The young man nodded.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” Maya replied.
“Ethan is my boyfriend,” Faith added with a smile.
Maya nodded.
“That’s nice.”
The two exchanged a few more words, and Maya slowly became more comfortable.
Ethan seemed calm and reserved, while Faith was much more expressive. The difference between them was noticeable, but somehow it worked.
As they continued talking, Faith suddenly remembered something.
“Oh, by the way…”
Maya looked at her.
“The guy I told you about earlier is coming.”
Maya remembered the conversation from earlier that day.
The person who had been too shy to approach her himself.
“Oh,” she said simply.
Faith smiled.
“He said he’ll meet us here.”
Maya nodded.
“Okay.”
She didn’t think too much about it.
Her attention returned to the menu placed in front of her.
The waiter soon approached their table.
“Have you decided what you’d like to order?”
Maya looked down at the menu.
At first, she thought about saying she wasn’t hungry.
After all, she had already prepared food at home.
But then she remembered the untouched meal waiting in her apartment.
She had made the effort to come out.
She decided she might as well enjoy the moment.
After scanning through the options, she smiled slightly.
“I’ll have jollof rice, please. With salad and beef.”
The waiter wrote it down.
“Anything else?”
“No, that’s all.”
The others placed their orders as well.
While waiting, Maya leaned back slightly and listened as Faith and Ethan talked.
The conversation was simple.
Nothing serious.
Just casual discussions about school, classes, and adjusting to a new environment.
Maya found herself smiling several times.
It felt good.
For a while, she wasn’t thinking about assignments, routines, or whether she was doing enough.
She was simply there.
Enjoying the evening.
A few minutes later, their food arrived.
The plates were carefully placed on the table.
The smell immediately made Maya realize how hungry she actually was.
She thanked the waiter before picking up her spoon.
“Your food looks good,” Faith teased.
Maya laughed softly.
“I didn’t realize how hungry I was until now.”
They began eating while continuing their conversation.
The evening slowly moved at an easy pace.
No pressure.
No awkward silence.
Just three people sharing a simple meal after a long day.
Chapter Four
Part Two: An Unexpected Evening
The moment Maya stepped into the eatery, she was welcomed by the soft hum of conversations and the gentle clinking of plates.
The place was warm and inviting.
The lights hanging from the ceiling gave the room a comfortable glow, while the smell of different meals filled the air. Groups of friends sat around different tables, laughing and enjoying their evenings.
For a second, Maya stood near the entrance, taking everything in.
It was a small thing.
Just walking into an eatery.
But for her, it felt like stepping into a different side of school life.
Most of her days had been lectures, walking back home, studying, and spending quiet evenings alone in her apartment.
This was different.
This felt like an opportunity to experience something outside her usual routine.
Her eyes moved around the room until they landed on a familiar face.
Faith.
She immediately recognized her from earlier that day.
Faith was sitting at a table near the corner, and the moment she noticed Maya, her face lit up with a smile.
She lifted her hand, waving slightly.
“Maya!”
Maya smiled back and walked toward the table.
“Hi, Faith.”
“I’m so glad you came.”
“Me too,” Maya replied softly.
Faith stood up briefly to welcome her before gesturing toward the empty seat beside her.
“Sit down.”
Maya took her seat, placing her small bag beside her.
It was then she noticed the person sitting across from Faith.
A young man.
He had been quietly looking through the menu, but when Maya sat down, he looked up and offered a polite smile.
Faith noticed her glance.
“Oh, I should introduce you.”
She turned slightly toward him.
“Maya, this is Ethan.”
The young man nodded.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” Maya replied.
“Ethan is my boyfriend,” Faith added with a smile.
Maya nodded.
“That’s nice.”
The two exchanged a few more words, and Maya slowly became more comfortable.
Ethan seemed calm and reserved, while Faith was much more expressive. The difference between them was noticeable, but somehow it worked.
As they continued talking, Faith suddenly remembered something.
“Oh, by the way…”
Maya looked at her.
“The guy I told you about earlier is coming.”
Maya remembered the conversation from earlier that day.
The person who had been too shy to approach her himself.
“Oh,” she said simply.
Faith smiled.
“He said he’ll meet us here.”
Maya nodded.
“Okay.”
She didn’t think too much about it.
Her attention returned to the menu placed in front of her.
The waiter soon approached their table.
“Have you decided what you’d like to order?”
Maya looked down at the menu.
At first, she thought about saying she wasn’t hungry.
After all, she had already prepared food at home.
But then she remembered the untouched meal waiting in her apartment.
She had made the effort to come out.
She decided she might as well enjoy the moment.
After scanning through the options, she smiled slightly.
“I’ll have jollof rice, please. With salad and beef.”
The waiter wrote it down.
“Anything else?”
“No, that’s all.”
The others placed their orders as well.
While waiting, Maya leaned back slightly and listened as Faith and Ethan talked.
The conversation was simple.
Nothing serious.
Just casual discussions about school, classes, and adjusting to a new environment.
Maya found herself smiling several times.
It felt good.
For a while, she wasn’t thinking about assignments, routines, or whether she was doing enough.
She was simply there.
Enjoying the evening.
A few minutes later, their food arrived.
The plates were carefully placed on the table.
The smell immediately made Maya realize how hungry she actually was.
She thanked the waiter before picking up her spoon.
“Your food looks good,” Faith teased.
Maya laughed softly.
“I didn’t realize how hungry I was until now.”
They began eating while continuing their conversation.
The evening slowly moved at an easy pace.
No pressure.
No awkward silence.
Just three people sharing a simple meal after a long day.
After some time, the entrance door opened again.
Maya didn’t pay attention at first.
She was focused on Faith’s story about something funny that happened earlier.
Then Faith looked up.
“Oh.”
Her expression changed slightly.
Maya followed her gaze.
- Writer
