Peter turned his head to look at his friend intently. He then made a sound of disbelief and smiled slowly keeping eye contact throughout. “No Jake am not scared in any way. I know am a good looking guy and am sure Samantha can’t deny. I am just waiting for the right moment to tell her my hearts desires.” Peter cleared his throat and scratched his left elbow, his eyes still fixed on Jake who kept dodging their gaze. “Enough of me and my love life. How are your love ventures going? I haven’t noticed any chicks flocking towards your nest lately.”
Jake laughed loudly and quickly stopped himself before the whole neighborhood was awakened. “Let’s go and buy some drinks at the corner shop along the main road. You still take non-carbonated drinks, right?”
“No man. Don’t change the topic. You started it remember,” Peter said as he shook his right hand in a no way gesture.
Jake walked towards him grabbed his left arm above the elbow and began to pull him in the direction he was moving. “I will tell you all about my girl related stories as we walk to the shop. I really need a drink.”
Peter followed Jake without resisting as he was pulled by his hand. Peter then freed his arm from Jakes grip. “Okay! Can I now listen to the stories of your love affairs and the girls you have been hunting?”
Jake stopped pacing and looked behind at his friend. He then quickly turned his head to look forward to escape Peters piercing look. He walked slowly to match the pace of his friend behind him. “It has been a rough ride Peter. I simply don’t know what I need to do so that girls can notice me. My nest needs refurbishing so as to attract the birds towards it.”
Peter was speechless and couldn’t understand his friend’s words clearly. He became quiet for a few seconds. “Notice you? What do you mean by that?
Jake kicked a nearby can in his way causing it to roll forward in a continuous roll of noise. “I mean that all the girls in our class don’t see me as a person that they can have a relationship with.” He pulled his head soak towards his eyebrows on his forehead. “And honestly they are right in their judgment. Am not funny neither am I a gem face wise.”
Peter put his hand over his friends shoulder despite him being a bit taller than him. “Jake, what rubbish are you saying? Listen to me. A lot of girls in our class and even in other classes within the school notice and admire you and honestly would love you to be their catch. You my friend don’t take time to notice those noticing you because you are so busy being shy. You have so many admirers and you don’t see them because your head is always lowered facing the floor.”
Jake raised his lowered head slowly to look at Peter on his right. “You honestly think girls admire me!”
“I don’t think girls admire you, I know they do,” Peter responded slowly as he looked straight into his eyes.
Jake gave out his bright smile and gazed to the ground. “Which girls from our class, Peter? Which girls?”
“Judy, Kate, Whitney, Julia and Catherine. These are just the ones I have overheard talking about you. But am positive they are a lot more girls who admire you or let me put it this way, love you,” Peter said to Jake as they walked slowly bypassing house after house on either side of the road nearing the shop along the main road.
Jake raised his head in clear excitement and looked at his friend. “It sounds too good to be true. What would they love about a person like me? I am just a plain guy with nothing special about him that can catch a girl’s stare.” He lowered his head evidently because of being convinced of what he had just said about himself.
Peter felt bad about what his friend had said about himself. His heart beat faster that he squeezed his friends shoulder hard and grabbed his full attention. “Honestly, you are asking why girls like you. They do because you are a very handsome blond 16 year old guy with bright blue eyes that send shivers down their spines when you look at them. Your facial features are in all the right places.” Peter took a deep breath. “Who doesn’t love a double chinned guy, they just look so cool on someone and you are blessed with one. You have a desirable height of famous actors and models. Your body is absolutely angelic with muscles in the right places. Dude, you are gorgeous and it seems God took his time putting you together so that a perfect being emerged. You’re……,” Peter stopped talking, lowering his eyes from the continued eye to eye contact he had with Jake. “……not to sound gay or anything. You know what I mean.”
“Wow!!!” Jake said slowly in surprise of what he had heard. “It is cool dude and it is definitely not gay.”
Jake looked at Peter and they both went into intense laughter that some dogs in the nearby houses started barking.
“Thanks Peter, you are truly a real friend. And I appreciate that excellent in depth description of my features and good looks. Am really thankful,” Jake said modestly as he looked at his friend.
“Shut up bro. Its nothings. But remember all I said is the truth. Believe that,” Peter said as he patted his friend on the shoulder.
“Yeah, I believe you. I really loved the part where you talked about God spending a lot of time putting me together to make a perfect being,” Jake said slowly in teasing manner and then laughed continually.
Peter let go of Jakes shoulder as he laughed at what he said and gave him a gentle slap on the shoulder. “You will buy me two drinks for making me say that, sir.
Jake stopped laughing and took a deep breath. “You deserve more than two drinks. I will buy you four.”
Peter and Jake walked slowly towards the shop a few meters in front of them with big words covered in Neon lights saying ‘Highway shop’ shining green, blue, red and yellow constantly. The two boys raised their heads looking at the words above and their eyes were filled with amazement despite them having seen them since their early childhood.