Can I Tag Along?

Ring! Ring! Ring!

"Liza why the hell you ain't answering?", Mike ask himself and his patience is thinning. He was leaning on his car parked outside Liza's house. "Are you avoiding me?"

He dialed again for the fifth time then the recorded voice of phone operator answered.

"Argh! What the hell was happening to you?" Mike nearly shouted.

"To whom, Mike?" Liza asked who appeared from his side.

"To you, Liza. Why the hell you ain't answering your damn phone!" Mike answered not realizing that Liza is standing next to him and talking.

Liza pinch his cheeks so hard and he squirmed so badly.

"What the!"

"Why bother calling my phone if I'm standing next to you?"

"Uhmm, I just want to check on you. When did you get here?"

"Long time enough to hear you curse. Maybe my phone is already battery dead upstairs. I'm going to stroll around. Wanna join?"

"Do you have company?"

"I am not sure if Marie will be going but we will meet at the club house if she would not be able to catch me up here."

They heard someone shouting.

"Liz! Liz! Wait for me!"

"Oh! Marie!"

"I thought I wouldn't be able to make it," Marie, Liza's best friend, said holding her chest and catching here breathe.

"Oh! It seems that you have company now." Mike said.

"Oh! Hi! Mike right?" Marie said to Mike extending her right hand.

"Yeah?! How did you know?" Mike asked curiously.

"Well someone here tells so much about you. Most often your the topic of the day. I am not sure if I met you before because you look familiar."

"Shut up, Marie!" Liza tried to cut her off.

"Oh! So, she is the all so famous Marie!"

"What do you mean?" the two girls asked in unison.

"You'll know in time."

"Do you want to tag along, Mike? I'm sure someone here would be more than pleased if you would," Marie asked as if he did not hear anything from Mike.

"Yeah, sure if that would be alright to both of you."

"No problem", the two girls said in unison.

Mike got his phone and called his friend.

"You busy? Meet me at the clubhouse in a few? We will be walking. I'm here at Liz's place," Mike said to the other line without giving a chance for his friend to answer.

"Who's that?" Liza asked.

"A friend of mine. He would be pleased to see the person his usually dream", Mike answered.

"Well, OK. I think we should be going," Liza suggested.

They started walking leisurely going to the clubhouse having a friendly chitchat. Halfway to the clubhouse, someone jumped at their back.

"Hey guys! Can I tag along?" Chris blurted out.

"Oh I thought at the clubhouse?!" Mike looked puzzled.

"My friend, had you forgetting something who am I?" Chris asked his best friend Mike.

"I don't know what you're talking about", Mike asked but Chris give him a playful grin and raised his eyebrow then it suddenly dawned him what Chris means. "Oh yeah! Sorry, I forgot."

"Hello, Marie! How are you doing?" Chris asked diverted his attention to Marie. He noticed that she had been gawking like fish at him and blushing slightly.

"I'm fine like before, I guess," Marie answered and she tries to grasp Liza's hand but Chris snatch her hand right away.

"I think we could go in pairs. Right, Mike?" Chris questioned and hitting the side of his friend with his elbow.

"Well uhmm, maybe we could", Mike answered and hit Chris harder.

"Shit! That's an ouch, Man!"

"As if we had an option. You already snatch her from me. Really smooth, Chris, really smooth", Liza said teasingly.

They continue walking until they reach the clubhouse. Their conversation had been minimized because of Chris. Marie being the story teller felt ashamed when Chris showed up. While the other pair continued their moments.

"So, since we're here, what do you plan to do?" Chris blurted out.

"We will just stroll and kill time. How about you?" Liza answered.

"I don't know. Mike called me to come over."

"Is that so? Marie, I'm hungry could you come with me to look for something to buy?" Liza asked her knowing that the boys would not allow them to mingle at each other.

"Huh!" Marie was at lost since Chris arrival. "Oh yeah. Sure!"

"I think I'm going with you and Marie better stay with Chris. We will buy some food. Inform us later if you want something", Mike said with a big grin in his face.

"Hey! How about me, Liz?" Marie said surprisingly.

"Sure. Thanks, dude!" Chris gives a wink at Mike and a playful grin to Liza. Mike poke him having the idea of what Chris was thinking. "Man! That hurts! Do it again I'll give you a much painful one."

"Oh! Come on, Chris. It's just so light. Why so sensitive? Let's go, slowpoke. They might want to have sometime alone. He wants us leave."

"How about Marie?" Liza asked with a teasing smile.

"He will take care of her. Don't worry" Mike give her smile as an assurance.

Liza and Mike take their time in looking for a store going for a longer route so that Chris and Marie would have more time for themselves getting to know each other. Mike would occasionally glance at Liza and smile, in return, Liza would give a cheerful smile.

"We are near the gates. Are we going outside for a convenience store or fast food instead?" Mike asked.

"There is a convenience store nearby. I wonder what those two are doing."

"She is fine. Don't worry."

"I don't trust Chris when Marie is with her. You know that. If something bad happens to her, I'll make sure both of your heads would be serve in a silver platter tonight."

"You should learn to trust him. He will not harm her the fact that they are mates."

"Mate or not, if a single hair was plucked from her, I swear I'll kill him. Tell him that!"

"Chill!"

"How do you know Marie?"

"I met her once in Hawaii, remember?"

"No, in fact I don't remember much what happened in Hawaii. What about Chris?"

"He once met her at school don't know what course and from there, he started stalking her every chance he got. then he will tell me everything he would know about her. My gang calls her the All-So-Famous-Marie."

Mike hugged Liza.

"In time, you will remember it slowly. We should get going."