Strawberry

"What are you doing?" I asked her as I approach.

"Well, opening the door I guess?" She looked at me confused.

I lend out my hand. "Don't you remember?"

"What?"

I sighed. "Monique specifically said that I should drive you home."

She looked at my hand. And raised her eyebrow. Wow, even she's annoyed she's still beautiful.

"Your car keys milady," I smirked.

She drops the keys in my hand and walked to the passenger's side. I open the door for her and she climbs the seat. I returned to my side and took the steering wheel. I fired the engine and drove off. We rolled down our window and fresh air flooded the car.

She turned her head on the side and look out the window. Something's troubling her. And I don't know if I'm allowed to ask her.

"So, where to?" I asked cautiously.

"Springs street." She said without looking at me. That's in the next village and a 10 minutes drive.

"You angry?"

"Huh?"

"Are you annoyed with me?" I asked hiding my smile although she can't see it.

She looked at me. "No. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing." I bit my lip.

We drove in silence for a while. We turned right when we reach the sign "Welcome to Spring Village." There's an electric barrier before us. The guard approached us.

"Where to sir?" Raine suddenly awakens from her reverie. "It's me," Peering on my window.

Her sweet fragrance fills me. Her face was very close to mine so I keep very still while holding my breath.

"Good afternoon ma'am." And they let us in. She slides back down her seat and I can breathe again.

"Are we there yet?" I asked her.

"We're at no. 26."

18, 20, 22. I was counting the house numbers, but when we rounded the corner and reach house no. 24.

"Stop the car." I was alerted by her panicked voice.

I stepped on the brake so hard that we were thrown forward, luckily we have our seatbelts on.

"What's that for?" I looked at her, puzzled.

She's staring at the car parked in front of their house. "Turn the car. Turn the car now!" Panic in her voice.

"Ok! Ok!" I backed the car slowly careful not to hit the gutter and turned the car.

"Take us anywhere." She said, looking back.

"Why?" I asked puzzled.

"Just... Just do what I say please." She's pleading.

"Who's that?" We were now sitting in an ice cream parlor.

"Who?" She asked a little confused.

"The one who owns the red car earlier."

"You're fast," she smiled. "Just someone. Why?"

"Nothing." I shrugged.

We eat our ice cream in silence while watching passing cars and people entering the shop.

"Strawberry's my favorite." She said, breaking the silence.

"I know," I answered too fast.

"You do?" Raid said, surprised.

"I mean. It's the scent of your shampoo. Right?" I panicked. Do I sound like a stalker?

"Yes." She chuckled.

A group of girls who entered the shop recognized me and started giggling. One of the girls was deciding whether or not they're going to approach me. Raine looked back at them.

"Stalkers." She whispered with a smile.

But I just ignored the girls. I was paying more attention to her actions. The way she nibbles her lower lip, the way she blinks, the gracefulness in her move.

"Adam. Adam?" She flapped her hands in front of my face.

"Sorry." I blink away. I didn't notice that I was staring at her and it must be uncomfortable to her. "Sorry," I repeated.

"Are you always like this Adam?" I like the way she says my name. It was sexier with her saying it.

"What?" I asked confused.

"Do you always gawk at people?" She teased.

"No, not gawking. Just looking." I said then had a mouthful of ice cream to hide my smile.

She chuckled. "There's something.." She said pointing at my face.

"What?" As I swallow.

"Here, let me." She reached out to me and wipe something on my cheek. "There."

"Thanks." It must be a piece of ice cream. I wipe my mouth with a napkin.

I also noticed that people are starting to recognize me so, "Let's go somewhere else." I said.

"Sure." Apparently, she also noticed that people were starting to approach us. I just smiled and wave at them then we ran outside and climbed her car.

We were both laughing when we drove away. "It's your fault that those girls tried to jump on us when we're trying to escape."

"What? Can't take a joke?" She chuckled.

"Woah. So it means there's nothing on my face a while ago?" I glanced at her.

"No. Nothing," She laughed.

"You!!"

"What?! I was just having a good time here Adam." She laughed again.

"Where do you want to go?" I asked her.

"I just want to rest. Can we go back to Monique's?"

"Sure."

We drove back to Monique's in silence.

"Tell me," she started. I wasn't able to look at her because I was driving. So she continued.

"Do you love what you're doing right now?" she asked.

"Yes. This is what I ever dream about. I'm enjoying everything that I have now. Why'd you ask?"

"Just curious. Cause the first time I saw you, I never thought that you are THE Adam. You look so simple, you're so clumsy and you look stupid." She chuckled.

"Hey! You're teasing me again huh."

"Sorry. My bad." She laughed softly.

The silence is too loud again but it was a comfortable one.

Suddenly, she started humming. Then and softly.

"This night is sparkling, don't you let it go. I'm wonder-struck, blushing all the way home. I'd spend forever, wondering if you know I was enchanted to meet you.."

"You're a great singer." I commended her.

"Yah, yah. Tell me about it. I only sang in my bedroom and the shower."

"I would like to see that. I mean, listen. Hear." I panicked because she might think that I want to see her in the shower.

"I know what you mean, don't worry." She smiled.

"That song." Changing the topic, "Is that your favorite song?"

"Yup. Especially Owl City's version. It's very romantic if a guy sings it to you."

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"I like the line 'Please don't be in love with someone else. Please don't have somebody waiting on you.'" she sang a little faster.

"Why? Is there somebody waiting for you?" I asked desperately but just shrugged so I asked her another question.

"What are your interests then?"

"Mainly sports. And photography," she answered flatly.

"What sports do you play?"

"Basketball, Volleyball, and Badminton which is my favorite."

"You play basketball?" I'm a bit surprised. As graceful as she was, I never thought she would play a very physical sport like that.

"Yes. I'm on the varsity team when I was in high school. But I switched to badminton."

"Why?"

"Just for the fun of it and besides I'm not up for competition."

"So what sports do you want to try next?" I asked her.

"I was thinking, maybe, mountain climbing or surfing." She said smiling.

"You're a very adventurous woman."

"Well thank you, sir." Then we laugh.

It was fun having a conversation with her. She seemed a very free-spirited woman, a lucky-go-lucky girl.

We arrived at Monique's at 4:30 in the afternoon. We've been away for 3 hours. I knocked on the door and Ralph opened it.

"Where you've been?" He asked.

We told them about the riot that must have transpired in the ice cream parlor. And the long drive back home, but didn't mention the red car incident.

We decided to watch a movie, first, we watched White chick. It's a comedy action film wherein 2 FBI agents were on the verge of being kicked out of the bureau, and given an assignment. To escort 2 young rich ladies as they have a kidnapping plot against them. But, they were involved in an accident that the 2 ladies won't come out because they have scars on their faces. The 2 agents went undercover as the 2 young white girls and solved the kidnapping plot. It was a great movie, and I forgot about what happened to us a while ago.

Monique decided to cook french fries before she played "Stay Alive." It's a horror-suspense movie wherein there was a computer game and it was haunted by some countess. If you die in the die game, you will die also the same way you die there. It's creepy actually because just in the first part there were killings already.

"Turn off the lights," Monique ordered while she put the bowls of fries in front of us.

"Don't," I exclaimed and they all looked at me.

"Scared?" Monique teased. "Our famous Adam. Scared of the dark." She chuckled. Ralph eyed her meaningfully and stopped talking. She sat beside him on the couch.

I preferred to sit on the floor where I can stretch my legs. Raine joined me, she smiled at me as she sat beside me.

It was dark already on the outside, Ralph stood up to open the porch light.

"Fries?" Raine offered me.

"Thanks." I got a handful.

This film is creepy. And what's worst is when Monique is screaming. It makes the hair in my nape and arms stood up.

There's this one time when Raine grabbed my arm because she was surprised with one scene. "Sorry" she mouthed and tuck her hands in front of her. She was scared, I know that. Because she's not looking on the TV, whenever she senses that the scary part is coming. I'd like to put my arms around her and whisper in her ears that it was just a film, that she doesn't have to be afraid.

Finally, the film ended. 3 of the main cast were alive. I stretched out my legs and my arms. Ralph burp loudly.

"Eeew." Monique retorted.

"Sorry." Ralph laugh.

I looked at Raine, and she's somewhat pale.

I scoot closer to her. Monique put away the bowls and soda cans to the kitchen, while Ralph scanned their movie collection for the next film.

"You okay? It's just a film." I assured her.

"Yes, I know. But it just creeps me out." She smiled so I smiled at her too.

Ralph played the movie "The Last Song". Miley Cyrus played the "Roni" part where she hated staying with her dad that lives beside the ocean. But little did she know that her father's health is getting worse and he only has a short time to live. And while with her dad, she met a guy that she likes. It was a love story.

Monique and Raine started crying. And Ralph's teasing them but they ignored him.

"That was fun," Monique announced as we finished the movie. It's already past 9.

"Aren't you guys sleepy?" She asked. When we all said no, she decided that we must play a game.

Truth or Dare. Using the bottled soda, we took turns answering and doing whatever they asked us to do or answer any question they asked. When the bottle pointed at me, I choose the dare.

"Well, let's see," Ralph said thinking. But Monique whispered in his ear for a minute. Smile spreading on his lips.