HE WAITS FOR HER: HAPPINESS ENDS AND BEGINS 2

David was back home. He just finished parking his car in the garage. 'What was that about? Why did I act like that?' He sighed. He softly knocked his head on the wheel. "What is happening to me?" he uttered quietly. 'Why can't I forget her?'

He disliked the picture of Christine with that man! It is true that the guy she was dating is very good-looking. 'And why was she wearing a dress like that?' It was a simple red dress that ended just above Christine's knees. 'Doesn't she know that red means…ahhh… never mind!!!'

He looked up. 'And what's with that hairstyle?' She just let her hair loose. She did not even curl them. As a matter of fact, she was simple that night compared to the first time he saw her at the bar. She did not even care about putting makeup on. 'Why does she need to look so beautiful for that guy?' He felt so jealous!!!

'She even said she loved me!!! Yeah right…' Christine did not even appear sweet to the guy. It looks like she even wanted to leave him there. 'Why am I so angry?'

By the way Christine acted on the date, it looked like she was forced to do it. 'Did she have a change of heart already? That fast!!!'

"Nice car…"

David quickly sat properly. It was Kenji.

"When did you get it?"

David looked at him and forced a small smile. "They delivered it this morning. Cool huh?"

Kenji opened the passenger seat and sat down, "It is…"

"The Madame said Joe could use the other car to practice driving."

"I see…" Kenji replied. Then, they were quiet.

"Your car here yet?" David broke the silence first.

Kenji nodded, "Yes… Bob drove it to school this morning."

"The blue one?"

"That's the only one I have… and the sports car you owe me."

David chuckled.

"Are you okay?" Kenji pried at last.

"Yeah… Why'd you ask?" David lied.

"Joe was walking home this afternoon. Good thing I saw her," Kenji replied with a hint of mild accusation in his voice.

David closed his eyes. "Did she? I forgot to call the driver to pick her up."

Kenji sighed, "I see that there are so many things keeping you preoccupied."

David nodded and looked at him, "Can you keep Joe company until my mind cleared up? She worries too much sometimes and it's kinda annoying."

Kenji chuckled, "Sure…"

They both looked away… both of them thinking of two different women.

*****

Joe looked at her best friend driving his new car. He was quiet again and was lost in thoughts. She sighed and combed her hair with her fingers. David parked then turned off the engine. He took the keys from the ignition and stepped down the car. With another sigh, Joe opened the door on her side and stepped down as well. David locked the door and walked away.

"Basketball later, right?" she called out to him in a deep voice.

David lifted a thumbs-up but continued to walk away without looking back at her.

"Ow… that hurts…" Joe silently uttered and walked to her class thinking.

Her professor came in and began to discuss some theories again. She hated theories. She took out her drawing pad and began to draw a layout of a design for a living room, since that is what the professor was talking about. Her mind wandered off to David.

'It has been five days!!!!! What's wrong with him? When is he going to talk to me?'

He had been more silent this morning. 'I wonder what happened yesterday?' They were having breakfast and he just picked up some fruits, ate quietly, drank his juice and stood up. He waited for her to get ready for school and they quietly walked to the car. She closed her eyes. 'David…. Talk to me….'

She opened her eyes once again and looked at the layout she was doing. She smiled. It was actually beautiful. She drew on some details. 'I can't stand this. I have to talk to him this afternoon. I have to… I'll let him talk… I will.'

"This is what I am talking about," the professor said.

Joe looked up and saw him looking at her work.

"This is the application of the theory I was just saying. Good work, Joe."

Joe looked at her work and smiled.

*****

They took their water bottles and drank as much water as they could swallow simultaneously. Joe finished first and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. David after drinking sat down on the grass. They had been playing basketball for over an hour and David was not yet talking.

Joe sat beside him and rested her arms on her knees. She blew up some sweaty strands of hair off her face and looked at David. The latter was staring at nowhere. She sighed loudly. David was still not responding. She sighed loudly again. David sighed as well. Joe sighed in response. David looked down and sighed. Joe smiled and sighed yet again. David chuckled and sighed back.

"You smiled," Joe said.

David looked at her and gave her a sad smile.

"You okay?" she asked.

David looked away again.

"Don't lie," she told him.

He sighed once more.

"You're not telling me what happened last weekend…" Joe spoke again.

David looked at her and leaned on her shoulder.

Joe closed her eyes. David only does that particular action when he is really depressed. 'I lost you,' she told herself before asking him, "Christine?"

David nodded, still not leaving the comfort of Joe's shoulder.

Joe clenched her jaw. She has to control her emotions. "What happened?"

David straightened out and looked at the empty space in front of him. "She was so persistent. She actually made a scheme at the last minute so I could go with her."

Joe looked at him. His eyes were very sad. 'So that is why you went.'

"She was not what I think she was. I was wrong about her. She is very beautiful but not just that… she is an amazing person…" he said and looked at Joe with a sad smile.

Joe contained herself. She smiled back.

"She even burped," he said and chuckled.

Joe forced herself to chuckle as well.

David looked away, "I can't believe she's really avoiding me."

Joe looked away and closed her eyes, "You don't want her to avoid you?"

"I miss her… terribly…"

Joe opened her eyes. Her heart was in tremendous pain. She rubbed her nose and raked her hair with her fingers just to stop her tears from flowing down. "Did you tell her that?"

David shook his head, "She was on a date last night."

'So that is what the silence is all about.' "Are you okay?"

David shook his head again, "I was angry."

Joe nodded, "Do you like her?"

David sighed and nodded his head.

Joe quickly blinked her eyes repeatedly to stop her tears from falling. "Why don't you tell her then?"

David frowned, picked up some grass, and then threw it, "She likes someone else now."

Joe chuckled, "You are so stupid."

David scoffed, "What?"

Joe looked at him and narrowed her eyes, "Jerk, the reason she is dating someone else is because she thinks you don't like her back."

"How did you know? What do you know?" David complained.

Joe shook her head, "I can't believe you are so stupid."

David pointed at her, "Hey, whose side are you on?"

"Give me a break and just tell her you like her," she encouraged.

David was reflective for a moment, "Will that work?"

Joe nodded, "If it doesn't, I'll wash all of your dirty and stinky socks."

David chuckled, "You approve of her…"

Joe looked at him, "Will it make you happy if she's with you?"

David nodded his head.

Ow… She smiled, "What are you still doing here? Go to her and tell her. You said you'd start dating when you find someone likeable. It's Christine."

David smiled and hugged her, "You know I love you, right? You are the bestest best friend ever in the whole wide world," he said and stood up.

Joe nodded, "I know that, jerk...Go…"

David began to walk away…

"Run!!!"

David ran.

Joe's tears fell. She couldn't control them anymore as they trickled down her face. "Run…" she uttered and sobbed. "Run… David… run…" She closed her eyes, sniffed and rubbed her nose with the back of her hand.