New Beginning

Chapter 5

Tina's POV

Pulling my scarf tighter around my neck, I stepped out of the apartment, bracing against the winter chill. The icy air nipped at my skin, turning my breath into mist. I shivered, feeling the cold seep into my bones. How do people here survive this? I come from a tropical country where twenty degrees feels like a cold front, and here I am, freezing in this weather. I walked as fast as my legs would carry me, taking long strides, and somehow managed to reach the university, barely thawed.

It had been a while since Joe and I last had coffee together. Recently, we'd upgraded from awkward glances to smiles, which I suppose was progress. Sometimes, he'd even give me a slight nod, which, of course, sent my heart into a tailspin. It's ridiculous, really.

Rubbing my hands to shake off the cold, I headed to the cafeteria for a much needed caffeine boost. The cafeteria was the pre-lecture fueling station, where coffee was the only thing keeping us from collapsing into our textbooks.

I spotted Joe sitting with his friends, chatting away. And just like that, my stomach was in knots again. Why did he always have that effect on me? He's just a regular guy, right? No need for the nerves. Determined to stay calm, I grabbed my coffee and headed to an empty table. Veronica and Trisha had texted to say they'd be late.

I sneaked another glance at Joe, and of course, my heart skipped a beat. He looked annoyingly good in black jeans and a snug grey turtleneck. Seriously, who dresses like that for school? He could've been in a fashion ad, not in a university cafeteria.

Trying to distract myself, I pulled out my phone to text my mom, like I did every day. She liked to keep tabs on me, probably because she's been my rock since forever. Since the day I was born she dedicated her whole life to me. She quit her job and took care of me and till now she has been like a shadow. Even a shadow needs light to cast but she is a light herself.

I was halfway through texting when I felt it, Joe was looking at me. I could feel his eyes on me, and it sent a wave of panic rushing through my veins. I dared to sneak another glance, and yep, there he was, walking toward me.

Great. Deep breaths, Tina. Deep breaths.

He stopped in front of me, one hand shoved in his pocket, the other fiddling with his bag strap.

"Hey"

he said, giving me a shy smile.

"Hey"

I replied, trying to sound casual but probably failing miserably.

"Mind if I sit?" he asked.

"Sure" I said, though internally I was praying for a way out.

Joe cleared his throat, clearly nervous. "So, um... next month's my birthday, and I wanted to invite you. It's on the twelfth.

"Ohh!

I mumbled. We have the same birth stars.

"You can bring your friends too, if you want." He blurted it in one breath I could sense the nervousn.

"Thanks for the invite," I stammered, caught off guard.

"It's on a Friday" he added, as if that made the offer sweeter. "And, uh... can I get your number? You know, in case anything changes and will send you the dets?"

Oh, so we've hit the 'let's exchange numbers' stage now.

The third move. First coffee, then friendship, now numbers.

Slow down, buddy! I barely know this guy, and here he was, casually asking for my digits.

Before I could come up with an excuse, the bell rang, signaling the start of class. I practically leaped out of my chair.

"Uh, gotta go! Catch you later!"

I grabbed my coffee and darted out of the cafeteria like my life depended on it.

Seriously? We've barely had three conversations, and now I'm expected to give him my number? Nope. Not happening. Not until I know more about this guy. That's where Trisha would come in, my personal detective. She's got more contacts than a celebrity publicist, and I swear she could've chosen a career in espionage.

As I power walked down the hallway, lost in thought, I bumped into Trisha.

"Whoa, watch it!" she exclaimed. "Why are you in such a hurry? And why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

"Where's Vero? And why are you so chipper today?" I shot back, trying to deflect her attention.

"Nope, spill it. What's got you so wound up?" Trisha demanded, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Fine...I got a birthday invitation" I confessed.

"And you and Vero are my plus two, but first, I need your help."

"Wait, whose birthday? And when is it?"

Trisha's detective instincts were on full alert now.

"It's Joe's" I muttered

"on the twelfth of next month. But I need to know more about him before I decide whether or not to go."

Trisha's eyes lit up.

"Oh, so he finally made a move! You go, girl!"

I groaned. "It's not like that. We're not dating. He's moving way too fast. I barely know the guy. That's why I need you to dig up some info for me.. and here I thought you'd be jealous. Weren't you crushing on him?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

Trisha grinned. "Nah, I've got my eyes on someone else now."

"Who?" I asked, curious.

"Oh, just someone," she teased. "I'll let you know once I dig up more info on him. You know, doing my due diligence."

"Well, keep walking, Sherlock. We're going to be late for class," I said, shaking my head.

"So, when's the first date?" she teased.

I rolled my eyes. "There's no date. We're just friends, and I'm not ready to date again."

"Wait, again?" Trisha's eyebrows shot up. "There's a story here."

I sighed. "Long story short, I'm not ready to fall in love again."

I could see her brain working overtime, ready to pounce on my past, but we'd reached the lecture hall and Mr. Roderick was already making his announcements. I glanced at Joe, who was diligently taking notes. Seriously, why did he need my notes when he's obviously paying attention?

Three hours of mind numbing lecture later, I was still no closer to figuring out what to do about Joe's party. Should I go? What should I get him for his birthday? Ugh, why was I even thinking about this? It wasn't like I was going to his party alone.

As the lecture ended, Veronica asked

"Did you finish that assignment that's due tonight?"

"Oh, the one where Mr. Roderick's going to pick the best theory? Yeah, I turned it in last night," I said.

Both Veronica and Trisha looked at me like I had superpowers. "How do you always finish things early?" Trisha asked.

I shrugged. "Dad's life lesson get things done before they pile up."

We all headed our separate ways, and when I got back to my apartment, I collapsed on the couch. It was only three o'clock, but I was starving. I made myself a sandwich and tried not to think about Joe, but my mind kept drifting back to the past. I'd come here to start fresh, to forget about the two people who broke my heart and shattered our promises. We were supposed to go to the same university, travel the world together. Instead, here I was, alone. came here to move forward and will not look back.

I wiped away the tears that threatened to spill over. I had promised myself I wouldn't cry over them anymore.

Funny, isn't it? how you can be sure of something but then you learn the truth and suddenly you have never been more wrong.

Joe's POV

The siren went off, and when I turned back, I realized if that damn thing hadn't blared at that exact moment, I would've finally gotten her number that day. Just my bad luck. Her friends weren't in my contacts either, so it wasn't like I could ask them. Now I have to figure out another way to get her contact.

"How stupid" I muttered to myself. At our first meeting, I went straight for her number. Rookie mistake. She freaked out. But it's just a number, right?

I mean, everyone shares their contact info or social media these days. Why did she hesitate? Maybe I'm right, she's hiding something. Something tells me that she's trying to mask with that smile...or maybe I'm just projecting my views on her.

I remember reading somewhere that Sometimes you think you want to disappear, but all you really want is to be found.

The cold weather had everyone's nerves on edge, but the café was buzzing. People poured in like they were allergic to staying at home. I waited for the orders to slow down a bit so I could take a break and figure out how to get her number. But no one was giving me a break. Everyone was eager to grab their hot drinks and curl up somewhere. Singles sat with their coffee and pastries, glued to their phones, while couples huddled in corners, wrapped up in each other's warmth.

Tamara and Jia had dragged Mom into some party planning thing, leaving me in charge of the café. When the rush finally started to die down, I handed the cash register to Herbert and slipped back to the office to tackle some paperwork. Just as I was getting into the groove, Calvin walked in, looking like a puppy that just got kicked.

As childhood friends, I could read him like an open book.

"Hey, need help?" he asked, but I knew better, he was the one who needed help.

"It's Natasha, isn't it?" I guessed, and his face confirmed it.

He let out a sigh and collapsed into the chair across from me. Before I could ask, he blurted out

"I can't do this anymore. She just doesn't get it. She thinks I'm trying to run away from her by moving to Canada. She's so focused on herself, she doesn't see what I'm going through. Why are girls so complicated?"

I closed the file, walking over, squeezing his shoulder. Calvin's always been the emotional type, wears his heart on his sleeve and gets worked up easily.

"Give her time" I told him.

"It's probably hard for her to take in, you suddenly leaving after being together so long. You know she loves you."

Truth be told, I was concerned when he first told me he was moving. Calvin's practically family, the one person I could talk to about anything. And Natasha? She's a nice girl. I've known her since high school, back when she and Erine were best friends. Even after Erine and I broke up, Natasha never treated me differently.

Calvin sat there, rubbing his palms on his thighs, he did this when he's stressed.

"You know what? I'm almost done here. Let's hit a bar, grab a few drinks. There's someone I want to talk to you about anyway" I suggested, trying to cheer him up.

His eyes lit up. He's always interested to know if I'm seeing anyone new. And I was. Kind of.

I handed things over to Herbert and headed out.

"You sure about this? It's only 7:30, and you usually close at ten," Calvin asked, a bit surprised.

"Everything's covered. Herbert will handle it" I assured him. Herbert's practically family too. He's been with us since I was a kid, and Mom trusts him completely.

At the bar, we ordered whiskey, Calvin's favorite, and found a corner table.

"So, who is she?" he asked, leaning in with his typical curiosity.

I cleared my throat. "Her name's Tina. She's from my university."

"Wait, what? What happened to that girl, Blair, you told me about?"

"Yeah, about that... Blair wasn't really the one. We're just friends. Tina is...different."

"Different how?" Calvin asked, intrigued.

"We've had coffee together. I invited her to my birthday, but for now, we're just friends" I explained unsure of how to word the situation.

Calvin looked puzzled. "That's it? No real dates yet?"

I nodded. "Baby steps, man. If she shows up to my birthday, I'll take it as a sign we have something between us."

"When are you flying to Canada, by the way?" I asked, switching gears.

"After your birthday," he mumbled, taking a sip.

"You'll get to meet her on my birthday then." I paused, leaning in a bit. "By the way, her birthday's right after mine. Got any gift ideas?"

Calvin gave me a weird look. "Why would you get her a gift? You barely know her. And how did you find about her birthday"

"I got connections, man. I feel like there's something there. It's not like I'm looking for anything serious, but she seems... different. I want to see where this goes."

Calvin grinned and clinked his glass against mine. "Go with the flow sweetheart"

After a few drinks, we said our goodbyes, and I headed home. The house was quiet, the ticking of the clock was the only sound. It was past 10:30, so I figured everyone had gone to bed. Mom knew not to wait up since I told her I'd be eating out with Calvin.

As I climbed the stairs, I heard Jia on the phone, talking about DJ songs and playlists. Of course, she was still planning my birthday party. That gave me an idea, maybe I could ask her what girls like as birthday gifts. I knocked on her door.

"Yeah?" she called, a little distracted.

"Can I come in?" I whispered, not wanting to wake up Mom and Dad.

"Umm, I'm kinda busy. Can we talk tomorrow?"

Classic Jia, always focused when she's in planning mode.

"Alright, good night" I said, heading to my room.

I changed into my pajamas and collapsed into bed. Tina was on my mind. Some people are like open books with missing pages, you feel drawn to uncover their story, but a part of you fears what's been left untold. That's how I felt about her.

The moment I saw Jerold borrowing notes from Tina, I knew exactly where to start. Later, when I borrowed the same notes from Jerold, I stumbled upon a photocopy of Tina's birth certificate. That's when I discovered that our birthdays were just a day apart and that we shared the same zodiac sign.

Life has a way of pulling you toward the unexpected, and just when you think you've figured out the story, someone walks in and rewrites the ending you never saw coming.

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"Sometimes, the hardest part isn't taking the first step. It's believing that the path ahead is worth walking."