Wednesday, 11:01 AM.

Anticipation.

Anticipation was that type of feeling when one eagerly waited for an upcoming event. Their bloodstreams pumped up with exhilaration, to the point where they will have positive predictions of the future.  A lot of words can be used to describe this extreme happiness. Two that I often used were "elated" or "ecstatic".

As I faced the bedroom mirror, such anticipation washed me. After what seemed like hours of me choosing the best, matching clothes, I finally came up with a worthed conclusion. It was a short-sleeved, navy shirt with white polka dots, and a pair of cream shorts. Buckling up my belt, I subsequently buttoned and straightened my shirt.

Well, I had accomplished something today: I chose clothes all by myself. More anticipation of meeting Rena quickly filled within me. Maybe, I can somewhat impress her with this style.

However, there was one thing I must do. Unfortunately, it had to be my greatest weakness.

Smiling.

"Girls loved it when boys grin, because they think it's cute and adorable."

Seb's voice of reminder echoed inside my mind, and as a result, I stiffened. Well, I can manage a small but strained smile, but that was only because Christie taught me. I certainly cannot do a broad grin, even as months passed by. Just like what my workmates joked, I would definitely scare people away in no time.

I shook my head, and decided to try what I can do for now. I slowly stretched my lips into a smile, but it all seemed so basic. I decided to try the new challenge. I kept on forcing myself further, until the sets of my teeth showed up in the mirror.

"Ed! Your friend's here!"

My mother abruptly shouted from downstairs, and obviously, I was not expecting this. Myla's barks further proved that she was indeed here.

The grin I have been attempting to make vanished in an instant, replaced with a straight but fastened lips. I hastily brushed my hair for the last time, before slipping my wallet into the back pocket, then grabbing both my phone, iPod and earphones.

Don't keep a girl waiting.

A quote I found on the internet appeared in my mind, apparently driving me to hurry up. Switching off the lights, I left the room and closed the door. I strode fast through the hallway, and moved down the stairs like a lightning. I took 2 to 3 steps at a time, and reached the first floor in just a few seconds.

When I peeked around the living room, there was Rena, sitting comfortably on the couch with small, black bag lying beside her. My mother had given her a cup of hot tea, and she was sipping it gently. Myla was sitting just beside her, wagging her tail as Rena tousled her furs.

My heart slightly sank, however. If I were a bit earlier, I could be the one preparing the tea for her, instead. I sighed and decided to draw close to her.

As I entered the room, both Rena and Myla snapped their heads at me. While the dog sprinted towards me and barked in acknowledgement, Rena's blue eyes glittered with happiness; her smile turned into a tiny grin.

I was directly facing her, so I can, at least, admire her appearance. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder dress with blue and white stripes, and a white hat. Due to her dressing style, I could see the bare, smooth skin of her shoulders. I rapidly swallowed my saliva and gulped.

She was gorgeous, not to mention how her personality completely matched with her appearance. I didn't want to be borderline creepy, so I blinked out of my daze.

"Hi Ed." Rena merrily greeted, slightly raising her hand.

"Hey Rena." I chose to sit beside her, but not too close so that I would not accidentally rubbed my body against hers. Myla then hopped into my lap and sat casually.

From this distance, her radiating aura was powerful enough to make me lightheaded. I stole glances with her, but I was trying my best not to hungrily rake up and down her body.

Seb would definitely fall over heels for her.

"So, any plans at the mall?" Before she turned at me and asked a question, she placed the cup on the table.

"Not really." I answered, while feeling that my face started warming up for no reason. I rubbed my hands on Myla's furs to compensate my ballistic instincts. "I'm just going to follow whenever you go."

"Hmm..." She thought for a while. "I'm fine going a-anywhere, but I think we should visit the arcade center."

"Definitely." I instantly agreed with her.

"Same here. I'm wondering what kind of new games they might have." She laughed sheepishly. "Aly and I usually go to the mall for shopping, so we don't really visit the center that much."

"Seb and I often go there. We always compete with each other, especially those arcade stuff." I shared.

"Do you wanna play air hockey again? I'm g-getting a bit pumped up lately." Rena challenged me, smiling even broader than before. My body tightened instinctively, and also in reflex, I hastily brushed my hair. I forced myself not to show my little movements that much. I stared fixedly at her, not expressing any emotion.

"I don't see why not," I answered, "but well, I will lose easily. You had beaten me a lot of times."

"Haha, well, n-not really. You had beaten me too, like a few times." She spoke, and proceeded to stand up on her feet. She turned her body towards me, and placed her arms on her back. "Anyway, let's go. It's 11:15 now, a-and I'm kinda hungry."

"Sure." I agreed, standing up along with her. As soon as we were getting ready to leave, my mother entered the room. Myla then jumped from me, then scampered towards the kitchen, probably for food. Meanwhile, my mother was brushing her hands when she noticed both of us standing near the couch.

"Are you guys not going?" She asked, eyeing Rena and I curiously. "It's getting late in the noon."

"We're going now, Ma'am." Before I could speak, Rena was the one who answered for me. "By the way, thanks for the tea."

"It's really my pleasure." She said between her soft chuckles. She then leaned against the wall, crossed her arms and winked at Rena, and she pulled a thumbs up.

This tingled my nerves with suspicion. It was as if both of them shared a secret message that I had no idea of. Subsequently, I shot a funny look at my mother, who only laughed at my reaction.

What were they talking about when I'm not there?

***

Bidding farewell, Rena then dragged her bike outside of the gate, and she allowed me to ride the vehicle first. I climbed into the bike's back seat, and assumed my comfortable position. She was next, as she, with ease, got in front of me. The bike shook with might, and I felt like I was about to fall down, but she managed to balance it before incidents can occur.

Of course, she was a professional cyclist, especially the fact she learned how to cycle since she was in elementary.

As we went down the road, winds of the summer were hitting against my face. The streets were rough, though; the wheels abruptly smashed against a lot of rocky surfaces and of course, speed bumps. I briefly felt as if I was gliding off my seat, but I was pushed back. Such cycle repeated until Rena reached a smoother road. She seemed to be not bothered by the bumpiness, well, probably because she was used to it.

The strands of my hair were flying everywhere, often covering my vision. I have tried to place them behind my ears, but it took me countless of times to do it. When I was comfy enough to relax, my hands reached for her shoulders, trying to grab on them, but I chose not to. I would definitely freak her the hell out.

As she braked at the red traffic light, I felt that it was the right time to talk about what had happened yesterday. Regardless, my guts didn't feel like it, and told me to vent later. She seemed to be focusing on her journey...

...I guess.

"Where do you wanna eat?" Rena unexpectedly asked, surprising the hell out of me. She didn't turn her head around.

"Dunno." I bluntly replied, shrugging my shoulders. "Wherever you like."

"Hmm..." She pondered. "How about that Italian restaurant? I'm seriously craving for the pasta."

"Yeah, I'm okay with everything, Rena." I made the first statement audible, but I lowered down my voice with the second one. "At least it makes you happy."

She didn't hear, luckily.

While she was into pasta, my mind was always all about bread and pastries. I wanted to spend my breakfast, lunch and dinner today for these foods. However, I knew that there were other times where I could have them. For now, I have to follow what Rena wanted.

"Hehe, since it's you last time, I'll be the one who pay the food." She suggested. "How's that sounds like?"

"Sounds great, Rena. Thanks." I replied almost immediately. I blankly stared down the asphalt of the road. When the lights turned green, she slowly pedalled across the intersection, bringing us into a swift motion. For the second time in this week, I got free food, so I should be grateful of it.

With her bike, Rena and I slowly moved through districts. Overall, it was a prosperous ride, even though the atmosphere composed of only silence. I was able to entirely calm myself from all the events that had happened yesterday. I was also into the small panorama of my town, seeing it brought refreshment within me. The bright, cerulean skies made it even more better.

The mall finally came into sight, and thankfully, it was not crowded as expected. There were still people walking nearby, but it was just that.

Rena proceeded to pedal slowly into the empty parking lots, specialized for bicycles. As she stopped into one particular spot, I decided to jump down so that she can deal her bike with ease. She was chaining the wheels into the designated rack, while I was waiting beside her. My hands slithered inside my pockets, as my eye kept staring at her.

Struggling, she finally managed to shut the lock tight, as a satisfaction flashed across her face. She huffed, wiping a sweat from her forehead, then faced me.

"Maybe, I should really buy another bicycle lock." Rena shook her head, adjusting her hat. "It's getting too rusty. Oh, the pedals in my bike were a bit jammed, but I still managed to push it through. I wanna told Dad to bring it to the repair store or something."

Seeing that she will be having future problems with her bike, an opportunity to do something for her shone brilliantly. It was the time to practically show my machinery skills to her. I shrank back at the thought, but I couldn't just let this perfect chance go in vain. I had some knowledge in parts of bicycles, so I should be able to fix Rena's bike.

"Rena." I called her name.

"Yeah?"

"... I can fix it for you, free of charge." That was probably too straightforward, but I decided to continue on. "I'm a machinist, after all, so I should be able to deal with it."

At my words, Rena's eyes flew wide open. She gazed at me, her mouth slightly dangled open like a door. At first, I thought she was deep in thought or something, but the pink hues that started to form in her cheeks suggested something different. She was out of her momentum, and after blinking out of her daze, her eyes wandered away from me.

"A-are you sure?" She asked quizzically, clenching her hands. "It's going to be trouble-"

"It's fine, Rena. Besides, I don't have anything to do, so I'm always free." I convinced, interrupting her.

"Well... um..." Her fingers fidgeted. She stretched her lips into a smile, causing my heart to leap off my chest. "T-thanks... I will tell you if I need help."

"Y... yeah." I repeatedly scratched my head, once again, I stammered like a fucking idiot.

She always got me, no matter how it had been months since she befriended me. I berated myself to behave more calmly and not to flunk in front of Rena. Controlling my emotions was supposed to be easy and effortless. I have been doing it for years, but why do I always lose that ability in front of her?

As we quietly entered the mall, I walked literally beside Rena, so I almost brushed my skin against hers. Currently, she was looking around the area, finding ways to the pasta restaurant. I didn't bother, on the other hand, and followed her mindlessly.

The mall was the exactly same as we often visited: both the elegant ambience and its prestigious feel. Posters of season sales decorated the walls of each stores or simply placed in front of the shops. Mannequins were displayed behind the glass, dressed with outfits the brand was offering. I could see that Rena was tempted to go in, as she was eyeing on them, but chose to pass.

Even though there were not a lot of people, I noticed some teenagers roaming around. Probably they were from other school since I wasn't familiar with them.

"What do you wanna eat there?" Rena asked as she whirled around, facing me.

"Probably aglio olio." I said, without thinking too much about it. 

"Oh... but wait, isn't aglio olio spicy? I mean, you hate spicy food, right?" She raised both of her eyebrows.

Fuck.

I was rippled with realization. Right, the pasta itself used red chili flakes as its condiments.

I was too focused with my thoughts that I bluttered out my answer without second thoughts. I had to unintentionally do it in front of Rena, of all people. I didn't really give a shit if it was Seb or somebody else, but definitely not her. Not to mention, I already lost count on how many times I messed up today. Whatever, I am just going to pretend that I  forgot about it.

"Oh, yeah right." I shrugged. "Fine, I am just to go with spaghetti. How about you, Rena?"

"Um..." She contemplated as we stepped onto a running escalator to go to the first floor. She placed her hand on the handrail, loosely gripping on it. "Have you ever heard of Genovese pasta?"

"I've heard of it before..." Surely, I recognized the word, but that was it. I never knew what it mean; I even thought that it was someone's name that I never heard off. If it was really a name, I think it was unique and original.

"It's actually a type sauce, and I heard that they served it good." Rena explained. "It's like s-sautéing beef or pork in a large number of onions and some minced carrots and celery. If I'm not wrong, you season it with garlic, lard or prosciutto."

Now, I have a subject that I can use to praise something about her. I had been taught that girls generally loved compliments so much, ranging from their skills to their appearance. I had always been using mainstream topics like how great and cute she was today, or how her perfume smelt good.

"You really have a vast knowledge in food." In the end, I gripped on the courage to give her kudos. She immediately broke her gaze from me, and slightly turned away. She refused to look at me even when we reached the top of the escalator.

"I-it's n-n-nothing really...!" Rena stuttered, her fingers were clearly fidgeting. I wanted to see her face, but it was hidden by the brim of her hat. "Besides, my dad is a p-professional chef, so he was the one who taught me all of t-that..."

Is she upset? Did I do something wrong?

It was the first questions that popped up in my mind. Based on her overall posture, she didn't seem aggravated, but for some reason, I sensed that she was. Her tone was quite faint and unstable, while her feet shifted in a manner.

We kept our feelings to ourselves as the journey continued. Words were never exchanged, so it was mostly an awkward silence. After minutes of not having a conversation, I grew even more fitful than before. It was like back when both of us were still not so close.

Finally, I have enough.

I didn't want awkward silenced to end up being the majority of the time.

"Rena..." I started, tapping her shoulder. "...I'm sorry if I offend you..."

"Oh!" She slightly jumped at the touch. "Um... no, you don't offend me in anyway! I'm just... a bit thrown aback when you said that and that's all... Thanks, though."

Unexpectedly, Rena thanked me, instead of the anticipated silent treatment. At long last, she turned around, completely facing me. Although her cheeks were saturated with reddish pink hues, she had exposed them to me without hesitation.

I admit, she was quite entrancing.

Every parts of my body were affected by her charm. My heart was immediately swept away. My stomach literally flipped, butterflies devoured every of its walls. My muscles were severely tensing up, that I thought that I will be unable to move with ease because of it.

I never really think about how that strange feeling is this powerful.

***

Even though the restaurant was filled with people, we were immediately assumed a table by the manager. Next, the waiter then helped us prepare the napkins and utensils needed. He kindly bestowed us the menu book, before assisting the others. I allowed Rena to look over it first.

Based on my observations, all the waiters and waitresses were so agile and flexible as hell. I couldn't even match my pace with theirs. Compared to me, I was a snail at helping the customers, let alone the fact that I had to smile and be as polite as possible. Meanwhile, they were doing everything at a speed of light.

As Rena was scanning the menu for her order, I was sitting right here, gawking at her from the other side of the table. I didn't want to disturb her, but at the same exact moment, I wanted to talk to her about... shit that happened yesterday. I felt that my Adam's apple budged up and down, indicating the dilemma within me.

I have to find ways to talk to her.

Rena was done picking her food and drinks, so she passed the menu over to me. I received it with relief, and skimmed over the menu until I got what I wanted. I raised my hand, signalling the waitress for assistance. When she arrived, she instantly grinned at she exchanged glances between both of us.

"So, what you guys wanna order?" She happily asked.

"I'm going to go for the salmon Genovese spaghetti and a hot chocolate as my drink." Rena was the first one to speak. "Please add some extra parmesan cheese."

"Oo, nice choice!" The waitress commented, scribbling on a piece of paper. "How about you, Sir?"

"Beef spaghetti and a mocktail, please." I answered.

"Definitely!" She exclaimed, writing my order fast enough. "Is there anything else?"

"That's it for now." Rena was the one replying to the waitress.

"Okay! Be sure to call anyone here if you need some help. Your food will be served from 15-20 minutes from now." She gently took the menu from us, and prior to leaving, she expressed her gratitude. "Thank you!"

When it was only both of us, I saw that one perfect chance. I'm sure that these 15-20 waiting minutes are definitely not going to waste.

I opened my mouth to speak but...

"Rena."

"Ed."

We literally called each other in unison. In other words, we said our names simultaneously, since we probably had the same thoughts. When Rena and I realized our concurrent actions, we shrank back into our seats, looking away.

"Um, Ed... y-you can s-start first, hehe..." Rena giggled nervously, rubbing her nose and pulling her hat down further. "Mine is r-really not that important."

"...Yeah." I nodded. "...I wanna ask about something, however."

"Sure, I'm fine with any question!" Her face suddenly lightened up, sending me shivers across my spine. "What do you wanna ask about?"

I paused at first, because I had some second thoughts. There were a lot of 'what if' questions that were piling up like garbage, but then, I heard  Father's distant voice.

"Don't try hiding your problems, Christopher. Trust me, it won't go anywhere other than a continuous cycle of troubles. You have to do something with it. Maybe, you can try talking to either me, or whoever you trust the most. We will be able to sort you out."

I lowered my head, as my fingers played with the edges of my napkin. Rena was probably curious as to why I didn't tell my question yet. Thankfully, she waited in her place, but the intensity of her gaze penetrated through me. I fought with my mind for a while, then I dared myself to look at the curious Rena.

"...How did you forget your past so easily? Please teach me..."