twenty-seven
The Flower Boys (Three Flowers)
Lu Han took a deep breath as he looked at himself in the mirror. Tonight was an important night for him. Tonight was his date with Lauren. He did not want to show too much excitement around Kai and Taemin so he played his "cool" role. When the boys had suggested that they should go out for some pork belly, Lu Han excused himself, telling them that his older sister was cooking dinner and that she would have a fit if he skipped out. It was the easiest lie he told them as they wished him good bye and each said "see ya later." Once they left, Lu Han quickly rushed from the dance studio, to get home. He showered and threw on something that was decent enough.
When his jie jie (Chinese for older sister) walked passed his room, she saw Lu Han looking at himself in the mirror. Noting his attire up and down, she could not help but come by his side and in.
"What's the occasion?" She smiled at him as she relaxed her chin on his shoulder.
Lu Han looked at his sister and pushed aside her head with just a finger.
"None of your business."
"It is my business....who's responsible for where ever you go and do?" His sister asked.
Lu Han ignored her and picked up a comb, making an effort to manage some kind of hair style for his head. Jie Jie looked at her little brother and watched as he awkwardly flipped the top portion of his hair to the side. Trying her hardest to hold back her laughter she bit her lip. Lu Han continued to do his hair until he saw his sister giggling. He gasped and rubbed his hands against his face.
"All you have to do is ask your jie jie for a little help...oy...lend me that comb." She said.
Annoyed, Lu Han handed her the comb and she ordered for him to sit while she started on his hair.
"You look handsome." Jie Jie finally said after some quiet time.
"Thanks." Lu Han said.
"It's been awhile since I've seen you look in a mirror. Matter of fact, it's been awhile since I've seen you care about a hairstyle. Could it be...that your seeing a girl?" she asked.
Lu Han did not responded. Automatically she took it as a yes. She smiled.
"Our "Lu Han" has a girlfriend...omo...how long has it been? The last girl that you dated..."
"Could you not bring that up?" Lu Han said sharply.
That was the only thing Lu Han did not want to bring up. He was already feeling nervous already. He didn't want a need to feel pissed off. Jie Jie sighed and continued to fix his hair.
"And she's not my girlfriend....yet." Lu Han said.
Jie Jie couldn't control her smile.
"Here...I'm finished...have a look..." Jie Jie had pointed to his reflection.
His sodden face became alive now. He tried hard to control his smile but he could not help it. He leaned in closer to check his skin. Right above his left cheek was a pimple. "." he muttered.
"Eyyyy, if you don't like it do something about it." Jie Jie responded.
"No...I like what you've done...it's just...this..." he pointed to the red bubble that was stuck on his face.
"Here."
She passed him her bottle of BB Cream. Lu Han looked at his Jie Jie as if she was crazy. He was totally against make-up. (At least guy's wearing make-up.) He threw it back into her arms.
"Stop being stubborn and put it on...you don't want to run away your date because of acne right?"
"I'm not doing it....I'm not wearing that."
Jie Jie sighed at her brother, shaking her head while clicking her tongue.
_________________________________
Lauren and Lu Han were suppose to meet at the movie theater around 3PM. He arrived there one hour early, nervous to see Lauren. He had not seen her yesterday seeing as she did not attend school. He texted her (a little bit before the lunch hour) to check on her and she told him that the date will still be on. Going on that, he prepared himself. Yet he was nervous on what to say and do. He hoped he didn't make a bad impression or act too cool for her taste. He wanted everything to be perfect.
As the hour had passed by, it had turned into 3 o'clock. Lauren had not arrived yet. Looking at his watch, he had stayed calm. Couples were starting to form in front of the theater, waiting to watch a movie. Lu Han watched as they passed and would envision him and Lauren being just like them. Walking to see a movie together, holding hands, looking happy. Being happy, that's all that he wanted.
3 turned into 3:30...then another hour and another hour. As the sun was making it's move to set against the horizon, Lu Han took out his phone for what seemed like the 50th time and called Lauren. With each ring, she did not pick up. Worried, Lu Han was ready to jump in the subway to find her house. But just as he was about to get up and leave Lauren had arrived.
"LU HAN!!! LU HAN!!!" she called out.
Lu Han turned around and saw her running up to him, waving her hand wildly in the air to gain his attention. Relieved, he put away his phone and met her halfway and grabbed her into a hug. Shocking Lauren, she looked off uncomfortably.
"Lu Han, what are you doing?" she asked.
"I thought you wouldn't make it. I was starting to get worried." Lu Han said.
He felt like a load had been lifted from his shoulders. "She showed up." Lu Han said to himself in his head. Lauren smiled and looked up to look at him.
"I couldn't miss this. You asked me out. How would it make me look if I didn't show up? You'd hate me right?" She asked.
"I could never hate you." Lu Han said so easily.
Lauren looked into his eyes and smiled. She grabbed his hand. Lu Han had never held her hand before. He loved the feel of soft smooth skin on his.
"I'm sorry for making you wait." She said with sincerity.
"It doesn't matter....just as long as you here....I'm okay with it." Lu Han said.
Lauren smiled and held onto his hand tightly.
"The movie....should we get going?" She asked him.
"If that's what you want to do." He told her before his stomach grumbled.
Lauren smiled at Lu Han.
"Or we can get dinner." Lauren persuaded.
Lu Han looked at his stomach, embarrassed that his body was making such noises. He had skipped breakfast and only had a half of a ham/cheese sandwich for lunch. He didn't have much of an appetite. He had thought about Lauren all day that he did not see it as a need to eat anything. Just thinking of her, made him full. But his stomach now was telling him that it was a lie. He needs to eat now.
"If that's what you want..." Lu Han said.
His stomach grumbled again and Lauren laughed again.
"Dinner it is." Lauren said.
The both of them found this nice restaurant that sold western food. With a very hungry stomach, Lu Han had ordered a huge hamburger that was twice the size of his hands. Lauren just had spaghetti and meatballs. She watched as Lu Han enjoyed his hamburger. The way he struggled to pick up the burger and to keep all the dressings inside the bun while taking a bite humored Lauren. With drippings of ketch-up falling on his makeshift napkin bib, Lu Han smiled, embarrassed to allow Lauren see this sloppy side of himself. Usually he had great table manner's when it came to eating neatly. ( But he couldn't really show those manner's by eating a hamburger with a fork and a knife.) Beside's the sloppy dinner, the conversation between the two had went well. Laughing like he's never had, Lu Han was having a good time.
After dinner, they found a photo booth to take pictures. Sitting together in the small rectangle box, they both made strange faces, making each other laugh with each frame snapped. Lauren had a bright sense of humor as she made the most funniest faces Lu Han had ever seen. She seemed like a pro. The next set of photo's they took were suppose to be of them being serious. But yet again, Lauren felt like fooling around which caused Lu Han to make daces that he normally NEVER do. With the last frame, Lu Han declared that they take a serious one. He placed one arm around her shoulders and brought her close to him. Lauren embraced it, as she came closer and smiled with her head on his shoulder.
After taking pictures, they went to a frozen yogurt shop. Berries, sweet syrup, whipped creme and nut mixtures filled their medium sized cup of the frozen treat. They each played around, slapping creme on each other's noses while trying to feed each other. It was almost ridiculous but Lu Han did not care. Not until Lauren took a napkin to wipe away the mess she made on his face. She saw that alongside the creme there was a smudge of make-up (BB creme) on the napkin. Lu Han did not pay attention as she giggled at the napkin and Lu Han's face.
After getting the frozen treat, Lauren dragged Lu Han to a store that was filled with men's clothing. As Lauren carefully looked through the racks, Lu Han looked around feeling uncomfortable. He did not like being in stores such as these. When he was a little boy, he had went shopping with his mother. His mother was so engrossed with what she was doing that she did not see Lu Han wander off by himself. He saw a cat outside the store and wanted to pet it. After he had done so, he went back to the spot where he expected to see his mother. She was not there. Panicking, Lu Han looked around seeing tall stranger's surround him and he started to cry. It had been a bad childhood memory of his. Because that was the day his mother abandoned him for the first time.
Feeling anxious, Lu Han stood right beside Lauren, trying to contain himself from having a panic attack.
"Lauren...why are we here?" Lu Han asked all of a sudden.
Lauren smiled and picked up a blue flannel shirt not realizing how quiet Lu Han has gotten.. She matched it against Lu Han's skin and smiled. With a single touch from her, he became calm.
"I always had this dream of shopping for my boyfriend. I've always wanted to buy him clothes and dress him. I want him looking good beside me." Lauren said.
La Han could care less about looking good. Looks we're not everything. He wished he had reminded himself about that earlier when his jie jie had done his hair and put on BB creme to erase his pimple for the time being. He felt ridiculous.
"I think this will look good on you..." Lauren had picked up an even darker blue flannel top and set it against his skin.
Lu Han looked into Lauren's happy eyes. The way she was smiling so bright, and her being so focused on picking something out for him, astounded him. She forced him into the men's dressing room, wanting him to try on the clothes she had picked out. Lu Han looked in the mirror, trying not to think about that old memory anymore. He just quickly put on the shirt. When he came out, he caught Lauren looking off, wiping away something on her face. Instantly he knew that something was wrong with her. Lu Han grunted as Lauren sniffed a little. She looked at Lu Han, her eyes, visibly red a little, and smiled. Lu Han looked off uncomfortable. Sticking his hands in his pockets, he awkwardly looked off else where.
"I have such good taste...you look good." Lauren said coming by his side.
"I like it." Lu Han said as he looked down at the shirt and then at her.
"You do?" Lauren gushed.
Before he knew it, Lauren was paying, using a credit card, for Lu Han's shirt. She gave him the bag and he took it, happy to finally be out of that store. Tonight had been really great. But he couldn't help but still feel uneasy. The way Lauren looked when he had came out of that dressing room, it had looked as if she had been crying. He did not ask about it, figuring it was probably nothing. After shopping, Lauren told Lu Han to walk her to the subway. So he did. Standing in front of the underground station, Lauren faced Lu Han.
"Arigatou gozaimasu (Thank-you in Japanese)" She bowed 90 degree's.
Lu Han bowed and smiled at her cuteness.
"I really enjoyed myself." Lu Han said.
"Me too. Tonight...I'll always remember my date with the himawari."
"Himawari?"
Lu Han tried to figure it out but nothing came to him.
"Has anyone ever compared you to a sunflower?" Lauren asked.
"No..." Lu Han said confused.
"Like a sunflower...your tall and bright. Anyone can recognize a himawari." She said as she poked him in the chest.
Lu Han only listened to what she had to say next.
"I can only imagine when I can see this himawari again." She said sadly.
"Huh?" Lu Han asked confused.
There was silence as Lauren looked down to the ground, preparing herself to speak the next set of words.
"At first, I wasn't going to say anything....but I can't leave you tonight worrying about me." She started.
"What is it?" Lu Han said.
She looked into Lu Han's eyes and tears started to develop.
"After tonight...we can no longer see each other."
"Huh?"
The words were like dagger's to Lu Han's heart. The girl he admired, the girl he liked the most, was telling him that they could not be a couple.
"My family has arranged for me to marry someone back in Japan. I'm going back home tomorrow...and I'm not coming back." She said.
Lu Han dropped the bag in his hand feeling as helpless as that small boy who had lost his mother.
THE UNTOLD ENDING...that's right I will post a mini follow-up to this series. After many people not being satisfied with the ending I will add a mini sequel!
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