ARA’S POV

     I followed him to his car, a feeling of gleeful delight rising in the pit of my stomach. He was giving me a ride! I thought I’d seen the last of him that day when I bumped into him on the sidewalk. But here he was again. He just kept popping up when I didn’t expect it. He opened the door for me and I buckled m seat belt as he got in.

 “So, how have you been?” He asked me.

“Busy. I never thought college would be this hard… But I’m getting through. It’s not too much. And what about you? I’m sure you’re awfully busy. Your hair is shorter, I like it. Didn’t that new DVD just come out? I’m gonna have to get it.”

He nodded. “Ya, we’re really excited about it. We’ve got more a mature image so…we really hope everyone will like it.”

“Of course they will!” I encouraged. “Everyone loves your music.”

I think he might have blushed just a little bit as he shook his head and said modestly, “Not everyone.”

“Well, mostly everyone. At least everyone who hears your music-er-mostly everyone who hears your music.” Now I felt like I was babbling, so I finished with an enthusiastic, “I know I love it!”

“Thanks… So…I’ve met you three times now and I still don’t know your name…and yet you seem to know enough about me.” He chuckled.

I giggled with him. “Haha, oh, right…I’m sorry, it was rude of me not to introduce myself…and you even gave me a ride! My name is Ara. Go Ara.”

“Very nice to meet you, Ara. You go to college there?” He motioned behind us. I nodded. “Cool. What’s your major?”

To be honest I didn’t know. But if I did I have a major…I was pretty sure I would choose, “Art.”

“Ooh, you’re an artist?”

I shrugged and blushed. “I guess…I mean, I wanna be…”

“Will you show me some of your work some time?”

“Sure, if you want… I’m not that good, though.”

“If you love what you do and do your best, it doesn’t matter.” I was about to ask him how he knew I loved art, but answered before I could open my mouth. “Your face just lit up when you said you want to be an artist. I think you would be very good at it.”

I blushed and started down at my lap. “Thanks.” I mumbled. Then I looked back up. “Oh, you can stop here.” I pointed to small ramen shop I’d discovered the other day.

“Okay.”

He parked and I got out. I bowed to him.

“Thank you very much for the ride.”

“Oh, I can wait for you and drive you home.” He offered, keeping his hands on the wheel.

Ah, that’s nice of him. “Well, then why don’t you just come in? Have you had dinner yet?”

He smiled and got out of the car. “As a matter of fact, no I haven’t.”