I was out with the girls shopping. Gerald was going to pick me up afterwards, and I was secretly praying the time would go faster so I could see him. “So Mel, what do you want for your birthday? I’m clueless,” I told her as we went into Swarovski.

She was checking out the necklaces. “I’m not sure, yet. But Matt promised to steal me away and give me my birthday present privately,” she smiled.

“Okay, I think I just threw up a little in my mouth,” we all groaned and laughed.

“Anyways, talking about my birthday, I’ve already picked out the partnerships. Matt’s, of course, is my ; Erich, you have Xian Lim; Empress can have Xian Lim; Beauty has Alex Anselmuccio; and last but now least, Kim has Gerald.”

I snapped my head to her direction, “You don’t even know Gerald, and he’s a rose now?”

There was a flash, “Do you see this photo?” She shoved her camera phone in my face, “That’s what you look like whenever his name is said. He’s your , and it’s my birthday, so I get what I want.” She leaned in beside me, “And I want to see you happy.” She gave me a sincere smile. “I’ll send you the photo,” she winked and went back looking through the jewellery.

The hour went by slow, and Gerald was waiting for me in the parking lot, leaning against the passenger door. “Hey,” he took my bags and put them in the back seat, and then opened the door for me. “How was shopping?”

I got in, and he was already inside by the time I blinked, “Did you know that you’re my date for Mel’s debut?”

He smiled, “I didn’t think it was such a bad idea when she brought it up. And it makes sense, how am I supposed to watch you if I’m not with you?”

I scoffed, “I just didn’t know that you’d want to hang out with a bunch of high schoolers at a party and you do realize there’s like dance practice every weekend.”

He stared at me concerned, apparently reading my thoughts, “You have to go, and it’s your best friend!”

I sighed, “I know, it’s just…never mind,” I quickly put it out of mind.

He shook his head, “No, no, no, you can’t do that. You can’t start something, and then not finish it. Spill.” He ordered me.

I smiled, “I promise, it’s nothing. I’m just not really interested in having eyes on me.”

He laughed, “Okay, Ms. President,” he nudged my arm. “And someone’s full of themselves, it’s Mel’s party, so all eyes will be on her. Don’t worry, I’ll be there for you, so when you want to bail, we’ll leave.”

I rested my head on the window. “Remember, we have class in an hour.”

We arrived to class on time and took out seats. He put his arm behind my chair. I’m not sure if it was possible, but I felt his hand like it was on my back.

Ms. Alvero went to the front of the class, “Okay, so I have the results of last week auditions. Just a little introduction, this year, we are doing a piece written by ours truly, Regine and David. They’ve written they’re own version of a modern-world Romeo and Juliet, without the suicide in the end. Everyone will have a part, everyone will be included. I will be the director, and the curtains open in exactly two months, for the next couple of weeks, we will put blood, sweat and tears into this. But I have faith in each and every one of you.”

I looked over at Gerald and he turned to stare at me. He smiled, and I was so excited to begin.

Ms. Alvero read off the names and their character. “Finally, we have our own Romeo and Juliet, Gerald Anderson and Kim Chiu. I’m so happy, and so excited to begin. She handed out all the scripts and I began to look through it.

We were dismissed shortly. Gerald and I decided we were going to walk there and home ever since the thunder storm incident. It not only brought us back, but it forced us to talk to one another and spend some time together, alone. In complete honesty, it was the time of the week that I was excited about: time that we’d spend together alone.

“So are you excited? Regine and David write phenomenally. I’m surprised that they weren’t picked as the leads.” I said, keeping to his side.

“Oh come on, you keep saying how you’re always made the lead.”

I linked my arm around him, “Whatever! I’m just so excited to get started. I love acting!”

“So you said.”

It was quiet for a moment, and I rested my head against his shoulder. “So the first dance rehearsal is tomorrow after school, can you make it?”

“You weren’t kidding when you said we’d have to get started,” he commented.

I nodded, “Mel likes to procrastinate. Her party is two weeks from Sunday. They just finished picking the hall. I don’t even have a gift for her, and she’s not giving any clues to what she wants.”

“How long have you known her?”

I thought about it, counting the years, “Five years. We met the last year of junior high. I remember the first time I met her, she told the boy who was making fun of me an face and a limp . I fell in love her, and we haven’t separated since.” She laughed at the memory.

He smiled, “Who was it?”

“It was Jake, ironically.” We laughed.

“Sounds like she spoke the truth,” he laughed.

“Yeah, I guess she did.”

He took a deep breath. “Well, why not make her a scrapbook? A box full of memories. You can’t go wrong there, and it’ll have more sentimental meaning than most of the gifts she’d receive.”

“Not a bad idea. Also I won’t have to break my bank account.”

We arrived in front of the fountain, and he stopped. “What’s going on?”

“Do you want to dance?” He stood in front of me an put one hand on my back pulling me against him so there was no distance between us. He held my hand in the other, and I followed his lead.

I put my other hand on his shoulder, “There’s no music.” I told him.

He smiled, “Close your eyes.” He whispered in my ear.

I did so and we kept moving. His hand on my back began to do softly up and down. I shuddered at his touch. “Do you feel it?” He whispered.

What was he talking about? Was he talking about the weather, in which I’d be terribly disappointed or was he talking about the feelings he made me feel, in which I’d be terribly nervous. I didn’t know how to answer, was I supposed to answer? “What do you mean?”

“I mean this, right now. There’s something I need to say, something that I’ve been keeping to myself for far too long, and I can’t anymore.”

I took a deep breath in. Why did he have to hold me like this while we were talking about this? My breath shook out, “Ge?” I leaned my head back so I could look at him. “What…”

He shook his head, “I know how you feel, I’ve seen in it in your mind over and over again.”

Oh no, what was happening? His eyes glistened in the moonlight. His face looked so delicate. He still held me close.

“But it can’t happen. I’m not good enough for you, Kim.” The words came out in a rush.

I stopped and dropped my arms from him, “What?”

“Kim, it would never work. I’m not even your own species. I spoke to Chris and he agrees, it’d be too dangerous. There’s things in my life that I can’t expose you to. Things I can’t bring you to. I don’t want to hurt you…”

I slapped him cutting him off. “You don’t want to hurt me? You just did.” I spat. “What the hell has been going on for the past couple of months, opening up to me, touching me, looking at me like you do? And what about now?!” I yelled because it seriously hit me like deer caught in head lights, in surprise. “You asked me to dance, you tell me all these things, and you’re telling me this now?!”

His face looked like it was full of regret. “Kim, if only you knew.”

“You know what’s really funny, I didn’t expect anything from you, yet you thought it was okay to tell me this now. I was never going to ask anything from you.”

He looked down, “I didn’t want to lead you on.”

I laughed out loud, “Lead me on? Whose the one who’s been sending mixed messages?! And don’t tell me it me because you’re the one who reads minds, Ge. I don’t even know what to say because I did not see this coming.” I laughed at myself, not aware that tears were forming in my eyes. “Maybe it’s my fault. Maybe I should have just said how I felt out loud, right? Fine, I was falling for you, Ge. But because of tonight, you can rethink that now. You’re not good enough for me? You’re right, because what you’re doing isn’t good enough for me.”

“Kim…”

I shook my head this time. “Don’t worry, Ge. I’m not heartbroken. Maybe it’s from the shock of how stupid and out of the blue this is, but also because I didn’t lose anything. You can’t lose what you never had. I never had you, Ge. But just so we’re clear, I may not be heartbroken, but I am pissed off.” I turned around and began walking alone. DON’T FOLLOW ME, I yelled in my head. And I guess he heard it, because he kept his distance. All I could think about was what the F*** just happened?!

SO I KNOW THIS MAY BE A CONFUSED CHAPTER, BUT THE NEXT ONE WILL BE GOOD, HOPEFULLY. IT’LL MAKE UP FOR WHAT JUST HAPPENED. SO PLEASE STAY-TUNED. ALSO I’M ALREADY THINKING ABOUT MY NEXT KIMERALD FANFIC. BUT I NEED YOUR HELP. DO YOU PREFER TEENAGE KIMERALD, OR ADULT KIMERALD? SEE YOU SOON!