Coke & Sundae

It's her birthday today. Carolina's birthday is today.

"Um... Hi, Carol." I say after pushing past the crowd around her.
"Hi." she says with a smile.
I am nervous. Not only that, I'm an idiot too.
Why can't I say anything? Why am I just staring at her big, blue eyes & thinking that it went so well with her non-lip glossed pink lips? Why am I admiring her sleek, red hair?
Why can't I be cool like that stupid Jared, who can actually charm Carol? Why?

"Carol, can I... Um. Can I celebrate your birthday with y-"
Lily, a skinny girl who is often mistaken as a blonde, praying mantis, burst rudely in my best attempt to invite Carol for a treat & says, bouncing up & down, "Oh. My. God! Guess what, Caroline? I know this is supposed to be a surprise but I can't stand it! You see, J-"

My heart is beating fast. I know what Lily-what's-her-name's about to tell Carol. The big bash.
As predicted, seeing as Caroline is the most popular girl in school, her friends (the whole school) are throwing her this huge party at Jared's - most popular guy - house afterwards.
Also predicted, I'm not invited.

"Wait. Lily, that's rude of you. Garett was just about to say something to me."
"No, it's okay. It's stupid." I start muttering, to myself.
"It's not. It's sweet. I'll go. Tell Jared I just can't make it." she says to Lily & smile at me, right before the bell rang.
"Oh. 'kay." Lily says and scutter off - most likely to the girls, to tell them that Carol, the most popular, kindest, sweetest girl to ever walk down the hallways of this school is going to hang out with a spaz like me, Garett Wane.







I wake up to the sound of my alarm clock, buzzing like crazy. I nearly hit the snooze button until I realise that I'm 10 minutes late for my date - okay, date's a little too hopeful - with Carol at McD's!
After showering, I grabbed my best, casual T-shirt, a pair of jeans & I am off, dashing down the stairs & out the door.

'I really am a spaz...' I think as I switch on my handphone, hoping not to bump into anyone down the street.
"Okay, kid. Ya give the phone, & you're outta here." I suddenly hear a gruff voice say into my ear, & my collar feeling a little too tight.
I turn around & see a tall, big guy with a beard that covers half of his face.
Seems that I had taken a short cut down the deserted alley.
Something glinting catches my eye. It's a knife! The hobo/theif is holding a knife - & smudging my nice shirt!

"Look. I'll just run off & won't report you to the police." I stammer.
He laugh uproariously & say, "Fat chance, bub. Give the phone & not one body'd get hurt, ya understand?"
I sigh & give my phone grudgingly to the man.
He releases the fistful of my shirt & I start to run off, heading towards the McD.

Suddenly, it starts to rain.
'Aw, great.' I think to myself & start running to the nearest dry place I could find - a telephone booth.
I check my pockets & insert small change into the rustic old public phone.

"The number you have dialled is not available. At the term..."

Why isn't Carol picking up my calls? I wonder.

With a groan, I run out of the phone booth & to McD's.
Finally, I see the trademark yellow "M" shining in the rain.
Underneath the nylon light, I see Carol.

My heart starts to soar up & crash to the ground.
'Who's the guy with her?' I think.

It's Jared. Why's he always bugging me?

I squint & try to understand what they're doing.
Jared's asking her for a drink inside... Probably asking why's she standing outside.
She looks annoyed - at me, or Jared?

Most likely the first.

"CAROL!" I yell. She looks up & gives me a smile - an opposite effect with Jared, who's smile turn upside-down.
"I told you he'd make it." Carol says triumphantly to a rather-sad-looking Jared.

"Seems it's this lo- Uh... Friend. Well, he looks kinda beat up so why don't I just get you to a steakhouse & celebrate the day you're born? The world seems like a better place with you around." he says & puts a casual arm around her slender shoulders.
Carol looks uncomfortable. She pushes his hand away & says, "But I promised Garett I'd celebrate my birthday with him."

& with that, it seems that I'm the triumphant one.









The awkwardness is so thick. I feel like grabbing it & breaking it into half.
"Garett, why are you so quiet? Usually you'd be the first one to talk. What happened?" she says as I was sipping my coke.
I look away from her eyes & start to tell the story to her, or mostly to my feet.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry. Why didn't you go to the police instead of here?"
Little sweat beads are starting to show up on my forehead - I can feel it.
"Well, it'd be kinda rude to stand you up, you know?" I say.
'Phew. Nice save.' I think to myself.

"Yes..." she says quietly & looks away.
"Actually, I didn't just came here to not stand you up! To be honest, it's been a long time since I want us to be just more than friends. Not just friends. I like you since the day I met you, when I had to stand in class & didn't know a single person. You're the nicest, most beautiful girl I've known. Let me put it this way : we're like this coke & sundae. Two different things, yet just the same. It's both sweet but one's fizzy, the other can just melt. Maybe, if we add it together, it'd be..." I say & look away, hoping that she doesn't notice how red my face is.

She gives me a blank look. Suddenly, she put the sundae inside my coke.
"Really? It can mix?" she says.

I give her a startled look. Is she making fun of me or processing my theory?

My coke suddenly started fizzing & all the foam went out of the cup, coke everywhere on the table.
I look at my coke & say, "What the-?"
'My luck really is bad. It feels that I should just give up already.' I think to myself, disappointment flowing through my veins.

I say, hoping that the disappointment doesn't show, "Huh. Seems..."
I break off my sentence in mid-air as I notice Carol sipping the sundae-mixed-with-coke.
"Mmm... Tasty." she says.


My heart can't stop beating - only from joy.
"Seems that there's no problem going together after all." she says with a smile.
"Hey! You didn't even wish me a happy birthday yet!" she says giggly.
"Oh. Uh... Happy birthday!" I say, scratching my head.


Maybe a true relationship doesn't really need luck. It just needs some courage & truth.