Amore Mio

VIII. Dating Thing

Alice’s POV:

I sat there, staring at the wall in front of me as the guy continued blabbing about football or soccer. It’s some sport. My eyes went back towards him, noticing how his skin isn’t as tan. He didn’t have the cute little mole on his neck. How his hair isn’t as smooth and silky looking

After some time, I shake my head and stand up, grabbing my purse. “Going to the bathroom to powder your nose?” He said, laughing to himself.

What the f**k does that even mean? Do I have snot up my nose?

I opened my purse and laid down a twenty, causing his brows to furrow. “Sorry, I don’t feel any chemistry between us,” I said bluntly.

Instantly, his face reddens, his ego probably bruised. I don’t understand why he is so upset. At least, I paid for the meal instead of eating and then ghosting him later. He stands up, darkens eyes glaring at me. “I have a taser,” I said. His eyes widened and he settled back down. Smart boy.

Throwing my purse on my shoulder, I walk out of the restaurant. I glance down at my watch. “Twenty minutes,” I said, nodding to myself. “I’m getting better at this dating thing.”

Ever since that awkward moment with Neilson, I’ve been avoiding him whenever I can. I called up Carla and asked her to set me on a few blind dates. This is my seventh one this month. The first one didn’t even last five minutes because I kept thinking about how unattractive he was compared to Neilson.

Shaking my head, I kick the pebble on the ground, regretting how I decide to wear heels. Since my forgettable name date told me he would take me to a fancy restaurant, I thought I should wear something nice. The sun is beaming down, causing me to sweat like a pig. Taking out my phone, I GPS my location realizing I’m half an hour away from home. When I saw a bus stop, I released a deep breath and took a seat.

Neilson probably drugged the ice cream he bought for me when I was younger, causing me to be addicted to him.

I smack my dry lips, wishing I drank more water inside the restaurant. I jerked back when I saw a water bottle in front of me. My head turns to see a guy wearing a brown cap, covering his eyes. Glancing downward, he’s wearing tan shorts and a white t-shirt. “Here,” he said, granting me a small smile.

I sat there, staring at him.

He rolls his eyes. “I didn’t poison it, Alice.”

I hurry back. “How do you know my name?” I yell, covering up my body, hands ready to pull out the taser from my purse.

He takes off his cap revealing deep steel orbs. “It’s me.”

I sat there, narrowing my eyes, staring at him. “Oh, it’s you,” I said slowly, having no idea who he is.

“You don’t remember me, do you?” He said, and I shook my head. “Seriously, Alice? We have been going to elementary school together.”

I continue to shake my head.

“Chocolate. Kid. Basketball game. May or may not think you were cute?”

The head shaking returns.

“I’m f*****g Ian,” he said, throwing the water bottle at me.

I dramatically catch the bottle as if it’s a bomb. “Ian? Ian Van de Berg?” I said, recalling some memory of a boy confessing his emotions to me at a game. Then again, I am a catch, and a lot of guys like me. Shimmer down the ego Alice.

He scoffs, “How the f**k did you manage to remember my last name but not first?” he said, opening another bottle of water and drinking it whole. I can tell he still likes me. Not.

I unscrewed mine and drank it to satisfy my quench.

“So, what’s the oh so popular Alice doing here at a bus stop? In a dress? With heels?”

“Oh, I finished a date, told him I didn’t feel the chemistry and left. Thought it would be rude to ask for a ride,” I said, nodding my head.

“If you weren’t so f*****g cute, no one would want you, sweetheart,” he said.

I tilt my head toward him. “Ian thinks I’m cute?” I said, teasingly, causing him to roll another set of eyeballs. “Be careful. You don’t want those balls to be stuck.”

He snickers, “Which balls are you talking about?”

“Get your mind out of the gutter, I meant your eyeballs,” I said, snapping my fingers at him.

The bus rolls towards us, and we stand up, walking inside, releasing a deep breath when the AC hits our sweaty skin. We paid the amount and took a seat. My brows narrowed when I saw him sitting beside me. “What do you think you’re doing?” I ask.

He looked downward, “Sitting.”

Smartass. I glance around to see an empty bus. “Why don’t you a-sit over there?” I point at the open seat.

“I like a-sitting here,” he said, pointing downward and grinned, “Plus, it gives me a chance to get to know my future girlfriend.”

“Oh puh-lease,” I responded. He can’t catch me then, and he can’t catch me now. I probably forget about him if it weren’t for the chocolate bar I miss out.

He tilts his head towards my ear. “Save that for the bedroom,” he whispers, causing me to leap back towards the window. When he saw my reaction, a sly smirk made its way across his face. “I’m just joking, calm down.”

“Don’t joke like that,” I said, shoving his shoulder. We sat there, feeling the rattling of the bus back and forth. “So, why are you here?”

“Took you long enough to ask,” he said.

“Are you going to tell me?” I question slowly.

“I’m out and about to find a fake girlfriend,” he grins proudly.

“Are you kidding me?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “I need a girl to make another girl jealous.”

“An ex?”

He wiggles a finger in front of me. “Nope, best friend.”

“Okay,” I said.

He lifts a brow. “Okay?”

“Yes, I agree to be your girlfriend,” I place quotation marks around the word girlfriend.

He releases a short snort. “What’s in it for you?”

I shrug. “I’m bored, I need a distraction.” From Neilson.

“Oh, then no,” he said, staring at me with a blank face.

“Why not? I’m pretty!” I said, pointing two fingers at myself.

“Yeah, and that’s the problem, pretty girls like you bring nothing but trouble,” he states. He looks like he is reliving some sort of horrific memory.

“Hey bud, you’re missing out,” I said, flipping my hair over my shoulder.

He shakes his head. “Trust me when I said I’m not,” he said, scanning my body. “I must admit, you’re pretty and have a nice body Alice, but girls like you tend to have some obsessive stalker who is ready to kill if I laid my hands on you.”

“Obsessive stalker? Really? Aren’t you exaggerating?”

Ian shrugs, “I may be right, you know,” he responds.

I shake my head. Crazy.

When the bus stops, I stand up to walk out, but he grabs my wrist. “Hey, you alright?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Because you look sad,” he replies.

My face lit into a smile, “I’m not.”

He releases a deep breath. “Alice, sometimes it’s okay not to be happy,” he said, releasing my wrist, and I walk out the door. Turning around, he was still looking at me as the bus door closed. I watch the bus as it disappears around the corner.

Throwing my heels back on, I start walking back home. The sun is shining, and birds are chirping, and oh f*****g crap its Neilson.

I dived right into a bush when I saw Neilson and Anthony in his driveway. Nina’s front door opens, and she walks out with a bag of trash, eyes staring at me. I place a finger over my mouth and wave at her to continue walking. “Hey, Nina,” Neilson shouted, and I can hear his footstep jogging toward her.

Quickly, I start crawling around the bush, seeing a gap and thank God I’m tiny. I nudge my way into it and pop out on the other side, seeing Anthony. He stands there, narrowing his brows at me. I place a finger of my lips, silencing him only to receive a smirk in return.

“Hi Neilson,” Nina said, very slowly.

“Have you seen Alice?” He asks, and my heart leaps out of my chest.

“Uhhh nooo,” she replies, and it was bluntly obvious she was lying.

Instantly, I crawled towards my house. “Alice.”

I gulp, “Wow, Neilson, the pavement on your driveway is amazing! Who did it?” I ask, feeling his cement.

I can see his shoes, a knee on the ground, finger on my chin tilting it upward. My heart melts when I see his alluring deep brown for the first time in a month. “Why are you avoiding me?”

Neilson shut his eyes, inhaled a deep breath, then grabbed my wrist and stood up. He drags me towards his house. I spin around to see Nina standing beside Anthony. They were staring at us. “Kidnap! Kidnap,” I shout, only to receive a head shake by Nina.

Traitor, I’ll remember this.

The old man from across the street is watering his plant, staring at us. “Hello, Neilson! Alice! Nina! Anthony!” He yells, waving at us with a huge smile.

“Mr.Anderson! I’m being kidnapped!” I scream, reaching out to him.

“That nice dear! Neilson! Tell your mom thanks for the cookies!” he replies, ignoring my call for help.

Neilson gave him a thumb up, “Got it!”

When Neilson unlocked the door, I saw Mrs.Yi. “Wait! I’m being dragged against my will!” I shout.

“It’s nice to see you too, sweetheart,” she responds, ignoring my pleas.

The people living in this neighborhood are of no help.

“Momma! Mr. Anderson said thanks for the cookies!” he shouts.

“That’s great, sweetheart!”

When Neilson takes me upstairs, I grab onto the railing. He released a deep breath and threw me over his shoulder. I start kicking and screaming, but he ignores everything. He opens his bedroom door and throws me on his bed then slams it shut. I blew the hair off my face and sat up, only to see him lock the door.

Neilson paced towards me, slamming both hands down on the bed beside me, trapping me in place. “Neilson Yi, you better let me go or else-”

“Or else what?” He challenges me.

I gasp dramatically.

I can see his eyes glancing down at my dress, chewing on his lower lips. “Why are you dressed like that?” He said, in a more profound voice than usual, eyes still looking downward.

“I-I was g-going out,” I stutter, hurrying back. The more I move back, the more he leans forward. He places a knee on the bed; as I crept back, he crawls forward until I slip and land on my back. Neilson had both hands beside my head, a knee between my legs. “Why were you out?”

I opened my mouth, but the words were choked in my throat.

Say something, Alice! Anything!

“I was out on a date!”

Smooth, Alice, smooth.

I can see him clenching his jaw, grinding his molars. “Date?” He repeats my words. “Is it with that kid with the motorcycle?”

“You mean, Randy?”

“Whoever he is, were you out with him?”

“No,” I reply, and I can see his face softening. “It was with another guy,” I said, and I can see the corners of his jaw twitching in an unfriendly manner.

“Alice, you’re fifteen, yo-”

“Exactly I’m fifteen,” I cut him off. “And girls my age, date,” I continue.

I can see him inhaling through his nostrils intently, tightening his grip beside me. “Right, you’re fifteen, girls your age date,” he repeats my words, except it sounds a lot harsher coming out of his lips.

After some time, his eyes return towards mine. “Why are you avoiding me?”

“I’m not,” I answer a bit too quickly.

“Angel,” he whispers, causing chills in nearly every part of my body.

He went down on his elbows, closing the distance between us. “Stop avoiding me, I don’t like it,” he mumbles, laying his forehead on my shoulder. “I don’t like it at all,” he whispers into my ear, and I can feel his lips grazing against it. Neilson is a natural seducer. I know it.

He lowers himself, and I can feel the heat of his crouch pulsing against mine, panties positively soak. My hand lifts onto his hair, stroking it lightly, and I can feel his body relaxing. His breath hardens, tense, and I’m not entirely sure if the intense beating inside belongs to me. My other hand lifted, placing it on top of his head, stroking my fingers through his fine hair.

I bit my lips to hold back a moan that kept lingering inside my throat. Currently, going through puberty with the man I’ve crushed hard on for since eight seems like the worst thing in the world. I can feel his rip muscles through his shirt as he presses me down against the bed harder.

Involuntarily, my hips start lifting, and I can feel him pressing me back down. My hands grip lightly on his hair, and I push my hips back up, only to feel his hard bulge pushing me back down. My mind empties as he continues lightly, pushes me down into the bed. My fingers tighten on his hair when I felt a hand sliding down my thigh.

“Neil-ssson,” I moan, and our body freezes.

Instantly, he jumps off of me. I can see his noticeable bump. I slap a hand over my mouth, while he stands there, staring at me, eyes widening. I swallow, seeing his eyes lurking downward between my legs. I look down, noticing my dress pull upward, panties fully exposed.

Instantly, I stand up and pull down my dress as he continues staring at me, stun. “I’ll see you around,” I quickly said and dashed out the door.

“Leaving already, sweetheart?” Mrs.Yi asks.

“Bye,” I said quickly, rushing out the door, slamming it shut.

I dashed back to my house and ran upstairs, shutting the door of my bedroom. Quickly, I ran to the curtains. He stood and stared at the door I just left. Shaking my head, I close it since Neilson’s room is straight across from mine. Pacing around the room, I bit my fingernails, mind still attempting to catch up with reality.

Hump.

Dry hump.

I dry hump with Neilson.

No, maybe I’m getting it wrong?

I ran towards my laptop and looked up the definition.

“Dry humping is the process of two people repeatedly moving up and down and back and forth on top of each other fully clothed.”

We move like twice, so it doesn’t count, does it?

Circling my room, I feel like I want to pull my hair out. I grabbed my phone and dialed the one number I can think of. “Waffles! You need to come here ASAP!”

It’s nighttime, and I still don’t know what happened. “Are you sure about this?” Nina asks me, lying upside down on my bed.

I start walking in circles, staring down at the carpet. “Yes, when he gets home. I’m going to march over there and demand an answer to what happened this evening.”

“And then what?”

“And then, if things go well, I’m going to tell Neilson I like him and not a little girl kind of like, more like a woman kind of like,” I explain, waving my hands in a circular motion.

She arches a brow. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, what happened this evening could be a fluke. Maybe he was just a horny guy.”

“Or maybe he has some feelings for me,” I said slowly.

“Pancakes, I’m just saying the chances of you getting together with Neilson is as pffft good as the chance of me hooking up with a billionaire,” she said.

I roll my eyes. “I think we can work something out!”

She releases a deep breath. “You’re fifteen. He is twenty-three.”

“I’m about to turn sixteen in three months, and maybe he can wait two years?” I squeak.

“What about Princeton?”

“Who? Oh right, that college in the East,” I mumble. “They haven’t called, maybe I got rejected!” I said excitedly while she shakes her head.

When I saw Neilson’s bedroom light went on, a burst of excitement rush through me. Since his parents have a dinner date tonight and his brother is gone, it must be him.

Shaking off all the jitters, I nod to myself, seeing Nina on her cell phone, probably texting Kevin, her new boo. “You can do this, Alice,” I told myself.

And with a deep breath, I pull the blinds open.

Instantly, my smile drops, along with my heart.