"Be near me when the sensuous frame
 Is rack'd with pangs that conquer trust;
And Time, a maniac scattering dust,
And Life, a Fury slinging flame."

I chanted it in my head as I paddled home. My phone's battery was dead so I couldn't;t note it down and I wanted to remember it. Once I reached home, I dropped my bike and ran into my room. I turned my PC on and typed a little bit of what I had managed to remember. 

Why was I so into it? This didn't make sense. It didn't make sense that I just looked at her and I wanted to stay there. I would've stayed there in the cold, just to watch her look at me with her warm eyes. Nobody has looked at me that kindly. 

No even me myself. 

I am so confused with whatever I'm feeling right now. I'm anxious, but also calm. I can't sit at one place, but if you were here, I'd sit and watch you do nothing but look at me just the way you did tonight. If only I could see you again, and be alone again. I'd listen to all the poetry in the world if that'd get you closer to me. 

I don't know what's gotten into me tonight. But nothing would let me sleep. And I keep replaying what happened. And if someone would ask me right now, what happened, Maximus? I wouldn't know. We didn't talk a lot. But I wish we could. 

Wait...

I put my phone in the charger and turned it on. Then, I called Femke. 

"Hello?"
"Femke! What are you doing tomorrow? With your boyfriend?"
"Well...We don't have any plans,"
"Why don't we all hang out together?"
"Sure, but won't you be third-wheeling all the way?"
"You're right...Maybe Casper can get a friend of his to give me some company?"

"Why don't you get Glen-"
"He's super busy. Everyone else is. Ask Casper!"
"Okay, sure. I'll ask him,"

I waited for her text. I won't say patiently. I began playing a videogame, but I kept waiting for Femke's text. But it never came. Frustrated, I finally went to bed. When I woke up the next morning, I checked my phone and I found out that I had been added to a WhatsApp group by Femke. It had two other people; Casper and...Daffine. 

Casper...You're a true bro...

So, I took a shower. I used my mom's body wash because I wanted to smell good. I washed my hair, gelled it and styled it. I put on some deodorant and my cologne. I put on my favourite hoodie and my favourite shoes. I wore my watch, my rings and my chains. And I sat before my computer, waiting for it to be 2 in the afternoon. 

But time was moving terribly slow. I played four games and it was still 30 minutes till 2. Time had never been that cruel to me. But finally, it was time. I got on my bicycle and I paddled it all the way to Femke's house where we were supposed to meet her. 

I met Femke and Casper. She was still getting ready and Daffine wasn't there by then either. 
"Girls always take so long to get ready, I hate it," Casper shrugged his shoulder.
"Date a man then," Femke yelled from inside.
"Aw, honey. Don't be upset," Casper laughed and looked at me, "Seems like someone got super ready for this whole episode,"

"I'm usually like this," I told him. 
He scratched the corner of his eyes, "When Femke told me that you wanted to go out with us and insisted that I bring a friend of mine alone, I knew exactly which friend you meant,"

"Yeah, thanks for that, bro. I owe you one,"
"Hey, no problem. But now, tell me, do you like Daffine?"
"No, I just like her company. And I'm curious about her,"

"Oh... I thought you liked her... What a shame,"
"Why? You think I won't like her if I know her?"
"You won't ever know her,"

"Why is that?" I asked him. He just looked at me as if I were an animal. As if I would never understand. It felt like he had a secret he wouldn't want me to know...or perhaps a bond he wouldn't want to share.
"Daffine never opens up," Casper got up and walked inside, "Honey, are you still not done?"

-To be continued