18 years ago

"How do I look?" Daniella asked twirling around showing her dress to Lizzy through web cam. "For the thousandth time, I am telling you. You look beautiful! Now stop making me repeat the same line again and again." She groaned at end. Daniella chuckled silently and looked herself in mirror again.

She was wearing a dark purple strapless dress with a deep v-cut neck and it stops till her mid thighs. With that she wore nude high heels. A whistle blew which made Daniella turn around. "Damn you Ella, those heels you are wearing is making your legs look longer." She chuckled at Lizzy's comment. She applied some lip-gloss and eyeliner. Smiling at her look, she turn around facing the web cam again.

"I'm done." She states. "I hope this date goes well."

"Oh please! This date will be something you'll remember forever!" Lizzy squealed in excitement. Daniella took a deep breath.

You can do, sure you can, she thought. "Here I go-" Lizzy clap her hands fantically "-for nothing." Daniella muttered the last two words.

Ending the call, she decended down from stairs, walking towards kitchen. Her mother, Diana Monrovo, was busy shaking her body, dancing in the song 'Chandelier' by Sia while preparing dinner.

Daniella giggled at her mother's silly robotic moves. "Mom, you'll never able to do those moves." She says pointing at the moves Diana was trying to do. "Oh dear! Look at you!" Diana said with an awe look. Daniella twirl around and spoke, "How do I look?" "Beautiful dear! And what's the occasion?" Diana asks with a smirk while raising her eyebrow.

"Oh you know, I have a date."Daniella whispered. "Sorry dear, what did you say?" Diana ask again, putting her hands near her ear acting like she can hear more clearly. "I said I have a date!" She said a little bit louder with irritation.

"And I thought there was suppose to be no secrets between you and me, right?" Diana mumbled. "Huh?"

"You are going on a date with your boyfriend and you didn't tell me at all?" Daniella chocked her own saliva. "No, no! I'm going on a date with a stranger, or should I rather put it like that, I'm going on a blind date." She says with a smile.

"Blind date?" Diana was still confused. Daniella took a deep breath before saying, "Long story short, Lizzy's mother wanted her to have a boyfriend but Lizzy don't have courage to tell her that she already has one. So she thought that me going on this date will be much better."

"Oh, I didn't know Lizzy has a boyfriend. What's his name?" Diana asked while she was slicing tomatoes. "Some guy name Ashton." Daniella answered with confusion as she couldn't remember his full name. "You mean Ashton Hamilton?" Daniella points her finger at her mother, "Yup! That's the guy."

Diana huffs in anger. She sets knife aside near chopping board and faces her daughter, "That boy is nothing but a bad news. I want you to tell Lizzy to stay away from him." She turns around continuing chopping tomato. "And I also want you away from him. He'll be a bad influence on you."

"Don't worry mom! I don't know him and I'll never try to know more about him." Daniella promised. She looks at her watch and gets panicked. "7:45pm. Shit! I'm going to be late." She runs up back to her room, grabs her purse and zoomed downstairs like a lightning bolt. "Slow down honey!"

"I might be staying at Lizzy's place. I'll let you know, okay?" "Okay dear. Have fun!"

* * *

"8:00 pm"

Kyle appeared to the Belcher restaurant thirty minutes earlier. He was fiddling his tux sleeves, practicing how to introduce himself to his date. He was nervous, beyond heck. Why was he nervous? He is handsome, smart, one of the top students in academics and also co-captain of basketball team. But why was he? Because this was a date. A date where he might have chance to meet a girl and maybe hope for something more than meaningless flings. Sure he never dated nor humped and dumped girls because he wanted to keep it special for the right one.

Pathetic! That's what jocks would say to him. All they would say that "Live while you are young."

His thoughts were interrupted by a voice. He looked ahead watching a brunette girl talking to the manager of the restaurant. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, her lips looked perfectly red, making it more enhance due to her light complexion. She was wearing a dark purple cocktail dress that perfectly shows her curves. Her face turned towards his direction. She frowns for a second before realization draws upon her face.

"Kyle?"

He looks at her face, trying to recognize her, "Carly?"

"Hey! How have you been?" Carly come towards Kyle while he stood up and both of them exchange a brief hug before pulling away. "I'm good. And how are you? Where's Fred?" He ask her looking behind her back searching for his friend.

"I'm good and Freddie is not her with me. I came here with my father." Kyle nods.

"So, it's true." Carly smirks. "What is?" He asks. "The bet and your blind date." She sniggers.

"Ya, ya whatever." He shrugs off. "But it's good for you. Atleast you could meet a girl, maybe make a move." She says wiggling her eyebrows. "Only if this date is successful." Kyle laughs off quietly.

"So where's she?" "She didn't came yet. For a moment I thought it was you." Carly bursted laughing. "Me? *laughs* You're one heck of a funny person." She still laughs shaking her head. "Didn't recognized you for a moment, so don't blame me." He says raising his hands up in midair.

"I better get going. I don't want my father thinking that I'm lost." She says with a smile. "And of course not want your boyfriend to punch me." He says winking her. Carly rolls her eyes and smack Kyle's arm playfully. "Gotta go. Good to see you." "Same here."

Carly left the scene walking back to the direction where she came from and Kyle sat back in his chair. "8:05 pm. Where the heck she is?" He muttered.

* * *

It was almost 8:30 pm and Kyle had almost given up hope for her date's arrival.

Keyword: Almost.

The moment Kyle stood up, preparing himself to leave the place, a girl around his age arrived hurriedly. His eyes were stuck on her while the girl was busy talking to the manager about something.

Wow!  Kyle thought. Her appearance attracted him a lot on first sight. The manager who was currently talking to her motioned her to follow.

"Mr. Monrovo. Meet your date Ms Valentine. Ms Valentine, this is Mr. Monrovo." Manager enthusiatically introduced them. "Enjoy you date." He chirped, giving a wink to Kyle and left.

What the heck? Kyle thought.

"I'm so sorry. I was stuck in traffic." Daniella apologized.
"It's alright." He waved his hands off indicating that 'It's no big deal'.

"Daniella Valentine." "Kyle Monrovo."

Handsome, that was first thought about Kyle in Daniella's mind. How come a guy like him going on a blind date?

"How come I have never heard your name?" She thought out loud. "It's alright. I'm not so famous, if that's what you think."

"Really? Cause my friend says that you happen to be one of the star of Brustel High school." Kyle widen his eyes in surprise. "You go to Brustel High school?" He asks. "Umm... y-yeah."

"So don't mind me asking-" Kyle took a glass, drank water while his eyes were fixed on her. "How come a girl like you going on this blind date?" He sets the glass back on the table.

That's the question I am asking myself since yesterday, Daniella thought.

"My friend's mother set up this blind date for her. But she didn't had enough courage to tell about her boyfriend-" "Her boyfriend?" Kyle interrupts.

She nods, picked up her glass, took a sip of water then set it back on table. "And she wants me to have some fun. Fun not like reading chiche or romance stories or maybe baking pies with my mom but go outside and hangout with people, party around, get laid and all." She spoke with monotonous tone.

"And you were against it?" Kyle snickered clearly finding it amusing in her words.
"Well ya! She and her puppy looking eyes made me say yes."

"Funny." He muttered shaking his head while chuckling. "How about you?" She asks while placing her top of her hand below her chin, her elbow on the table. "How come a handsome guy like you going on this blind date?"

"I lost a bet." Daniella chuckles. "Well, what kind of bet?" She asks.

Kyle cocks his eyebrow, clearly confused. "What kind of bet are you thinking?" He asked, taking a sip of water from his glass again. "Well, more of a hump and dump bet."

Kyle chocked the water and started coughing. Daniella's eyes widened, almost gonna stood up when Kyle gestured her to remain seated and started patting his chest using other hand. When Kyle regained his posture, he wiped his mouth with a paper cloth which was kept aside at the table.

"And why would you say that?" He asked, not believing her thoughts.

"Well it was written in your biography that you love to 'hump and dump'." She emphasized those words. Kyle's eyes widened for a second then clenching his eyes shut and scrunching his nose, "Mi amigos, you all are so dead!" he muttered under his breath. Daniella giggled in response.

Kyle opened his eyes, smiling at her. "It was a bet about the basketball match that occurred this Wednesday. The team which I chose, lost the match, thus me losing this bet." She nodded understandingly.

A waiter around mid 20s approached to their table. "Good evening. My name is James and I'll be your waiter tonight." He says giving a brief nod to Kyle then fully facing to Daniella. "Here's you menu." He hands her the menu, while she gladly accepts it.

"Damn, I'm really starving." She mumbles. Both Kyle and Daniella notices James still standing like a statue near Daniella, staring at her (or more clearly to be stated, staring at her chest). Kyle cocks his eyebrow, while Daniella mumbles incoherent words under her breath. She snaps her finger in-front of James eyes, tearing his gaze away from her chest,"HEY! My eyes are up here." Her voice was laced with rudeness.

The waiter opened then closed his mouth like a goldfish, thinking what to speak. "Thank you so much." Kyle injects, not clearly wanting the waiter to say a word. James simply nods and left the table.

"I really hate this kind of attention." She muttered to herself, but was audible to Kyle. He stares at her with a blank face for few moment. "I'll be right back." He whispers to her, gets up and leave the table.

Daniella's eyes were stuck on him for a moment then her gaze was back on the menu card. Why it always happens to me? She shook her head slowly, opened the menu, preparing herself to order for dinner.

Around two minutes, Kyle came back with a happy smile. What's with that smile? She thought, decided not to ask him. Her eyes were still stuck on the menu while she can feel his gaze on her. She raised her head, meeting her eyes with his. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion. Why is he looking at me like that?

She brought her fingers to her corner of her lips, brushing it lightly. No smudge, She noticed.

"Is there something on my face?" She asked Kyle, distracting his attention from her. 

"Huh? Sorry?"

"Is there something on my face?" She asked again. Kyle's eyes widened and frantically shook his head. "No, no, no." Daniella narrows her eyes for a moment before a smirk comes on her face. "Well aren't you staring at me?" She asks, leaning her body towards the table, her hands kept one on another on the table. Kyle's mouth slightly opens, thinking what to say.

"Close your mouth, big boy." She says with a naughty tone. "You don't wanna catch a fly, do you?" Kyle immediately closes his mouth, narrows his eyes for a moment. Daniella simply shrugged, giving him an innocent smile.

I like this girl already, Kyle thought.

A waiter of early 30s approached to their table. "Good evening, my name is Henry. I'll be your waiter tonight. Would you like me to take your order?" He asks politely.

Wasn't that creepy waiter gonna take our order? Daniella thought. But Kyle interrupts her thoughts, "I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable so I asked the manager to change our waiter."

Daniella was surprised yet happy about how thoughtful he was. She gave him a nod, which he returned the same. Both of them turned towards the waiter, giving him their order and the waiter walks away.

"Thank you." Kyle smiled. The smile wasn't for her who was thankful to him, but it was for himself who found her a different from other girls, in a good way of course.

Daniella tilts her head which is resting on her right palm, her right elbow on the table. "What power is it?" She asks. Kyle furrows his brow in confusion. She points his specks, "Your specs, what power is it?"

"Oh-" Kyle says while removing his specks from his nose. "-It has no power." Daniella's brows raises in surprise. "No power? Then why do you wear it?"

"It's kind of a habit." He says.

"I don't call that a habit-" She points it, "I call that a reason. You have a reason why you wear a specs which has no power." She states as a matter-of-fact. Kyle shrugs in response. "Can I try it on?" She asks. "Be my guest." He hand over his specs to her.

She kept her head low while trying to adjust the specs. "Look-" She raises her head. "I look like Dumbledore." She pouts, posing as a female version of Dumbledore. Kyle laughs at her silliness. "To be honest, you look like a teacher."

"Well that's a good thing right?" She asks, while removing the specs from her nose. "Cause I want to be a teacher." He smiles at her, "Yes, that's a good thing. Maybe you should wear spectacles once you become a teacher."

"Or I can wear your spectacles if I become one. What do you say? It's a deal?" Daniella asks, thrusting her right hand forward. Kyle looks at her, then at her hand and back to her. "It's a deal." He shakes his hands with her.

* * *

"Oh my god! Are you serious?"

Kyle nods excitedly, "Yeah! It was kind of scary doing skydiving, but I can tell you proudly that I did it." He raises his hands victoriously. Daniella started laughing, "I always wanted to do it. My father had a trip to Spain for some company reason, which made it possible for me to do skydiving. But as always, it got canceled." She frown.

"I could take you to Spain, if would allow me. You know, maybe even do skydiving together as well?" Kyle suggests. Daniella's face lit up in happiness. "Ya, maybe one day together." She whispered.

She pushed the plate forward, "I'm done. The food's delicious."

Kyle thinks for a moment before asking, "Do you have a room for dessert?"

* * *

The night was complete silent except for distant noises of cars. Both of them were walking towards the central garden. There was silence between them, which wasn't awkward at all. Pavement of the garden directly leads to fountain forward. At the corner ends, benches were there. Trees and bushes surrounded the circumference of the garden. At the corner left, swings and merry-go-round was there.

They walked towards the playground, both of them taking a seat on the swings.

"What is your favorite color?" Daniella asked, trying to start a conversation. Kyle turned his face, giving her a half-smirk-half-smile, "Black."

"And why?" She tilts her head, taking a good look of him. "And why?" He repeated her words in confusion. Daniella nodded. "Black symbolizes protection and comfort. Something that many people like us desire for." Kyle says with a smile. 

"What about you? What's your favorite color?" He asks, while his hands gripping the chains attached to the swings to the top rod. "Red." She answers. "And why?" 

"Because of a novel name 'Chasing Red'." She sighs.

"What do you want to become?" She asked while placing her purse at the side of the seat. "I want to become a pilot." Daniella's eyes widened in surprise before laughing, "Didn't you told me earlier that you were afraid of heights?"

Kyle chuckled, "Yeah, I remember. But that was when I was almost gonna jump out from plane doing skydiving. At least, I have overcome this phobia." Daniella nods understandingly. "Once I realized that I don't have Acrophobia anymore, that day I wanted to do it again. Not one time, but as much as possible." He pushed the ground with his legs, swinging back and forth. 

A minute passed when Kyle stopped swinging. He stood up quickly, looking at Daniella seriously. "What?" She asked, probably confused about his behavior. "Come with me." He says while taking her hands and walking towards Kyle's designated destination.

*  *  *

Kyle was walking towards his designated destination, away from the central garden while Daniella was trailing behind him, debating whether she should ask or not.

"Where are we going?" She finally asked, looking around whether someone else is following them or not. Kyle sensed her fear. He stopped dead-track, looking at Daniella's eyes, "Do you trust me?"

Kyle raised his hand forward, waiting for her to hold his hand. She looked at his hand.

Trust him, her heart said and she hold his hand firmly. 

While walking forward, Daniella noticed a court ahead of her. A basketball court, to be more precise. Metal grid surrounding the court from all four sides. At the corner, a metal grid door was wide open. Inside the court, a basketball was lying near a pole of the backboard. Kyle walks towards the metal grid, his fingers inside the loops of the grid and then clenched his fists. His temple touching the grid, his eyes concentrating at the ball. Daniella was standing near him, her shoulders leaned towards the grid and her eyes on him.

"When I was little, my dad and I used to come to the court everyday."
His head turns towards the court, a distant memory flashing through his eyes. "There was a time when Dad used to pick me up from school. He and I always wear that Monrovo shirt Mom has made. And then we played for hours till we had no energy left." His lips slowly curled upwards.
"And we head back home with chocolate ice-cream. It's like..."

"Your daily routine you were never tired of." She finished, sending him a pity smile.

"Yeah."

Daniella notices his fists tightening till his knuckles turn white. "Kyle," She touches his hands bringing his attention to her. "Can you teach me how to goal?"

Kyle laughs at her words before nodding, "Sure, but please don't say goal. It's not a  football."

*  *  *

It was almost quarter before 11 when Kyle dropped Daniella to Lizzy's apartment. Daniella was trying hard to hide her blush but she miserably failed.

"Well, this is me." She said, before facing Kyle. "I have to say, I really had a good time with you."

"Glad to." He replied, smiling back at her.

She looks behind his back, noticing a car parked near him. The car window rolls down, revealing Freddie. "Hey man, you ready?"

Kyle nods before averting his attention back to her. "Looks like my ride is here." He sighed.

"Okay." She glanced at the car, smiling to Freddie before staring back at Kyle. "Soon." She moves close to his face, giving him a peck of kiss on his right cheek. She felt her heartbeat rise when her lips touched his cheek. She took a deep breath, inhaling his body fragrances before taking two steps back, spinning round and heading towards the front door.

"Atta boy." Freddie chuckled under his breath.