HIMSB Part IV

1430

He's having a great time with her, it's like they've known each other their whole life. He feels very comfortable around her and being his usual corny self. Problems seem to be thrown out the window when he's with her. It was just yesterday that he was stressing out about his final project as it was completely behind schedule. But talking to her, he feels as if he's got nothing better to do.

No one has been able to make him feel like this since She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. It still send shivers back to his spine, hearing her name. After all he had given, she disposed him like he meant nothing to her. Scars, deep scars has been carved on him. He has many from all the battles he fought. Love, it's complicated. It's a fatal weapon. He was alone and he had to claw his way out and succeeded. He put on such strong face but really, he's fragile.

"Hey, look our food dah sampai. Mm smells delicious, bon appetit!" he said as he try to savour the smell of the carbonara. He reach for the silverware and starts munching away, slowly and politely as he has never done before.

1500

30 minutes, that is the longest time he has spent on eating. How was it not, he keep talking all the time, it's a wonder it didn't take an hour. It's a surprise how they could click when they always have conflicting views on almost everything and they don't have a lot in common.

Then he feels something vibrate inside his pocket. One, two times which indicates it's a text. He doesn't like to use the phone when he's hanging out. Curiousity get the better off him, he take out his phone. It was from Airil.

"Wei, Taupo jom esok. Jeles aku tengok gambar si Omar ni, cantik doh. Kau ajak ah sesiapa lagi," this is why Airil is his best friend, always with the spontaneous plans. As he look at S, he's thinking of asking her to join the ride, but they just knew each other.

"Oh, what the hell," he said to himself, and didn't realise he had say it out loud.

"Apa dia?" she asks, she was sure she heard something.

"Oh tkde, my friend ni. Dia ajak I pergi Lake Taupo tomorrow," he stop in his tracks. Should he invite her? He hesistates for a second and then "and you know what, I know this is short notice but, you nak ikut tak? Jomlah, it'll be fun!" he really emphasis when he said it'll be fun. He has seen the picture, and yes it was breathtaking but he wanted to experience it first hand. He really hope that she could come along, he doesn't seem to have enough of her.

He waits for her reaction, she takes a sip of her drink and look at him. All of this is new to her. She has never had lunch with a stranger yet here she is and now he's inviting her for a road trip. She wants to go but can she really trust him? He seem harmless. She had always wanted to go to Lake Taupo after hearing what her housemates has bragged. It was also where they film certain scenes from Lord of The Ring trilogy, one of her favorite films. She made up her mind.

"Oh, sounds good. I memang plan nak pergi pun before this but sangat malas, I ni pemalas sikit. Plus I don't have anything to do tomorrow, baru ingat nak sleep all day. So yeah, sure," she said followed by a laugh, a bit surprised at her last sentence, she feels she's a bit too honest.

Hearing those words, he feels relief, he was half-expecting her to scream "Wei kau gila ke? Baru kenal sehari dua dah nak ajak pergi jauh-jauh" to him.

"So okay then? Uh I'll pick you at your house around, say 7 pagi esok?" he said with a little bit of excitement in his voice.

"Yeah sure, later I'll text you the adress," she said. And then that familiar cheesy ringtone blares again, and it was from one of the members of MUMSA.

"Weh, dah jumpa belum planner kau? Ada meeting sekarang dekat rumah, diorang nak tengok financial report event hari tu, datang sekarang please," she reads it, dissapointed that she has to go as she still has so many things she wants to talk about.

"I'm sorry, tapi I have to go now. I ada emergency meeting," she sighes, and then add "Tomorrow at 7 kan? Jangan lambat! And thanks for having lunch, it's on me this time," This time? She hopes that there'd be a next time.

"Oh tkpe, tkdehal lah. Yeah 7, pagi tau bukan malam. And yeah, thank you belanja ni, next time I pula," he, like S, also hopes that there'd be a next time and feeling a bit ungentlemanly when she's paying the bill.

They walk out the door, bid each other goodbye and went their separate ways.