( For 18+ Above)

[Continued]...I couldn't help my heart from pounding hard as we stood so close to eachother with my right hand trembling lightly as I raised it to collect the napkin from her hand.
"Thanks" I said in a low voice and began cleaning the stew stain off my shirt with my gaze lowered in shyness. Then I chuckled nervously in a playful tone. "I must have been rushing the food"
"You bet" Nora laughed and then asked. "So uh, are you still in school?"
"Huh?" I raised my gaze and acted as though I didn't hear her clearly.
"I meant if you were still in school?" She repeated with a polite shrug and waited for me to answer. But what was I to say? That yes, I was in high school as her brother? Or that I was done with school? These questions raced in my head, troubling my will to speak.
"Uh..." I slurred with uncertainty as I struggled to make up my mind on the right answer to give. But then I thought, what use was there to lie about the truth?! -- So I said, "Yes, I'm still in school"
A smile broke through her lips before she said. "I thought as much"
"How?" I scoffed with a tint of embarrassment in my voice.

"I dunno --" She shrugged her shoulders; burying her head in it with a wide grin on her face. "I just know a school boy when I see one"
'School boy?!' This word did not only sound taunting but also insulting. How could she, of all the things to say, call me a school boy? Now, I began to have regrets taking her offer to come in the first place!
"Um... I guess this 'School boy' needs to get going" I informed and lowered my gaze in a bid to hide my annoyance; giving my shirt one last hard scrub with the napkin.
"Like now?" She sounded surprised.
"Thanks for the napkin" I replied plainly, holding up the napkin for her to collect. But she hesitated; infact, she didn't collect it from my hand.
"You sound upset, is it something I said?" Nora asked in a concerned voice and studied the look on my face.
"No... no, it has nothing to do with what you said" I cleared my throat with a quick shake of my head.
"You sure?" Her eyebrows raised in curiousity.
"Pfff, seriously, am fine" I scoffed, masking my feelings with an amused chuckle. I just knew it would have been childish wanting her to apologize for calling me a school boy or even admitting to it as the reason for my sudden annoyance. Then i said in a much calmer voice, "I just need to be at home before 8 o'clock"
Nora smiled, looking me straight in the eyes and in a complementing tone, said "You look like a really nice guy Henry"

"Thanks" I blushed, lowering my head to look at my feet with the annoyance washing away.
"I don't mean to be out of line, but are you like --" Nora started to say but paused, as if thinking of a better way to say what was in her head. "Am guessing you have a girlfriend?" She finally concluded with a wide smile as I quickly raised my head to look at her.
To be honest, I was stunned by her level of boldness. My palms itched and my stance became unsteady on hearing her questioning.
"Uh..." I clenched my right fist tight before shaking my head in denial. "No, I don't" I chuckled, looking away to hide the flush of shyness on my face.
"No way" Nora gasped; muffling her giggling with her right hand over her mouth.
"So why will a guy like yourself stay -- you know what I mean?" She asked the moment her giggling subsided.
I returned my gaze on hers.
"Well, um-- it's because..." I started saying and was about telling her how unlucky I was with girls when I paused to change my mind and said. "Let's just say I haven't found the right girl yet"
"Oh, I see" She raised her eyebrows in a playful manner I found to be very sweet. Then her voice broke out again, saying "For me, I don't believe that there's a right guy or girl meant specially for someone. You just need to make the girl right for you"

Her tender voice enveloped me, with her words suddenly plunging me into a state of deep thought -- her last response was like a secret message; a code, somehow telling me that she was available for something. And was she?
So I cleared my throat, summoning all the courage i could muster before parting my lips to ask, "So what about you, do you have..."
"Did you find any napkin?" Brian's voice startled me and his sister Nora who immediately retreated few steps away from me as he appeared and paused in the kitchen entrance.
I turned my head sideways to look at Brian who was now leaning on the kitchen doorpost to give us a suspicious stare.
"Yes, I did" I nodded at him and stood mute, also looking at Nora who'd walked back to return the napkin before she leaned her butt on the kitchen cabinet to glance at us in silence.
"Um, did I interrupt something because am I getting a weird vibe from you two" Brian chuckled from where he stood; circling both hands in the air as he spoke.
I scoffed, shaking my head in amusement and was about responding when Nora's voice broke out before mine.
"Don't be silly" She said to her brother and folded her arms.
"Jeezz, okay... Okay" He slowly nodded his head, raising both hands halfway up his chest in surrender before facing me. "So Henry, are you still in for another round of Mortal Kombat?"
"Uh, no! -- Maybe tomorrow" I declined with a polite smile. "It's almost late and I should probably get going" I added, casting a quick glance at Nora who almost didn't seem pleased that I was about taking my leave. And why should she, when we were beginning to enjoy knowing eachother.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?" His voice sounded, drawing my attention back to him.
"Yes" I assured, looking at Brian who nodded and returned back to his room; leaving me in the kitchen with Nora who gradually pulled away from leaning on the cabinet.
"So, um..." She slurred, her gaze slightly lowered in uncertainty as she took slow steps forward and stopped few metres in front of me. "Will you be free tomorrow?"
"Ye--yeah, sure" I stammered and gulped hard with so many crazy thoughts flying in and out of my head as I looked at her. "Why do you ask?" I inquired immediately with hopes that her response would be what I was thinking.
But it wasn't, rather -- she leveled her gaze on mine and in a low voice, said "Actually, I just wanted taking a stroll around the neighbourhood tomorrow -- and I was thinking that um, you know... Since you've lived here for that long, you could show me around. That's if you don't mind"
"No, I don't mind actually" I replied sharply with a nervous chuckle; trying to stomach the feelings of excitement growing within.
"Cool" she smiled and fell mute.
There was something about the glitter in her eyes as we stood in awkward silence, like she wanted to say or do something at this moment, but couldn't -- as if holding herself from giving in.
"So I'll see you tomorrow" I broke the silence, retreating my steps to the door with my eyes still fixed on her.
"Yea, tomorrow" she blinked rapidly as if snapping out of her own head and gave a brief wave of her right hand.
I smiled and turned around before walking out the kitchen to leave their house.

*****

I laid on my bed later that night with my hands tugged behind my head, staring blankly at my room ceiling with a wide smile on my face as I recounted the friendly conversation I had with Nora.
'Empty your mind, stop thinking of her' I told myself with a deep sigh; squeezing my eyes shut when her smile, voice and seductive look from tonight replayed over and over again in my head; making it hard for me to catch some sleep -- and when I finally did, I found myself dreaming of her.
We were in a room which was expensively furnished, and I was laying bare chested on a king size bed; smiling softly at Nora who was walking up to me -- wearing a light transparent apparel that revealed the beige coloured bra and pant she wore underneath.
"Come babe, I want to show you something" she teased in a soft voice and extended her right hand for me to hold.
"Mm-hmm" I gave her a seductive hum and held onto her right hand but didn't make any attempt to stand up.
"C'mon babe, get up" Nora urged with a smile, trying to pull me out of the bed.
"Why don't you show me in bed?" I teased playfully, pulling her instead.
"Stop kidding around.." she giggled and sat down beside me on the bed. Then she placed her soft right palm on my bare chest and gave me a serious look before parting her lips to say, "Get up!"
"Wah?" My eyes went wide in shock; her voice sounded very different, almost is if it was...

"Get up Henry" My mom's voice rang out loudly in my ear with her brief taps on my right thigh that immediately woke me up from my blissful dream.
"Wha--what time is it mom?" I grunted, rubbing my sleepy eyes before they finally opened to see my mom who was standing beside my bed; fully dressed like someone who was ready to go out. Or was I still dreaming?
"It's morning already" she informed and adjusted the handbag on her left arm.
'How is it morning when I just fell asleep?' I asked myself in doubt but soon realised that it was true when I heard the birds chirping outside the house.
"Mom, are you going out?" I slowly raised myself up on the bed to look her in the eye. Then my mom nodded and said...

TO BE CONTINUED...