Rainie was crying. She didn’t know why, but there were definitely tears streaming down her face. Something about Mike kissing Ariel made her want to cry. She didn’t want to know why. Running seemed like the only option.
”Rainie!” Ariel sprinted. She could see Rainie up ahead. “Rainie, slow down!”
Ariel finally caught up to Rainie. Aw Shit, why is she crying? “Rainie, are you ok? Don’t cry, please.”
Rainie tried to shake Ariel off, “Leave me alone!”
Ariel felt helpless, she’s not good at dealing with weepy girls. “Come on Rainie, don’t cry. What’s wrong?”
Rainie took a few deep breathes and managed to stop crying.
Ariel waited until she had calmed down before speaking again. “Are you alright?”
”Yeah, I’m fine.” Rainie started turning away.
”Why are you so upset?”
”Why am I so upset? You were kissing Mike!” Rainie exclaimed.
”So?” Ariel asked confused.
Rainie didn’t know what to say.
”Do you like him?” Ariel asked.
”Mike?”
”Yeah.”
”No.” Rainie replied automatically.
Ariel waited.
”Yes.” Rainie said in a small voice. “Oh, I don’t know!”
”Do you get nervous around him?” Ariel thought of how she felt around Joe, “You’re always blushing, feeling nervous, or have butterflies in your stomach?”
”Yes. Sometimes. I don’t know why thought, I like Joe!” She sounded convincing.
”Oh really?” Ariel was sceptical. “Oh yeah, what happened with Joe? How come you’re here so late?”
”It didn’t work out.” Rainie left it at that.
”Oh.” Ariel’s mind was going at 100 miles a minute. What does this mean?
”So… Are you and Mike together?” Rainie asked.
”What? Hell no!” Ariel exclaimed. “I mean, no, we’re not.”
”Then, why were you…?” Rainie looked puzzled.
”That was a complete accident. Look, I’m not good at playing matchmaker, but that’s what I’m going to do now.”
”What are you planning?” Rainie asked suspiciously.
Ariel grabbed Rainie’s wrist and started going back to her basement.
“Ariel!”
”Hey, trust me. Let’s just go back to my house ok?”
————————
Mike went to pick up Rainie’s bag, and then sat on the front steps of Ariel’s house.
“Hi.”
Mike turned around. There was a teenage kid standing behind him with her hand sticking out. “um… hi?”
”I’m Miranda.”
”Oh, you’re Ariel’s sister. I’m Mike.” They shook hands.
”May I ask why you kissed my sister?”
Mike looked a bit embarrassed, “you saw that?”
”Yeah.”
”It was an accident.”
”You don’t like her? ” Miranda tilted her head.
”No.” Mike said.
”Ok. Rainie likes you doesn’t she?”
”I don’t know.” Mike said ruefully.
”Why would she run away if she doesn’t like you?”
”You’ve got a point there.”
”Of course I do. Oh, if you kiss my sister again, I’m going to kick your ass.”
”Wow, feisty aren’t you?”
”If you’re looking for a random girl to kiss, find someone other than my sister. She’s not someone you can play around with. Got it?”
”Yeah. I know. You know you’re exactly like Ariel.”
Miranda smiled, the smile looked exactly like Ariel’s “I’m going to kick your ass, but I’m trying to be polite” smile. “I try. Look, there’s Ariel with Rainie.”
—————————
Rainie saw Mike. “Ariel! Why didn’t you tell me he was still there?”
”Relax. He doesn’t bite.”
”But I can’t let him see me like this, I look horrible.”
”You look fine.” Ariel half dragged Rainie in front of Mike.
”Hi.” Mike waved at Rainie.
”Hi.” Rainie was looking at anywhere but him.
”Alright guys, you’re not kids anymore. Could you not act like teenagers?”
”Teenagers don’t act like that either.” Miranda interjected. She stopped once Ariel gave her a look.
Rainie started blushing like mad.
”Guys, come on. I suck at this relationship stuff, so I’m not even going to try to help you guys.” Ariel grabbed Mike’s hand and made him hold Rainie’s hand. “You two like each other; work it out.”
”Ariel.” Mike started as Ariel started walking away.
Ariel herded Miranda back into their basement. “You can do it. I suggest you go somewhere else though, otherwise Mira here will probably watch you guys like she watch Taiwanese dramas.”
Both Rainie and Mike fell silent. Ariel smiled, waved and then closed the basement door.
—————————-
”I can’t believe you just played matchmaker Ari.” Miranda said. She’s been peeking out the window for the last few minutes. “I think they left.”
”Miranda Lin, stop looking. It’s none of your business!”
”But it’s interesting.”
”Go do your homework.”
Miranda pouted, but obliged. Ariel went over to the window, saw that Rainie and Mike were indeed gone, and smiled.
———————–
”So…” Mike started.
”So…?” Rainie asked. They were sitting on a bench at the local park.
”So…” Mike said again. Rainie looked at him and started laughing. Mike joined in.
”I can’t believe we’re so awkward!” Rainie laughed clutching her side.
Eventually, they both calmed down.
”Raine, I like you.” He faced her.
”Do you?” Raine asked. “Forgive me for being cynical, but you’re with a different girl every week. If you’re trying to get me to be one of those girls, I’m sorry, I’m not interested.”
”Why does everyone feel the need to remind me of that? Honestly though. I don’t know what I feel about you, but I know it’s different from how I feel about other girls. I want to try a serious relationship.”
”I could say the same for myself, not that I have a whole bunch of guys chasing after me, but I won’t lie to you Mike, up until very recently, I thought I liked someone else. It’s fairly obvious to me now that I was wrong, but I don’t know,” Rainie paused, “I’m not sure what I feel for you yet either.”
”Looks like we’re in the same ship.” Mike said.
”Boat.”
”What?”
”We’re in the same boat, not ship.” Rainie smirked a little.
Mike rolled his eyes. The fell silent.
”How would that help?”
”Go out on a date with me, and if we don’t enjoy ourselves or if there’s no chemistry, then we’ll break up. At least then we know we’ve tried.”
Rainie considered it, “alright, that sounds practical. When?”
”Next week? Dinner and then a movie?” Mike smiled.
”Ok.” Rainie smiled back. “It’s a date.”
——————-
Sorry about the long wait for this chapter, but I’m dying from school. I probably won’t be able to update for a few weeks at least. Sorry 
Don’t forget me!
