New Beginnings : Rise of the Darkness

Two Developments (New Feelings Pt. 7)

"Edgar!" Colette shouted from outside the bathroom. "I've got a date with Ryan! The one who did Skills Training with us yesterday, remember?"

"Well, he's quite cute..." I responded in between brushing my teeth, "but he seemed a bit childish."

"Well, it's okay," Colette shrugged it off, "Also, I wanted to ask you a favour. Can you sit near me to help me see whether I'm doing okay? I'm very nervous..."

"Sure, Colette!" I agreed quickly. I didn't want to leave Colette alone during this period of time. She told me the time and place, then rushed off for her Geography lesson.

I was busy preparing for my upcoming Alchemy exam, since I had no lessons that day except for the two-hour agriculture session that I shared with Colette, Fang and Janet.

Fang POV
"Hey, sweetie!" I gave Janet a passionate kiss when she woke up.

"Hey, Fang..." she smiled back, "It's so nice to have you as my boyfriend."

"Here, Jan! I made your favourite breakfast for you!" I told her.

"Thanks so much!" Janet replied, hugging me ecstatically.

"So, I booked a private table for us in the Main Dining Hall for a dinner date! Sounds nice?" I questioned.

"Wow! Now I like you even more!" Janet agreed excitedly. "Ok, thanks! I'd love to go on a date!" In obvious happiness, she stepped into the shower. I smiled after her, thinking of the surprise card I had waiting for her.

Hours later...

In a short time, it was time for our date. I still couldn't believe that I was dating Janet, the most wonderful girl I have ever met. Excited. I stared at the crowd of people swarming in, attempting to spot Janet among them.

Then, I spotted her. The beautiful teen striding down the aisle, eyes peering left and right. Soon, she arrived at our table and I offered her a bouquet of lilies, her favourite flower. Eyes shining with gratitude, she accepted it with a kiss.

The date was amazing. Janet and I talked passionately about anything and everything, our eyes meeting time and time again, enjoying the delicious food. But it was time to show Janet that I truly loved her.

As the cake arrived, Janet noticed a note etched on her plate. She immediately read it aloud curiously.

"Dear Janet,
A lot has changed in the past week. I've found new feelings for a new friend. You. I've been waiting for the perfect time for so long, rejecting every other girl to came to me.
But this time it was me who came to you. You are the perfect one for me. The one and only match among the billions of others. I'll cherish our relationship like nothing else, and I hope that you'll do the same. The world has stopped turning just for us."

I watched as Janet put down the message slowly. "I love you, Janet..." I whispered.

"So do I..." Janet responded softly, kissing me tenderly. "It's great to have you as my boyfriend."

We spent the rest of the night staring into each other's eyes, savouring every moment.

Edgar POV
"Here he comes!" Colette shrieked nervously. "Ok, calm down, Colette. Just be yourself and he'll love you for you." I advised.

"Thanks, Edgar," Colette said graciously.

As I settled down at the next table, I listened carefully, ready at any time to give Colette our signal if anything went awry. But nothing dangerous turned up and I ended up listening to them talk for hours.

Colette shared that she kept all her fond memories of others in her scrapbook and cared for them lovingly, mentioning that one of her favourite photos was the one that she had captured of me and Fang. Ryan seemed mildly interested, bothering to flip through a few pages. But when he said "I'll call you sometime" at the end of the date, I felt a pang of sadness for Colette. That's what guys said when they decided that they were not going to continue the relationship...

Deciding not to mention it, I told Colette that she did well. Squealing with delight, she gave me a kiss on the cheek, snapping a photo of us together at the table.

When we returned to the table, Colette immediately went to take a shower and laid her scrapbook on her desk. As I passed by to get to the balcony for fresh air and to observe the Biodome, my eyes rested on the open book.

The picture we had taken earlier was on that very page, labelled, "Edgar helped me on my first date!"

Staring at the photo unleashed an odd feeling in me. A weird urge entered my heart. Without resisting it, I stumbled over to my nightstand, opened my first drawer and pulled out the photo that Colette had taken of me and her in my bed in the morning. Glancing at both memories, a new sensation took over me.