picture source: https://www.pexels.com/search/shocked%20cat/
Everyone gets embarrassed once in a while, but for Jallah, cringe seemed to be stuck to him like cheese on pizza.
Jallah was what his grandfather called a ‘runner’. If anything troubled Jallah, he would simply turn his attention elsewhere or leave the situation altogether. Have a creeper watching you in your neighborhood? Stop going outside. Can’t figure out trigonometry and failed the test? Don’t become an architect. Friends want your phone number but you don’t have a phone? Change the subject every time they ask.
Jallah was really good at avoiding things he didn’t want to deal with, and his grandfather said he simply couldn’t deal with things that way, and that one day life would show him this.
It hasn’t yet, and I’m 16, so I don’t think it ever will, Jallah thought to himself secretly. Besides, he’d rather think about the positives than the negatives because tonight was the night! He and his friends from online and IRL had just started up a crypto gaming website, and he was the programmer! The game had blown up practically overnight, and the group of friends decided they would have a meet-and-greet event at Beeto’s house, the game’s designer.
Jallah had personally never met the game designer in real life, and the two had only been internet friends. Mike and Phasey, the two other kids who worked on the game, had always been good friends of Jallah’s since they were in highschool, though he had known Phasey since the two were in elementary school.
Jallah had on a gray two-piece suit, and was adjusting the dark blue bow-tie when his mother came into the room.
“Mom! What are you doing here!?” Jallah asked, cringed that his mother had come in his room while he was wearing a suit.
“Oh, just watching my precious son grow up. Don’t forget to have a good time!” She smiled, and soon, Jallah was off.
It turned out Beeto lived on a farm, complete with its own huge barn and goat pen (Beeto had asked everyone to drive quietly past the chicken coop as to not wake those crazy birds.).
When Jallah got there, he knocked on the front door, and out came someone he would’ve never in a million years guessed was the coder, a tall boy with black frizzy hair and eyes that thinned-up when he smiled.
“Hi, nice to meet you, I’m Beeto, the game designer, and you are?” Beeto asked.
Woah, puberty hit this guy hard, his voice is as deep as the seafloor, yet it still has a kiddy-like sound to it, Jallah thought.
“I-I’m Jallah, the game programmer,” Jallah said nearly dazed, and feeling uncomfortable.
Beeto’s eyes widened. “Oh, the programmer! Thank’s a lot man! The game couldn’t have happened without you! Follow me, the other two are behind the barn!”
Jallah smiled, politely, and followed Beeto behind the barn where the two other Game developer’s were.
“The barn is packed, “ Beeto explained, “So many people who played our game are in there talking and partying, and just connecting with other players, it’s crazy! But just so I know who’s who, I sent all of the game developers to the back of the barn, so we don’t get all mixed up y’know?” Beeto laughed, while Jallah kept walking, hardly hearing anything besides the late 2010’s music blasting through the barn's wooden walls, people’s voices heard talking and laughing. Beeto gave Jallah a weird vibe. He couldn’t wait to see some familiar faces.
Once the two made it to the back, Beeto saw Mike, looking his usual creased-eyebrowed self. Phasey however, she looked different. Today she had her hair in a braided ponytail, and was wearing a yellow tiered dress that went down to her ankles. She looked so stunning, it made Jallah’s heart beat faster. Phasey seemed to be staring at Jallah as well, her shiny hazel eyes met his for a long minute.
“Hey!” Mike broke Jallah out of his daze. “Hey Mike! What’s up!?” Jallah went over to Mike and they did a slick yet complicated handshake.
“Oh, common you two, we’re not freshmans anymore. Enough with that stupid greeting ritual,” Phasey said, and the trio laughed.
Beeto, to Jallah’s surprise, laughed as well. “So you guys already know each other, cool! Well, I was thinking about doing some speeches inside the barn, y’know introductions, maybe give the people a Q and A about the game, that type of stuff.”
“We’re gonna be talking in front of all those people?” Jallah’s eyes widened. His stomach swirled just thinking about millions of eyeballs staring at him.
“Oh, come on Jallah, it’s an event, calm yourself,” Phasey laughed at him. “You can answer some questions about the game for a half hour,”
Someone then came from the side of the barn to tell Beeto that they were running out of chips at the party, and everyone was still hungry. Beeto then startled and said there were chips right in his house that he could go get, but Phasey told Beeto not to worry.
“Me and Jallah could go get the snacks while you prepare everyone for the Q and A,” Phasey explained. She turned and smiled mischievously. “Come on, Jallah.”
Jallah sighed. It was just like Phasey to bring him into something without his consent. Even though he’d never admit it, he loved when Phasey did that, as usually when she made him tag along, something fun always happened.
The two walked a little ways over to Beeto’s house. Inside was silent, save the echo of their footsteps on the wooden floors.
“Beeto’s such a nice guy. I never would have thought he lived on a farm with technical skills like his,” Phasey turned to look at Jallah as they headed for the kitchen.
“I don’t know. He just seems…. Weird to me.”
“You just haven’t given him a chance. You’re acting all like a scared sheep, like you usually do when you’re in a place you’ve never been before.” Phasey searched the kitchen for the chips.
“Uh, I prefer being called a cautious sheep, scared seems a bit extreme,”
This made Phasey buss into giggles, which made Jallah smile himself. He had always prided himself on being able to make Phasey laugh.
“I just don’t know if I can do the whole, ‘speaking in front of a crowd’ thing. I mean, all those people? What if I say something that makes them hate the game?”
“What could you possibly say that-” Phasey cut her own sentence off to turn to the boy. “Jallah, I want you to look me in the eye and say you’re going to do great at that speak. Common, say it.”
“I’m… going… to…”
“Say it faster, and with confidence!” Phasey pushed.
“I’m…I’m going to kiss you,” Jallah said, and before he could stop himself, his lips were on Phasey’s. He couldn’t believe the blast of feelings he felt during that kiss. He felt happy, excited, great, and most importantly, confident as ever!
The kiss seemed to last a long time, and when the two broke apart, Phasey was left staring in shock.
Then Jallah’s chest grew cold. What he had just done was just beginning to sink in, as his happiness faded away.
“I-I…. just kissed you in someone else's house!”
Phasey said nothing. She just closed her mouth and looked down. “I don’t know what’s worse. What we just did, or the fact that I loved it.”
Jallah’s heart beat like it was running a marathon. The girl he had just kissed, the girl he liked, had the same feelings for him as he did for her!? That still didn’t erase the fact that they had just kissed in someone else's house! And she liked it!
Jallah felt weird, and whenever he felt weird, he found it best to be alone.
“I have to go,” Jallah said slowly.
Phasey looked up at him, her forehead wrinkling. “Where?”
“I don’t know. Away, I just have to go!” Jallah began to speed walk to the door, even with Phasey yelling, “Wait! Come back! Please!”
Jallah didn’t know why, but he looked back. It pained Jallah to stare at Phasey’s teary hazel eyes as she stared at him go, but somehow, he managed to turn back infront of him, and keep walking.
Jallah took a breather at the side of the house, his heart still racing like mad. What had he done!? This was awful. He hated how he felt so weird. He couldn’t unkiss Phasey in Beeto’s house, and he wanted to smile like a moron and cringe at the situation at the same time! Not to mention he was going to have to go inside that barn full of maybe a hundred people, and answer questions about the game he’d worked on! He wanted to throw up!
He glanced at his car. He should just go home, watch a late night show or something. But as he walked to his car, his brain fought with him. You’re about to leave this event you got all dressed up for without even meeting anyone! Not to mention you’re going to leave Phasey in tears, you’re best friend who’s always incouraged you and actually likes you back stupid!
Jallah stopped. His brain was right. No way was he leaving now, before he had even gone to the event officially. Before he got things straight with Phasey.
He turned right on back to the house, where he saw Phasey with two huge bags of chips in each hand.
“Phasey, let me carry some of those,” Jallah said, already taking some of the bags out of her hands.
“Jallah? I thought you would leave after…” She started.
He hated knowing she was right, but he continued. “After we kissed? No, I couldn’t leave. Not before I even really went to the event. And, Phasey, I actually liked kissing you as well. Do you wanna… be my girl?” he asked, sweat forming on his forehead.
Phasey smiled, two big cheek lumps rising high on her face. “Of course! Let’s get these chips to the event!”
The two talked and laughed all the way back to Beeto and Mike, who quickly said it was time for the Q and A.
Jallah was glad he didn’t leave early. The Q and A was a breeze, all the fans eager to know about how the game was coded. Beeto turned out to be a really nice dude, Jallah had just needed to give him a chance. He and Jallah actually had a lot in common! As he walked to his car, he held Phasey’s hand. He promised himself that from now on, whenever something awkward or hard came up in life, he wouldn’t run away. Somehow, some way, he’d get through it!
My name is Shila Williams. I am 16 years-old, and I’ve had a passion for writing and drawing ever since I could spell. I grew up in North Carolina, as well as lived and traveled abroad. I write to inspire kids' minds to imagine and take them on a fun and adventurous journey.
I'm now a published author! Please support my debut book! Check it out here on Amazon!: Imagination by Shila Williams
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You can find them hereon Ab2.gallery!: https://ab2.gallery/address/VFJRN2LQ3F6I65YKQIMF6ULSYVF3B5HJRNLOQMTYTBNPJQNSYJANGFL6KU
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Thanks for reading!