《Sorry to interrupt, but...》 Chapter 1 "Great job Erickson. You beat your time. Six minutes and two seconds. You''ve really improved." "Thanks, Coach Henderson," I reply. I start to head to the locker room when I see a familiar face walking out of the school. It''s Sayako Manabu. Childhood friend and first love. In some animes, first loves never work out. But I''m sure mine will. Sayako looks the same as when we were in kindergarten. Big brown eyes, slightly chubby cheeks, long brown hair with bangs almost covering her eyes, and still as shy as ever. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "Saaya!" I call, she quickly turns her head to the sound of my voice. Once she sees me, she dashes through the track field and immediately hugs me. Now realizing what she has just done, immediately backs away from me. "I-I-I''m sorry. I don''t know what got into me," she stammers. "It''s okay, really," I reassure her. She buries her face in her hands. "That was so embarrassing," she mumbles. I reach to take her hands off her face. I uncover her face to see that she''s beet red. Chapter 2 My face is so hot, I feel like I''m about to pass out. Mitchie is staring at me, and he''s so close. "Mitchie, you''re really close," I whisper. "Oh, I''m sorry," Mitchie replies and backs away. "Anyway," I say, trying to change the subject, "did you just finish track practice?" "Yeah, I was just heading down to the locker room." "I can wait for you. If you want that is." If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. " Thanks, I''d like that." Several minutes later, Mitchie comes back with his regular clothes on and a duffle bag in his hand. "Alright, I''m ready to go," says Mitchell. We start to head out of the school campus. "Ya know," Mitchell starts to say, "I''ve been having a little trouble with Math 2, and I was wondering if I could have the #1 student herself tutor me." "Oh, sure," I reply, "Wait. Where should I tutor you? I was actually planning to go to the library, you can come with me if you want." "Let''s go to the library," said Mitchell, " I wouldn''t want to hinder your studies." He starts walking in the direction of the library. "Come on Slowpoke," he says jokingly with a playful smirk. "I''m coming, I''m coming," I say and run to catch up with him. Chapter 3 We head inside the library. It''s big and spacious, like a cathedral. There are rows and rows of shelves, but on the far right of the library, there are tables and chairs with people reading books, typing on their phones or laptops, or doing homework. Sayako and I head to the empty table in the corner. We sit on opposite sides of the desk. I wish she would sit next to me, I thought. Then, an idea struck me. "Hey Saaya," I start to say, "How will you be able to tutor me if you''re not sitting next to me?" Sayako''s cheeks start turning into a deep red. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "Well I-I didn''t even think about it that much. I mean I''ve never tutored someone before and I don''t really know how it''s supposed to go so- Wait, I''m rambling, aren''t I? I''m sorry. I''ll stop talking now." I start to laugh. "Stop laughing!" Saaya says, her cheeks getting redder by the second, "It''s not funny!" " Sure it is!" I retort. " Well, aren''t you gonna sit next to me?" I ask, my laughter is gone and I stare at her with the most serious facial expression I can give. "If that means I can tutor you better, then sure," Saaya replies. My heart is sunken at her response, but it''s lifted when I see Saaya get up from her chair, grab her backpack and move to the chair right next to me. Chapter 4 I''ve only sat this close to Mitchie during school, never in public. My heart is beating so fast, I wonder if Mitchie hears it, how fast my heart is beating, because of him. I shake my head at the thought. Probably not. I mean he''s already up to his shoulder with work with what the track team and school. He wouldn''t have time for a girlfriend. "Hey, Saya," I hear Mitchie say, " I''m having a little trouble with problem number four in the homework that Mrs. Shandu gave us." Even though I can''t be his girlfriend, I''m happy being his best friend. I sigh and turn to him, "You''re supposed to switch the x and y, not switch the integers." I take my pencil and write down the coordinates for him. "Hey," he whispers, "Are you okay? You look a little sad." "What?" I say, " I''m totally fine. Just a little tired, that''s all." "So should I have come at a different time?" he asks. "You didn''t have to say yes to me you know." His face is sad and he has a look of regret in his eyes. I don''t want him to regret the time we''re having here. "I wasn''t forcing myself to say yes. I really, really, didn''t mind," I reassure him. ¡§If you say so,¡§ replies Mitchie, he heaves a big sigh and starts fixing the equations in his paper. ¡§So," Mitchell starts to ask, ¡§What will you do after you¡äre done with your homework?¡§ ¡§Well, I did find a new cake recipe that I¡äd been meaning to try. Would you maybe like to come over and help me with the cake? You don¡ät have to of course, but, would you like to?¡§, I ask, feeling hopeful. ¡§Well, we can¡ät go anywhere unless we finish our homework, right?¡§ This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Chapter 5 ¡§I guess that¡äs true,¡§ mumbles Sayako, ¡§Sorry, I was being too eager.¡§ ¡§Hey, don''t worry about it, it¡äs fine,¡§ I reassure her. ¡§Well, we better get some homework done if I wanna taste that cake.¡§ ¡§Yeah, I guess we should start.¡§ After our homework is done, we head out of the library and start on the road to Saaya¡äs house. I¡äve been to Saaya¡äs house plenty of times, our parents are good friends with each other. I''ve probably been to her room about a thousand times, and every time I go inside, it¡äs like I''m looking into her mind, everything is laid out, like a book display at the book store. I can see what she likes and keep a conversation by asking questions, or, if I¡äm feeling a little bold, get her a small gift based on something she likes. ¡§Hey Mitchie,¡§ says Saya. ¡§Yeah?¡§, I said. ¡§Well, I was wondering if after you helped me with the new cake recipe, do you think you could stay for a while? Only if you want to, of course.¡§ ¡§Sure!¡§, I reply, a little too loudly. I clear my throat, ¡§ahem. I-erh-I mean, yeah sure.¡§ I cover my mouth with my hand. ¡§Oh my gosh that was so cringy.¡§ Saaya giggles at my cringiness. ¡§Hey! It¡äs not funny!¡§ I say embarrassed. ¡§You¡äre doing exactly what I do! Now I see why you laugh when I do it!¡§ She continues to giggle and I can''t help but smile at her smiling face. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "Come on slowpoke! We have to get to your house in time to bake the cake. I''ll race ya!" I start bolting across the pavement. Saaya runs after me yelling, "That''s not fair! You''re on the track team! Of course, you''re going to win!" She stops to catch her breath. "Wait!-huff-Slow down!-huff-It''s not-huff-fair-huff-If I''m-huff-taking a break.-Huff-" Saaya is physically weaker than most people, so she gets tired much quicker. But her mental strength is another story entirely. I run back to her, "Hey you okay?" After she regains her breath she says, "I''m okay, you don''t have to worry about me." "We are friends, so technically, yeah, I kinda have to, "I reply. "Hey, hand me your backpack," I say. "Why?", Saaya tilts her head quizzically in the cute way she does. "So I can hold it for you, idiot," I say while giving her a little tap on the forehead. "I''m not an idiot," Saaya retorts stepping back and covering her forehead. "I''m the number one student at school." "Yeah yeah, I know. But doesn''t that get stressful from time to time?" I ask. We''re now walking to Saaya''s house. "It''s always stressful, and sometimes scary because people always think that I''m stuck up and they say mean things about me and post means things on my locker." I whip my head to look at her in shock. "What!? And you never told me!? Why!?", I yell with a hint of disappointment. "I didn''t want you or anyone else to worry about me," Saaya replies sheepishly. "Wait. Are you saying that I''m the first person you''ve told? You haven''t told April, Haruka, or even your parents?" Saaya shakes her head. I''m slightly happy Saaya chose to tell me first and not anyone else. "You should tell them," I start to say, "No!" Saaya retorts, "No. They can''t know. They''ll worry. You know they will. "But still," I reason with her, "You can''t keep going through this on your own. At least let me help you." Saaya takes a deep breath and sighs. "I guess a little help wouldn''t be too bad." Chapter 6 We''re now standing in front of my house. I take a deep breath, take the house keys out of my pocket, and because of my fumbling fingers, I drop the keys. So much for trying to keep my clumsiness at bay. With his quick reflexes, he catches the keys before they hit the ground. He puts his hand out to give me the keys. I take this time to take a closer look at him. Mitchies'' wearing a coral-blue short-sleeved shirt with a hoodie and big from pocket attached, paired with blue jeans and black vans. His straight and short blond hair compliment his sky blue eyes. It''s like he came straight out of a fairy tale. I give out an enamored sigh. "Uh, Earth to Sayako?" says Mitchie, breaking me from my trance. "Uh sorry." I quickly grab the keys from his hand embarrassed. "I should be apologizing. I keep on forgetting that my manly charms and charisma are irresistible." Mitchie flexes his arms showing his muscles. "Shut up!" I slap him on the shoulder playfully. "Keep talking like that and I won''t let you inside my house." "No! But I''ve gotten so far! I can''t go back now!" Mitchie says while putting his hands together in a pleading gesture. I giggle. He always knew how to make me laugh. We walked up the steps to the front door of my house. I put the key into the keyhole and twist it until I hear a click. I push open the door. We walk in to see my older brother drinking out of the grape juice bottle. Again. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. After taking a big gulp of juice, he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, yuck. Why are brothers so gross? "Hey Mitchie, how''s it goin''?", Haruka, my brother, grinned. "Ewww. Get away from Mitchie! I don''t want your grossness rubbing off on him!" I grab Mitchie by the wrist and pull him out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and into my bedroom. I breathe a sigh of relief. "Ahem. Uh, Saaya, you can let go of my hand, uh, I mean, wrist now." I release my grip on Mitchie''s wrist, "Sorry, I totally forgot that I was still holding on to you, and oh my gosh that sounded so wrong. I am so sorry." "Nah. It''s fine. At this point, I should be used to it by now. Haruka will never change, and neither will you." "Oh. D-do you want me to change?" I looked him in the eye for a split second, then immediately shifted my eyes to the floor. "I know I''m not perfect," I start to twiddle my thumbs like I do when I''m nervous. "What?! No! That wasn''t what I meant! At all!", Mitchie grabs my hands and pulls them toward him. Just a little bit. I look up at him. "Then what do you mean?" My voice cracks while saying this. Tears start rolling down my cheeks. Why in the heck am I crying now? Mitchie starts to apologize, "I-I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to make you cry," he lets go of my hands and wipes the tears off my face. "What I meant is that I like you as you are." I look at him with glassy eyes. "I''m sorry for crying for no reason," I wipe some more tears off my face. "People don''t cry for no reason," Mitchie says, "Sometimes they cry for a reason they don''t see yet." "Oh really?", I ask. I know exactly why I cried. Chapter 7 After Sayako has dried her tears, she takes a deep breath and apologizes once more, "I''m really sorry for crying for no reason. I don''t know what came over me." "I think you''re lying," I casually say. "About what?" "About not knowing why you were crying." Saaya freezes with embarrassment written all over her face. "Don''t worry, I won''t ask for the reason you cried. You don''t have to tell me if you don''t want to, but if you do want to tell me, you know my phone number and where I live." "I don''t know, it really sounds like you''re asking for the reason why I cried," Saaya smirks and is back to her playful self again. "Are you sure? I''m pretty sure I was just being the bestest friend ever," I smirk back at her. "April Summers is is the bestest friend ever. You, however, are second best," she says matter-of-factly. "Ouch," I say while clutching my chest in mock pain. Sayako starts to laugh, and it''s the sweetest sound I''ve ever heard. I join her. We continue to laugh until Haruka opens the door. "I heard you lovebirds and wanted to see what it was all about. I wasn''t interrupting anything was I?", he smirked. "HARUKA!! GET OUT OF MY ROOM!!!", Saaya grabbed a pillow from her bed and sent it flying toward her brother. Haruka ducked, "Ha! You missed! You really gotta work on your aim little sister." Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "AARRGGHH! GET! OUT! OF! MY! ROOM!!!!", Saaya screamed once more, and finally, Haruka left and closed the door, all the while laughing. "Why are brothers so annoying?", Saaya huffed. I start to laugh, "He must have a gift. I hardly ever see you get that pissed at anyone else." I open the door, step out and bend down to pick up Saaya''s pillow off the floor. "He does have a gift," I hand the pillow to Saaya and she heads to her bed. "And that gift will give him a curse." Saaya slams the pillow down on her bed. "Please don''t take your anger out on the poor pillow," I say amusingly. "Honestly," Saaya arranges the pillow and puts it back in its proper place, "I don''t know what girls see him," Saaya grabs a stuffed giraffe from the top of her dresser. "Hey," I say, "I can''t believe you still have that. Do you even remember when you got it?" "Of course I remember.", she stares lovingly at the stuffed giraffe, then turns to me. "After all, you''re the one who gave it to me." Chapter 8 It was the first day of preschool. It was my very first time interacting with toddlers my age. Back in California, I was the only toddler in our neighborhood. Everyone else was either a baby, in first grade and up, or an adult. I remember being so terrified looking up at the looming building that was "Ms. Ellen''s wonderful preschool". We had moved across the U.S. to Virginia because Dad had found a great job opportunity here. I remember being super excited about being able to ride in a plane. To fly to a mystical unknown place. Of course, when I got off the plane I was extremely disappointed when the airport in Virginia looked exactly like the one back in California. "Come on," Mom said, "It will be alright. The teachers are very nice." It wasn''t the teachers I was worried about, it was the other kids. I didn''t tell her that because I didn''t want her to worry even more than she already was. She and Dad have been worrying about me ever since I was born. I was born with a very weak beating heart. I can still live life kinda normally, I just can''t do as much physical activity as others. I''m also more susceptible to diseases that have to do with a lack of warmth. So she wouldn''t worry, I told her, "It''s okay Mommy, I''m not scared." She immediately brightened up. She took my hand in hers and we walked to the front entrance. She opened the big glass door. I took a deep breath just like how I was taught in physical therapy and took my first step into a new life in Virginia. The room was huge. There was a big circular table in the middle, with chairs all around its circumference. There were two kids on the table drawing with crayons on black pieces of paper. All around the room, kids were doing different activities. On one side of the room, some kids were playing with blocks, some made out of foam and some made out of wood. On another side of the room, there was a bookshelf filled with picture books. Surrounding it were kids reading picture books in various positions; lying down on their stomachs, lying down on their backs, sitting criss-cross applesauce. One kid had her back on the floor and her feet against the wall reading the picture book just like that. After a few seconds though, the book fell out of her hands and onto her face. But what caught my eye was in the corner of the room, there was a playhouse that was the perfect size for toddlers. Only two kids were playing near it. A girl who was play-cooking inside the house -whose name I soon learned was Tiffany-, and a little boy who was playing with toy trucks outside the house. Right next to him was a stuffed giraffe. It had a round body with stubby and short legs. The neck was almost as wide as the body. On its oval-shaped head were white, short, and stubby horns and ears that were at the side of its head. The giraffe had a big smile on his face. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Mom must''ve noticed me staring because she told me, "Go on. I''m sure they''d love to play with you." I looked at her with a look that probably said, Are you sure? Mom looked at her phone, "It''s almost time for me to leave," she muttered. She crouched down, put my face in her hands, and put her forehead against mine. "You are going to do just fine and you''re gonna make lots of friends okay?" "Okay." She kissed me on the forehead and gave me a "dragon hug"(I was into dragons a lot as a kid). Mom stood up, not before giving me one last kiss. She waved goodbye as she walked toward the door. I waved back. "Bye Mommy. I love you." "I love you more." I watched her close the door and wave at me once again through the glass. I waved back. I watched as she walked through the parking lot to her car. I watched her get in and drive out of the parking space, out of the parking lot, and onto the road. I watched until I couldn''t see her car anymore. After that, I now focused on the task at hand: getting closer to that stuffed giraffe. I decided that the best course of action would be to walk over there and ask that little boy if I could hold his giraffe. It was easier said than done. If I was nervous before, I was terrified then. It was only after taking 10 deep breaths that I finally calmed down. I walked over to the boy, opened my mouth, and said nothing. I closed it and decided to just stare at him until he noticed my presence. The girl who was playing inside the playhouse noticed me and walked up to me and asked, "Who are you?" The boy heard the girl''s voice and looked up at me. I started to hyperventilate. I stuttered, "I-I-I''m-My name is-". I could feel my head getting lighter with each breath, my eyesight becoming blurrier by the second. No, I thought, I can''t faint now. I promised Mommy I''d be good. The boy stood up and walked toward me with a look of worry on his face. "Are you okay?", he asked. I continued to hyperventilate. He looked around on the floor and finally picked up the stuffed giraffe. He handed it to me. It felt even fluffier than I thought it would. I brought the giraffe closer to my body. My breath slowed and I could see clearly again. "His name is Georgie, and my name is Mitchell. What''s your name?" "Sayako," I whispered. "My name is Tiffany!", the girl yelled. Her voice was loud and it startled me. "O-kay." "Do you wanna play trucks with me?", Mitchell asked. "Okay!", I was so excited that I was able to make a new friend that day, that I even forgot that Georgie was still in my hands. ****************************** At the end of the day when the adults came to pick us up, I saw my Mom and ran to her. I told her all about my new friend and all the fun we had at daycare. "See? I told you they''d love to play with you," Mom said with a reassuring smile. "So where''s your friend? I''d love to meet him." I grabbed Mom''s hand, "He''s over there see? The one with the green and blue shirt." I practically dragged Mom to where Mitchell was, "Hi Mitchell!" Mitchell saw me and grinned, "Hi Sayako!" Next to him was a woman with the same hair color as him. Probably his Mom. "Mommy look! That''s my friend!" His Mom looked at me. I flinched then looked up at Mom. Mom went over to Mitchell''s Mom. "My name''s Elizabeth, but you can call me Eliza." My Mom reached out to shake her hand. Mitchell''s Mom grabbed it, "Rebecca. I take it you''re new here." "Yes. We''ve come from California. We moved to Virginia because there was a better job opportunity here for my husband." "Wow!", Rebecca had a look of surprise on her face. She then turned to face me, she crouched down and looked at me. "Awww. Look at you! Such a cutie," She lightly pinched my cheek. "Sayako, say ''thank you,''" Mom said. "Thank you, Rebecca." "Awww. You are very welcome, Sayako." She checked her phone, "Well, it''s been nice meeting you Eliza, and you too Sayako. Mitchie! Come on, let''s go!" "Wait!", Mitchell said, "I need to do something first." Mitchell took Georgie the giraffe and handed it to me, "You can keep it if you want." I took Georgie, hugged him so tight, then looked at Mitchell and said, "Thank you, Mitchie!" Chapter 9 "Even then, you were always beaming," Saaya put the giraffe back on top of the dresser, then turned to face me. "Whenever I saw you, it was like I was looking at the sun." I chuckled, "If it was like looking at the sun, how come you didn''t squint or cover your eyes?" Saaya reached for a pillow and threw it at me. "It''s a simile! You''re not blinding but you do give off this warmth, just like the sun It makes other people want to be near you." I caught the pillow just before it hit my face, then threw it back at her. "Is that why you came up to me at daycare or was it because you wanted Georgie?" Saaya caught it and held it as she said, "Of course I only came over for Georgie. He was the cutest person at the daycare." "Wow. And here I was thinking I was all that," I smirked. Saaya laughs and puts the pillow back in its rightful place. She carefully puts strands of her hair behind her right ear. Her cheeks turn into a rosy pink. Her voice is barely a whisper when she says, "But right after Georgie, you were the cutest. You still are." My heart begins to pick up speed and I can feel my face heating up and becoming itchier by the second. I take a look at Sayako and see that she probably feels the same way. "I''m sorry," Saaya whimpers, "I didn''t mean to make you uncomfortable." "No," I reassure her, "It''s-It''s fine. I just didn''t see that coming. You complimenting me like that, I mean." "Really? Are you sure?", Saaya brushes her hair behind her ear again. "Yeah, don''t worry. The compliment just caught me off guard, that''s all. I scratch the back of my neck. This is getting awkward, I think, How do I make her feel comfortable? "Hey Saaya, should we start working on that cake?" Her facial expression changed from embarrassment to shock in a heartbeat. "I''m so sorry!", Saaya sped-walked around her room rummaging around drawers, "I totally forgot about making the cake and - Where did I put that recipe anyway?" This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "Um, Saaya, have you checked you''re backpack yet?" "Oh my gosh, I didn''t! Thank you Mitchie - I mean Mitchell, sorry." She unzips the backpack at the foot of her bed and searches for the recipe. "I don''t mind if you call me ''Mitchie'', you know," I stare at her longingly. Saaya pulls out a piece of paper out of a lilac folder. "I found the recipe, finally," She turns to me, "Did you say something Mitchell?" "I said I don''t mind you calling me ''Mitchie''. I mean, you used to call me that all the time. I even remember you calling me that on our way to your house, at the library, and even during school." Saaya starts to fidget with her hair, twirling it around her fingers. "Well, I heard that you don''t like it when some people call you that." "Ughhh, Saaya," I bring my thumb and fore-fingers to my forehead, "Tiffany told you that, didn''t she? Why do you even listen to her? Almost all the things she says about me aren''t even true." "I know but...", Saaya moves her hand near her chest and starts fidgeting with her fingers and the paper, "They sound true." I sigh. She reminds me of my dog Lina when she spills all the food in her bowl and looks at me all embarrassed. "If Tiffany ever says something about me, ask me if it''s true okay? I mean it''s better to go to the primary source right?" "Okay," Saaya holds up the recipe, "Now let''s finally start baking this Cookies and Cream Cookie Dough cake," she grins. "Finally. I was starting to get hungry." Chapter 10 Mitchie and I head downstairs to the kitchen. ¡°So, I¡¯m assuming, by the name of the recipe, we¡¯ll be needing Oreos?¡± Mitchie looks at me with a sly grin on his face. ¡°There won¡¯t be a cake if you eat the main ingredient¡± I playfully shove him. He laughs, ¡°Isn¡¯t flour the main ingredient of cake? And also, you know that Oreos are my favorite cookie. It was like you were begging me to come eat them.¡± ¡°While it is true that Oreos are your favorite, it¡¯s also true that I did have you in mind while looking for a new cake recipe. And for the record, flour isn¡¯t the main ingredient of cake. If it was, cake would taste like it. The main ingredient is supposed to be what the cake is based around. For example, if the main ingredient is strawberry, the cake has to taste like strawberries, have a strawberry color, and have strawberries as toppings.¡± By the time I finished explaining, We were already in the kitchen. Mitchie slightly bows and says, ¡°Thank you for the lesson, Ms. Manabu, I will never forget it.¡± I laugh, ¡°You better not!¡± I hand him the recipe, ¡°You start gathering ingredients, and I¡¯ll gather the bowls and stuff.¡± He salutes, ¡°Aye-aye, Captain!¡± I giggle. Mitchie always knew how to get a laugh out of every situation. I open one of the cupboards above the kitchen counters. I look up and see that the glass bowl I¡¯m looking for is at the very top shelf of the cupboard. I take a deep breath, and proceed to lift my leg up high enough so that my knee is above the height of the counter. After a few seconds of struggling, I¡¯m on my knees at the top of the counter. I stretch my arms almost to their limits to reach the bowl until I hear a ¡°Hey! What are you doing up there?¡±, I turn and see Mitchie staring at me with eyes full of concern. He¡¯s holding a carton of eggs in his hands and is standing in front of the fridge with one of its doors open. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I say, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to get the glass bowl that''s at the top shelf.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me to get it for you?¡±, Mitchie speed-walks to the countertop that I¡¯m kneeling on. ¡°Because I asked you to gather ingredients, not help me gather supplies.¡± I stand up on the countertop and grab the glass bowl. ¡°Besides, I can do things by myself.¡± Mitchie puts the egg carton on the counter, then holds out his hands to me. I hand him the bowl and he sets it down next to the eggs. He holds his hands the same way again and looks up at me. ¡°It¡¯s your turn now.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be able to carry me?¡±, Mitchie smiles. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Of course. After all, I¡¯ve had a lot of practice over the years.¡± He gives me a playful smirk. I sigh. I crouch down, reach out my arms toward Mitchie, then lean forward into his arms. I close my eyes I feel his hands under my armpits. I open my eyes and push my feet off the counter. ¡°See?¡± Mitchie looks at me with eyes full of warmth, the same warmth that I fell in love with, and continues, saying, ¡°I told you I¡¯d catch you.¡± *** After all the materials and ingredients have been collected, we start reading the directions to make the cake. ¡°Okay, so first we combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, then wet ingredients in another bowl,¡± I say as I grab the big jar of flour and bring it in front of me. I open the jar and reach to grab the measuring cup that was left in there and was repurposed for scooping up flour. I scoop up one cup and put it in the large bowl. ¡°Mitchie, could you check how much flour I need again?¡± Mitchie is taking eggs out of the carton. He glances at the recipe, ¡°Seven cups. Wow. That¡¯s a lot.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s supposed to serve about 13 people. But don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll cut the recipe in half.¡± I grab my phone to calculate what half of seven is. ¡°We¡¯ll need 3.5 cups of flour. Mitchie could you calculate the rest of the ingredients while I pour in the flour?¡± I scoop up another cup of flour and put it inside the bowl. As I reach into the jar to scoop up another cup, Mitchie asks, ¡°Do we have to cut the amount of Oreos in half too?¡± He makes a pouty face. I giggle, ¡°It¡¯s an oreo cake, Mitchie not a cake oreo. We can¡¯t have more oreo than cake. The cake wouldn¡¯t be a cake anymore.¡± I put in the last full cup of flour, then look for the ? cup that I know I put on the counter. I look behind the electric mixer and behind the bowls but can¡¯t find it anywhere. I start to panic. ¡°Hey.¡± Mitchie grabs my face with both of his hands. He looks at me determined. ¡°We¡¯ll find it. I mean, it¡¯s probably on the floor or something, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, probably.¡± Both Mitchie and I crouch down and look along the floor. ¡°Hey,¡± I ask, ¡°Why do you care so much about finding a measuring cup? I mean, it¡¯s just a measuring cup.¡± It is to other people, but not you.¡± ¡°How are you so empathetic all the time?¡±, I ask. ¡°I could ask you the same thing,¡± Mitchie replies. ¡°So, should we continue to look for the measuring cup?¡± I nod. I stare at him as he looks for a measuring cup that isn¡¯t even his. Did he know that I was scouring the internet for hours looking for an oreo cake recipe that was just up his alley? Did he know that I was trying to look for a recipe that had the most amount of Oreos physically possible in a cake? Did he know that I wanted to make this cake, just for him? ¡°I can feel you staring,¡± Mitchie says, breaking me out of my trance. ¡°Oh. Sorry.¡± My face becomes as hot as an open stove. Mitchie chuckles, ¡°I mean, I can totally see why you would stare though.¡± My face heats up even more. ¡°Mitchie,¡± I whine, ¡°it¡¯s not funny.¡± I hate how helpless my voice sounds. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to upset you Saaya.¡± He has an apologetic look on his face. I start feeling guilty. ¡°Mitchie, you don¡¯t need to say-¡± ¡°Found it!¡± Mitchie holds up the measuring cup and gives it to me. ¡°Thanks,¡± I say. I¡¯ll tell him what I was going to say later. But for now, I have a cake to make.