Chapter 14 Mika's PoV

  "I can’t tell! Not yet!" Steven mocked Mika. “Do you think you are in some kind of a dumb romance movie flick? You had to look deep into her eyes and answer with a yes!”

  They were both in Mika’s room. Despite the uncertain future, they decided to go through the materials for the upcoming test. They had also invited Silva, but she had declined. Due to the muscle pain, she said.

  "I don’t sound like that! Why did I even tell you what I said? And what you described, I recall seeing in a movie." Mika defended herself. “That would actually be like a romance flick!”

  "Why can’t you tell? You know - it is a small wonder that she has not noticed by herself. You. Are. That. Obvious. Oh, but now I am repeating myself." Steven spelt it out before returning to the textbook.

  Mika tried to study, but her thoughts always wandered back to Silva. "Steven?" A grunt urged her to continue. "What do you think I should do?"

  "Do about what? In general? About school? Homework? Or with your, frankly sickening, crush on Silva?”

  Steven’s answer was what she had expected. Mika sighed as she watched her best friend trying to understand what he was reading. The occasional swear word proved that his efforts were not entirely fruitful.

  “The st one.” Mika pointed out, feeling quite annoyed.

  "Okay, let’s see... Actually, wait! Have you even told me who is this person you like?"

  That made Mika stop. “I did?” But thinking back, she couldn't recall if she had.

  “Was that Silva’s impression? And you have not! Maybe I am wrong in my assumptions? Who knows? So, let us start from there. Who is this person who you hold so dear? Who is the person you are in love with?”

  Mika felt her cheeks catch fire as they heated up. She figured that saying it out loud for once would not hurt, but when she tried…

  “I-, I like-, I mean, I am in lov- ...ugh!” She felt like steam was coming out from her ears.

  "Wow, I literally feel sick now," Steven retched. "You can't even tell me. How are you going to confess like that."

  Mika wilted as her stomach churned uncomfortably.

  "You are pnning on confessing, right?" Steven narrowed his eyes, studying his friend.

  Mika’s eyes started to wander around. She suddenly found the simple picture of her family on the wall very interesting.

  "Are you?" Steven didn’t let go.

  “I guess?”

  “Why are you so different when we are talking about Silva? This should not be so difficult! Are you or are you not?” Steven looked like his head was hurting.

  “I... am...” Mika mumbled.

  “Okay, when?”

  “That... I still have to gather more points.”

  “Points of what? I mean, you are already slipping constantly. You are lucky that Silva is so dense.”

  Mika was about to defend Silva from being called dense, but… She could not find any viable retort.

  Then, something even worse occurred to her. “Maybe she doesn't see me as a possible partner.” Mika shuddered because of the thought alone.

  “If she doesn't, then that's that. You know all too well which gender one likes can't be changed. Get shot down and live on. You can't always be afraid of rejection. You have to take chances sometimes.”

  “It's not that easy...” Mika sighed. “And don't say 'get shot down'...”

  Steven shook his head. "You at least have to tell Silva you are interested in girls." Then he paused. "And your parents as well. It creeps me out how they still think we are secretly dating."

  “I told them a hundred times that we are not.” Mika frowned.

  Admittedly, she had been a bit half-hearted with it. Mika didn’t pn to speak about her sexuality with her parents until she could afford to have a pce of her own. It was unfair to Steven, but he served as a good distraction.

  “And your mother still winks at me every time I come over. Do you know how fucking awkward it was when your father told me about using protection?”

  "I-I will talk to them again." Mika conceded.

  "But you still have to tell Silva. She is my friend too, while your parents are only yours. You can't keep her in the dark. Especially because she is a girl, and you have a crush on her. Hell! Maybe if she knows you are interested in her, your clumsy attempts at flirting may go somewhere!"

  "It should not be that bad. I put a lot of thought into it" Mika felt insulted. True, it was the first time she tried to flirt deliberately, but she felt that she was not doing that terribly.

  "Not saying it is bad, just clumsy." Steven shrugged as he still flipped the pages of his textbook. "Actually, you should tell Silva that you are a lesbian at the next opportunity. I could be there for you, to support.”

  “Thanks…” Mika was grateful but cautious. She was sure that there was more.

  “Yea, that should be hirious.” Steven seemed to imagine the scene and snickered, which earned him a stab with a pen. “Why are you tely using tools to get back at me?” He asked, looking down at the mark left by the stab.

  "It hurts to hit you with my bare hand." Mika gave him a murderous gre. "So I have to resort myself to some help. It's not like I can't heal you afterwards."

  "So cruel~!" Steven managed to squeeze out a tear. "The poor gal that will end up with such a brute like you! Ah, that's right, no gal will! Because you can't even admit aloud to who you like!"

  After giving Steven another stab, Mika threw away the ruined weapon and acquired another. “It’s regretful, but you are right. I have to at least tell her that I am into girls.” She begrudgingly agreed with Steven.

  “And the confession?”

  “Not for now.” Mika hissed.

  “Okay, fine! No confession! So I take that I am not a desirable company when you are going to tell her?”

  “What do you think?”

  “And where are you going to take her to do it?”

  “Huh? Can't I do it here or when we meet after school?” Mika was perplexed.

  "No, no, no! You can't do it here! What would she think if you invited her to your room and said - ‘Oh, by the way, I want to have sex with you!’ Won't she think you are a weirdo with ulterior motives?" Steven shot down Mika's suggestion.

  With an accusing finger pointed at Mika, he continued. "And after school? What? Are you going to drop a bomb like that on her while walking on the way home? Look, here is what you should do! You have to find a nice quiet pce, but still somewhere with people, so she feels safe."

  “Oh?” Mika listened to Steven, enthralled by his speech.

  “And it should be a pce where you two could rex before the serious talk.”

  “Right.” Mika had to admit it sounded reasonable.

  "So you should go on a movie date. After the movie, have dinner together." Steven dropped a bomb.

  “D-, d-, date!?” Mika stuttered.

  “Of course! You can go to see a romantic comedy, rex, gather courage and afterwards - confess! A surefire way for success.”

  "A d-, date with Silva..." Mika was visualising it, her eyes gzing over. It went on for several minutes. "Wait, no! We were talking about me coming out!" She finally woke up, startling Steven, who had returned to studying.

  "Look," Steven sighed. "You just have to make a pn and go with it. If you have a better one, I am all ears. Also, could you expin this page here? I don't get it."

  After helping Steven and needling him about his ck of proper work ethic regarding studying, she still had not come up with a better idea of how to tell Silva her secret.

  Mika was faintly aware that she should not rely on Steven’s advice, at least not entirely.

  However, the word 'date' kept spinning in her head, taking most of her brainpower. "I could invite her to shop in the mall. That could work, only... Steven is right. I wouldn't be able to calm down. Should I really go with a movie? But wait..."

  “Why are you so sure that your idea would work?” Mika asked when she saw Steven stopping after a short struggle with a question from his textbook. If she was right, they had covered the question st week.

  "Experience." Steven absent-mindedly replied.

  “Experience?”

  “Well, yes, I mean, sure, my situation is different than yours, but even I had trouble confessing for the first time. I invited her to a movie. We ate before, went to the movie and afterwards I confessed. Worked like a charm.” Steven shrugged. “I did the same next few times as well.”

  “Wait, how come I have not heard of this? And what do you mean the next few times? You have never told me you are dating someone! And when? We were almost always together!”

  "Yeah, that's why none of the girls worked out. They wanted me to spend time with them, not with you!"

  “You moron, that's normal!” Mika could not believe her friend.

  "I guess, but I told them you are my best friend. Of course, you are more important than an infantile bond based on sexual attraction.”

  "There is something clearly wrong with you!" Mika almost shouted while Steven was unperturbed.

  "Maybe, but at least I am not an eighteen-year-old virgin who can't even say aloud with who she is in love."

  Mika colpsed back in her seat. When she thought about it, there were several times when Steven was busy with something unspecific. She had not thought that he was on a date and had not asked to crify.

  It was also no wonder because there was always one girl or another gunning after him. "Are you 'dating' anyone now?" Mika was curious.

  "Nah, don't have the time." Steven smmed the book he was holding over his head shut. "It does not seem like I can endure this any further. I just don't get it." He shoved the algebra book away with disgust in his face. "Also, do you think I would spend Saturday evening here if I was dating? When are you going to speak with Silva anyway? Tomorrow is Sunday, and I bet she has no pns."

  "You won't get a good grade at this rate." But before Mika continued, she had already given up. Steven had no drive to study, and she had other things in mind anyway.

  Mika started to gather her stuff to put it away. “I am still not sure about this. Okay, I get it. I must tell her, but let me have some time to pn it out.”

  "Too te, I started calling her the moment you said - ‘I get it’," Steven announced.

  Mika whipped her head around just to see Steven put her phone to his ear.

  To her horror, he was indeed calling Silva. "Give it!" She screeched and lunged after the phone. Unfortunately for Mika, she did not manage to retrieve it in time.

  After another moment that seemed to stretch endlessly for Mika - the call connected.

  "Hello? Mika?”

  Mika's mind switched to overdrive. “I still have time. I just have to get to the phone and make an excuse.” But she had underestimated Steven's shamelessness and could only weakly watch him open his mouth.

  “Mika wanted to know if you have any pns for tomorrow?”

  Despite her better judgement, Mika found herself quieting down. She tried to hear Silva's answer. Steven went as far as to ignore her token attempt at retrieving her phone.

  For a moment, Mika wavered and considered letting Steven arrange the meeting. But the moment passed. She gathered her courage and made a repeated lunge, finally getting her phone back and hung up.

  “I'll do it myself. I at least have to ask myself.” Mika forced herself to speak. “And you! I'll have my revenge.” She swore while gring at her best ‘friend’.

  Mika typed a quick message to Silva, saying she would call in a few minutes. Then she spent a minute circling her room, taking deep breaths to calm herself down and thinking.

  "Okay, it is not a date! No need to be so nervous. Just tell her you want to eat lunch together and watch a movie afterwards. No other motives. I wonder what she will wear... No! Wait..." Mika remembered the spectator watching her every move. “You! Leave the room!”

  “Really?” Steven gave her a ft look, ignorant of the crime he had committed.

  “Yes, now!”

  “Fine! Don't wuss out!” Steven remarked before exiting her room. Mika heard him mumbling, mostly about cowards and the need for food.

  Mika returned to the breathing exercises. Five minutes had already passed without her noticing.

  It was now or never. Mika felt her hands get sweaty as she started the call. There was no reason for Silva to decline. But the earlier talk about a date really messed with her mind.

  Luckily, she had taken her time to call back. Without Steven's meddling, she was much more confident in smoothly arranging everything.

  After a moment of ringing, she heard Silva's voice once more. A familiar shiver went through her body as she was submerged in her favourite sound.

  "Hi, so, um, that was weird?" Silva was clearly confused.

  “Ah-ha! Y-yeah! You know Steven, he had my phone before I knew it.”

  “Oh, I see,” Silva seemed to understand immediately. “You usually just text me, so… What did you want?”

  “You know, we were studying and got bored, then we started to wonder what you were doing, and we figured that you are probably free tomorrow, and I am free, and we have not really gone anywhere - just two of us.” Mika thought about how to bring up the da- Meet-up, but Silva was a step ahead for once.

  “I am not free tomorrow, sorry, but I am next Sunday...” Silva said. “I... I assume you wanted to do something.” She suddenly sounded unsure.

  Mika remembered her objective and felt her heart rate go up. Her palms now were positively wet.

  “Ah, yes, I wanted to... You know, hang out and stuff? Eat lunch, see a movie, you know. Would you? As a friend.” Mika silently cursed to herself. “Fuck, what ‘as a friend’? What does that even mean?”

  “Sure, it would be nice.” Silva easily agreed.

  Mika almost did a fist pump. “Um, well, then, let us decide where to!” She cheerfully started to pn.

  The next ten minutes were spent trying to figure out what they actually could do. In the end, they decided to go to the cinema as Steven had suggested.

  But there was still the problem with what to actually watch, what to do before, and what came after.

  Still, most of the day spent together with Silva seemed like a dream come true to her.

  In the end, they decided to hammer out the st details during the week. It was then that Mika remembered Steven, who was still hanging around the house with her parents.

  "I have to go and rescue Steven from my parent's clutches. By now, he should be harassed enough."

  “Okay, bye then, Mika. It was nice for you to ask!”

  Mika was delighted to hear that Silva was so pleased. Her face was in danger of splitting in half because of her wide smile. “Of course. It's a date then, see ya!”

  As Mika hung up, she realised what she had said. An agonised scream resounded through the house as her soul left the body in regret.

  Enkiari