Above All Else

Chapter 10: First Impressions are Everything, but not really

"Thats terrible. Im sure you were scared, you were so young." 

"It really fucked me up. Then a year later my mom took me to stay at my Aunt's place to get away from all the craziness. During that year she  takes me out in the town to treat me just because I was having a hard time in school and we found my father's dead body hanging on street lamp barely recognizable."

"Jesus.." She says in shock. 

"I still have that picture in my head." I say to her. Our food comes out. "Ever since then to 15 I had recurring nightmares." 

"Do you still get from time to time?" I sigh heavily as i drink my coffee. 

"I have since I got out the hospital, but...in addition to what happened at the swim meet." 

"What happens when you get these nightmares?"

"I wake up in sweats, i struggle to breath, and i feel the areas where I got stabbed." She looks teary eyed. "Don't cry, I'm okay." 

"Whose crying? Im not... Someone put some damn onions in my eggs." I smile as I see her trying to not cry. 

"You have been through more shit than i have and yet you still cry for me."

"I don't like it when good people go through shit and i happen to be more sensitive because its you." 

" I think you are just that compassionate it has nothing to do with me." She doesn't say anything and takes her fork and pulls out one of my fries and eats it. 

"Speechless I see.. I am shocked." 

"You talking a whole lot, yourself." She says while chewing. 

"What was your impression of me when we first met?" I ask her. 

"I thought you were an asshole." She says bluntly. "Glad i was wrong." 

"You really thought i was an asshole?" 

"You didn't talk to me or Sam i really thought you hated us. Not to mention when i talked to you alone you were backing away from me. I thought my breath stank or something." 

I start chuckling. "Im glad you find this funny." She says sarcastically. "But to be honest you intrigued me. When i saw how you worked with the kids... and they way you smiled and interacted with them... It made me.. I dunno... Kind of Jealous in a way.."

"Your Joking.." She shakes her head with a smile on her face. 

"I wanted you to  interact with me in that way. At the time I was annoyed because i thought it was kind of too faced of you to do that, but after interacting with you more. I started to understand what you were about and now I actually really like that side of you. It makes me feel proud because you only show that side to people you truly care about." 

I don't say anything as I eat some of my fries... "Looks who is being shy now... Your ears are like tomatoes Bebe (Bay-Bay)." 

"I think i am so shocked you understand me so well." 

"I may be loud and obnoxious but I am not dumb." She says as she sips her tea again. 

"I never thought you were dumb. Some people just don't care to take the time to understand someone like me so i thank you for seeing something in me worth sticking around for. "

"What did you think of me vs how you think of me now?" I sigh heavily. 

"Where do I begin?" She throws a biscuit at me. I laugh and eat it. " I honestly was terrified of you." 

She starts laughing, "Terrified!? Damn! Wait what were you thinking when I was all in your face during that hiking trip?"

"I was questioning your lack of boundaries." She sips on her tea. 

"I usually don't that." she says 

"Your demeanor was a lot for me at the time." 

"Now you can't get enough of me.." She says flirtatiously.  I drink some water. Her mouth drops. 

"I am kidding!" She squints at me. "I am kidding." I say in a more serious tone. 

"Mhmmm." she sips her tea. 

"But I started seeing more of your redeemable qualities." she laughs softly. 

"Such as?" 

"You are spontaneous in the best way possible, You are caring, brave, you are protective to those close to you, and..."

"Okay you can stop there." she says nervously. "Its embarrassing." She admits. 

We finish our food. I grab Reggie's hand as we head back to the car. 

"Where are we going now?" She asks. 

"To our second location. You are going to be surprised."