Waiting For a Girl Like You

Steven's eyes fell on his hand in Celine's. He looked back at Carla and swiftly withdrew his hand. "Don't think otherwise. She isn't my girlfriend...and never was. We're just friends," he said hurriedly, stammering like a child.

"Uh, what? Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were..." Celine said. "That's okay. We just..." Steven interrupted her, trying to clarify a situation that Carla was not even concerned with. Sometimes, we want to believe that other people care about the same things we do. The way Steven was reacting was out of nothing but his wish that Carla would be bothered by looking at him with someone else. The boy's heart was already beating for her.

Carla looked at him indifferently, and then suddenly realized something. She rose to her feet with a dismissing expression and said, "Well, I have to go. Have a good time, you two.

I'll catch you later, Steven." She could sense that Steven was a sensitive person and so tried to be as polite as possible.

She smiled slightly with her lips pursed, waved goodbye and then walked out. Steven looked at her distancing figure, something in him shrinking to see her walk away.

Celine didn't go back to her seat after Carla left. "Steven, I'm sorry I misunderstood you," she said in a sweet voice, thinking she had offended him.

She leaned closer to him, her bosom almost in his face. Steven felt uncomfortable to feel her so close to him. He could almost feel her breath on his face. Her tangy, pungent perfume was overpowering. He wanted to move back, but sadly, his chair was against the wall.

"That's OK, Miss Celine. Um... excuse me, I've just got to get past," he said as he got up, somehow managing to move past without touching her legs.

"You can call me Celine. That's what my family and friends call me," Celine said.

She looked directly into his bright, beautiful eyes. All

wn, as the light finally died down.

It was Friday. Sean would be back any time now!

She finally put the brush down. She looked at the scene she'd just painted. The window from the cafe was stuck in her head for some reason.

Thinking about all the finer details she still had to add, she took a deep breath, composed herself, and quietly walked out of the studio- where the real world waited for her. Sean and Sally were just walking in when she was coming down the staircase.

"Mommy!" Sally called out sweetly, running towards her. Her sweet, innocent eyes lit up the moment she saw her mother.

"Carla!" Sean exclaimed too, happy to see her sister after such a long time. He missed messing with her when she wasn't around.

Carla walked forward quickly and lifted her daughter up in her arms, spinning her around like a doll. "Oh, you're finally back, Sean! And Sally! How did you guys come together?"

"We had a school meeting this afternoon. After the meeting, I went to pick her up," replied Sean, resting on the couch. It was so soft he almost sank in it. "By the way, Carla, I got you your favorite sesame cake. Someone was selling it outside school... I hope it's nice," he added, holding a brown bag in front of her.