[15] Review Date

"Good Morning, Sunshine!" Antoinette greeted as she lifted the sheets off me. "Time to rise and shine, Sleepyhead!"

"Come on, Antoinette! I need some sleep! I'm going out this afternoon!" I pulled the sheets back over my head as I took a slight peek at my digital bedside clock. 7:30 am. Is she fucking kidding me?

"Oh no, you don't! Mom and Dad are home!Come down and greet them, you lazy Sleepyhead!" Antoinette pushed as my eyes shot wide open.

They're home?

Today?

I slip out of the covers and look at my sister, yes... she was serious. "They're downstairs making breakfast. Waiting for you too."

"When are they leaving?" I roll my eyes and slump back in my bed. I knew this all too well. They come back home and pretend as if they never left, and before you know it, they'll be leaving again.

"Tony, don't be such an ass." I immediately took off my covers as I heard my sister cuss. I raise an eyebrow. "You heard me." She said triumphantly.

With a sigh, I roll lazily out of bed and put a shirt on as I followed suit.

"TONY!" My mom wailed as soon as I descended the staircase. "Oh! I have missed you! Missed you so, so much!" She said as she showered me with hugs and kisses.

"Ah, there you are!" My dad boomed and chuckled. "We must talk about the business later! I have great proposals for you. An empire! An estate! A long chain of multimillion-dollar companies!" He beamed. I looked at him quizzically and gave him a hug. He never changed; still always one step ahead.

"I have an appointment for lunch and this afternoon. I'm afraid I can't cancel it." I say immediately as I took a sip of the creamy coffee.

"Son, but we just got home." My dad argued.

"I can't move it. The test is on Monday. If I don't show up, I'll not be able to forgive myself. Besides, we have a few more days to spend with you right?" I said thinking that it's my only chance to escape.

My parents look at each other, then turned to Antoinette for an answer.

"You're going out to study?" My mom asked with a very small voice. She may have been shocked but her expression was as happy as a bird.

"Ah, Mama!" Antoinette calls her lovingly. "This woman has got our dear Tony smitten... and changed as well as you can see. I told him to invite her to dinner."

I froze.

When my parents hear anything that's close to this statement, there was no way to back out.

"Oh my, that's a great idea!" My mom smiled and whispered to Antoinette... as if I could not hear her. "Is it serious already?"

I rolled my eyes and headed to my seat at the family table to enjoy the fresh coffee they brought from Europe and tasted the flavorful delicacies laid before me to feast on. My dad sat in front of me as he started to prattle about my future in his company. He was way too excited about it and it was as if they truly forgot about the fact that they will be leaving again anyway.

A few minutes to noon, I was already at the University, waiting for Felice so that we could go to Flames together. She said that she had been here since morning, and so I waited.

A few seconds later, she emerged from the library doors with 3 humungous books in hand. I climbed out of the car and help her with it, but she refused to give me the books.

"I'm fine Anthony. I'll just need your assistance in opening your car door." She smiled at me as I immediately opened the passenger side for her. She slid in gracefully.

After sliding into my own seat, I immediately hit the road. I was starving.

"Didn't know you drive." She said as she touched the interior of my car. "By the way, I love your car. I'm sure a lot of strangers on the road are drooling over it now."

I recalled the last time I brought her home. Right. I took the driver since it was a school day. "I'm glad you like my car. I like it too." We both laughed.

Lunch was awesome, I thought to myself as I stared at the menu again before leaving a tip. I should thank Richard for recommending Flames. After ordering their best sellers, I looked at Felice closely. She seemed happier today. Her hair was not out of order as she distractedly tucked one side behind her ear. Her eyes glistened from moisture as she surveyed the room. It was almost as if I could literally see her floating.

Wow, I guess she really looked different when compared to my last memory of her.

"Are you alright?" I just had to ask.

"Yes, I feel great, actually." She said with a slight smile. "I feel quite optimistic about this test."

I was hoping that the change in demeanour was because of me. There was something slightly disappointing about this answer. My smile dropped, face changing drastically and she notices. Drat. I should be able to control my reactions better, she must have thought I was a lunatic.

"Anthony, are you alright?"

"Oh, yes of course," I answered without thinking. Then I thought of the dinner my sister was so pushy about. How the hell was I supposed to invite her without raising suspicion? My stomach dropped even more to the pits of hell, and all the hope for controlling my reaction has dissolved in the thin air.

"Hmm..." She wondered as she stared at me with a probing glare. The drinks arrived, thankfully. "I'll make you smile before you go through your meal. That's a promise." She winked at me.

True enough, she had me laughing in no time. I knew that she could sense that something was indeed bothering me, but I'm just as sure that she didn't know why. I carried on with the light chatter as we ate. There were some familiar faces inside the restaurant that looked at our direction frequently.

Maybe we were speaking loudly, but I didn't quite notice that.

We ate carelessly as I thought of ways on how to invite her for dinner tonight. Before I left the house, Antoinette told me to invite her because mom was making a special roast. Everyone's going to be expecting her and if I'm not able to bring Felice tonight, they'll think that I was too much of a coward to do it, or that I've invented this relationship with a ghost of my imagination.

Of course, I didn't want that.

Didn't I already convince myself that I was a changed man, and I would want my family to see that too?

The love 'em and leave 'em game had removed itself from my system, for all I care. Carrying this immature and insecure mindset, I've never brought anyone home. Especially not anyone worth letting my parents meet. I mean, I'm not going to lie; she's going to be the first girl that I'm seriously going to introduce to my parents, and only God knows why her—of all the billion women on the planet.

"A penny for your thoughts, Anthony?" She smiled at me, startling me with the phrase that Antoinette almost always uses with me when I was deep in thought. "I wonder if anyone calls you Tony. You look more of a Tony to me than an Anthony." She laughed, and all of my shock has turned into complete disbelief.

"You can call me Tony if you like," I said as I called for the check. "My family calls me that. They say that it suits me." I reached for a few bills and flipped it inside the small black leather folder. "I just don't want people at school to mock me with the name that's all."

"But Tony is a very nice name. Right, Tony?" She chortled as I handed the check folder politely to the waiter. "Come on, it's obvious that something's bothering you. What is it? You can tell me." This is it, it's now or never...

It was clear that she completely warmed up to me. No more bitch-fits. No more awkwardness. It was just us, and I still couldn't bring myself to do it. "I ah..."

I think I need a cigarette.

"I'll be outside for a moment. I'll be back." I said as I smoothly slid out of my seat and out to the smoking area.

Once out, I took out a single stick of my Dunhill lights and lit it up. I needed to clear my thoughts. I usually didn't smoke, but from time to time I did—especially when I'm in a bit of a fix. I closed my eyes and tipped my head to the sky.

Relax Anthony, breathe.

I tell myself this as I started blowing big puffs of smoke.

"So this is why you're so bothered."

I jumped at the sound of her voice. I immediately dropped my half-used cigarette and crushed it with my foot. "You could've just told me that you wanted to take a smoke." She offered me that small forced smile again. I knew she was upset. But upset about what?

I was silent until we reached my car. "I ah..." I opened the car door and we entered the spacious 2-door car. Once inside, I took some handy tic-tac mints and placed some in my mouth to remove the smoky scent. "I don't usually smoke, okay. I just do when I'm pressured. Sorry."

"It's okay." She muttered as I eased off the road once again, back to Anberlin.

"Actually," Felice opened the topic as we reached the U-turn slot. "It's not okay."

Then she looked at me with her small piercing serious eyes. "You should stop that. I'd rather you binge eat than smoke when you're pressured. You're killing yourself slowly with that!"

I stared at her as she opens fire.

"You'll have weaker lungs...." I watched her furious eyes dance with small flames of irritation. "People around you will become affected too! For example, asthmatics... the... the... your friends! ...Family!" I gawked at her expression

"Felice" I muttered softly and she stopped "I am aware of those things. I'm just finding an outlet or else I'll snap. I'm sure you understand."

"Yes, I do. But..." She exasperated. "It won't do you any good! I'm telling you!" She said irritably as we parked. "Do you want a deal? I'll make a deal just so you could get off those cigarettes."

"Really?" I sat, amused. She'd offer me a deal? I just wonder what kind... I'll punch myself if she offers me a deal like Karen's. "Like what?"

"I don't know. Maybe, I can wash your car or something." She says as she got out and softly closed the door behind her. I got out too and tried to stifle my laughter.

"Hey, I AM SERIOUS!" She said as she saw the smiling lines on my face starting to form.

"Okay, okay." I said as I got the books from the car. "Since you're so interested in keeping me off those... I'll make a deal with you." I smiled to myself as the opportunity arose. I can keep myself from smoking. After all, I'm just an occasional smoker.

"Come home with me."

I snickered, observing her gawking expression. Her mouth gaped open in surprise, disgust, or offended perhaps?

"What?" She violently turned around and faced me, almost bumping me and throwing the books off my hands along the way. The blood drained from her face and I laughed. "You can't possibly think I was making THAT deal!"

"What I mean to say is..." I walked closer to her. As soon as our faces were dangerously close, I breathed in her heady sweet scent. "I want you to come to my house tonight for dinner." It seemed as though I wanted to eat her for dinner. It was too funny that I couldn't help but laugh.

"But... but..." She trailed and looked away.

"But of course, you don't need to do that. After all... the deal is not set." I smirked to myself as I felt the soft edges of victory inching towards my way.

I started to cross the street from the parking lot to Unit 1. I managed to walk a few meters away from her and as I headed towards the library to set up our review, just as I mentally counted to three, she yells at me.

"Okay, Tony. FINE! That's a deal!" She yells as I heard fast running steps growing louder by the moment. Then a wind bustles beside me. "But you have to take me home."

"No problem."

I smiled in satisfaction.

That was easier than I thought.