It's nearing evening already and I can see the sun is setting, giving the sky an orange tinge.
As I roll in to the garage, I decide that now would be a good time to go to the park and clear my mind.

I climb up the porch and slide in the key to the back door that leads into the kitchen and unlock it, pushing it open.
The heavenly smell, of caramel mixed with strawberries wafts up my nose and I can't hold back the moan of pleasure that escapes my lips.

"Hey, mom."

"Honey, your home early." I lean over and peck her cheek.

"I finished early, now what are those?"
I point at the strawberry topped cupcakes in the baking tray.

"That is my newest recipe, honey." She replies excitedly and I roll my eyes and sigh.
My mom's always sourcing up new recipes from cooking channels to the Internet, she goes ahead to also buy food magazines and tries out the recipes whenever she isn't at church or busy.
Sometimes, Aunt Talia, Tomi's mom comes over when she's free to help out.
I therefore am sentenced to footing the bill for food items I have never even heard about.
The good part is that they always taste good and I can have as much as I want as long as she isn't giving them out.
This time, I am determined to have a bite of that cupcake.
The next thing I hear is the sound of her hand on my wrist.

"Oooow, mom, what was that for?" I kiss and tenderly rub the sore spot on my palm where she just slapped me while sheilding it from her reach.

"No cupcakes until you have had a shower."

"Old kill joy." I mumble under my breath.

"What?"

"Nothing, I uhhhhh........., I'm going out."

"But, honey, you just came in, where are you going that can't wait until tomorrow?" She drops the plates she is currently wiping to look at me.

"I'm just going to the park, I need some time to clear my head. I won't be long."
She holds my gaze intently before looking away.

"Okay, but you'll either have something to eat before you leave or I pack it for you." Her tone indicates I have to chose between the two.

Sheepishly, I rub the back of my head and avoid her gaze while trying to think of a way to squirm out of the situation.

"I'm waiting honey, pack or eat at home."

No such luck.

She moves her hand from where it was on the sink to her hips.

That dangerous stance, it was responsible for so many unpleasant experiences in my life, the list too long to explain to anyone who even cared to listen.

One thing is sure, there's no getting out of this one.

"Yeah, maybe you should pack." I flash her a smile before sprinting up the stairs to my room.

                         ※※

Dressed in a plane white T-shirt, black skinny denim jeans and some brown boots, I work my ponytail and sprint down the marble staircase.

The kitchen is empty when I step in but there is, sitting neatly on the table, a picnic box.

"A picnic box?" I shake my head and carefully stride over to find out it's content.

"You would think I was going on a field trip." I murmur to myself.

In it are about five cupcakes, two sandwiches, from what I can make out, a bottle of milk, four or maybe five cookies wrapped up in wax paper, a jar of strawberry jam and a few more things of which I don't know their names.

"Mom?!" How on earth does she expect me to eat all this.

"Yeah honey. Oh you're down stairs already. If you're ready to leave, your food is in the box on the kitchen table."

"All of it?" I stare in disbelief at the large box. I'm a foodie but, not to this extent.

"Yeah, it's not enough? There's more in the fridge if you want."

I know if I try to convince her against making me take the box, I'll end up not leaving at all because my mom will never drop an argument that had to do with food.

"Never mind, I'm leaving."

"Okay, honey, take care."

"I will." I slip on my coat and grab the heavy basket, push open the door, lock it behind me and head for the park.

The park is bustling with people but I am able to find a quiet spot away from the crowd where I can sit, enjoy my picnic and think while watching the sunset.

I dig into the cupcakes first while I sip some milk from the bottle and my mind wanders back to my fight with Tomi.
I know I have to apologize and it has taken long enough.

I pull out my phone, dial her number and proceed to place the call. My finger hovers over the button as I hesitate. Biting my borrom lip in frustration, I gaze at the sky before returning my attention to my phone.

You can't keep pushing this away, one way or another, you'll have to apologize.

I look at my phone again and swallowing up all my fear of the unknown, I press the call button and put it on speaker.

It rings for a few seconds before I hear the click on the other end and my heart jumps to my throat. I half wish she doesn't pick the call, at least I would have more time to prepare myself.

I begin to panic.

What if she's still angry, what if she refuses to talk, what if she doesn't want to be friends anymore, what if....

"Maya, are you okay?" My head snaps towards the screen and I see she has been on the line for a minute.
With my trembling hands, I lift the phone to my mouth.

"Y....yeah, I..."

"Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine, I just...." I pause for a couple of seconds and bite my lip, debating if I should go on.

"You what, Maya, you're freaking me out. Is there a problem?"

"Tomi, I'm sorry." I finally blurt.

There's no answer, but I can hear her soft breathing from my end.

I guess that came as a shock.

Maybe she didn't expect me to say that.
Is that what she thinks of me, stubborn and too proud to apologize?
I guess that's what I am, after all she did call me stubborn before I flared up and hurt her feelings the day of the argument.

Silence,

Silence,

More silence, and still no answer.

She most probably won't ansswer. You have to rake the bull by the horn and do what you have to do.

I suck in a huge breath and let it out slowly before I begin.

"T...Tomi, I know you have no obligation to pick my call or even listen to what I have to say after what I thoughtlessly did, but please hear me out." I pause, biting my lower lip again; since she still doesn't answer, I continue.
"I was wrong, I should have just controlled my temper and not made those hurtful statements.
I'm sorry, Tomi, I really am even though you may not want me back but..... "

"Shut up!"

"What?" A chill runs down my spine as I wonder if I heard right. "W...What? "

"Didn't you hear me? I said shut up."

"I.... I don't understand....."

"How could I not want you back? I was going to let you finish until you said that. What are you thinking, for God's sake Maya, you're my best friend!"

I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding and I grip the bench I am sitting on. It's all I can do from jumping up and screaming in excitement.

"You're not mad?"

"No, I'm not mad at you for apologizing but I am because you thought I wouldn't want to be friends any more."
A smile lights up my features as I happily take a bite of the rest of my cupcake that is still in my hand.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, and don't ever think I would dump you for anyone okay?"

"Okay, mom." I roll my eyes and she lets out a soft chuckle.

"I need to go now, I'm in the middle of something. I'll call you later?"

"Sure." The beep signals the end of the call and immediately, I remember Clave.

Shoot, I forgot to tell her about Clave! I slap my forehead with my free hand.

"Anyways, I can always tell her tomorrow, Friday is  still four days away." I shrug and go back to finishing up my cupcake.

Before I can let the sugary bliss of the cupcake fill my mouth as I chew it, I am suddenly knocked to the grass with all force. The cake flies out of my hand rolling over to someplace and all I can think of is the slippery tongue that is now covering my face in spit.

"What in the world..."

In front of me, still licking away is a white haired dog, most likely a collie.

Finally it stops licking me and sits down with it's head bent over sideways and it's tongue hanging down, dripping with spit.
I sit up on the grass and reach under it's ears to scratch it playfully earning an excited bark from it.

"Hey, are you lost?" It jumps on me again and licks the side of my face.
I fall over and just as I am about to tickle under it's belly that is now facing me, I hear a male voice.

"Lisa, Lisa, stop that. Get off her." At the sound if his voice, the dog immediately stops licking me and backs down.

"You're a naughty, naughty girl. What has gotten into you?" I stand up and begin dusting my clothes. This seemes to turn his attention to me.

"I'm really sorry, she doesn't usually play with strangers, I just don't know what's gotten into her today. Are you okay?"

"No, thanks, I'm fine, don't scold her too hard, she's really nice." I raise my head and our eyes meet.
A sense of déjà vu floods my memory, and I can't help but feel this has happened before. His green eyes and brown hair are strangely familiar.

"Sorry, but, have we met? I don't know, I just think I've seen you somewhere before."
I say still trying to get the twigs and grass of my top.

He seems to ponder a little before his face lights up and he smiles, exposing his perfect row of white teeth.

Stop checking him out, Maya.

"Oh, I remember now, we met at the burger king, I bumped into you at the entrance." He nods.
That definitely rings a bell.

"Oh, yeah, right."

The way I couldn't stop staring at him when he helped me up; that was a scene.
I can feel a blush creeping up my cheeks and I bite my lip in embarrassment.

He still holds my gaze and I smile sheepishly, rubbing my arm. Gosh, I bet look so stupid.
A distraction will do very nicely but what would that be?
My eyes dart about before it locks on something; the bench.

"Hey, sit down would you?" I immediately motion towards my bench and pull aside my picnic box to make room for him.
His dog immediately nuzzles her nose into the back of my legs making me giggle.
I had totally forgotten she was there.

"Here," I pull out a sandwich from the basket and hold it out to her.
Instead of jumping at it, like most dogs would do, she looks from the sandwich to the guy and from the sandwich to him again. Then she lets out a yelp.

"Oh, my Gosh, is she asking for permission?" I turned my surprised face in his direction. Without answering, he nods to her, obvoiusly giving his approval and instantly the sandwich disappears down her mouth.

"Wow, that is so cute. It must have taken you a long time to teach her that." I laugh.

"Very long I tell you, Lisa can do anything for food. I spend more on her feeding than I do on myself." I smile and scratch the top of her head and she licks my cheek again.

"Oh, how rude of me not to offer you anything. Have some please." I motion to the box brimming with food.

"Oh, no, Lisa and I were just leaving. Don't bother." He proceeds to stand but I hold his hand and he pauses.
Even though electricity is pulsing through my hand as I do that, I keep it firmly in place so as not to look awkward tearing it away hurridely.

"Please, I would love for you to join me and by the way, I can't possibly finish all this. I need as much help as I can get."
His green eyes twinkle with curiosity as he sits back down.

"Why did you take so much in the first place."

"You tell that to my mom. All I said was, you can pack me some food, I'll eat at the park. I didn't know she would arrange a picnic for three." My hands fly up in exasperation.

He throws his head back and explodes into balls of mirth. I can't stop myself from admiring how his whole body lights up when he laughs though.
It's, I have to say, kind of magical; even though there's unfortunately no such thing as magic.
When I realize I am staring again, I tear my gaze away not wanting him to catch me in the act.

"Alright, I wouldn't want to be the reason why a pretty lady like you gets a scolding from her oh-so-sweet-mother."

He shoots me a wry smile and I chuckle.

"You wish." I fidget with my bracelet, the one that Clave had given Tomi and I before we left for college.

"Wow, that's beautiful, a gift?" My gaze rises to meet his emerald orbs trained on me and I smile before returning my gaze to the silver bracelet.

"Yeah, by a friend of mine." I breathe.

"It's cute." From the corner of my eye, I can notice that he's still looking at me.

"By the way, I'm Maya."

"I'm Brian, Brian Reynold." He extends his hand in a handshake. "Nice to meet you Maya."

"Likewise."