𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟔.

Jorja's Pov
It would officially be New Year's Eve tomorrow. The new year of 2018 was approaching. I wanted to take Ebony to this festival, where there were spectacular fireworks, delicious food, and festive crowds celebrating along the downtown riverwalk. I had discovered it online some time ago, but I had never found anyone to go with.

This would mark my first New Year's with someone I cared about, let alone my inaugural opportunity to exchange "Happy New Years" wishes.

I just hoped that Ebony would be open to the idea of me basically asking her out. I wasn't sure if she had other plans with her family or friends, but it wouldn't hurt to ask her, right?

The other day, I got my hair done at a salon recommended by Ebony. She even booked the appointment for me since I was clueless about how to do so. I got shoulder length boho knotless braids, which was my first time getting them, and I loved the results.

Ebony showered me with so many compliments, and it felt as if my face were going to split with how much I was smiling about it. It had been a while since I truly felt pretty, and I was grateful to Ebony for helping me regain my confidence.

Since Ebony shared a bit of her past with me, I found myself growing even more attached to her than before. I hoped that someday I would muster the courage to open up to her about my own uncertain past.

I savored the last bite of the turkey sandwich and reached for a napkin to wipe my hands. Since I didn't have work today for obvious reasons, I had been at the café down the street, trying to clear my mind. I had been on edge all day since I made the decision to ask Ebony out.

Initially, I wasn't planning to make it a date, but deep down, I knew that not calling it a date wouldn't be fair to myself.

I was pretty sure that Ebony had no idea about my plans, but there was always a bit of uncertainty lingering. Whenever we talked, I would subtly ask about her schedule for the week or her plans for New Year's, and she would simply respond that she didn't know yet.

This left me in a state of anticipation, wondering if she was genuinely unaware of my intentions or if she was simply being discreet.

In addition to the anxiety I felt about asking her out, the only other thing on my mind was how we would get there. The festival was downtown, and I didn't have a car, simply because I wasn't quite ready to get one yet. Taking an Uber seemed impractical, and a bus ride obviously wasn't the right choice either.

Ebony had a car, but I felt awkward about asking her to drive us there. What's more, I didn't even know how to drive, which was embarrassing enough on its own. It became clear that next year, I would make it a priority to start looking for a car of my own.

I had already opened a dedicated account to begin saving for the new car. At some point in the future, I planned to schedule a driver's test and work towards obtaining my driver's license.