In between

Dare: I miss you Katriona. Heyyy 

Katriona: (twenty-five minutes later) Hello. I gotta ask and do not take offense, is it Dare or is someone using his phone? 

Dare: Haha. Very funny. What's good? 

Katriona: I am alright. We all are just chilling at home and enjoying quality family time. 

Dare: is that why you have been hardly online? 

Katriona: I have been online a lot lately. My WiFi is always on. I am bored from texting. If there are messages to reply, I reply and go offline again. It's amazing you are chatting me up and that opening line... Hmm. Makes me think I might enjoy this chat. 

Dare: don't get ahead of yourself baby girl. 

Katriona: Me? Never! I am a perfectly still girl who doesn't pursue anything that doesn't find me. 

Dare: 😑 right. 

Katriona: Mmhm. How's your end Dare? 

Dare: Busy. 

Katriona: Not new. What's keeping you busy this time? 

Dare: Establishing markets online and trading. I also have stuff I help my father out with that promises a pay later. 

Katriona: Eventually. You sound like you have your hands full. 

Dare: Sorta. 

Katriona: Is that a good thing? 

Dare: I think so.

Katriona: Hmm. Anyways, how are your siblings? 

Dare: Everyone is doing okay. 

Katriona: Same here. This is why I have been absolutely bored of texting. No one has anything left to say except gossip about some latest trend, share the news and ask the same old question about how you are doing and how's your family? 

Dare: I do get your point. That's why I started with the text I did. 

Katriona: to get my attention? You succeeded. Is that all there is to it though? 

Dare: I don't know. 

Katriona: how many of your 'good friends' who are female are online at this hour?

Dare: there are a number. 

Katriona: And you chose to text me? 

Dare: Yeah, because you are a good friend and I enjoy our conversations. 

Katriona: Okay. Keep saying that to me so that I don't ever forget and get confused, feel entitled or worse, have expectations towards you. Y'hear? 

Dare:... Sure. 

Katriona: Excuse me for a moment. My little sis pooped and I have to wipe her bum. She's before me now and almost yelling at me to take care of her 'ike'

Dare:😂😂 sure. I think I will still be online for a while unless something comes up. Either ways, we will chat soon.

Katriona: Cool. Bye

(Thirty minutes later) 

Katriona: I am back! 

Dare: you took a while. What else did you do? Took a chite yourself? 😏

Katriona: Dare! How dare you say something so repulsive and direct to a lady? 

Dare: i meant no insult Kat. I was only teasing you. But we all poop, don't we? 

Katriona: I have half of a mind to reach over through this phone and cuff you by the ear. 

Dare: Too bad you can't. 

Katriona: don't be so smug. You don't know when the situation will turn. Might be sooner than think. You better wtach over your shoulder. 

Dare: You are cute when you breathe threats like this. I can only imagine your eyes getting all fired up and your lips pulled into that adorable thin line as your mind wheels run in every which direction to find an answer to your predicament. 

Katriona: Wow. When did your speech get so flowery and detailed at the same time? 

Dare: I know a girl really good with words. We get together often; I learned from her 

Katriona: She must be another good friend of yours

Dare: Yup. You know me well. I have good friends. 

Katriona: Dare, I have to be honest with you. None of what you are saying makes me feel good. 

Dare: How? 

Katriona: Are you that oblivious? Or do you just pretend to be so that everything in your perfect little world stays like you want it? 

Dare: You are not saying anything yet Katriona. 

Katriona: I am afraid of having this conversation, Dare. It could change everything between us even if there is no 'us'. I mean, our friendship may not recover after the things I will say. 

Dare: If all your warning might turn out to be remotely true, why say anything then? 

Katriona: Because I am tired of hiding and pretending. And I am ready for the consequence. 

Dare: What if I am not ready? Will you able to take responsibility Kat? 

Katriona: You are being a tad bit dramatic even for you. Don't you agree? 

Dare: Maybe are right, maybe you are not. 

Katriona: Stop with the games already, I truly need to get this off my chest. 

Dare: Go ahead. I may not reply to anything though. Are you ready for that outcome too? 

Katriona: Now you have said so, I will. Although another truth is, I expected this reply from you. You've always been driven. Your fast lane leaves no room for you to consider emotions as anything other than a dead weight. All your friends have to be intellectually connected to you or jump ship. Not that you make them, it just happens that way. 

Dare: You have stated your observation; fine and good. What else? 

Katriona: Your tone alone discourages me. Well, I wasn't expecting any support from you. 

Dare: Good. 

Katriona: God, you can be so mean. How did go from flirting with me to being so cold? Anyways, I don't expect you to answer this. About what I want to say, I want to start by asking, I know you care about me, don't you? Or is this one of what you won't answer? 

Dare: Define 'care about you'

Katriona: You often call when I am not in touch for about a week; whenever I call in tears, you are all-out to help although playing damsel in distress is annoying and I am done with that role. Whenever we are out together with friends or by ourselves, you pay attention no matter what. You ask what I'll eat, if I will have a drink with it, if there's something more I'd like to try and so on. And like you, I enjoy our conversations dearly and never feel out of place with you until time comes when we have to part ways and be natural about it. I truly enjoy my time with you and all of it is something I'd do again but I still feel hurt for no reason sometimes when I think of you. Does this definition meet your standards? 

Dare: Yes.

Katriona: There are no buts in you response. 

Dare: I know. 

Katriona: look, I know that absolutely nothing would come from getting involved in a romantic relationship right now. We are twenty and young and there's a vast possibility awaiting us. Anything could happen but right now, at this instant, I have feelings for you that's certainly not friend like. You kissed me sometime ago and blamed it on your substance induced state but is that truly all there is to that story? 

Dare: Keep typing. I might answer 

Katriona: Okay. This might sound weird but I truly don't expect you to return 'my love'. I am not doing this to get your attention or have some sappy happy ending with you. I am not delusional. I truly think that this whole staying home thing is leaving me so much time to think and to confront all these emotions I'd normally keep buried until they all die a natural death. Did you know I hugged my parents and all of my siblings yesterday randomly and told them how much I loved and appreciated them with tears in my eyes?! Why would I do that even to Junior, my immediate younger brother who I am always having spats with? 

I need to get back to school and my life of planning social events, arranging meetings and sweet sweet school work. I scribble all the ideas I have down in my notepad but until life resumes for everyone, the ideas will remain in this notepad, leaving so much time for me to think on nonsense. 

Dare: Hey, calm down. Kat, none of what you have said to me is nonsense. I promise, it isn't. If anything, it makes perfect sense and goes to show just how brave and loving you are to everyone around you. If it makes you feel better, you are not the only one who has been thinking. 

Katriona: Oh, is that how it is now? What have you been thinking? 

Dare: More sectors and businesses to invest in that will give steady and higher returns in years to come... I thought of apps but it's difficult to fully ascertain what people might want which is why I started a market survey and marketing approaches to help me get there. I have been working hard although I still slack and in those slacking moments, other thoughts beside business form in my head. 

Thoughts like what if I miss out on that person who could be my partner through life and It'd be my fault 100%? You are right. I don't want to have emotions hold me down Katriona but I also don't want to end up by myself in the end. To all you've said, all I can reply is yes, I care very much about you and I like knowing you are around. I am slowly figuring the rest out. 

Katriona: Good talk. Thanks for replying at all. I gotta make dinner soon, later? 

Dare: Whatever you do, don't make it bitter stew. Do you hear me? 

Katriona:🤔😂 I can't believe how you haven't forgotten that. You didn't even taste it, you only heard about it. 

Dare: Hey, I was almost a victim. Trauma exists you know. 

Katriona: Right. See ya. 

Dare: Sure.