Blind Date

Brown flats? Check. Caramel colored cardigan? Check. Peachy and plain long dress that barely reaches the knees even if it’s embarrassing? Check. Anari Atisuto doesn’t do this often but she wanted to make a good impression on her first ever blind date. Once Anari finally has everything checked off in her mental checklist, she rushes out of that door of hers to meet this “Brienne” girl.

Wazuka, Anari’s friend, has sent her a message the night before, “Meet us at Dahlia’s Diner at 14:30, your date is the light blue haired girl with the white crop top with mesh sleeves, jeans, and sneakers, she’s pretty, you’d like her.”

Anari scans the same message for the millionth time as she gets on the slightly crowded subway. She can’t afford to mess things up. Her nervousness continues to pile up more and more as she waits for her destination.

What if she hates me? What if I accidentally say something she doesn’t like? Oh god, am I really not fit for this type of thing? Dammit, dating sucks already! How do people learn to deal with nervousness like this? I’m normally a people person so…why is one date…one stupid date…making me feel this way? Just pretend I’m hanging out with a new friend- Ugh, but that must make Brienne feel like I’m friendzoning her!! I don’t even know anything about her, so that might not be true--But it might be true for all I know!! Wazuka should’ve counted me out of this gig…this sucks.

Anari looks up at the labels that have all of the station names in order. Dazat Station…Uzep Station…Otojiro Station…Nagao Station…Safaia Station…she mouths them all to herself to keep her busy. She opens up her phone and scrolls aimlessly through social media, all the posts that she viewed bore her. She plays with her fingers, picking off the last of her nail polish to make her nails look clean. She brushes her long, coral and yellow hair with her fingers. She-

“Attention please, we are now at the Central Safaia Station, please wait until the train has come to a complete stop.”

Anari shakes up. She does the exact opposite of what the announcement says, she dashes to the door and waits for it to open. It annoyed a few others, but she couldn’t notice from the exhaustion from her nervousness.

The restaurant Anari and Brienne were going to meet up are fortunately close to the station, all Anari needs to do is go up the stairs, turn to the left, and walk a couple of blocks to finally see the huge label that says “DAHLIA’S DINER” in all caps and a funky font.

Light blue haired girl with white crop top and jeans…light blue haired girl with white crop top and jeans…blue girl with crop top and jeans…blue girl with top and jeans…girl…

“Hey.” A monotone but feminine voice approaches Anari. Shakened up, Anari turns around to see the girl that matches Wazuka’s description. A girl with light blue hair with a white crop top and jeans.

“…Hey…”

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Ring ring ring! One can hear a groan coming from under the covers, one could even mistake it for a demon. Fortunately, it is just Brienne Sadayoshi. The woman groggily gets out of bed to turn off the annoying alarm and finally starts on her day. The way she gets ready for the day is simple, she does these things in order: Force herself up, brush her tangly light blue hair, wash her face, change into the clothes she pulled up the night before, eat leftovers for breakfast, and then finally check her phone.

“Hey, don’t forget you have a date with Anari today! Just reminding ya!” Brienne reads the message Wazuka sent her the moment she went to sleep last night. She knows her so well.

Oh yeah…I have a date today. This the 14th one…and counting. How annoying…well, whatever. It was my fault for agreeing to it in the first place. Where was it again? Dahlia’s Diner? Three of my dates have been in there…be more creative Wazuka, will you?

Fortunately enough, the diner is only a few minutes walk from Brienne’s house. Without much thought on the date, she packs some things and goes out to run some errands. The first stop is the post office. My parents would appreciate this care package…I hope they are doing well… I hope they are not too disappointed in my sister. The second stop is the grocery store. I’m running out of vegetable oil…I want to make stir fry later this evening, that sounds really good. The third stop is the library. It has been a while since I came here, I should’ve returned the books when they were due.

Brienne finally returns home with multiple bags of groceries and one bag of newly checked out library books. Stretching from today’s round of errands, she flops into her couch to relax and watch a movie before 14:30.

When it is finally time to go, Brienne brushes herself off of the couch and checks herself in the mirror one last time before leaving the apartment again. She just wants to get the date over with…

She got to the restaurant right on time, but no sign of Anari yet. However she quickly spots Wazuka, who is sitting outside of the restaurant. “There you are, Wazuka, do you know where the Anari girl is?” Brienne asks.

Wazuka gives the other woman a wave. “She should be coming here any minute! Don’t worry, I swear, you’d like her this time!”

“...You’ve said that about the 14 other people you’ve tried to set me up with.”

“But I have a feeling this time, come on, wouldn’t you believe in me just one more time? If you don’t like her this time, then fine, I won’t set you up anymore. Come on, please? You’re already here…”

Brienne sighs. “Fine, I didn’t have work today so you’re lucky…”

Wazuka spots an anxious coral and yellow haired girl looking around like she is a frightened mouse trying to look for a place to hide. “There she is! Go on and talk to her, will you?”

Another sigh exits Brienne’s lips and approaches the woman with a blank face. Time to get this over with… “Hey.”

“…Hey…”