The Dreamer - 6. Chapter 6 - Close Encounters

Part 1 - An Unexpected Encounter

With the weekend finally upon them, Mason and Robby decided to take a break from the intensity of the past few weeks. They made plans to grab a pizza and catch a movie in town, hoping for a night of relaxation and normalcy. The air was crisp, and the streets were buzzing with students enjoying their weekend freedom.

As they walked toward the pizza parlor, Mason felt a strange sense of anticipation. He had been trying to move forward and rebuild his life and friendships, but the unresolved tension with Cindy still haunted a part of him. Robby’s voice cut through the air as he was lost in thought.

“Hey, isn’t that Cindy?” Robby called out, waving energetically.

Mason’s heart skipped a beat, and he froze in place. His eyes locked onto the figure walking toward them. It was Cindy, and she looked as beautiful as ever. Her long golden hair shimmered in the evening light, moving gracefully with each step she took. Mason’s breath caught in his throat as he watched her approach, unsure how to react.

Cindy waved back, her smile warm but tinged with something Mason couldn’t quite place. When she reached them, she ignored Mason, focusing solely on Robby. Her eyes sparkled as she wrapped him in a friendly hug.

“So, Robby,” Cindy teased, her voice light but carrying an undertone of seriousness, “do you still have eyes for anyone else?”

Robby, ever the flirt, grinned mischievously. “Cindy, you know I only have eyes for you.”

Cindy laughed softly, sending a pang of regret through Mason’s chest. Then, almost as if she had just remembered Mason was there, she turned to face him. Her expression shifted, the playful warmth she had shown Robby replaced by something more guarded.

Keeping her eyes locked on Mason, Cindy said, “I need to talk to Mason,” her tone firm but not unkind, her glare intense. “In private.”

Robby, always the jokester, quipped, “We’re all friends here, right?” He gave Mason a playful nudge, but the tension between them was apparent.

Cindy shot Robby a stern look, one that left no room for argument.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, Robby raised his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. I’ll go grab us a table. But hurry up! We’ve got pizza to eat and beers to drink… oh and a movie to see.”

With that, Robby turned and headed toward the pizza parlor, leaving Mason and Cindy alone. Cindy watched Robby go, shaking her head slightly before turning back to Mason. She held out her hand to him, her gaze steady and expectant.

Mason stood frozen, his mind racing. He hadn’t expected this—hadn’t expected her to reach out to him, to offer a gesture that felt so simple yet carried so much weight. His heart pounded in his chest as he looked down at her outstretched hand.

“Well?” Cindy asked, her voice gentle but with an edge of impatience. “Are you going to take my hand or not?”

Mason hesitated for a moment longer, his arm feeling like it weighed a ton. But finally, he lifted it, reaching out to take her hand in his. Her warm touch was familiar, sending a jolt of emotion through him. Together, they walked to a nearby bench, the silence between them thick with unspoken words.

They sat down, the cool metal of the bench grounding Mason as he tried to steady his nerves. Cindy turned to face him, her expression serious but not unkind.

“How’s your cheek?” she asked, her voice soft, though it had been weeks since that day.

Mason swallowed hard, the memory of her slap still vivid in his mind. The physical pain had long since faded, but the emotional wound was still raw. He struggled to find the right words, his guilt pressing down on him like a weight he couldn’t shake.

“It’s OK,” Mason replied quietly, his eyes dropping to the ground. “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking, trying to figure things out.”

Cindy nodded as if she had expected that answer. “I’ve been talking to Maria,” she said, her voice hinting at understanding. “She told me everything.”

Mason felt his heart sink. He had known that Maria would tell Cindy about their conversations, but hearing it from Cindy herself brought a fresh wave of shame. He looked up at her, searching her face for any sign of what she might be thinking.

Cindy took a deep breath as if steeling herself for what she was about to say. “Mason, I just have one question for you. Why? Why didn’t you tell me the truth from the beginning?”

Mason felt a lump form in his throat, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words. He had been dreading this question, knowing there was no easy answer. He had hurt Cindy, and he knew that whatever explanation he gave would never fully justify his actions.

“I was scared,” Mason finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “Scared of what you’d think of me. Scared of losing you as a friend. Scared of facing who I really am.”

Cindy’s eyes softened, but her expression remained serious. “Mason, you should have trusted me. You should have trusted that I cared enough about you to accept you for who you are. Instead, you kept it from me, and you let me believe in something that wasn’t real. Do you have any idea how much that hurt?”

Mason felt a tear slip down his cheek but quickly wiped it away. “I know, Cindy. I know I hurt you, and I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you—I never wanted that. I was just… lost. I didn’t know how to deal with everything, so I hid. But that was wrong. I should have been honest with you - with everyone, from the start.”

Cindy looked at him for a long moment as if weighing his words. Then she sighed, a mix of frustration and resignation. “You really messed things up, Mason. For both of us. But I can see that you’re trying to make things right, and that counts for something.”

Mason nodded, grateful for even a tiny glimmer of hope. “I want to make things right, Cindy. I want to be honest with you, with everyone. I know I’ve made mistakes, but I’m trying to learn from them. I'm trying to mature.”

Cindy’s expression softened further, and she reached out to place a hand on Mason’s. “I know, Mason. And I appreciate that. But it’s going to take time. I still need time to process everything, to figure out where we go from here.”

Mason squeezed her hand gently, a sense of relief washing over him. “Take all the time you need, Cindy. I’ll be here, waiting. And when you’re ready, I’d really like to start over. As friends, if nothing else.”

Part 2 - A New Beginning

Cindy offered Mason a small, tentative smile. “Maybe we can do that, Mason. Maybe we can find a way to be friends again. But it won’t be easy. I need to know that I can trust you, and not lip service.”

Mason nodded, feeling a mix of relief and nervousness. He knew rebuilding their friendship would be long, but Cindy's willingness to try gave him hope.

Cindy hesitated for a moment, her expression softening even more. “But I’ll start… by calling you Manny.”

Mason’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of the nickname. It was the one she had picked out for him. The name that Maria had mentioned. The weight of the past weeks, the tension and hurt, seemed to lift slightly at her words.

“Manny sounds much better and less formal than Mason,” Cindy continued a hint of playfulness in her voice. “Can I call you Manny?” she asked, her tone hopeful.

Mason blinked, taken aback by the gesture. It was a small thing, but it meant so much. It was as if Cindy offered him a way back, a chance to start anew, but with the comfort of something familiar.

“Uhhh… yeah, of course,” Mason replied, a genuine smile spreading across his face. “I’d like that, Cindy.”

Cindy’s smile widened at his response, and for the first time in what felt like forever, there was a sense of ease between them. It wasn’t the same as before—there was still a lot to work through—but it was a start—a small step toward healing.

Mason nodded, acknowledging the enormity of what she was offering. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes, Cindy. I don’t want to lose you as a friend.”

Cindy looked at him for a moment longer, her eyes searching his face as if trying to gauge his sincerity. Then, with a soft sigh, she stood up, gently letting go of his hand. “Come on, let’s go meet up with Robby. He’s probably already ordered half the menu.”

Mason chuckled softly, the sound light and genuine. The heaviness that had been sitting in his chest for weeks seemed to ease, replaced by a cautious optimism. As they walked toward the pizza parlor together, side by side, Mason knew that things would never be the same. But maybe, just maybe, they could be better.

As they approached the pizza parlor, Mason couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he was moving in the right direction. The past wasn’t something he could change, but the future was something he could shape, one step at a time.

And as Cindy called him “Manny” with that familiar warmth, he realized that maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something new—something better.