Enjoy Things While You Can

Carter paced around his room, wearing a path in the carpet. His nerves were wound tight, and each step seemed to add another knot to the tangled mess of thoughts in his head.

Should I call her or wait? She might be busy. What if I interrupt her? He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror—a mess of tousled hair and worried eyes. With a heavy sigh, he sank onto the edge of his bed, running his fingers over the soft covers. Joey would never let him live this down if he found out. His brother could sniff out a crush like a bloodhound and would tease him endlessly.

Two days had passed since Carter visited Santoro’s Music Store on his own, taking a leap and finally talking to Kokomi. He had felt like an idiot at the time, stumbling over his words, but it paid off. Now, he had her number saved in his phone, a small victory in itself. Yet the bet he made with Joey still loomed large—whether or not Carter would make any real progress beyond exchanging pleasantries. Joey had laughed, calling him hopeless, but Carter was determined to prove him wrong.

Sitting on the bed, Carter let out a shaky breath. Should I call her or… Then an idea sparked. He grinned slyly. “Hm… shall I prank her first?” he muttered, finding some confidence in the plan.

For convenience, Joey had gotten him a virtual assistant named SIRI, which Carter only used occasionally. He preferred his old Nokia—reliable and simple—but this seemed like the right time for a little modern trickery.

“SIRI, call Kokomi,” he said clearly.

“Calling Kokomi,” SIRI replied, and the familiar buzzing sound filled the room as the line connected. Carter’s pulse quickened, and he bounced his knee impatiently until he heard a soft voice on the other side.

“Hello?” Kokomi greeted, her tone gentle and a little curious.

Carter jumped right into his best announcer impression. “Hello, hello! You are today’s lucky winner! Caller number one thousand, six hundred and sixty-four, you have won one million in cash!” he exclaimed, making his voice as over-the-top as possible.

“Oh? Must be a miracle to believe that scam nowadays, hehe,” Kokomi replied, her voice tinged with humour.

Carter felt smug because he got her attention. “It is true!” he insisted, pushing the joke further.

“You can’t fool me, pretty boy. I know when I’m getting scammed,” Kokomi replied, scolding lightly.

Defeated but not deterred, Carter laughed. “Well done, Miss Kokomi. But how did you know it was me so quickly?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“I don’t get calls during the day, so I assumed it was you,” she replied matter-of-factly, turning the question on him smoothly. “Are you coming to the shop?”

Carter took a breath, trying to sound confident. “That depends. I’ll be there if you want me to,” he said, his voice carrying a slight playful tone.

Kokomi could practically hear the smirk behind his words. “Sure, why not. Oh! You can drop by during practice time around 4 p.m.,” she replied.

“Sounds like a plan,” Carter agreed, feeling a little more at ease.

“By the way, would you like to go around town before stopping by for practice?” Kokomi asked, her tone casual yet inviting.

“Sure, I’ll look forward to it,” Carter replied, grinning like an idiot. He had half-expected her to turn him down, but now there was something more—something beyond the formalities.

“Great! I’ll pick you up,” Kokomi decided.

“Oh, you shouldn’t, miss. I’ll come on my own,” Carter protested out of courtesy, trying not to sound too eager.

“Nonsense,” Kokomi countered firmly. “You’ve made me curious about you. So, to satisfy my curiosity and yours, I’ll pick you up.”

“All right, miss,” Carter relented, his nerves turning into something more like excitement.

“Be ready by 10. Don’t forget to send me your address,” Kokomi reminded him.

“Will do, miss,” Carter replied, feeling lighter with each passing moment.

“See you later, pretty boy,” Kokomi ended with a teasing lilt in her voice, and then the call ended.

Carter blushed at the sound of her nickname for him. He turned towards the AI companion on his nightstand.

“SIRI, what time is it?” Carter asked, still grinning.

“It is 9:20 a.m.,” SIRI answered.

Carter sighed in contentment and fell back onto his bed, the soft mattress cradling him. Now all he needed was his brother’s help to pick out an outfit. Despite Joey’s teasing, Carter knew Joey had a knack for this sort of thing, and he couldn’t afford to mess up his first real outing with Kokomi. He stared at the ceiling, the butterflies in his stomach fluttering wildly, and whispered, “I can’t believe this is happening…”

He got up and headed out of his room, steeling himself for Joey’s barrage of jokes and questions. Carter had a long day ahead, and it was only just beginning.