Chapter 19: Pizza Apology

A few weeks passed.

In our cozy dorm room, Charlotte and I were engrossed in our first major project for our Artificial Intelligence class. We had to create and fine-tune a neural network model capable of classifying handwritten digits from the MNIST dataset.

I was loving it.

Surrounded by textbooks and papers, our laptops illuminated the room with their soft glow. We delved into the intricacies of the project. Lines of code scrolled across our screens as we adjusted parameters and tweaked our model. We were striving for higher accuracy with each iteration.

The atmosphere was one of intense concentration, broken only by the occasional tapping of keys or the rustle of paper.

As the hours passed we got tired, but we refused to stop working. We were in this together, supporting each other every step of the way.

“I’m hungry,” Charlotte said after a while, breaking the silence that had settled over us. “Maybe we should take a break and get something to eat.”

I glanced at my phone to check the time. Oh no. My eyes widened in alarm as I realized how late it had gotten.

“Shit.” It was rare for me to curse. But the moment called for some strong language.

“What is it?” Charlotte asked, looking at me with wide eyes.

“I had been so focused on our project that I had completely lost track of time. I was supposed to meet James for dinner thirty minutes ago!”

My phone had been on mute, so that it wouldn’t distract me from my project. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach as I saw a string of text messages from James.

James

I’m here <3.

James

Excited to see you.

James

Hurry, Keily! I’m hungry :(

James

Hey, where are you?

James

Everything okay?

James

You’re still coming to dinner, right?

James

Call me when you get this…

I felt cold. Then dizzy. I quickly dialed his number, my heart pounding in my chest as I waited for him to answer.

“Keily,” he answered. Instead of sounding angry or disappointed, he sounded tired.

“James, I’m so sorry,” I blurted out. “I completely lost track of time. I’m sorry. I can come to you right now. And I’m really, really sorry.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before James finally spoke, his voice calm and reassuring.

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” he said gently. “I understand. I just grabbed something quick to eat. It’s not a big deal.”

Relief flooded through me as I listened to his understanding words. Despite my repeated apologies, James remained unfazed, his easy-going nature made me think everything was okay and would remain so.

There was a knock at the door.

I opened the door, while holding the phone to my ear. I was met with a delightful surprise—James standing there with a grin, holding a box of pizza. My heart leaped with joy at the sight of him. His presence instantly warmed me from within. Without a moment’s hesitation, I threw my arms around him. I enveloped him in a tight hug, overwhelmed by the flood of emotions that washed over me.

When we finally let go of each other we hung up our phones and put them back into our pockets.

“Hi…” I said.

“Hi…” he said back.

I eyed the pizza box in his hand. Tears of gratitude pricked at my eyes as I realized the depth of his thoughtfulness. Here he was, standing at my dorm with dinner in hand. It was a simple yet incredibly meaningful gesture that spoke volumes about his love and care for me. I was incredibly lucky to have him in my life.

“You brought me dinner?” I asked.

“Of course I did,” he replied.

Beside us, Charlotte watched with a smile. Her eyes twinkled with amusement and approval.

“There is enough pizza for you as well,” James said.

“Yippee!” She exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

With a tender smile, James extended the box of pizza towards me. Moved beyond words, I accepted the box. I felt a lump form in my throat.

As I looked into his eyes, I felt a surge of emotion welling up within me. Without a second thought, I leaned in and pressed my lips to his.

When we finally pulled apart, James gazed at me with a soft smile. He didn’t look like a man whose girlfriend had forgotten to show up for dinner.

“I have the best boyfriend ever,” I whispered, my voice trembled.

Charlotte, ever the supportive friend, chimed in with a round of applause, her laughter ringing through the room.

“I couldn’t agree more,” she teased.

With a chuckle, James shrugged modestly.

“Just trying to make up for lost time,” he quipped.

I felt a pang of guilt for having kept him waiting.

“Again, I’m really sorry.”

“It’s fine,” James said.

“How about I make it up to you. We can have a big and romantic dinner next week—my treat.”

I looked forward to the chance to spoil him and show him just how much he meant to me.

“I’m already looking forward to it,” James said.

I stepped back and motioned to the room.

“James, would you like to stay and eat pizza with us?” I asked, a hopeful smile tugging at the corners of my lips. Despite him already having had dinner, I wanted him to stay a little longer.

James shook his head apologetically, a weary expression crossing his features.

“Thanks, Keily, but I already ate, and I’m feeling pretty tired,” he explained. “I think I’m just going to head back to my dorm and sleep.”

My heart fell, but I understood. He had had a long day, just like I had, and all he probably wanted was to rest and recharge. With a resigned smile, I nodded.

“Of course, James,” I said, stepping forward to give him a hug goodbye. “Thank you again for being so understanding. And for the pizza.”

Charlotte chimed in with a warm smile, echoing my sentiments.

“Yeah, have a good evening, James,” she said.

James returned our farewells with a grateful smile, his eyes reflecting a hint of fatigue.

“Thanks, guys,” he said. “Have a great night.”

With one last wave, James turned and headed out the door, disappearing into the hallway beyond. As I watched him go, a pang of longing stirred within me, but I quickly pushed it aside. We would see each other again soon.

Turning back to Charlotte, I offered her a small smile.

“Well, I guess it’s just you and me and the pizza,” I said.

“Let’s dig in!” Charlotte said.

Charlotte took a slice and I did too. Then, I stretched out my stiff muscles and settled back into my chair. Despite the exhaustion that weighed heavy on my shoulders, there was a satisfaction that came from knowing I was making progress, both academically and personally.

As I took a bite of the warm, cheesy pizza, my mind drifted back to the challenges of college life. The endless hours of studying, the late nights spent working on projects, the constant juggling act of balancing academics, social life, and my relationship with James. It was a whirlwind of activity, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I felt like I was succeeding.

Sure, there had been a few missed dates, like tonight. There had also been late nights like this in the past. It was a casualty of our opposite schedules and the demands of university life. But somehow, we had always found a way to make it work. Whether it was a quick phone call, a text message, or a surprise visit with pizza in hand, we always made sure to stay connected, no matter how busy life got.

We prioritized each other.

After two more slices, I turned my attention back to my work. I don’t know for how long I typed away but eventually Charlotte spoke up.

“Let’s take a break,” she said. “I need to stretch my legs and clear my head.”

“Me too,” I admitted. I pushed myself away from the desk. “Let’s go for a walk.”

Together we walked the corridors of our building. As we walked, my gaze drifted to the posters adorning the walls.

They announced the upcoming Halloween bash.

The vibrant colors and bold text caught my attention, stirring up memories of past celebrations and festive gatherings. And suddenly, an idea began to form in my mind.

Maybe James and I could go to the Halloween bash together. It would be the perfect opportunity to unwind after a hectic week of classes and assignments. Plus, it would give us a chance to spend some quality time together. We could blow off some steam.