The main music of Avengers blasted on my phone and I picked it up to see who it was. I made the music as my ringtone because I loved Marvel and it was loud so whenever I lose my phone and call on it I can find it quickly. Another reason was I hated the ringtones in my phone.
“Mayaaa,” I dragged her name in happiness walking towards my window.
“Blakelyyy,” See why are we friends? “I have something to tell you,”
“So do I but you go first,” I could hear the excitement in her voice. This had something to do with Daris. I think.
“I like Daris,” I might have screamed. No, I did scream and not because I was shocked. I was happy. I was happy because Maya was happy. “He is nice. He is shy like me but he matches the vibe. And he’s got that sweet aura which I absolutely love about him and it’s not him trying to pretend. He is like that,”
She broke into a complete explanation of what she meant and I happily listened. Maya was shy but when she came around she was the most loveliest person. She narrated the situations she had encountered with him, one where a kitten had come in front of his car and he not only checked if he was fine but looked around for his mother. When he found no one he brought him home and he and Maya have adopted him now. There were other sweet stories about him too. Maya was happy.
“So what about you now?”
“I don’t like Owen anymore,” It was her time to scream now but it was more of a shriek than a scream. A shriek of shock.
“What? Why? What happened? Did he do something? Does this have something to do with morning? If yes, then I’m going to hit his head and bring him-” I ended up laughing. She was sweet, shy and a vocal violent person.
“I don’t like him anymore because I don’t. I think I was just infatuated. No, he didn’t do anything. Nah, nothing with the morning or maybe but it made me make my decision,”
“Then,” She paused and I stared at the moon. The moon and stars were pretty. Ah… Is it because of the moon and stars that hung in the sky or is it because of the celestials that hung under your eye… I feel the world looks pretty. I remembered what Kev had said to me once and instantly my lips curled. “Is it because of Kev?”
I was speechless. I gazed at my reflection in the glass. The word that doesn’t come to my tongue but I could see it on my face. I could see it in my eyes. The prominent letters… and one word. Yes!
♡̷̷̷♡̷̷̷♡̷̷̷
I
decided to talk to Owen on the day of the last exam. My last exam. The last exam of students who took art class. The players of the basketball and football team had to come until finals for practices. This hellhole would only tire them. School only gave them two day off before finals. At least there was no after school practice or I might have threatened Kev’s coach! He had already passed out once. I didn’t want to see or hear anything like that again.
I jogged towards the football ground reaching there panting and breathless. I was not the biggest fan of exercise. My exercise was only going on a walk with Kev for which he had to drag me out.
I soon found Owen on the bleachers. Their practice was done and they were backtracking towards their lockers. I stood there awkwardly at the top of the stairs waiting for him to notice. Calling him would only make me the centre of unwanted attention. Somewhere in between he laughed at something one other player said and his head turned in my direction. I gave him a small wave and he noticed.
“Hi,”
“Hey Blakely. How was your exam?” He was cheerful like always.
“Good. At least I know I will score above 90 on this one,” His soft gaze was over me but I was not blushing under it. “Can we talk?”
He nodded, gesturing to me to sit on one of the bleachers on the other side. We both sat down, though this time I kept a little bit of distance between us.
I fidgeted with my fingers. It won’t be easy but it isn’t hard either.
I glanced at Owen and saw him waiting. I have to speak. “There was a time I had a crush on you Owen,”
There. I said it. It wasn’t hard!
“You had?” His tone was laced with sadness as he had picked up on the past tense I had used. “What about now?”
“I don’t. Not anymore,” I clenched and unclenched my fists.
“What changed?”
“I don’t know Owen. A lot of things have changed and I don’t know why or how but they have changed,” I took a deep breath in. Whether it was on paper or in words, explaining things was hard.
“Nothing has changed Blakely,” He was staring at the football ground but then he tilted his head and looked at me. “There are things you have realised,”
He stood up and so did I. He passed me a smile but I saw an emotion flashing in his eyes. Hurt! “Maybe I would have had a chance to be the protagonist in your story,”
He didn’t stay there anymore and joined his players when someone called him. He waved me goodbye and I kept standing there. I knew.
I had seen it in his eyes. I had seen on his face. I had heard in his tone. The feelings he had for me. He liked me.
I took a step but ended up stumbling. There’s only one thing I could stumble upon. My laces. My damned laces.
I let them be. I didn’t have to walk back home so there was nothing to worry about… I walked away. The door that opened in my door for a certain person had been closed now.
Kev was in the parking lot doing something on his phone. His head rose from his phone-must be because the voice of my footsteps- and scanned my face.
He crouched down when I reached near him and effortlessly tied my shoelace. How does he always notice? How could there not be one time that he hadn’t done this for me?
“So what did Owen say?” His fingers slightly drummed over the steering wheel.
“He said he likes me,” I informed and his fingers stopped where they were just for a moment. “And I told him my reply,”
He stopped the car in front of my home. I shuffled in my seat, my hand fidgeting with the seat belt.
“I’ll give you Kev. The answer. Just not right now,” He only nodded his head and I exited the car. “I need some time to myself,”
“I’ll wait, Ly. I always do,”
He didn’t give me a chance to respond as he drove forward towards his home. I saw him entering his house but I didn’t try to run after him. His tone was hurtful but I know it was not intentional. Even if someone keeps me waiting about such an important thing I’ll also be hurt. I had to answer and I had to explain but I didn’t know how. I bit my lip in regret.
Whether it was asked in an exam or we had to be vocal about it… Explanation was the hardest thing to do. Even harder than accepting your feelings.
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