Chapter 4- Unrequited Love

*The first week of school*

During the fifteen minutes of reading period in the morning, I was busy writing my geography homework instead of reading the book. Someone dropped my favourite chocolate, Dairy Milk, on my desk and I raised my head to see him, the only boy who could melt my heart.

Andy stood a bit away from my table smiling as wide as the horizon that my breath skipped. He looked at me with a gaze that could conquer the entire universe.

Flustered pink, I looked at him in silence wondering if the chocolate was for me or if he wanted me to give it to someone on his behalf.

“It's for you,” he said, still smiling.

"Thanks...it's my favourite…" I stammered.

My heart was beating so loud that it was obvious that if he was a bit near me, he would have heard it.

“I knew that it's your favourite," he said with a crooked smile.

The adrenaline in me surged through my veins, heating me up and at the same time ticking my happy cells.

He had been so nice to me like he liked me and he even knew that it was my favourite chocolate.

Ella had been staring at me like a deer caught by a hunter and she slowly turned her head towards Andy as if she wanted clarification for giving me the chocolate.

“Don't be sad. I got each for you and Sara," he said looking at Ella and giving her the chocolate.

“Is it your birthday?” asked Ella and he replied sarcastically “No, it’s my death day.”

"You are so mean," she grumbled childishly, unwrapping the chocolate.

"I don't think that you give chocolate only on your birthday," he said with a wink and tossed the chocolate to Sara who grabbed it with joy beaming her eyes.

Something chill ran down my chest, icing my heart to see Andy wink at Ella, causing a roar of thunder in my heart like I was jealous of it. I looked at Ella who grinned at Andy with her eyes kindled with joy and it slashed me, churning my tummy with bitterness.

No! I can't have this unpleasant feeling! I shook those awful feelings off me but the gruesome sensation to have borne such heinous sentiments for my best friend who was oblivious of what I felt for her condemned me.

My unrequited love had overpowered me and I needed to control it before it ended everything.

Ella and Sara unwrapped the chocolate with a big grin and started to munch it while I didn’t want to eat so I put it in my satchel.

I looked at Andy to whom I wanted to say, “God! I adore you like hell.”

He was the first guy I wanted to go out with but I wasn’t able to ask him out because I was apprehensive of his reply.

What if he denied it, what if he thought I was crazy to think like that and what if I hurt his sentiments and break our friendship. Millions of questions consumed me and I didn’t want to break our friendship just because of my silly decision to ask him out. I neither was able to tell Ella nor Sara about it because I was afraid that they would think that it was a whole mess to love a friend.

***

Since the first period was English, our English teacher Mrs. Alka Sigdel entered the class right after the reading period.

After reading the short story “Nothing spoils the taste of Peanut Butter like an Unrequited love” by Clark Gesner, Mrs. Alka had told us to write a story based on that topic.

I was very excited about it as I had written a story of a girl falling for a boy who was her friend. Indeed it was my story. I was never interested in writing homework but it was different, I wanted to write about my first crush who I was expecting to ask me out one fine day.

Mrs. Alka asked if anyone wanted to read their story in the class, making me desperately want to read my story and let my crush know that I liked him but I knew that it was a bad idea, perhaps the worst idea because I didn't know what he felt for me. I knew everyone would laugh at me and make fun of me if they found out that I liked Andy and if he rejected me. I was unaware of how Andy felt for me and I was afraid to know his answers though he sometimes acted as if he liked me too.

The first hand to swing in the air was Andy's hand. He pushed his chair back, got on his feet, and started reading, “When I turned to look who hit me with the snowball, I saw her at a far distance. She was looking at me, locking our gaze, and a smile flung on my lips…”

My heart melted but my body froze, remembering the day when our eyes locked and he smiled as wide as the horizon when he turned back to see who hit him.

'Oh my God! Is he talking about me?'

His story said that he was in love with that girl who was staring at him when he turned back to see who hit him with the snowball. If I was not mistaken, the girl was me.

Was the story really a true story or was it just fiction?

A flock of butterflies swooped in my tummy, getting me nervous and a little happy at the same time. My mind was filled with questions over questions while my heart was throbbing with anxiety, causing me to sweat in the winter. All I was wishing for was that it was his real story and the girl he loved to be me.

As soon as he finished reading, I looked at him. He winked at me with a charming smile. Shrieking with anxiety, I instantly looked at Mrs. Alka, fearing that she might have seen him winking at me but she was busy scribbling something on the whiteboard.

I was losing my control because he was driving me crazy in love every second of the time and I wondered how long he and I would be able to be in unrequited love if his story was true.

****

When I was returning from the library to my class, I bumped into someone in the doorway of my class and my books slipped from my hand landing on the floor.

I looked at him to find out that it was none other than Noah Adams, the weirdo I hated.

What was he doing in my class?

He picked up the books and handed them to me.

“I am sorry,” he said and his face turned red like an apple.

"What are you doing in my class?” I asked him and directly looked into his eyes but he dropped his head looking at the books in my hand.

“Umm nothing much, just wondering,” he said with his voice quivering and not at all looking at me.

Before I could say anything, he walked away so fast like he had committed a crime. I knew something was wrong because he was never like that before and I had never seen him so nervous or worried but it wasn't a thing for me to worry about. After all, he was a nerd who I really didn’t like.

As I resumed walking, Mary Winslet stood in front of me like a statue, peering deep into my eyes. Her friends, Makenzie Brinkley and Michelle Monroe stood beside her like her bodyguards with their hands folded on their breasts. Triple M- That's what they called their group.

Mary took a long sigh before she said, " Why does he only talk to you when there are entire beautiful girls in the school."

Mary had been after Noah for ages but I suppose her attempt to entice him had been a failure.

"Because he hates me for taking his position," I replied boldly.

"This is such a lame reason, I hope you aren't wiggling your tail to him without anyone's knowledge," she said harshly.

Mary and her friends hated me because they thought that Noah had a reason behind teasing me and I suppose they thought that he liked me which was the silliest thing to assume because I was 100% sure that he hated me whatever the reason was.

"I hate him. I hate him like hell," I said, looking deep into her eyes.

"It will be better if you hate him," she said with a smirk.

"Are you threatening me?" I asked.

"No, I am not threatening you. I am just reminding you that Noah is mine, just mine."

"So better stay away from him," Mackenzie said.

"And don't mess with us," Michelle added.

I looked at them in awe while they walked away smirking.

It was the first time that I was threatened by triple-M girls and it made me hate Noah more.

I silently walked inside the class cursing Noah and his aficionados.