Chapter Three- He Stole My Heart

I was damn excited for the first day in my dream school but my enthusiasm and excitement vanished in the air. I walked towards the academic building not at all looking back at the stranger who came to help me because there was nothing more humiliating than falling to the ground in front of my new schoolmates and that handsome boy who I suppose had taken my heart at the first sight.

A few minutes ago, snowfall was the most joyous moment for me but after an awful incident, I wished that it never snowed in Bumthang, not ever.

Covered with snow the school looked like a paradise, really. Yet, my first day in my dream school became the most dreadful moment of my life because the snow welcomed me in such a beautiful way that I didn't want to think about it ever again and my new schoolmates welcomed me with roars of laughter and teasing.

Some of the boys and girls were playing in the snow, and some were making snowmen and throwing snowballs at one another but deep down in my heart, I promised that I would never play in the snow.

Suddenly, my eyes were caught by Noah Adams, one of the funniest and silliest guys I had ever met and ever wanted to see. He looked at me like he sympathized with me for slumping in front of everyone but I rolled my eyes at him with resentment. Trying to forget whatever happened a few minutes ago, I tried to smile at a group of girls from my previous school.

“Harry! Hit that boy with the hardest snowball."

I heard Noah commanding his friend like he was his slave. Sometimes I wondered how Harry could cope with his weirdo friend who considered himself a tough hot boy.

“You know that I am not good at shooting,” Harry replied.

“Okay, let me do that.”

Anyway, it was a good shot. The boy being hit by the snowball turned back blushing and my heart froze. It was the boy who came to help me a few minutes ago and had stolen my heart.

I glanced at Noah with resentment while he smiled at me cunningly with a wink.

'Damn! What does he think of himself?' I murmured silently and shifted my gaze at the new boy feeling sorry for him. I wanted to go toward him and tell him that it was Noah who hit him but he didn't seem interested to know about it and I didn't even have the nerves to do that.

I had never seen that boy before. He was handsome, the most handsome boy I have seen in the school.

'Maybe that weirdo is jealous,' I thought, clenching my teeth.

If I were a python I would have swollen Noah, regretted it, and spat him in the ocean because swallowing him would have ruined the life of the python, I mean my life.

A year of being his desk partner felt like being in hell for a thousand years and

I didn't want to be his classmate anymore as I was sick of him picking on me like I snatched his happiness.

I looked at the new boy, bit my lips, and licked it with utmost concern. He looked lonesome and was alone. He stared at me as if I was the one who hit him with the snowball but unexpectedly a huge smile stretched over his handsome face. My knees felt weak and my heart sank to see him smile at me as wide as the horizon.

God! His smile was so gorgeous that it melted me in the cold weather.

I was shy and turned toward Ella and a group of girls and started talking like nothing happened to me when he smiled at me. After a while, from the corner of my eyes, I looked whether he was there or not, and to my surprise, he was still there staring at me, causing my heart to pound with nervousness but I didn’t look back at him.

The sun started to glimmer with light sun rays falling on the ground, melting the snow and the dark cloud started to vanish. We could see a certain crystal blue sky.

***

All the grade eleven students were in the queue according to the marks they obtained in their class ten board examination. Though you are the first person in the queue, if your friend has fewer marks compared to you, it's the same as being at the back because what you have to do is wait for your friend until they are done with registration.

Right behind me was Noah Adams, getting into my nerves.

"Hey, what stream are you taking?" He asked, smiling.

I was pretty shocked that he was talking to me in a good manner for the first time in all years.

"I am taking Arts with mathematics," I lied, forcing a pretentious smile.

I didn't want to make a fuss on the first day of my school when it already was an awful day.

"That's nice. I am taking the same stream."

I slowly looked at him for a while before I gave him a quick pretentious smile.

"Asshole, who the hell will be your classmate!" I grumbled silently behind my smile.

"Can we…"

"Amelia Baker, you can go in."

Thank god that before Noah could complete his sentence I was summoned for the registration.

Since there weren't many students between me and Ella, we completed our registration before lunch. There was still a long line waiting for their turn and some of the students were waiting for their friends. Ella and I decided to go to our favourite café in the town.

***

We were whispering and giggling at the corner of the café with sandwiches and coffee on the table when a group of boys came and sat at the table in front of us. The handsome boy earlier from school was there in the group facing me. He wore a pair of black jeans with a white polo shirt and a fancy black leather jacket. His shoe was also black.

He caught my gaze and smiled at me. Really, he had the coolest and cutest smile that would melt anybody's heart. I smiled back and immediately lowered my head, cutting off his gaze in nervousness.

God! No one had ever made me that nervous and stirred my heart but thank god, Ella didn’t see me smiling because she was busy on her cell phone. If she had seen me smiling at the new boy, she would have recollected the incident earlier in school which I didn't want to happen.

I was contemplating the sandwich when I heard Ella asking, “What’s wrong Amelia? What are you thinking?”

“Ummm I was just thinking that I am going to break our rules this year”, I said looking at the sandwich.

“What do you mean? What rules? What are you talking about?” she frowned, leaning towards me.

“I mean rule to not kiss… I think…this year…I am…” I stammered and before I could complete my sentence she interrupted, “That rule was only till grade ten. You are planning to kiss someone and you didn't even dare to tell me. I think you are breaking the second rule.”

“Be easy…everything is transparent… I was just thinking that I would love to go out with someone,” I shrugged and grinned.

“Ohh…Interested in someone?” she raised her eyebrows with curiosity.

“Nothing like that. I was just thinking I would go out if a boy asks me out."

Before she could say anything, I instantly started to talk about a cat that sneaked into my room sometimes so that she won't be serious about my thought of kissing a boy. Thank God that she didn't take it seriously.

In our eighth grade, we made a rule not to kiss any boy until we reach high school so that we won't be swayed by teenage love and spoil our grades. The second rule- if we ever kiss anyone in high school then we would never keep it a secret. Ever since we made the rule, both of us hadn't kissed anyone.

We didn’t have any secrets not known by one another but I didn't want to share about my crush with her. I was afraid that she would think that it was too early to like someone without knowing anything about him.

While talking with Ella, my attention was on the boy in the black dress who was talking with his friends. I have never seen any of them before but all of them were pretty cool and striking.

After we were done eating, we got on our feet and walked past them. I saw my crush boy looking at us with his eyes wide open and I guess he wasn't blinking but Ella hadn't noticed him.

****

We strolled along the road talking and laughing and I didn't even realize that we had reached Ella's house.

“Let’s go inside, make ourselves comfortable, and watch a movie. We can have some snacks,” she said.

“I am already late, let’s make it next time," I told her.

I bid her goodbye and watched her head towards the door and maybe it was her mom who opened the door.

When I reached home, my Mom and Dad were already home sipping coffee. I told them that I was a bit tired and wanted a nap. I directly headed to my room and lay on my bed lost in thoughts embracing my favourite pink teddy which was gifted by Ella on my 14th birthday. My room had lots of gifts Ella gave me.