In my mind I kept on thinking of him.
Olivia and I sat opposite each other in the cafeteria. With my fork, I began to pierce the empty plate.
"Jeez! What did the plate do to you?!" Olivia scolded.
It has been a week ever since I saw Roy. Mom and I now live alone.
"You know, these days, I am beginning to feel like I am speaking to myself--" Olivia cut herself short and stared behind me.
"Emma," A familiar voice called out to me, the person I have been ignoring, Caleb. He had confessed that he loved me and I ran away.
"I guess, that's my cue to leave!" Olivia said getting up. Caleb then occupied her place.
"So..."He began.
"I--"
"I know that you don't feel the same way, I won't pressure you." He said with a smile. "Just allow me to cheer you up."
"I am--"
"This time, I won't take no as an answer...or running away." He said and I couldn't help but chuckle a little.
"Let's go." He held out his hand for me.
"Where are we going?" I asked as he led me to the field. Our field was surely wide and fenced. There were usually prefects place there to prevent students from running away from school but for some reason today they weren't around.
That being said, Caleb lead me to a small opening on the fenced that led out. He crawled through the hole to the other side and gestured me to follow him.
"No way." I mouthed him wafting my hands in the air.
"I think I see someone over there!!" Someone enunciated and panicking I quickly crawled through the hole and the two of us fled.
"Are you crazy?!" I yelled once on the road far from the school. I was actually surprised, we made it.
"Hey, say that when we are still on the school not after sneaking out!"
"What if we are found out?"
"Don't worry, my uncle's actually, the principal!"
"It isn't good to abuse your power! and anyway your uncle isn't my uncle! I am very ordinary! and ordinary people get in trouble for sneaking out!" I said and he laughed.
"You are back to normal." He said before dragging me and beginning to run.
"Where are we going?!"
"I don't know!" He yelled. And so we ended up running around for some time like small children.
"I really do like you Emma." He started as we sat on the bench with our ice creams. I went silent, then taking a deep breath I said "I am sorry but... I can't return back your feelings..."
"So rejected huh? That's a bit mean don't you think?" He said his smile never leaving his face but I am sure he was hurt.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean--"
"Just kidding, I know you mean well Emma. Tell me does your heart belong to someone else? Who?" He asked his eyes curiously looking into mine.
"N-no...Nothing like that." I said biting my lip. My feelings didn't matter anyway. I wasn't even sure if I am ever going to meet him.
"Roy." He said and smiled.
"How did--I mean why is that?"
"Mmh... Maybe because Roy, told me. He told me he loved his best friend. I promised him that I would steal you from him, I guess, in the end, I couldn't huh?"
"D-did you two know each other?" I asked.
"Yup. We were rivals in our former school. It started with us fighting, we fought until late in the evening, when both of us had gotten tired from being beaten, we sat down together and we became friends. Though we had different goals." He said looking up. "I moved here because of him, we had a fight... and I wanted to reconcile with him. Roy didn't have a choice but to not tell you, or else he would have left the moment he told you... He didn't want to lose you so soon." Caleb went quiet.
I too became quiet taking my ice cream silently. As much as I hated to admit it, Caleb was right, I should've listened to Roy's side...He carried this burden alone... But what could I do now? If only I could see him just once...
"Well, we better get back to school!" Caleb got up and said.
"No way! There is no way, I am sneaking back to school!" I said before racing to the cafe. Maybe, I was beginning to feel a little bit better.
"Hey! My uncle is not so generous to forgive both of us!"
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