Unreciprocated Feelings Between Me And You

chapter | o n e

one | doorbells and meetings

THERE'S A SMALL frown on my lips as I move around my room and collect my school things. Tomorrow is the start of my new school year and my mother has been bugging me to prepare what has to be prepared. Since I'm not looking forward to returning to the institute, I've delayed my mother's order and have only gotten around it today.

When I hear my best friend cough, I face the screen of my laptop and send her a sympathetic smile. "I hope you get well soon," I tell her.

She rolls her eyes at me and nuzzles her blanket even more. "I don't. I don't wanna go to school."

I can't help but let out a soft chuckle at that. Typical Gwendalyn, I think to myself.

"I don't wanna go to school too," I say as I tiredly look at my scattered things.

When I return my gaze on her, Gwendalyn only gives me an uninterested shrug. "Sucks to be you."

I turn my back on her and begin arranging my books based on their genre. The school books will be placed on my desk while the rest will be intricately positioned on my bookshelf. "You know, you could show a little bit more enthusiasm while talking to me."

"I'm sick!" she lazily exclaims. "What do you want from me?"

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you're just pretending so that you couldn't attend school tomorrow."

"I'd say you wound me with your accusations but I really could care less about what you think."

I smirk as I look at her. "Gwendalyn, it's 'couldn't care less'."

"I said it's right so deal with it. Grammar mistakes really is your pet peeve, isn't it?"

"I'd like to think that with our four years of friendship, you'd had known that by now," I tell her with a roll of my eyes.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't."

I just ignore what she said because I'm already used to her stubborn behavior. I simply cross my arms and study how Gwendalyn looks from the screen. She is completely enveloped by her blanket and her face looks pale. Her eyelids are also droopy, her nose is runny, and her hair is sticking to her face and neck. She looks worse than she did yesterday.

"You look like a mess," I state.

"No shit."

"Really, Gwendalyn? Really?" I give her a pointed look. I don't curse and I don't like hearing it. Normally, I try to stop people from spitting out profanities but I'm accustomed to Gwendalyn doing it. You couldn't stop the girl even if you tried.

She just rolls her eyes at me before releasing a sigh. "If you don't wanna hear me swear then don't say stuff that will make me."

"Look, all I'm trying to do is end this call," I admit. "You do look like a big mess. I think it's best if I give you time to rest. It's already bad enough that you'll miss the first day of school; I don't want you to miss out on a whole week. Okay?"

"You sound like a mom."

I ignore her. "Okay?"

She yields by nodding her head and closing her eyes. "Okay. Good luck with whatever the hell you're doing."

That put a smile on my face. "Thanks, Gwendalyn. Get well soon."

And with that, she ends our call. I turn on my speaker and blast Oh, Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison to get me in a pumped mood as I return to my organizing duties. There's nothing like doing something boring in a happy mood.