The Art of Moving On

1. The Beginning

     I watched as they giggled and whispered to each other. I gripped my pencil in my hand. This had been going on for weeks now, and it felt like I was invisible. They were always together. To make things worse, one of the two people was my best friend, and the other was someone I liked. Forget about my crush. My own best friend was too busy for me because she would always be with him. Was I not as important as I used to be? Did I do something wrong? As much as I wanted to hate my crush, I couldn't.

     He was everything someone could ask for. Then there was me. I'm not a social butterfly like him, nor am I pretty like my best friend. In a way, they were meant for each other. But I couldn't help but be selfish. It's typical for me to put others before myself but in this case, I didn't want to. I wanted to have someone to love. And I wanted to be loved by someone. I wanted that someone to be him. It wasn't a surprise that my heart cracked when I heard the two were dating. I was snapped out of my thoughts when a hand waved in front of my face.

     "Hello, Eliza?" I looked up to see Joy's hand intertwined with his.

     "I've been trying to get your attention for the last minute. Anyways class has finished. Joshua and I are going to the cafeteria. Are you coming with us?" She questioned. I just nodded. She gave me a heartwarming smile and left with Joshua. I felt my heart squeeze. I wanted to be happy for them, but that's hard when your best friend is dating the person you like.

     I pushed past a sea of students and made my way to the cafeteria. I was planning on going unnoticed by everyone, but my plan failed.

     "Eliza! Over here," Joy yelled as she waved her hand. I let out a sigh and made my way over to the group of people she was sitting with. And of course, both Joy and Joshua were sitting in front of me. I could never catch a break. I picked up my sandwich and brought it to my lips. Just as I was about to take a bite, I saw Joshua kiss Joy's cheek. The two blushed like middle schoolers who confessed their love to each other. My appetite was already gone and I wanted to leave.

     Was I jealous? Yes, I was jealous. But jealousy wasn't the only thing I felt. I felt slightly guilty. Guilty for liking my best friend's boyfriend. I genuinely wanted these feelings to fade, especially when news of the two dating broke out. But it's not that easy. It's like wanting a bite from a forbidden fruit. Or wanting a happy ending in someone else's story. I had already left the cafeteria when lunch was over. On my way to class, it suddenly started to rain. The silent halls were now filled with the pit-pat of the rain hitting the roof. I came to a halt when I heard someone yell my name.

     "Eliza," I turned around to see Joshua jogging towards me, "Hey, are you okay? You seem a little out of it today. Joy and I are worried for you."

     I smiled at his words, "I'm fine. I'm just tired." With that, we both parted our ways. He cares for me. Maybe, just maybe, could he ever harbor feelings for me too? A small part of me knew it was wrong to think that way but I couldn't help it. I was knowingly holding onto a thin string of hope even though I knew I wouldn't have a chance. 

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That's it for chapter 1! Do you guys like it so far and what do you think will happen next?

- PlanetAtom