billet doux

u n e / u n o

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀a u g u s t⠀o f⠀t h e⠀y e a r⠀2 0 0 0

⠀" i'm eve and this is my sister eloise. " eve introduces the both of us with pure ease as i hid myself behind her taller frame. she has always been like that. she did everything effortlessly whilst i, on the other hand had to try. i try hard, too hard.

⠀like every other person we ever met, i expected the boy in front of us to introduce himself and not spare a single glance for me. but no, his chocolate-colored eyes flickers over to meet mine and offers me a smile. i may have completely forgotten how to breathe, my grip on eve's hand tightens and i try to fight the blush that was making it's way onto my pale cheeks. with his eyes still trailed on mine and a smile still gracing his lips, he opens his mouth and introduces himself. " i'm james. "

" do you play? " eve asks, gesturing at the ball tucked under james' arm.

his smile extends as he nods his head, " yeah, do you? "

" of course, let's? "

" yeah, come on. " eve immediately follows after him to the park while i stood frozen on my spot not knowing what to do. she eventually notices that i wasn't trailing along, " el, you coming? "

" i - i don't . . . " my eyes desperately search my surroundings, trying to find an excuse. i didn't know how to play football but i didn't want to look like a complete loser.

" is she okay? " the brown-haired boy asks, coming up behind eve.

please don't tell him i can't play, eve. please don't.

" eloise doesn't play. "

⠀my stomach immediately drops, i felt humiliated. my gaze fixates on my worn-out sneakers as if it's the most interesting thing ever. " you can watch from the benches if you wanna. " eve suggested, and so i did as she said. i walk over the nearest bench which was next to an oak. the tree thankfully, provided me shade from the blazing sun while james, eve and a few other kids soaked under it in a game of football. it was about half past one in the afternoon when the other boys started to head home until eve and james were the only ones left playing.

" eloise! " i heard eve call, i look up from the daisies i had plucked out from the bush nearby earlier. " you ready to go home? " she asked, peering at me weird her hand shielding her eyes from the sunlight.

⠀nodding, i lift myself up from the wooden park bench and stalk over to the two, daisies in hand. ever since eve started playing football, i'd give her a different flower after each game she plays a real one or not as a way of saying that she did a great job and i was proud of her so i thrust out the daisies in front of her which she took with a grateful smile.

" does james get one too? " eve inquires, smiling. i knew what she was doing, she was trying to get me to befriend the colombian boy. in the moment, i had that weird feeling again, the one i felt when james smiled at me for the first time.

⠀a blush immediately taints my cheeks, " y-yeah, i just . . . " i cut myself off and run back to the bush i plucked the daisies from. i picked three and walked back to the two and with shaky finger and all the confidence i could muster i handed the flowers to the brown-haired boy. i watched as the corners of his lips twitch upward until they formed a full-blown smile, " gracias, eloise. "

⠀that night as i lay in bed i couldn't help but smile to myself. i actually managed to do something only eve could.

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/⠀a u t h o r ' s⠀n o t e⠀/
what's ur favorite episode of dora the explorer?