secret admirer. 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

06💌 rainy confession

The process is simple; I arrive in school early, get the notebook from Noah's desk pocket, write in the notebook and then Noah finds it later and writes in it too. Sometimes we even write several times in a day, but at those times we do it during the school breaks.

Noah, shockfully and thankfully, decided to respect the fact that I want to stay hidden and hasn't made any attempts to find out who I am — from what I know. It's been a week since we first started "talking" and the anxiousness has slowly disappeared. Talking to him is easier than I thought it would be. When I'm not looking at him that is.

I pack away my clothes and fix my tennis skirt. Tennis has thankfully been pretty calm too. Well as calm as it can be. Bianca may actually be thinking of leaving me alone. Hopefully...

I walk over to my usual spot, Noah already standing on the other end as he throws the green ball up into the air and then catches it again with ease.

We start immediately, the ball already crossing from him to me.

"Urm, Noah," his eyes quickly flicker to my face and then the ball that is up in the air again, "why are you here? Like in the tennis club I mean. You don't seem to be failing P.E."

"Yeah I thought that too but it seems we were both wrong." He grabs the ball with his hand once it goes over to his side again. "There are some parts I'm lacking at so now I have to do this."

"Ohh, okay." I nod.

"By the way, how do you manage to speak and play at the same time?" He chuckles in awe. I look down at the ball in his hand.

"Huh? Well... I don't know, I used to play tennis when I was younger. That could be it?"

Noah is about to say something back when a droplet of rain hits the ground. And then another.... And then another. And soon, it's a full on downpour. Bianca throws her tennis rack on the ground and stomps away. She's never been very fond of the rain. I hold in a chuckle. Some things never change.

I notice Noah's eyes on me and blink. Two times.

It must be clear that I'm confused since suddenly Noah starts laughing.

"It's nothing, don't worry," he says.

I blink away the confusion and purse my lips. "Well... should we continue or?"

Noah looks up, squinting his eyes a bit.

"We could just wait for the rain to calm down — seems dangerous to play like this, we've got one hour and a half left of the lesson so I doubt we can go home now.

I nod. "Yeah, only Bianca can do that."

Okay, why did I say that? That could have stayed as a thought? Do I look strange now after having said that? I bite my lip and point to one of the benches hidden in a corner. "Let's rest over there."

I rest my cold fingers under my thighs with hopes of them warming them up. The field is empty as most kids are sitting at a bench like us and waiting for the rain to let down while some others went home.

"Do you have anyone you like?"

Huh?

Noah's voice snaps me out of my trance as he breaks the silence.

"Wha— what?! Urm, I, eh..."

Noah chuckles softly. "Sorry, that was a bit too forward wasn't it?" He twirls his tennis racket on the floor, from one side to another, leaving small marks. "There's someone I'm interested in, even though I don't really know her." He smiles to himself. "Strange isn't it?"

I don't know — maybe it's the humid warmth of the air, or the coolness of the small droplets, or maybe even the soft silence with only the water droplets pitter pattering in my ear — but either way, Noah's voice is the only thing I can focus on. As if it were the only thing I need to hear.

I hold in a gasp and look away.

"It's not strange."

My eyes travel down to my feet, the white sports shoes slightly brown and muddy. White wasn't really the best choice.

Noah shifts on his seat. His tennis rack not twirling on the ground anymore. I peek over to his side.

"I'm interested in her but I don't know how to get close to her." He sighs inwardly. "I wish I did."