One of Many Firsts

Chapter 5: A Mistake

As the school bell echoed through the corridor, signalling the end of the test, a girl with a long, silky black ponytail stood up from her seat and walked towards her bag at the front of the classroom. Exuding an air of confidence, she walked with an effortless grace. Her strides were purposeful yet light, as if she were gliding, leaving a trail of admirers in her wake. Even though she wore the same cornflower blue pinafore as every other girl, there was something different about the way she carried it, allowing it to accentuate her slender frame adorned with a touch of elegance.

As she reached for her bag, she bent down to pick it up, causing her obsidian tresses to cascade down from her back like a midnight waterfall, mesmerising those who caught sight of it. Her black hair brushed gently against her face, contrasting beautifully against her fair complexion that glowed with a natural radiance. As she stood up, a sweet smile adorned her rosy lips, revealing a set of perfectly aligned teeth, glad that the test was over. Her eyes glistened brightly, reflecting her quiet confidence, enhancing her unstated beauty.

It was as if she was perfect; immune to making mistakes.

Her almond-shaped eyes, a piercing shade of pearl black, sparkled with a confident glint as she gazed ahead. She was greeted by a sight that caused her heart to sink – Elias and Emberlynn talking to each other.

Her lustrous ponytail, usually a symbol of her confidence, now felt like a weight upon her shoulders. Despite her confident exterior, the girl's heart was heavy with insecurity. She felt knots in her stomach. She could not shake off the fear that her crush might be stolen by her former best friend. It was a thought that plagued her every moment for the past few days, casting a shadow over her otherwise bright and cheerful disposition since the pair were assigned to work on their Social Studies project together.

As she walked out of the classroom, she tried acting nonchalant about what the duo were doing but she could not help but steal glances at them, harbouring thoughts of eavesdropping on them. Changing her mind, she quickened her pace, hoping to escape the suffocating feeling of jealousy and self-doubt that threatened to overwhelm her. Despite the envy gnawing at her insides, she tried to keep up her confident facade, hoping no one would see the turmoil brewing beneath the surface.

With every step she took, her feet felt heavy, as if burdened by the weight of her hidden emotions. She tried to maintain her composure, but her uncertain steps revealed the inner turbulence she felt. Upon reaching the staircase, she stole one last glance at the pair before proceeding to walk down the staircase, that seemed to stretch before her, an obstacle course of doubts and fears that she had to navigate alone.

"Georgina! Wait up!" came the familiar sounding voice, one that I used to look forward to hearing. Doing the exact opposite, I quickened my pace, hoping that she would get the message and leave me alone. But I knew her unyielding personality would never allow her to give up that easily. Even after my brusque reply to her last Thursday, she was completely unfazed. She tried talking to me, apologising to me, sending me text messages over the weekend; all of which I paid no heed to but that did not stop her.

In my heart of hearts, I wanted to accept her apology and go back to our usual merry ways. Yet, upon learning that she was assigned to work with him and seeing them working together, my jealously and insecurity got the better of me. Probably a mistake that I should not be making.

Emberlynn ran and appeared in front of me. "Hey, listen. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what happened the other day, but I need to tell you about Elias. He's a total jerk and scumbag. Let me tell you what happened," she said while trying to catch her breath.

Upon hearing her badmouth Elias, a surge of rage coursed through my veins, causing me to want to scream at her but I suppressed that, and just snapped, "If he was such a jerk and scumbag, why did it look like you two were having so much fun playing musical chairs, blushing and whispering of sweet nothings! If anything, you two would likely have a whale of a time during the presentation later!"