The Love That Could Have Been

5

"Sky! Sky!"

I heard a boy shout from a distance. I don't know where it was coming from. But that voice. It sounds so familiar. Caelum?

I've known him in school. He's my classmate but we're not that much of friends. He's an academic achiever—an epitome of diligence and academic prowess. The golden boy of the class. Sometimes, I felt the urge to approach and befriend him in class but I feared he wouldn't want to. He seems to be quite intimidating sometimes. But why is he calling my name now? Did I do something?

I tried to track the source of the voice in the hopes of seeing him but everything was dark and I couldn't seem to move my body. That's when I started to feel it. Water. I am underwater.

How did I end up here? The last thing I remember doing was walking by the banks of the Orion River. The scenery there is adorned with tall trees, blooming flowers, majestic mountains from afar, and the warm glow of the sun shining over the river—a perfect place for solitude and reflection. That's why I would often take a stroll there whenever I needed a breather.

Water . . . River . . . Stroll . . .

That's when everything made sense in my head.

The walk on the riverbank. The rock I stepped on that made me lose my balance. The splash of water as I plunged into the depths of the Orion River.

I tried opening my eyes but all I saw were blurred shades of blue. As everything dawned on me, panic set in. I stroked my arms, attempting to reach the surface when a sudden jolt of pain seized my right leg, rendering it useless. Leg cramp. I'm having a leg cramp.

Struggling to keep afloat, my lungs screamed for air. I feel suffocated. Every gasp felt like an eternity, a desperate plea for rescue.

Someone! Help me, please!

Before my vision completely went black, I felt a grip on my arms and saw a figure of someone clinging to me, trying to pull my body back to the surface. It was a guy. I can't quite make up his facial features because of my blurred vision. But whoever he is, I thank him for saving my life.

—     —     —

"C'mon! C'mon! Sky! Sky!"

The next thing I knew, I was spitting water from my mouth as I sat down on the cold grass of the riverbank. I could feel someone's hand patting my back.

"Easy there," the guy said. "Easy, you're safe now, Sky."

That voice. I thought I just misheard it earlier. I looked up to verify my intuitions and there it was, I was looking into the eyes of our class' golden boy—the Caelum Aiden Araceli.

For a reason I can't particularly point out, I felt blood filling my cheeks. The wetness of his dark brown hair added a sense of sexiness as it was brushed back because of the water, exposing his perfect facial features. His moon-gray eyes were staring right into my sky-blue ones, penetrating my soul.

I felt something in my stomach. Butterflies? What the heck?

I cannot. I should not. We're both guys.

I shook my head and cleared my throat. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" he asked, returning my question.

"I was just taking a walk," I said as I stood up. He subtly wrapped his arms around my shoulders as if supporting me. His touch sent a shiver across my body. I don't know if it was really because of his touch or just because of the coldness of the water from the river. "I accidentally stepped on a rock and lost my balance. I'm sorry."