Meet Cameron Smith, a charismatic and talented athlete, the captain of the university's basketball team. With an arrogant demeanor driven by his success, he exudes confidence both on and off court. On the other hand, there's Elle Davis, determined t...
I casually glanced in his direction, pretending to be on my phone. I saw him pause for a moment, his gaze lingering on me. My cheeks flushed in bright crimson red. "Sorry! We're late." Olivia exclaimed, trying to catch her breath, "We got stuck in the traffic."
"Yeah, the traffic's horrible today." Grace chimed in.
Relieved that my friends had finally arrived, I turned to face them and smiled. Grace nudged me playfully, pointing discreetly towards Cameron with a mischievous grin over her face. "Elle, Cameron is staring at you." I knew Grace wanted a reaction from me but I tried to act as nonchalant as possible. "Oh, really? I didn't notice." I replied, feigning disinterest. Inside, my heart was doing somersaults. Of course, I had noticed.
"Wouldn't be surprised if he made his way over here any second."
We walked past him and I managed a quick sideway glance and smile. He was surrounded by his friends, as usual, but something felt off. There was no bright smile or mischievous glint in his eyes as he usually had when he saw me. He always made a point to come by and bother me. It had become like a routine, and I secretly enjoyed it.
"Umm, guys! Did you notice that Cameron didn't flirt with Elle today?" Grace exclaimed.
Olivia chimed in. "Yeah, what's up with that? Did something happen between you two?"
I shook my head, trying to brush off the thought that something could be wrong. "No, nothing happened. Maybe he's just busy or preoccupied with something or someone else." We entered and took our seats in the class.
"He's only doing the job for me. Considering my brother told me stay away from him." I shrugged.
"And you're gonna listen?" Olivia asked.
"Or you're gonna go behind your brother's back for your one true love?" Grace teased. I rolled my eyes, and let out a sigh.
"Sir's on leave today, we get a free period." A girl of my class announced.
We headed towards the campus, enjoying the pleasant weather. The sky was filled with clouds and cool breeze swept through the air. It seemed like it was going to rain. Off-seasons rains are the worst. The wind picked up causing the tress to sway and made my hair dance along with it. "Grace, can you click a few pictures of me?" Olivia said, as she handed her phone to Grace.
After spending an hour together, it was time for our next class. Reluctantly, we bid each other goodbye, and I made my way towards my class. As I walked, my eyes caught sight of Cameron again. My heart sank when he walked past me. He completely ignored my presence.
Not only that day but every time I saw Cameron this week, my heart sank a little deeper. It felt like he had perfected the art of ignoring me. Today was no different, I spotted him across the gym, his dark hair tousled, with everything in me, I walked over to him. "Hey, Cam." I called out, my voice was barely audible against the screeching sound of the gym.
"Hey." He replied curtly, his gaze flickering before settling elsewhere. It felt as if icy fingers were slowly wrapping around my heart, squeezing the warmth out of it. I hesitated for a moment, searching for something meaningful to say, but my mind froze in place. "How are you doing?" I asked, my voice quivering.
"Busy." His response came without even a glance in my direction. I tried to catch his gaze, but his eyes remained fixed on some distant point in the room. A voice called him out, I watched helplessly as he brushed past me. I wanted to call him out and demand for an explanation, but my voice failed me. I watched him fade away into the crowd of boys.
I refuse to let his actions define me. No longer would I chase after someone who showed me no regards.
***
That evening.
The day had been long and exhausting, with one assignment after another piled on my head. Hours turned into days, and days into weeks, leaving me little time for anything else. But finally, I had completed the last of my college assignments. A sigh escaped my lips as I closed my laptop and stretched my weary muscles.
I decided it was finally time to reward myself with some much-needed downtime. A brand-new novel had been waiting for me at the library, whose order I placed a week ago. I plugged my phone in the charger and made my way out of the apartment.
The wind greeted me as I stepped outside, twirling my hair and whipping my face. The cool touch of air made my skin tingle. As I walked, the wind grew stronger, howling through the trees and rustling the leaves on the ground. Little droplets started to fall from the sky, and I quickened my pace, hoping to make it to the library before the rain poured over me. But luck was not on my side that day. Just as I reached the halfway mark, the heavens opened up, unleashing a heavy downpour upon me. I cursed under my breath and broke into a run, desperate to seek shelter from the relentless raindrops. I spotted the library and sprinted towards its entrance, hoping to find shelter here. My heart sank as I saw the sign on the door reading, 'Closed for maintenance.' How could this be happening?
I stood there in disbelief. My phone was at my apartment, charging. I was trapped, alone and helpless. The tiny roof covering the library's entrance offered little protection from the rain.
Water trickled down my face, drenching my hair and penetrating through my clothes, causing me shiver uncontrollably. I felt a chill creep into my bones, the cold seeping into every fiber of my being.
With no other choice, I decided to wait until the rain subsided. A deep sigh escaped my lips, echoing with the sound of drops falling on the ground. I closed my eyes leaning against the library wall.
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