The chalk screeched on the blackboard, as the math professor scribbled on it, solving one of the doubts of class prodigy.
He wasn't that prodigy. Heck, he was not even somewhat intelligent. He belonged to the kind which celebrates even passing mathematics.
Suffice to say, he hated maths, more than anything he hated in his entire life, which as a seventh grader, was being grounded before maths entered his life.
And there she was, the prodigy itself.
Sitting on the first bench, asking questions, unaware of the stares boring into her, some jealous, some simply annoyed at her asking the question right before the ringing of bell.
He was also staring at her. Though not out of annoyance or jealousy.
But because of a simple crush that began blooming in the fourth grade.
Back when she was happy, and full of life. Back when she would chatter about anything to anyone, her hands would be busy animating the random thing that would just pop in her mind. Back when her eyes used to twinkle, and back when she'd proudly show her pigtails to the entire class.
'Hey pigtail, what's special today?!'
The class would ask the moment she would enter the class. And as always, she would jump in excitement.
'It's Peppa pig hairclips today!'
It became a sort of routine. He would watch her from afar. Waiting patiently for her, wondering what cartoon character would she wear today. His little cheeks turning red whenever she'd look in his direction or wear F1 car hairclips, which were his favourite till now.
He wanted to be like her. To be that confident. He wanted to be the first one to compliment her. The first one to say 'stupid children' at those who didn't like that day's theme.
But things changed.
The once cheerful girl transformed into a gloomy mess. No longer were there any dramatic entries, nor were there any shine in those eyes. Most importantly, no longer were present those pigtails and hairclips, and in place of them, came an oversized hoodie cap.
The class forgot about her pretty quickly and moved on to a new drama. But, he stayed.
He would observe her, wondering what could have gone wrong. Did someone say something mean to her? Because if that's the case, then he'd love to punch that idiot, not that he had any experience though. Did she not like hairs anymore? But that didn't explain the hoodie.
So many questions were eagered to be asked, if only he had some courage. He'd practice in the mirror for hours, scripting all the possible ways he could say hello, but when present in the class, his braveness would simply deflate. The most he was able to achieve was to wave at her, when she wasn't even looking.
So, he accepted. He was not worthy of her. She needed someone strong, who'd buy her all the hairclips and whatever she wanted, someone who would match the confidence level of her fourth grade self, someone who'd ask her all the questions he couldn't and someone who could actually punch that mean person who made her change, if there exist any.
And then came the devastating news that got him his first heartbreak.
She was moving to a different state.
He felt numb. His pigtail was going away. At first he cursed at himself, for wasting so much time when he could have just talk to her, but even cursing didn't help his aching heart.
So, he decided to atleast give her something. A drawing, to be precise, that he drew back when they were kids and he fell in love. It was nothing fancy, just a badly drawn girl with extremely big pigtails, and a box like shape on her head, which to him at that time resembled F1 car.
The present was nothing, but it meant a world to him.
When the last day came, in the first period only, he nervously walked to her locker, and quickly slided the drawing before anyone could see him.
For the entire day, he kept glancing at her. He knew it was just a wishful thinking, and she would not even recognise the drawing as he had not even left a note, or worse, she'd think of it as a prank.
The final bell rang, and so did his heart with agony.
She was gone. Just like that.
He slowly walked to his locker, feeling dejected, as if his entire world ended.
He opened his locker, and something fell from it on the floor.
An envelope.
His heartbeat changed its speed, as he picked up the envelope. Little did he knew that it was the envelope that would made him believe in love once again.
Inside the envelope was a F1 car hairclip with a handwritten note saying:
Thank you. :)
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