Crushing On The Enemy

20- distance

Nathan's POV

Closing the door to the apartment, I'm startled to see Mom standing with her arms crossed, smiling sheepishly.

"Oh, hey Mom," I greet her, walking over to plant a kiss on her cheek. "When did you get back?"

"Not too long ago, son," she replies, her eyes twinkling. "But long enough to witness what happened at the bakery." She winks playfully.

"You were watching us?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "That's creepy, Mom." I shake my head, chuckling.

I walk to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water, and she follows.

"Creepy? No, my love. That was the most romantic thing I've ever seen," she says. "It's been so long since I've seen you smile like that, Nathan. It truly warmed my heart."

"Oh, Mom, I smile all the time," I reply, downing the water. With a heavy sigh, I place the glass back in the cabinet and turn to face her fully.

"Our presentation went really well, and we just thought to celebrate with some delicious cupcakes, that's all," I explain, hoping to steer her away from any further speculation.

"I think you like her, son," Mom says softly. "You're just being tough about it."

"No, Mom, I don't like her. She's cool, but that's it. Please, let's end this conversation here. I've told you not to talk about things like this with me—love, crushes, girls, dating, all that crap. Leave me out of it," I state, my voice edged with anger.

"But, son—" Mom starts, but I cut her off.

"Mom, please. Let's just leave things the way they are," I say, before heading to my room.

Back in my room, I throw myself on the bed, Mom's words echoing in my mind. Liking Soraya had to be impossible. I couldn't possibly like her. But then, why did I feel so giddy around her? Why did all my problems seem to vanish when she was near?

Was I starting to like Soraya?

There's only one way to stop this from happening, I think, staring at the ceiling.

I have to completely stay away from her.

~~~

The loud noise from my alarm jolts me awake. Groaning, I roll out of bed and walk towards the bathroom, the pain in my leg intensifies with each step.

I thought I was getting better.

I can't miss the basketball game today. I can't let that loser think he beat me. Gritting my teeth, I push through the pain and get dressed for school, making sure to mask any signs of discomfort. If Mom notices anything, she won't let me go. I head downstairs, the smell of breakfast wafting through the air.

"Good morning, love," Mom greets, enveloping me in a warm hug.

"Good morning, Mom. How are you today?" I ask, trying to sound cheerful as I sit down to eat.

"I'm good, son. How about you? And how's your leg?" she asks, her eyes narrowing with concern.

"Oh, it's better now, Mom. I can hardly feel any pain," I lie casually, forcing a smile.

Her face lights up. "That's great, son. But please, be more careful next time," she adds, patting my shoulder.

"I will, Mom," I assure her.

"I'll drop you at school today, so finish up so we can leave," she says, bustling around the kitchen. I nod, and after a few minutes, we hit the road. I arrive at school much earlier than usual because Mom has a board meeting to attend.