US

First

The Other Side of Love
by: Mr.Mr.

"Love comes in unexpected packages"

I met this guy on our first day of school. When I was walking along the corridor of the school, suddenly someone bumped on me. He picked up my things and gave it back to me and I said thank you without looking on his face. I only heard his voice when he said. "I'm sorry, Miss!"
I was in a hurry that time because I'm looking for my friends. When my friends saw me approaching, they were so very excited seeing me.
"Hey, have you seen him?" North asked.
"The new guy here in our school?" East added.
"He is very cute and handsome." South said with a big, big, smile on her face.
I never mind what they said to me, I just smiled at them and sit on the bench and started reading my notes.
"Hey, are you okay? Is there something bothering you?" West asked me.
I refused to answer her question. Instead, I focused myself reading my notes. My friends always told me that I'm so weird because I can't get along with them. While they are having a conversation, I'm on the other side reading books, looking in the distance, watching people who are roaming around. Yeah, I was that kind of a weird person but weird persons are easy to be with. Since, the day that I became an orphan I'm always alone. I want to be alone. Being alone makes me comfortable. Then, a couple came in the orphanage and they took me outside the box of darkness. They loved and treated me as their own child. They give their everything to me. My friends and my new family showed me how wonderful and meaningful the world is.
On the next day of our class, I've heard some rumors about the new guy in our school. There's a lot of girls who is secretly admiring him. I ignored this news 'Who is this stranger?' I asked myself.
I saw a lot of girls in the entrance of the gymnasium. We have our Physical Education that time. Wearing my P.E uniform, I sat down first in the bottom part of the stage, fixing my shoe lace. A guy who is wearing his jersey shirt came. The girls who are waiting outside the gymnasium are shouting, they are shouting because of joy or maybe when the stranger show his charisma to the public. 'Oh, my gosh! He's not so handsome either cute as what they say.'I murmured to myself. Then I saw my friend approaching towards me.
"Hey, there you are." East said while catching her breath.
"We came here earlier then we looked for you. Where have you been?" North asked me.
I smiled at them. My heart felt so grateful that I have friends like them. "I came here just right now. I thought that we have to meet here as you texted me last night,North?."I explained.
After the explanation as usual we hug each other, then we laughed. We used the exit to avoid the crowd who made by this stranger. East grabbed my hand to make me turned back to the direction of the guy.
"He is looking at you!" with a sound of excitement on her lips.
"So?" I said. Then I started to walk without turning back. We reached the canteen in the middle part of the school. We ordered junk foods and a liter of soft drinks. In our favorite table we dine in our food. Everywhere I go I always hear stories about this guy. It's so weird. I felt something mysterious about this man. 'Have we met before? Maybe in our dreams.' I smiled to myself.
We finished our food in a couple of minutes, then we went to the track and field ground. Our instructor was already there, waiting for us.
"Here they are, the weird girl group of this campus." One our classmates said. They always bully us not because of my friends it's because of me. The weird girl of the campus. Who always wear an eye glasses, with a book on her arms and sometimes they called me 'The weird genius' even when I'm walking alone they are murmuring at my back. When I turned back at them they were laughing. I ran and cried like a child who was abandoned by her parents.
"Hey, weird genius, are you sure that you want to join in track and field. My gosh, back off!" Praia told me.
I want to join in this contest so I will give my best and show them that this weird is really a genius. A genius who will make them eat dust. I will win this contest today. Yes, I will. I took my eye glasses away. There's a lot of students watching us. My friends cheered me up to make me stronger and they are giving me a chance to prove myself to everyone who I really am. When we heard the gunshot as a signal for us to run, without any doubt I run as fast as I could. As I reached the finish line, I saw him, standing near my friends. I win the contest. My friend is so very proud of me, the others congratulated me. Our teacher is very proud of me.
"You're such a genius. Keep up the good work. You will be competing for our school pride. Thank you, weird genius. Good luck!" with a smile on his face. We were shouting for joy. I feel like floating in the air, flying together with the birds reaching and hopping on a wide blue skies. I feel like I'm at the center of the universe.
One day, when North and I went to library to study our lessons, a guy is sitting at the other side of the long table while we are sitting near the window. North told me that the guy that I hated most is on the other side of the table. When I turned into his direction I caught him watching us. My heart beats fast. Then I asked North if we can go out. I can't handle this feeling that I have right now. We went to Powder room. There I confessed my feelings to my friend North. She laughed at me.
"That's what you call love." North said with a naughty smile.
"No! Oh my, so you mean I'm in love?" confusing. She didn't reply instead she laughed like there is no tomorrow. Then we went back to the library. I'm very thankful that he is not around. We finished reading our notes when we plan to eat our lunch in a restaurant.
On the next day, when I was taking my things in my locker, someone pull my things so it fell down. It's Praia my great competitor.
"Be aware of this weird genius. Weird! Weird!" she yelled at me. When she tried to slap me, I heard a voice from my back. Yes, the first strange voice that I've heard at first day of the class.
"Please, leave her alone! "He said. Then Praia and her friends went away.
"Are you okay? "He asked me. When he walked towards me I felt nothing but a question on my mind formed 'Why? Why is he here?'.
He smiled at me, then he grab my hand without asking any permission.
"Do I know you? Please don't do this!" I protests. But he walks with his hands holding my arms like he didn't hear anything from me. He holds my arms tightly.
"Hey, Mister..Mister...Please let go of me!"I plead to him. We reach the beautiful garden of the school. A long silence occurred between the two of us. I'm afraid to ask something about him.
A minute then an hour passed by but we didn't talk. I look at him. I feel comfortable when I'm beside on him. I broke the silence.
"I need to go. My friends are looking for me. Thank you for everything". He looked in my eyes. I saw something hidden on it.
"I have to go." I told him again. Then I started to walking when he speak.
"Hey,genius!May I know your name?" He asked.
"You said it already.Genius is my name.We..ird..gen..ius!That's what they call me." I made three steps when he speak again. He speaks while walking towards me.
"No, it's not your name.What is your real name? May I know it? Please!" He begged.
"Okay, I'm Zachary Scott. Just call me Zach. And you are?" His quetioning me again but I'm afraid to tell him.May be wants to make friends with me but if he gets my trust he will just leave me behind.
"I'm sorry!Not now!." Then I run away from him. I found my friends in the corridor looking for me. They asked me where I have been. I told them that I was in the Powder room.
Next morning, I saw Zach at the entrance gate of the school. I think he is waiting someone. I walked as fast as I could without looking at him. I refused to look at him. But he walks along with me.
"Why do you always treat me like this? I want to be friends with you!" he said.
I stopped walking. "You want to be friends with me?" He nodded.
I told him to leave me alone. Making friends with me isn't worth it.
"There's nothing wrong with you! Even they call you weird, I believe in you. You're different. I don't know why I'd like you so much. Maybe I'm also weird. Weird because I fell in love with you. That's what my heart said. Do I need to prove it to the thousand people here?"
There is no word that comes out of my mouth. I'm speechless. The time stopped when I heard those words from the strange guy that I always refuse to see. I feel like we own the world. When the wind blows, the time turned into reality. A lot of students watching and surrounds us. Zach grabbed my arms again and led me to the garden. He said sorry for what he confessed a while ago. I felt sorry for him. I can't repay the love that his asking from me even though my heart felt the same for him. Suddenly the sky turned in dark, the wind blows harder and the rain started to fall. I ask Zach to go back to the classroom but he stood still until the rain pour. Instead of running away I stay beside him. I grab his arms. I feel the gravity on it. We look to each other then we laugh. We are like a child playing under the rain.
"I'm Zoe! Nice meeting you, Zach!" I said to him. That was the day that we are officially friends.
Everyday Zach,my friends and I went to school together. We spend much time chatting, doing school works, and sometimes Zach talk to me privately. He changed me into a blooming cherry blossom. I didn't wear big eye glasses anymore but I have always a book in my hands that Zach always lifted it for me. He is always there for me. He makes me laugh and we shared all our secrets to each other.
One day I asked him why he likes me. He said because of the real me. He likes a person who is dedicated, honest, and true to herself.
"Of course, I like you, just the way you are. I won't give up until you give your love to me." He courted me for two years and then we became an official couple. He showed me everything about the other side of love.
Years passed by Zach and I attend our grand reunion in college. Straight from the airport my husband Zach and I went to the party. In our favorite place in the school, the garden. Zach and I still remembered the time that we spent with each other here. He grab my hands.
"What a beautiful memories we shared here, my love!" I smiled at him.
"Yes, beautiful memories having you by my side, my love!" until someone hugged us from our back. It is our two children, Zackary Jr. and Zoueie, our daughter. Zach and I returned to the school recalling our past but memorable memories.