Surrounding Stories (Collection)

Simplicity in its Own

You forgive me for liking you too much,
And I'll forgive you for not liking me enough.

You forgive me for missing you so,
And I'll forgive you for being so cold.

You forgive me for the loud racing of my heart,
And I'll forgive you for not hearing it.

You forgive me for finding you so attractive,
And I'll forgive you for not noticing.

You forgive me for wanting to be with you,
And I'll forgive you for avoiding me.

You forgive me for having hopes and dreams,
And I'll forgive you for crushing them.

________________

The cold wind brushed against my cheeks. It had been raining for who knows how long as I stood here in the middle of the wooden bridge above the crystal clear lake of Central Park, Virginia. I knew that if I stayed a bit longer, I would become an ice block but I did not care.

I had to wait and fulfill my promise. I had to prove myself. I had to regain my lost position in the eyes of my family and friends. I had to stand in this freezing cold and wait for her arrival. I had to tell her how sorry I was, how much I regretted my attitude, behavior and most of all my ignorance. I felt very bad for what I had done, how I had treated her, for all of it.

As I thought about the past events, my eyes welled up and the dam which I thought had dried up started its flow with the same speed and strength. It was so cold that I feared my tears would freeze in the attempt of flowing from my eyes to my chin. I glanced at my wristwatch. The same watch she had given me on my last birthday two months ago. The same day after a month when her heart shattered into pieces as those harsh words left my mouth like a trained archer firing a flaming arrow from a bow.

I tried to brush those thoughts away but my mind kept bringing them back. It was Friday, last day before the Winter Break. Everyone was busy gathering their stuff and chatting about their plans. I was dumping my stuff from my locker into my bag when I heard a girl clear her throat behind me. I was already pissed off due to a fight with my best friend so I irritably turned around and accidentally-on-purpose bumped into her, making her books and stuff scatter on the floor.

"WHAT?" I barked instead of an apology.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she bent down to pick up her things. I rolled my eyes and started tapping my foot against the floor.

"Um, hi", she greeted. I again rolled my eyes.

"You see, I was making a mechanical project over the break so I was wondering if um... you I mean um... we could work on it together. You see, its kind of like your subject so um..." she asked very politely when I cut her off with a very unpleasant snort.

"Me, work with you? Seriously? You want me to be the laughing stock of the school after the break! You want the headlines stating 'Austin working with the dweeb'? Stop living in your pretty yet ugly little fantasies and get the hell out of here before something else slips my mouth Miss ANNABELL-AA", I growled extending the 'A' in her name on purpose to irritate her.

That's when the dam did break loose in the present and the past. Her eyes reddened.

"Firstly, its Annabelle not Annabella. Secondly, I never knew working with me would make you a laughing stock-"

"The laughing stock", I corrected.

"Thirdly, sorry for some intention which wasn't even mine," she said and turned to walk away.