I Love You

Chapter Six

Italian

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The school day drags on and I find that I want nothing more than to go home. By the time lunch finally rolls around, I am feeling much lonelier than usual. Part of me believes that Kazuki and I are still meeting for lunch. However I find him sitting with his other friends as I go to meet him.

He doesn't see me. With a heavy heart, I sigh and make my way to the field.

I sit right at the back, with my back pressed to the fence and my knees brought to my chest. Suddenly I have lost my appetite. Grasping a book from my bag, I try to immerse myself within it. As I continue to read, I can feel several stares on me. Some people point, some whisper, some giggle.

When I finally raise my head, I see a group of girls whispering to one another. A girl with striking ginger hair turns to glance at me, before whispering to her friends once more. They laugh loudly.

"Isn't she usually with Kazuki?" A boy asks his friend, before kicking a football towards another friend of his. The boy he was talking to shrugs, stopping the ball with his feet, before continuing to kick it towards their makeshift goal. "Do you think something happened between the two of them? Maybe I should talk to her."

"Just leave her as she is." His friend responds. The boy glances at me once more, before shrugging and running off to join his friend. My gaze drops once more and I return to my book. I do not notice the threatening clouds gathering overhead.

My ears tune in to yet another conversation. This time it is between the ginger-haired girl and a friend of hers. The friend has dark hair, tied up in a very neat ponytail, and bright eyes.

"She's the one that usually hangs out with that guy you like. Kazuki, right?" The ginger-haired says, a smile spreading across her face. She looks at her friends with a sparkle in her eyes. But it is not a sparkle that I like the look of. "I thought they were going out, but something has obviously happened. This could be your chance!"

The other girl shakes her head, raising her hands and shaking them along with her head. A crimson seeps across her cheeks. So she does like him. "I'd never be able to beat her. She's been friends with Kazuki for ages, so they're super close. That already makes her hard enough to compete with." I chew on my lower lip, suddenly feeling jealous. I had never bothered to consider that other people may have feelings for my best friend. "Also, she's rather pretty. I bet Kazuki likes her."

"I doubt it." The first girl responds, before she whispers something else. A moment later, her body is turned towards me. My gaze drops once more as she begins to stride towards me, her head held high. My cheeks flame up and my palms sweat. I am not used to talking to people other than Kazuki. A pair of expensive looking shoes come into my vision and I look up once more.

"Can I help you?" It takes everything I have to stop my voice from stuttering. Usually I would try to force a smile, but I cannot bring myself to do so. Instead, I stare up at her with blank eyes and my lips pressed into a straight line.

"You're friends with Kazuki, right?" Her voice is suddenly laced with kindness that is sickly sweet. Her voice lacked this before she came over to me. Part of me wants to laugh at how fake she has become, but I refrain from doing so. I nod in response, unable to speak. "Would you happen to know if he's seeing anyone?"

"Not that I know of. Your friend over there should make a move if she likes him." I say, before dropping my eyes once more. The pair of shoes linger for a moment longer, before they turn around and walk away from me. I hear a squeal, before the two friends walk away.