Involved

three

isabelle langa

The school campus had a hidden spot in the garden that not only had amazing flowers and cherry blossoms, but was also extremely quiet. I found it on accident after being late for one of my classes and was having a hard time navigating campus. It quickly became my spot on campus that I settled to read and get work done.

Today the weather was beautiful so I found myself situated at a picnic table brushing over notes from class. I had my earbuds in my ears and was so focused on what was right in front of me that I hadn't even noticed someone approach the bench and sit right beside me. I eyed him down, seeing his lips move but chose not to remove my earbuds. When he noticed I wasn't interested in speaking to him, he removed an earbud.

"Do you mind?" I snatched my earbud away from him but didn't put it back inside my ear. The odds of him finding me here were slim to none. Of course with my luck, here he was.

"I read the book. The ending messed me up. I can't believe it was just some sick fixation of his imagination. But it was really good. I looked up her other novels. Have you read them?" My eyes narrowed on him with concern. Killian Martinez reading a book for fun? He had no reason to be with me right now. No one was forcing him, so why was he here?

"It's been two days," I brought up. I could easily finish a book in a day. But Killian acted like he only had half the required brain cells which is why I was shocked.

"Yeah, and I couldn't put it down," he chuckled, receiving no response from me. He sighed, offended by my silence. "What's up with the silent treatment? Seriously," Killian complained like I had any reason to be anything but cordial with him. I hated it, but I'm sensitive. Small things offend me and it's one of the things Junior tried to pry out of me because life is too short to be hurt by little things.

"I have a lot of things I can be upset with you about," I skimmed the pages of my notes. I wasn't even reviewing anymore, but I needed something to do with my hands. "I'll start with the most recent. You invaded my privacy and entered my room without permission."

It's stupid, but I've never allowed anyone in my bedroom, even when I lived with my mother. It was my safe space where my guard didn't need to be up. I didn't have many things in my life that I could call mine, but my room was mine. And he completely caught me off guard and made me feel exposed by entering it. Especially because I was naked with nothing but a towel. He was the last person I expected to see when I left my bathroom.

"I didn't know it would bother you. I called your name and you didn't answer. I'm sorry," he was quick to apologize which I didn't expect. It seemed genuine and sincere despite how I expected a protest from him. "But you're not just upset about that."

I closed my notebook in front of me then looked at him. His eyes looked pale as I slowly lost myself in their colour. They contrasted so well with his dark hair.

"We were kids," Killian slouched. Up until recently, we hadn't spoken a word to each other since elementary school. Why did he care whether I liked him or not? He never struck me as someone desperate to be liked by everyone, yet my liking of him seemed important to him. "Would it make more sense if I said I did it all because I had a crush on you?"

I looked at the surrounding flowers. It would make sense. That's usually how kids are and it's stupid. It's stupid that his annoying crush caused him to ruin my childhood. But I refused to believe Killian Martinez ever had a crush on me.

"I made you a Valentine's day card when you were in grade five. You don't remember?"

I remember vividly. He was in the seventh grade. I was in the fifth and he left me the card in my cubby in the hall. But I always assumed it was his mother's idea since she always urged him to be nice to me.