DATE ME IF YOU WANT

Chapter 5

The incident occurred when she was in second year of her middle school...

Rachel's POV

I was one of the brightest students in the school. Mathematics and science were my area of expertise. Girls and boys were equally jealous of me. I had my mind set to be on the top. But secretly, I had a crush on a senior for about a year then. No one knew about this, because being the nerd that I was, I did not not have a single friend! Day by day, I became more attracted to him. His name was Richard Smith, a third year. He was popular. I had no chance against the others--all the pretty girls pursuing him. I started having trouble concentrating on my studies those days. I didn't want to do bad in tests. But my heart was in the way of my career. I had to do something about it.

So, I went to the library one day to examine my symptoms. I read books on topics like teenage problems, infatuation, and their solutions. Most of them spewed rubbish (trust me!). The gist was, admitting and confessing are the fastest way of getting rid of such one-sided feelings. Though easy to say, it wasn't easy to execute. I held back my breath each time we crossed each other in the corridor. How the hell was I supposed to confess?! Weeks passed by. My condition worsened. Annual sports festival was supposed to be on next Sunday. I watched him practise from afar everyday. I was turning into a fangirl, the thought haunted me. More haunting was the thought of taking my feelings to my grave. On the fateful day of the sports day, I somehow managed to convey my feelings to him, "I like you!", leaving out the next part, 'please go out with me'. I was dying from embarrassment. When he showed no reaction for a moment, I wished I hadn't done what I had done!

But not even God in heaven would have imagined, my feelings were reciprocated. He accepted my proposal with a nod of head. But, it was enough. That day, I was on cloud nine. I spent a sleepless night thinking about him. He was mine! I was dating Richard, the hottest guy of our school and boys' basketball team captain. Wew! I never paid heed to anything I heard about him. After all, my relationship was not open to public criticism. When we used to hold hands, go out on dates on our holidays and fight over silly things; it all felt so dreamy. We texted every night, just to wish 'good night' before sleeping. We called every now and then to hear each other's voices. It was bliss! I was the happiest person on earth. He treated me like a delicate princess. (It was all in my mind.)

During one lunch break in summer season, under the shade of a tree, we had our first kiss. It was hot, actually I felt hot. I got butterflies in my stomach. The feeling was exquisite. From then on, kissing was natural for us. We kissed in classrooms, library, under a tree and where not! He was an expert kisser. From a peck to a French, he excelled in all. We were the hot topic of the school. I was the girlfriend of the one who everyone, including the elders admired. He was a very kind person. I fell deeper in love with him, so deep that I turned a blind eye to all his shortcomings and wrongdoings! I heard lots of things about him from everyone around me, but I didn't care. I was naive.

One day, he invited me to his home on a Sunday. I gladly accepted his invitation. Some girls of his class advised me against going alone. 'Jealous women', I thought! It was Sunday. I was excited. I chose a sleeveless pink shirt and black leggings to wear. I forgot to buy present for his parents. I informed him. But he said that there's always a next time. (Good joke!) I gladly went along with him. He lived on the fourth of a ten-storeys building, not very far away from mine. His apartment was big but it was empty. I inquired. "They went away for their colleague's wedding! Won't be back home by Tuesday!", was his reply.
I implanted the memory of his home in my mind. I roamed around for a bit. We went to his bedroom. It was painted in a light shade of blue. It was just as I had imagined. I asked for his childhood pictures. He looked flustered. I insisted. He gave up. I hugged him from behind. He took out photo albums from the cupboard. I assisted him. We went through the albums, laughed and giggled. He came closer to my face and kissed me. His hands came dangerously close to my bosom. I caught his wrist, asked him what he was doing. He persuaded me, saying such development is normal in a relationship. He kissed me more passionately. The kiss turned hot. He slowly unbuttoned my shirt. I felt uncomfortable but I didn't want to lose him. So, I went with the flow. One thing led to another. And ultimately, I got laid that day, for the first time. But I was happy. We were finally one. How delusional I was!