parallel lines | ✓

O9

THE MYSTIFYING COLORS of the sun shone onto the pile of leaves, as the smell of our school's newly painted walls breezed with bitterness over my shoulders. 

I sat on one of our school's swings intended for younger students, waiting for Mona's arrival. As soon as her shadow glistened under the sun, a rush of words fled from my mouth. I asked her if she remembered those times when we stood by our lockers, and I joked that Daelan had a major crush on her, she nodded. Then I continued by revealing my joke has in fact turned into reality for Daelan truly is spellbound by her.

Before Ramona had a chance grasp onto the new information, I questioned what she unveiled to him that even I was blinded from. I assumed she'd bend her words or change the topic but instead she apologised. She apologised to me because she knew how lovely of a pair I thought she and Marven made, but she wanted to destroy that image of perfection for her feelings have now been tangled up.

"I think I like both Marven and Daelan." She confessed, and I was stunned. It was different predicting one thing and seeing all the signs, and another actually hearing the confession; much like my suspicions with Neptune. It was one thing assuming he had hidden feelings for another and actually seeing him with her. I knew it would be wrong of me to insert my opinion at such time, so I nodded for her to continue.

"So there's Daelan. I know he was once a player and treated girls like objects, but he's changed. I love it when he's protective of me, and don't even get me started on how adorable he looks when he gets jealous."

I gave her a look of despise.

"And then, there's Marven." Mona continued. "I had a minor crush on him at some point last year, but when he actually asked me out, all feelings were lost. It's like the story of Santiago and Jay all over again, I like a guy, he like me back, then I like another guy. I'll admit I find Marven charming and attractive, but he doesn't make me look forward to coming to school like Daelan does."

Ramona then continued by expanding the tales of her feelings for Marven. She liked Marven subconsciously from the first day she stepped foot in his class. He protected her from guys that made fun of her inability to pronounce certain words, held her whenever she's cold, listened to her rant about her cousins and how her parents frequently compared her to them and most importantly, shown her love when she thought love no longer existed. Sometimes she wonders how he bared to put up with her, but then she realizes that she put up with him and his cheesy pick - up lines.

Mona loves being with Marven, but she prefers to have a relationship that's unpredictable and rough. Marven never argued back to any of her opinions, keeping the rate of their relationship at a steady pace and Ramona desired to have one where the frequency was never at one spot for too long.

"Wow Mona, you really messed things up this time." I finally spoke up.