Lovesick

8

It started on a Monday, the streets loud and full of vehicles. People rushing to get to school or to work. The usual.

It was a new transfer student. She was pretty, no one could deny that. But neither spoke to each other.

She was a socialite. Of course. Everyone flocked around her and she managed to survive her first day and get some friends.

As the day drew to a close, everyone started to leave the campus. That was when it happened.

She turned to him and smiled. "Goodbye! ....umm....Eric right?"

"Uh yea.."

"Well see ya tomorrow!" And she skipped her way out.

Eric would later admit that was when he fell for her. It was that smile. It was contagious.

This happened for the first few weeks. After that, she decided to take it to the next level.

A month after joining, at the cafeteria, instead of joining her friends, she turned and came next to Eric.

"Is it OK if I sit here?"

"....umm sure. No problem. But what about them?" He responded, pointing towards her friends.

For a moment she looked stumped. But then smiled and spoke, "I want to sit next to you. You know we never really spoke to each other as such and I wanted to be your friend."

Eric raised an eyebrow at that. It wasn't that he didn't believe her. Oh far from it, it's like she wore her heart on her sleeves, he could easily make her emotions out. No. He was surprised that she wanted him.

She must have realized it because she immediately added, "You seem great and I wanted to just get to know you."

Fine. Eric could deal with that.

"Besides, I need to get close to see what it is your busy scribbling in that book of yours."

......And now it's ruined.

She must have realised that she spoke too much because she turned a while new shade of red and smiled nervously. "Not that I read or anything, but I did get a glimpse of a story and wanted to know what comes next."

"Huh?" Smooth....

"I like the idea of a girl holding her own while its the guy who's interested and wants her to notice him. I just feel, she deserves some character development too, I mean we know about the guy and his feelings but what about her? If she's as great as the you have portrayed her, then why does she ignore him or not respond to him? I need to know."

".....so you came here to sit next to me, to get close to my book....which is personal by the way, just to know the ending of the story you snooped on?"

She scratched her neck nervously. "Umm I hate cliffhangers? " she chuckled nervously. "Come on! So what? OK I totally shouldn't have been snooping and reading your stuff but it's amazing! You are amazingly talented OK, and I just want to know how it goes! I want my ship to sail!"

Eric couldn't stop himself from letting out a snort and fell off his chair laughing.

"Fine! Be that way. I'm sitting here and I won't leave your side till you show or tell me the rest."

Eric kept laughing. She was weird. She liked his story. She wants more.

He laughed as tears began to flow out of his eyes.

".....are you alright? I didn't break you or something did I? I mean....i didn't mean you're breakable, I'm just. ...i meant. God. What am  doing?" The last few words were whispered more to herself but Eric caught it anyways.

He stopped laughing, wiping the tears away, he began to eat. She looked at him expectantly, but he didn't so much as glance at her.

It was amusing. She hmphed and made a cute pouty face. Her face was flushed and she began to eat as well. She kept glancing at him, but narrowed her eyes as she realised he wasn't going to say anything.

It started a routine. Every day since then she would come over to his table and have lunch with him. Later, she changed places and sat behind him.

Eric didn't know why he was doing this, it wasn't like he hated her or anything. In fact he loved her company. She brightened his day.

He was surprised how she kept up this charade despite his lack of response. He thought shed give up or get tired of it but no. She was resilient.

He didn't respond because he was worried.

Worried that maybe if she gets the rest of the story she would stop coming to him.

Worried that she might hate it.

Worried that she'll realize that his story was kind of a different take on his life? That the girl in the story was inspired by her and that he is the guy?

Worried that she might just be playing around.

Worried that she'll grow tired of his company.

Eric wasn't a very social guy. He liked privacy and preferred silence. He didn't speak much but loved listening and observing other. She seemed to do just that.

Almost a year passed. He knew a lot about her. She told him about her dreams and family. How she would love to go on a romantic yatch ride and how seaweeds irked her.

He knew that military green and aubergine green made a big difference to her. He also noted how her eyes seemed so bright and full of life around lunch time than in the mornings.

Really, it was from that very Monday, it started then and continued.

The story going on, writing a new chapter for itself...