The Girl I Like

Chapter 02- Getting to know her

I was a coward. I was more of a quitter than a fighter. When I found out I didn't have much time left, I quit soccer; something I truly loved doing, and I even wanted to drop out of college, but my parents didn't allow me to do so because unlike me they thought I'd live. They believed in it. They believed in me. They thought I was strong and I could win this battle. But I on the other hand, I gave up on everything.

Most people, if they were in my situation, they'd make the best out of the time left but I was too busy complaining about how I didn't have much time left. I forgot to make the time left worth it. In fact I quit doing the stuff I liked so I had more time to complain about everything.

But strangely enough, there was one thing I couldn't give up on without at least giving it a try. It was her, the one person who caught my attention when I was losing interest in everything. Those little things I overhead from her conversations left me wanting more. I was curious. I wanted to get to know her. But she, the Elle I knew, was a normal person.

But one day, when I was least expecting it, I got my chance. I saw her walking down the sidewalk and was alone. I had to be quick before she disappeared again. I took a deep breath to kick off my nerves, but I still remember that moment was nerve wrecking. Walking towards her, it was honestly one of the scariest things I've done in my life. It was scarier than the time I went on stage for a stupid violin contest my mom made me participate in.
I guess the reason why this was scarier was because I had known this was probably going to be the last time I look a risk for something I liked.
It was literally now or never.

I walked upto her and caught up with her and let out a not too loud but an audible "hey".

She didn't react, she seemed too preoccupied with something else. So I took a look at her to see if she was wearing earphones. To my surprise, she wasn't. So I tried again, for one last time.

"Um.. hey Elle?", my own words sent a instant wave of regret all over my body.
She stopped and turned her head in my direction and took a good look at me. She didn't reply at once. At this point I had already concluded in my head that she hates me already.

"Only my roommate and my therapist calls me that, so it's Noel for you" she replied casually, as she started walking again; Too casually for a person who just heard a random stranger call her something apparently so personal.

At that moment, the only thought that ran through my head was 'okay I said hello and she replied so now what'. Because all this time in my imaginary conversations, I had only planned the part where I say hello and ask her name. First, the conversation didn't go as planned. Second, even if it did I hadn't planned what happened afterwards.

But before the situation got too awkward I decided to introduce myself because I didn't want to lose my only chance in getting to know her just because I hadn't pre-planned the whole situation in my head.

"Okay let me start this over then. Hello Noel nice to meet you. I'm Xavier." I said, emphasising on her name, Noel.

"Hey" she replied with a blank face.
She definitely wasn't making the situation any easier for me

But on the bright side, I finally got to know her name.