Hidden Hearts | short story

EIGHT: GAME CHANGER

EIGHT: GAME CHANGER

Monday finally came around and with every step I took in school, my heart beat with excitement. It was weird—I've never been so excited to be in school. It was like something finally clicked and I was convinced that school would be some place fun.

I was seated in my seat, glancing over to the empty seat next to me. As usual, Eve would be late and I wouldn't have anyone to talk to until she arrives. In the mean time, I pulled out my Biology textbook and tried to do some last minute cramming, in case there was a surprise pop quiz later on.

For some reason, the entire time as I tried studying, my eyes kept lifting up to check the door. It wasn't like I was trying to see if Eve had arrived—she was going to be late either way. But I was anticipating—expecting—someone and that was why I kept glancing at the door. I wasn't sure who, but for some reason, I was.

I saw Timothy enter and there were a few girls standing outside the classroom, swooning over him. Timothy had the looks that was able to attract girls from all ages. Just recently, I saw some middle school girls from the school a few blocks away from ours, waiting outside our school gate. The moment Timothy walked out of those gates was the time they actually started doing something other than standing there.

I didn't say hi to him although he had passed by me; I was too busy attempting to cram everything into my brain. I was getting sleepy as my eyes continuously read the same sentence over and over until I realized I had read it for over ten times. I yawned before I rested my head on the table, finally giving in to my laziness.

The door flung open again and this time, it made an obvious sound, so my eyes lifted to see who it was. Then Sean popped through the door and by the sight of him, my heart began doing weird beating routines I had never recognized before. I wanted to say hi but nothing came out from my lips as this new feeling was stuck in my mind.

What?

I stared into oblivion, as if the longer I stared, the more I got to see my thoughts. But I was in my thoughts. Everything did felt different the moment I stepped into school. And with this questionable rhythmic beat of my heart, things started to drift off into different places.

I glanced at Sean from the corner of my eyes and I had realized the beating hadn't stop. It was weird but I shrugged it off, thinking it was probably some nervous feeling for the possible quiz later as I had decided to not study anymore. So I concentrated on my Biology textbook yet again, this time forcing myself to remember every detail I read through.

"Sean, did you complete your homework?" I heard Timothy ask him.

"Yes. I've handed it in as well. Why?"

"Dammit. I didn't finish mine because I had no clue. Please help me?"

"Sure. What do you need, my friend?"

I stopped listening to their conversation and tried to concentrate on what I was supposedly staring at. It was as if Saturday never happened. I couldn't even muster to say hi to Sean—just like how it has always been before we became closer.

As I drifted in and out of my thoughts inconsistently, the time went by. And I stopped tuning into my thoughts the moment the first bell rang.

+ + +

"Hey, Eve?" I called.

Eve was sitting across me on the picnic table located outside of the school cafeteria. There were less people around here, probably because it was a lot hotter to be outside than under the comfort of a roof. However, Eve and I were able to snatch the table that was located under a tree with thick enough leaves to provide us shade.

She was on her phone, tweeting away on whatever was on her timeline. "Yeah?"

"Have you ever liked a close friend?" The words came out without a second thought and I instantly regretted it. But I reminded myself there was nothing to be ashamed of. It wasn't like I liked Sean. Did I?

This caught Eve's attention as she instantly stopped tweeting and looked up. She examined my face before she asked, "Why?"

"I talked to my friend yesterday," I started to lie, "and she was telling me about how she likes one of her friends. And it was weird because they've been so close ever since. Wouldn't it be too late for the guy to see her as something more than a friend?"

Eve took a while to answer. "Well," she began, "I think it depends. Really, you could like anyone and wouldn't know if your relationship with each other could change into something more. Liking a friend is especially scary. You could be far into the friendzone so there would be a high chance you two would never date. You get what I'm saying?"

I nodded.

Eve continued, "This is just coming from my opinion, but liking a close friend is hard. Why? You'll get friend zoned eventually. He might never see you as a woman anymore because of how close you two are. You two are comfortable with each other's presence that hugs and teasing sweet names feel like nothing. But it's always because you two act close as friends when someone starts to fall. I don't see anything wrong with it. I just think you should at least be prepared and rethink about your decision if ever you're going to confess. Is the girl going to confess?"

"Maybe." It wasn't like it was my story. I was simply making it up to try to gain an indirect opinion from her.

"I wish her good luck," was all she said. Then, after a while, she added, "There are things at risk too. Their friendship, most importantly. I've seen it a lot. Friendships broken because of the awkward tension. Where a friend couldn't return the same set of feelings. And when the other starts distancing themselves away from them."

I felt my shoulders turn heavy as I imagine the likeliness of us being together. Then, I paused. If I had thought of thoughts like that, did that mean I had indirectly confessed that I—

No.

I didn't like him. He was only just a friend. But a feeling from deep down was so sickening it started to tell me otherwise.

However, the moment I tried to convince myself I didn't like him was the moment I realized I did. And everything changed after I had accepted that fact.

~Author's Notes~

School starts tomorrow so updates might come slow from now on, but I'll do my best to update anyway! Besides, it looks like this story is slowly coming to an end? ;) Thanks for reading! <3