Hey, do you like me? - True Crush story

Hey, do you like me? - Part 6

I held the note tightly in my hands and read it over and over again until my friends came. I stuffed the note in my bag before anyone can see it. 

It was a Tuesday afternoon which meant I had soccer practice. With my soccer friends, I headed to the boys dressing room in the school and changed into my sportswear. We did our everyday practice, ball-kicking drills, shooting practices, and a few soccer games, there was a soccer home game coming up this week Friday, we were competing with the school from the neighboring town.

As I kicked my ball across the field, I tried to process what had happened in the past few hours. I wrote a note, placed it in Reina's locker, saw Reina try to hide something in her desk, clutched Reina's hand in mine, and got a note in my locker. My head was feeling dizzy. Did Reina realize that the note came from me? Did the note in my locker come from Reina? The note had to come from Reina, who else would have written something that would answer to my question, "Why is love so hard?" 

I didn't think that Reina would realize that the note was from me so soon. My brain went blank.  I felt sick because of the fact that Reina might now know that I have a crush on her, but I also felt a little hopeful, because of the fact that Reina wrote an answer back to my note, "Because it's one in seven billion, finding the perfect one". 

After about 1 hour of kicking soccer balls across the field, I spotted someone familiar walking across the field, it was Megan. Megan, being her usual self, had a whole gang of girls tagging behind her. When she spotted me, she smiled her big toothy smile and waved at me. The rest of the girls surrounding her was expecting me to wave back. I didn't want to be defeated by Megan and her "girl gang"'s urge for me to wave back, after all, I didn't like Megan so much. But what choice did I have? Everyone thought that Megan and I were "a thing", so did Megan, so in order for that to stay that way, I waved back very subtly. Just one wave and back to dribbling the ball. I heard the girls squeal in the distance. I sighed, the only reason I was putting up with this was so that I can keep Reina as mine. 

Soccer practice finished, so my soccer mates and I dashed into the dressing room and we changed back to our usual clothes. As my friends and I were walking across the field, exiting the school, I spotted Reina walking out of school. I remembered, she had Model United Nations, so she went home the same time as me, on Tuesdays. I wanted to go up to her, but I felt awkward because of the love note situation. Maybe, if I convince her that the note wasn't from me, everything would be less embarrassing between us tomorrow, I thought. I started to approach her when a boy walked out of the school as well. The boy had brown shaggy hair and was taller than me, he was definitely in a different grade. I've seen him in the halls and I've heard a few girls talking about how "cute" he was. I never actually got a good look at him, until then. 

The boy jogged up to Reina and tapped her on the shoulder. Reina turned around and her face broke out into a smile. I stopped and stood still in the middle of the field, but my eyes were fixed on Reina and the boy. The boy said something to Reina and Reina answered back. I couldn't hear them. The boy then pointed towards the streets and Reina nodded. Then Reina and the boy started to walk towards the streets, they were talking the whole time. I just stood in the middle of the school field, starring at Reina and the boy, until they disappeared. What did I just see? I didn't know what to think. Half of my brain was thinking that the boy might be Reina's boyfriend, while the other half tried to think of another logical reason.

As I got home I tossed myself on my bed and took my phone out of my pocket. I needed some kind of explanation for Reina and the boy. I started to text Reina, completely forgetting about the awkward, love note situation we had early.

Me: Hi

Me: So you had Model United Nations today, huh?

I got a text back within a few minutes. 

Reina: Yup, were you stalking me?

Me: No, I just saw you walking home with a boy after school, I realized you had MUN.

Reina: Oh

Me: So, who were you going home with?

Reina: Oh! You're talkin' about Josh!

Me: Ya, Josh... you know him?

Reina: Yup, we're friends!

Friends, I thought, well that explains why they went home together.

Me: How'd you guys become friends?

Reina: I've known him since third grade, our parents are friends and we live next door. So I basically, grew up with him. He has Model UN too, so we decided to go home together.

Me: Oh, how old is he?

Reina: He's a year older than us, so he's in eighth grade

Me: That makes sense, I knew he was a bit too tall for our age

Me: So you guys are friends?

Reina: Yup! Why'd you ask?

Me: Just wondering

Reina: Okkk

I settled my phone down beside me and searched in my bag for the note from Reina that I stuffed in my bag early. I placed the crumpled piece of paper in my lap, and reread it. "Because it's one in seven billion, finding the perfect one." I smiled and my heart leaped with love and joy. 

Just a friend, I told myself, at least this Josh guy isn't Reina's boyfriend. Even if I knew that Josh and Reina aren't in a relationship, I wasn't satisfied. Deep in my heart, I felt a pinch of worry and jealousy. I didn't like it. I murmured to myself, "I guess, I now have a competitor; Josh."