Almost There

When We First Met

It was the last year of school. I had participated in the speech competition and that turned out to be a complete disaster for me.

*10 years ago*

"Your speech is completely ruined, Miss Mashby. I am sorry but I can't let you participate without the copies of your speech. They are supposed to be checked by the judges." My instructor said to me.
"I mean, I have worked really hard for this, if you could do anything......"
"I am sorry, but I can't."

I was so sad at that moment like I had worked for straight 3 months for this!
I ran from there, I wanted to be alone that moment, cry my eyes out, that's all and then I'd be okay, back to normal.
So I went to the safest place aka the sports room.
The school was actually closed and only the participated students had come and they were either in their respective rooms or in the auditorium which meant nobody would buzz around the sports room.

So I went there to find my solace.

I sat there in the corner of the room, my knees bent, head laid down on my knees, and started crying.
I wanted to cry till all the tears had come out.
If I alone just participated today I would have achieved a fair amount of scholarship which I desperately needed and if I had won then I could have got the internship to work in one of the finest publishing houses.

But I guess, I wasn't so lucky.

The tears started falling down again, fresh and fast. I was trapped in my own melancholy trance when I heard footsteps.

I quickly regained my composure and saw that one of the volunteers from today's competition was here.

I knew him. Xavier. We had three of our classes together.
He was looking directly at me, wistfully at my puffed up eyes.
He started coming towards me till there was no space left and sat beside me.

"It was really shitty what happened to you today, I am sorry I heard the instructor."
"Why, thank you for telling me. I didn't know that."
"Whoa, now you don't need to be so bitchy to me."
"I'm sorry." I knew I was being a bitch and all of a sudden I felt guilty and my eyes started watering again.
"I am sorry too. You know I am not denying the fact that what happened to you was really unfortunate, I mean it was sheer poor luck but I guess you can do better that that. You deserve better than that." I could feel his voice softening at the last part.

"How can you be so sure about that?" I asked him with confusion in my voice. I mean I didn't even know this guy, well except his name and I wasn't used to guys being so nice to me.

"Because you work so damn hard, I've seen you work so hard for this competition and it ain't no joke that you got through those previous levels to reach here."
"Plus you work hard every year and everybody in this whole school knows that. I mean you are at your peak of academic excellence."
He kept saying those things and I was just at a loss for words. I just looked at this guy in front of me spellbound and open mouthed.
Who knew that Xavier Scott is such a motivator. I gave him a weird look which said how do you know so about me. But I knew the answer to this question, he knew about everything, and he was like this cheerful boy who kept everyone happy in his circle.

But then in response to my weird looks he gave me a surrendered expression, holding his hands up.
"I was trying to help you know, I saw you crying and then I followed you to cheer you up and then the rest is history. I mean for all I know you could suicide."
I laughed at that. " Nah! I am not so will powered to suicide."
"Now let's get you up." He stood up and gave me his hand. When I held it to get up, halfway he left my hand and I fell down on my ass, hard.
I winced and he laughed. I gave him my deadliest look.
"Okay, sorry now get up." He offered his hands again but now I had a plan.
I held his led and stretched it and he fell down but instead of falling down on his butt (like I planned) he fell down on me and boy was he heavy!
"Get off me, you're killing me here." I literally couldn't breathe.
"Well it's not my fault you pulled my legs." He accused me but I could see that he was amused and controlling his smile.
And then we both laughed and enjoyed that moment.

While moving out I asked, "Are you sure you are not some stalker, who is obsessed with me?"
"In your dreams, Mashby" He said and winked at me.