Short Stories

I'm Fine

A short story about a girl who falls in love with her friend for the first time ever, only to get heartbroken.

Song: I'm Fine by BTS.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was supposed to be a harmless dare. I had no intention of falling into a trap so dangerous, nor did I have any idea about the risk I was getting myself into when I was dared to get on my knees and propose to him. 

I had no knee problems, hence the task was pretty simple by itself. It was his response which was the main culprit. It was something that I still haven't bee able to absorb and get through my head.

The question was asked without feelings as I tried to stop myself from laughing. He looked down and slowly bent towards me, getting closer at every passing second. My laugh vanished and as I saw myself in the mirror attached to the wall,  confusion clouding my face which matched with the looks the others had on theirs. My brain went into a frenzy of thoughts, unable to form a coherent one, trying to find a reason that would make sense. 

He took my hand into his, rubbing my knuckles with a soft touch as if it was as delicate as a feather and then looked me in the eyes. There was a small smile on his face and his eyes showed no emotion reminding me of the fact that he was one of the best actors at school. My heart unknowingly skipped a beat.                                                                                         

         "Yes", he whispered and for a moment I could not look away, no matter how hard I tried. He had captured me in a beautiful maze, a trap from which escape seemed difficult, almost impossible. He laughed along with his friends as his hands slipped away from my light grasp breaking me from my trance as I forced a laugh out of myself.

I tried to find his faults, his weaknesses, but each little fault and weakness made me fall deeper into the vast void of love, which was altogether a new concept for me. He would voluntary bring me a drink from the vendor whenever I would cough, sit next to me during classes at every chance he got, and often play with the strands of my hair that slipped out of my messy ponytail. These little actions had become my weaknesses as he had made me believe and had made me hope.

Everything was more or less the same every day, until one day, when he asked me to stay back in the fields, alone. After our P.E class, I waited for him under the big tree in the middle of the ground, playing with my fingers as my feet bounced unconsciously on their own, my heart thumping so loud that I could hear the fast beats. My lips felt moist from the gloss that I'd put on earlier and my cheeks felt warm thinking of every possible reason for his request. 

I heard a familiar and sweet voice call out my name. I jumped to my feet, excited to talk to him, a big smile adorning my face. I looked in his direction. My heart rate increased even more and my chest hurt making it hard for me to breathe when I saw his fingers intertwined with those of another girl. He said he wanted me to be the first one to know because he considered me a best friend. His joy was the sole reason why I smiled so hard, my lips stretching until they hurt and told him to enjoy the day, as I fell on my knees letting the tears escape, once he was out of sight. For his smile, it mattered, even though it had made me lose faith in hope.

And when my friend, who'd been watching the scene unfold from a corner asked me how I felt, I gave her a weak smile and replied: "I'm Fine!". 

Word Count: 640 words