To Love is to Kill

Chapter One

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday dear Ella,

Happy birthday to you,

Tears welled my eyes as the group of almost thirty entered the school hall where I was updating my latest book 'love at first sight'. To say I was shocked was an understatement as most of my friends avoided me that whole day, few hugs, funny faces, and almost zero wishes in my inbox. I was in almost all my friends, debate club members, and my classmate's WhatsApp status save a few who didn't care.

I spent the entire day defending my club's project to the campus managers, went for lunch with my best friend and then settled in the hall at around 6:00 pm to just have some personal time. A wide smile plastered across my face as tears rolled down my eyes and my heart swelling with pride at the kind of friends I had.

Within no time, the cake was on the table and my friends and I were surrounding it, our taste buds thirstier than ever, the birthday gifts were on one corner of the hall far from the table and I couldn't help but wonder of their plans. My deputy told everyone to just say their wishes as I was beginning this New Year. These friends were sweethearts

"Ella is a friend of mine, I've known her since first year, and I first met her in the school corridor " said Nje and they all laughed" she was bearing the widest and the most beautiful smile and that caught my attention" she added

"I first met her in the washrooms she was taking a selfie" and my face grew hot as I blushed there, as they gave their compliments one by one, I couldn't help but be grateful for this far. Kevin, a very close friend of mine was seriously smiling at one corner he looked a little bit nervous, I expected him to talk first, being my best friend but he said he will go last, and we all obeyed

Kev was one of this guys whom was really fan being around he made sure you laughed as well as driving his point home. Kev was a handsome twenty four year old young man. His assuring gaze, his rare smile, his sense of fashion, steady voice, chocolate complexion, his stature and his masculinity made me always ask if his girlfriends always felt lucky for having him around.

As he stood from his corner to come in front, as he was sitting at the back, and voice his wishes, he was shaky, anxious, tired and his mind far away. I felt guilty for not noticing this over lunch with him earlier. He had just broken up with his girlfriend two months ago and she was celebrating one year anniversary. He has never gotten over it, but we all didn't just know how hard this was for him. Being one of the most handsome dudes in campus the girlfriend was no different, undeniable beauty, long black hair, light skinned pink lips, big black eyes and the list is endless.

As he approached me my heart started beating fast, my hands were shaky and I was struggling to swallow big gulps of saliva that stuck in my throat, his eyes were darker than I have ever seen, the breakup was not taking him so well and seemingly I will have to pay for it, I thought of how much I hated dating.

He bent and held my chin and gave me a very wide smile and I realized air that I didn't know I was holding. He held both my hands and made me stand. At this moment everyone was silent, maybe they didn't know how to react, then someone coughed from behind and our attention moved to her, it was Nje my lovely friend, "am going to cry" she said sarcastically and we all laughed, the tension was less. Kev focused on me and now we were standing centimeters away, he was close

"Happy birthday princess, grow to be toothless" I laughed as I shoved him away from me, "thanks" I said as I sat down to prevent myself from blushing, I didn't understand what was happening to me, I was behaving so childish, I was almost vulnerable the smile on my face faded and I was back to being the unbreakable. I noticed confusion in a few faces and that was fine, they didn't need to understand me, after all what did we have in common, we just met in school and I had an year to go and life will move on.