CHARLOTTE

CHAPTER 36

I would be able to face you. When we talked, I felt as if a heavy weight was lifted. The reason why I have written this letter to confess something. Cedric, I liked you back in school. I know that we were initially best friends and we liked spending time with each other. You would talk and I preferred listening to you. 

You are my friend and I think I will finally be able to move on with life without any guilt to hold me back. I am glad that we have decided to be friends and I don't see you as the person I once liked but just a friend. In these past 3 years, I reflected on everything that had taken place and I think we both acted quite immature rather than handling things with maturity. You listened to what others said about me, people were spreading baseless rumors and you simply listened instead of asking me in person. You should have confronted me and maybe we could have cleared things out back then and maybe I wouldn't have had to go through that guilt and pain. It was indeed the most painful moment of my life. It felt like I couldn't gain your trust because if I had, you would have ignored those rumors.

I always claimed that I understand you and know you as a person, a friend because we had spend 6 years of our school life as classmates and good friends. But by the end of our school life, I started doubting my claim and realized that maybe I couldn't understand you as a person and as a friend. And somewhere you couldn't understand me and sometimes allowing a third person to interfere can end up making things worse.

I just hope that someday I will come across someone who will at least try to understand me and not listen to some baseless rumors. 

I have written down everything I had to say and accepting me as a friend or not is your decision and I will respect it. 

Charlotte.

I really don't know what should I say exactly and how should I react. I had no idea that she had to go through so much pain and guilt just because I could not take a stand for her. I regret not being there for her when she needed me the most. I ended misjudging her just because she could not hide her feelings. I even ignored her and listened to others. I still remember the things others said when they found out she liked me. I remember her asking me if we could still be friends and me denying it and walking away. I feel guilty now and I don't know how will I face her.

I take a deep breathe, fold her letter and walk out of the classroom. She is standing facing the ground so, I stand beside her. She looks at me with a smile.

"I am sorry" I say looking at her.

"If you are going to say sorry then I will not be able to get rid of this guilt" she says looking away.

"Can we be friends now?" I ask still looking at her.

"We are already friends" she replies looking at me.

"Yes, we are" I say and cannot help smiling.

I look at my friend and see that she is smiling as well. I just hope that our friendship will last forever this time and I will be there for her whenever she needs me........

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