Hide and Love

Some say, childhood crushes are just fleeting infatuations, a phase that fades as you grow older. Something that fades in time. But for me, it was never that simple.

I'm Marikka Ella Vergara, 13 years old and still in Middle School. Small, curious, and wide-eyed when i first fell for Jacxen Dion Lancaster. My brother's best friend, already in Senior High, standing tall like someone far out of my reach.

But to him, I was just the cute little kid he cared and played for. But every kindness, every small gesture he showed me quietly planted something deep in my heart, something I didn't realize was taking root so deeply.

I thought it would pass, that it was just a child's silly admiration. But years passed. I grew up, changed, bloomed from that shy little girl into someone more sure of myself yet one thing never changed. My heart still beats a little faster whenever his name is spoken, whenever he's near. What began as a simple, innocent crush has grown into something so much deeper than I ever expected.

Is this still just a simple admiration? Will I ever find the courage to confess to someone who only ever saw me as a younger sister?