Back in high school, I used to have a friend close to me.
She lived near me so whenever we went to school we’d always go together.
That was about 10 years ago, sometimes I keep on wondering…
How is she right now?
Is she happy?
I hope so.
I was in my 2nd year of high school when I started
noticing something different whenever I saw her. For some reason she looked
prettier, cuter, and brighter than any girl in my class. It might’ve been then
that I truly fell for her.
I didn’t fall for her because she was the prettiest class,
nor was she the smartest. But even so, she was different from the rest.
I’ve always liked how even though she wasn’t that smart, she
would try her hardest still just to get higher grades. It was the complete
opposite of me, I was a fool of a student that always wasted his time playing
games or watching tv. She was completely different, she’d do her best at
everything she does, studies, socializing with her friends, and even trying to
be pretty.
That was how she always seemed to glow.
They say that a girl blooms because of love. If that was
true, then she was blooming out of love, but not because of me.
Thinking back, I was such a stupid guy.
I was too shy to ever confess to her, but I was already
convinced that I loved her. I would secretly send her flowers and letters
addressed from a “secret lover”. Well she was happy about the whole secret
lover ordeal, because I would always hear her whenever she told stories.
I remember buying flowers, red roses. I would secretly send
it in front of her gate, with a letter inside the bouquet. And the next day,
during lunch break, I would then hear her talk about it with her friends.
It was during the 3rd year of high school that
she stopped going to school with me. Apparently she would just walk there now
instead of taking the bus like we used to.
I don’t know what happened but everything felt so distant
with her starting then.
Well we were still classmates so nothing really changed
much. We weren’t really lovers to begin with so it was pretty normal to not
react about it. Though somewhat I always thought that maybe, just maybe she
would feel something about me through the past years we’ve been friends.
I even remember her helping me with some unrequited love
back in elementary school. Look how things became different now.
There was a point in time that I confessed to her. It was
during a class, she wasn’t there. She didn’t go to school that day so I was
worried. She never went absent before.
Out of worry, I went to her place to check on her. She
caught a fever.
We were alone, together, just outside her gate. The night
sky was chilly, she was about to go inside when I suddenly stopped her by
holding her hand. Then and there I confessed to her.
I love you…
Those words came out of my mouth.
She was surprised, and then her expression changed from
being surprised to that of sadness.
She loved someone else…
What’s more is, the one she loves right now, is also my
friend.
I let go of her hand, she ran back inside, and out of
frustration I ran back home as well crying all the while. I’ve never felt so
frustrated. I went to my room and locked the door.
Several months passed and we still haven’t talked to each
other since then. I couldn’t face her over what happened and how things ended
badly between the two us.
She still wanted to be friends, and kept trying so hard to
befriend me again but I was such an idiot. Every time I’d run away, or ignore
her. Even her group of friends already started confronting me. They told me she
thought they were lucky because I talked to them even if just a little.
Then one night, out in the park near where we both lived. I
saw her alone on one of the benches. She was crying. I started to man up and
started walking towards her.
She was holding it back, but with how long I knew her, I
could tell…
She was crying inside.
I started to comfort her, telling her it’s alright. I gently
hugged her, and lent her my shoulder to cry on. Soon after, I started crying as
well.
The boy she started to love apparently is also interested in
someone else.
What a crazy world we live in huh?
I couldn’t really say that she should stop loving that guy
and look closer for my own sake. Because I felt the same, I fell in love with a
person that loved someone else. I just cheered her on and started talking to
her again.
It was right at the end of my senior year when I received
good news from her. She started going out with the said boy. I told her I was
happy for her, but I actually had mixed feelings.
Even so, I just kept it inside. She was happy and that was
good enough for me.
I won’t be the person to ruin someone else’s happiness just
so I could have my own.
Years later, we were still friends.
Friends that was as happy as can be.
~End