"Kale..." I whispered. My heart sank when he passed me without saying anything. But my smile reached my ears when he suddenly stopped and slowly turned around, smiling at me. Time seemed to slow down and he was the only one in my eyes that I could see clearly.
"Astraea!" Ash, my friend called out. "I've been calling you again and again, what happened to you? Did you eat already? Why do you look stupid?" she asked worriedly.
"It's Kale, and he smiled at me. Oh, God! Even if I don't eat for the whole month I won't be hungry" I held my chest as I still couldn't believe what happened. Ash laughed and shook her head.
I was outside their room smiling and staring at him, regardless of his classmates looking at me. He was so focused on the class that he didn't notice me. There, I had time to memorized every part of his face, how perfect it was in my eyes.
I'd been admiring Kale since I was in 2nd year. Maybe it was true that when you liked someone, you make all the impossible things into a possible one. He was so perfect in my eyes so, in every gesture he made, I fell deeply.
My eyes widened when I saw him staring at me. I run out of there and go back to my class.
I was walking on the ground when I felt someone looking at me. "Astraea!" I turned my back to see my friends. I waved and smiled as they got closer. "Where did you go?" I asked. "We went up to the rooftop" Ash said smiling while pointing her index finger upwards.
I shook my head and looked up, then I noticed a handsome student who was on the second floor looking at us, but I just ignored it. I wasn’t able to finish my sentence when I caught him staring at me, smiling. I got scolded for suddenly shouting. He was smiling…at me.
"Kale!" I shouted and smiled with my teeth as I waved. I knew that many students who were also standing there in the corridor were looking at me. I didn’t feel embarrassed.
I won’t be seeing him anymore. He would be graduating.
"Astraea, can you join me at the mall today?" I even slapped myself before believing that he was saying this now.
"Where are you?" I asked when I could finally enter the mall. I looked up, and the surroundings seemed to slow down. The people parted and he was the only one I could see, my heart beat faster as if there was a race.
Everything was back to normal when he spoke.
"You're late," he said smiling. I just laughed. It was almost two years ago when I saw him. But I never forgot to send him a message. My heart fluttered as he asked me what I wanted to eat. The smile never left my lips. I couldn’t even look the other way.
This was the first time I had been with him, as well as the first time I had stared at him for a long time. He turned to me with a smile. My whole being was going crazy…and perhaps trembling.
I fell in love with your smile, your laughter, and everything about you, Kale. Every time I learned something new about you, I loved you deeper.
Days had passed quickly. I now sit here in the park where I went to whenever feeling down. I stared at Kale’s pictures with the woman he liked.
You were the reason why I felt genuine happiness, but you were also the reason why it hurt loving someone.
Even so, I couldn’t blame him. He ordered me to like him. It had been almost four years since I was captivated by his smiles. Until now I still fell in love with him more.
That night, when we were on our way home. He held my hands.
When our fingers intertwined, there was no room for the pity I had that I could no longer hide. It never occurred to me that it would also be the last time he would hold it.
I loved you, Kale and I still do.
Photo Source: Franxine Louise Teodocio
Published By: Julianne Rose M. Laureano
Date Published: February 14, 2022
Time Published: 11:34 am
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