The Love Of Mine

~ ELENA ~

“Elena!!” I groaned and turned my back to check my door to check if my mum was calling me, but I couldn’t hear anything. I tapped on my phone screen to check the time, and it was just 8:30 PM, I can’t believe I slept off while packing my things for college.

“Elena!!” I heard my name again. This voice doesn’t sound like a female voice, but it seems like the person was trying to sound like a girl,“ yes, who is it” I yell back. I decided to follow the sound, and it was coming from my window, I heard some footsteps outside the window. The knot in my stomach grew with each step I took closer, by the time I got close and held the window knob to open it I was already whimpering, is this another prank by Princewill or is it one of those boys who stalk me because I mean my neighborhood is mostly safe and there haven’t been any cases of petty criminals in years. As I was about to go down to call my mum I heard someone laughing that annoying grunts is so familiar, I immediately opened the window and screamed “Princewill, can you stop with these pranks'', he stopped laughing and said can you come outside, sometimes I really can't understand him why can’t he knock on the door or ring the doorbell, Argh? I am coming, it's going to take a while though, I said. Princewill has been my best friend since childhood. We stopped talking to each other when we hit puberty. It's weird, yes, but it’s a long story lol… But we recently made up though after my best friend Sarah went off six months ago to school at the University of California leaving me behind as the only female who is a teenager in the whole neighborhood, Sarah much and I pretty much do everything together I miss her so much, we both decided to apply to different schools since her Mum insisted she must go to University of California where her brothers schools because she is the only female child in her Family, and they don’t like the idea of her being in a different state alone, while on my part my Mum and Dad made sure I didn’t apply to any other University than the famous “Stanford”, what is their obsession with Stanford University? Parents can be quite annoying.

I spent the last few years nervously anticipating the freedom I will get when I finally go off to college. Every night, I stay up studying and preparing for the University entrance exam, while most of my high school friends spend their time partying and enjoying the freedom and stress-free life of after High school. The day I checked the school portal to see if I got accepted I was so excited but scared of me getting rejected and having to start reading all over again, My Mum was beside me when I checked, and I was accepted I have never been so happy even though I expected it, but that didn’t take the excitement I felt that day away. My mum cried for what felt like hours, while she called my dad, and I could hear him screaming on the phone. I have never been more proud of myself. All of my hard work finally paid off.

“Elena”, I heard again, this time my Mum called out, I lazily opened my room’s door and walked down the stairs, Princewill is here, she said. Oh I forgot about Princewill he must be getting tired from waiting, I walked into the kitchen and I saw my mum mixing the chicken in hot sauce, my tummy grumble my mum looked outside the window and I checked to see what she was staring at as I came closer to the window, she turned and whispered in a soft voice,” Why doesn’t he like to knock and come in like a responsible boy”, I wanted to laugh so bad I held it in, trust my Mum when it comes to saying the weirdest things, 13 good years of knowing Princewill, and she doesn’t still feel comfortable with him being my best friend she said boys and girls can’t be best friends without them catching feelings, I guess it’s true because lately, I have been crushing on Princewill, and he doesn’t even help with the situation he calls me like so often, we text each other like so much if I am not chatting with Sarah, it’s with him plus he comes to visit me every night, and we stroll down the street sometimes even holding hands, and before I go back inside my house he tells me to hug him and when we resume texting?

Are you not going to meet him outside? My Mum asked. I am, I said while walking towards the door, I might take some time, though! I said while opening the door. I closed the door and I started walking toward Princewill, my heart beating faster than usual, I stopped in front of him and raised my hands up to wave nervously. He is looking a lot finer tonight, dressed in a black oversized top and gray joggers. His black hair neatly styled and trimmed falls at both sides of his face complimenting his brown gorgeous eyes.

“Hey short girl”, He loves to tease me a lot, he smiles and waved back his bright perfectly lined tooth shining at me, why is his smile so attractive too before I could respond he pulls me in for a hug.

“Hey”, I said as he released me from his tight grip. I looked up at his face and smiled back at him. I looked down at my feet and bit my inner lips thinking of what to say next to him. Can we take a stroll down the street he said, while slipping his hands into mine his palm is so soft and warm, at times I wonder if he doesn’t find me attractive enough to ask me out. I mean after Sarah left for college we both spent the whole six months texting calling and seeing each other daily. He hasn’t even brought up any conversation about him feeling something for me or me becoming his girlfriend, or am not beautiful enough to him, many boys find me very attractive especially now with Sarah gone they have been trying to get my attention some even goes as far as sending me messages on Instagram and when I look out of my window most times I see a couple of them stalking my house innocently hoping I come outside. I pulled my dirty blond hair to the side, even though I am quite petite and kind of old-fashioned. Not only that, but I am beautiful. I mean I look at myself in the mirror, obviously I can’t just figure out what Princewill thinks of me. What are you thinking of you seem deep in your thought, Princewill asked I looked up again at his face and he let go of my hands and stopped walking I stopped too,

“I am going off to college tomorrow he said almost whispering like it’s not just the two of us outside in the whole street, I felt a lump in my throat and looked down at my feet again” Can you look up Elena, I raised my face again and looked into his eyes it looks like he is worried plus I can’t read his face expression I don't understand why, but today it feels like we both have a lot to say to each other but is holding it back?

“You are leaving next week to Stanford right? yes I replied he smiled again, he reached out and held my hands again this time pulling me closer to him, He smells so good “If I asked you to come over to my University dorm, would you agree? San Francisco Bay University is close to Stanford” you can stay over for like a week too he said looking at me with puppy eyes. “I blinked twice in disbelief, I haven’t even left my house to my University or seen how the school looks like and all and he is asking me to leave my School and come over to his Dorm I would rather not offend him, so I just told him I will think about it”, He didn’t say anything again it became so awkward for me, I couldn’t even look up any more I decided to pull out my Phone to check the time, and it was already 10:23 PM, I decided to lie to him that I wanted to pee so bad, so I could go back home.

“Princewill I am really pressed I need to pee urgently, I said. He checked his phone too, oh sorry it’s like past 10 already, let’s talk more about it on the phone, I guess. He said we both held each other hands again and started walking back to my house, when we got to my door step and said goodbye to each other as I was about to reach out for the doorknob Princewill called me “Elena”, I turned to look at him, and he kissed me on my lips I froze my eyes went wide before I could process what’s going on or return the kiss, he stopped kissing me and waved his hands and said goodbye. I stared at his back while he hurriedly walked to his house.