approached me in the most peaceful and perfect way. He
did not disturb me. Rather, he joined me. Matched my mood. Matched the low tone of the wind.
“I don’t think we’ve officially met,” he extended a hand. “I’m Don.”
“Ruby,” I shook his hand, and I was sure that he could see me blush.
“May I?” he gestured to the camera. I handed it to him. He took a few steps
back and focused the camera on me. “Stand still,” he seemed to whisper. My
cheeks were probably opaquely rose pink by then. I didn’t move. I didn’t even
breathe.
Just then a great gust of wind passed, blowing all of my hair up. I squinted
slightly, but I also couldn’t help but smile. My hair tickled different parts
of my face.
“Perfect,” Don smiled and showed me the picture.
I didn’t know what was wrong with his sense of aesthetic. I personally thought
I looked like some sort of failed depiction of medusa. Or even Sadako . Maybe one of those people who touch those charged
spheres and all their hair stands up. Whatever it was I looked like, I looked
of not perfectly sound mind. But I smiled anyway, because the comment and his
smile were quite endearing.
“One more,” Don put his arm around me and pulled me closer. His touch sent
shivers all around, which was strange. I’d only just met this person. I knew
nothing about him. He held out the camera, “Smile.” He took the picture and
showed it to me. This one was better. My hair looked like I had just gotten out
of bed, but Don looked fantastic. He was incredibly photogenic. “Here you go,”
he held the camera out.
I stared at his hand for a while, not realizing at first what he meant. My
thoughts were all so scrambled. I finally took it from him, the touch of his
fingers burning. “Thanks,” I pressed my lips together and nodded.
“I should be thanking you,” he corrected. We stared at each other for a while,
smiling awkwardly at each other. I couldn’t hold his gaze. I would switch
between his eyes, the blades of grass, the faraway trees, and the cloudless
skies.
Just then, the teachers called us to the school bus, and that was the last time
I’d ever been alone with Don. I kept the picture of him and me in my drawer and
looked at it all the time. I never forgot that moment on the field trip. In
fact, I memorized every moment of that moment. He was the reason I’d stupidly
managed to cover the kitchen in chocolate. It was supposed to be my Valentine’s
Day gift to him. I should’ve known that nothing good could ever come from that
holiday, or anything related.
Ever since that field trip, I’d never gotten the chance to really talk to Don.
I could never work up the courage to do so. Instead, I would stare at him as he
hung out in the halls and Angelo would laugh at me. He thought it was pathetic,
especially since he got a girlfriend.
To this day, I never understood why Don didn’t come up and talk to me again.
That moment we had so much chemistry. He was such a sweetheart. I truly thought
that he liked me, or at least wanted to be friends with me. But when we came
back to school the around him was rather unfriendly. I didn’t even post the
pictures on Facebook. We weren’t even Facebook friends. It was weird. I really
didn’t understand. What, then, was that moment all about? Was it because he
knew nobody else was watching? Huh. Just as I thought; another insecure teen
too focused on self-image and reputation to follow through what he started. I’m
sure he’ll grow up to be a fine man…
See, this is the bad thing about crushing on someone. Sometimes you
did not disturb me. Rather, he joined me. Matched my mood. Matched the low tone of the wind.
“I don’t think we’ve officially met,” he extended a hand. “I’m Don.”
“Ruby,” I shook his hand, and I was sure that he could see me blush.
“May I?” he gestured to the camera. I handed it to him. He took a few steps
back and focused the camera on me. “Stand still,” he seemed to whisper. My
cheeks were probably opaquely rose pink by then. I didn’t move. I didn’t even
breathe.
Just then a great gust of wind passed, blowing all of my hair up. I squinted
slightly, but I also couldn’t help but smile. My hair tickled different parts
of my face.
“Perfect,” Don smiled and showed me the picture.
I didn’t know what was wrong with his sense of aesthetic. I personally thought
I looked like some sort of failed depiction of medusa. Or even Sadako . Maybe one of those people who touch those charged
spheres and all their hair stands up. Whatever it was I looked like, I looked
of not perfectly sound mind. But I smiled anyway, because the comment and his
smile were quite endearing.
“One more,” Don put his arm around me and pulled me closer. His touch sent
shivers all around, which was strange. I’d only just met this person. I knew
nothing about him. He held out the camera, “Smile.” He took the picture and
showed it to me. This one was better. My hair looked like I had just gotten out
of bed, but Don looked fantastic. He was incredibly photogenic. “Here you go,”
he held the camera out.
I stared at his hand for a while, not realizing at first what he meant. My
thoughts were all so scrambled. I finally took it from him, the touch of his
fingers burning. “Thanks,” I pressed my lips together and nodded.
“I should be thanking you,” he corrected. We stared at each other for a while,
smiling awkwardly at each other. I couldn’t hold his gaze. I would switch
between his eyes, the blades of grass, the faraway trees, and the cloudless
skies.
Just then, the teachers called us to the school bus, and that was the last time
I’d ever been alone with Don. I kept the picture of him and me in my drawer and
looked at it all the time. I never forgot that moment on the field trip. In
fact, I memorized every moment of that moment. He was the reason I’d stupidly
managed to cover the kitchen in chocolate. It was supposed to be my Valentine’s
Day gift to him. I should’ve known that nothing good could ever come from that
holiday, or anything related.
Ever since that field trip, I’d never gotten the chance to really talk to Don.
I could never work up the courage to do so. Instead, I would stare at him as he
hung out in the halls and Angelo would laugh at me. He thought it was pathetic,
especially since he got a girlfriend.
To this day, I never understood why Don didn’t come up and talk to me again.
That moment we had so much chemistry. He was such a sweetheart. I truly thought
that he liked me, or at least wanted to be friends with me. But when we came
back to school the around him was rather unfriendly. I didn’t even post the
pictures on Facebook. We weren’t even Facebook friends. It was weird. I really
didn’t understand. What, then, was that moment all about? Was it because he
knew nobody else was watching? Huh. Just as I thought; another insecure teen
too focused on self-image and reputation to follow through what he started. I’m
sure he’ll grow up to be a fine man…
See, this is the bad thing about crushing on someone. Sometimes you
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