Dating Mistakes

Chapter 3

Ethan

'I liked you from the very first moment I saw you. Your bright eyes, your voice like a melody I could listen to everyday and never get tired of it. Seeing your face with that easy smile of yours made even my worst days, a hundred times better. Everyday that I spent with you made me love you even more. I've always loved you and I'll always love you.'

I put my pen down and stare at the words for a beat. The story is about two best friends falling in love but there's something missing. No clue what. I run a frustrated hand through my hair and down my face. I've been trying to complete this story for so long but I want it to be thrilling, something adventurous. Not boring plain simple romance.

I look around. I am in the school library and since the teacher is on leave, I had some free time so I decided to come here to complete this story. I like writing short stories and poetry since I was 14. My writings have been published in school magazines and some co-written books. My dream is to write a bestseller one day. But it's gonna be a hell of ride till that day arrives.

The library is decently quite and large enough to accommodate 100 people at a time, maybe even more but still there are only a few engrossed in whatever work they brought with them.

Dark wooden shelves are attached to the walls. On the right wall, there are fictional books while on the left there are encyclopedias and scientific books like there's suppose to be a war of some sort between the two absolutely opposite kind of genres.

On the right side of the wall facing the double doors of the library are academic books on and on the left are children's books. The librarian sits on the chair behind the counter and is working on the computer. To her left is a separate shelf with all sorts of magazines (not NSFW kinds, obviously). There are four long wooden tables in the middle of the room with six chairs, three on either sides of the table. It's the kind of peace you can only ever find in here.

It's my favourite place in the whole school. Sure, I love football but it, most of the times, feels like I'm doing something to achieve a standard that my parents have set for me and excellence is something I have to be constantly familiar with to receive an ounce of approval from them. My mom and dad are both lawyers and both graduated from Ivy league universities. So, even though they love me and have, somehow, accepted my newly found interest in writing, I'm still expected to attend a college of the same reputation as well.

But my love for writing surpasses any other.

Except for one.

"Well, hello there, stranger." I come out of my daze to see her standing in front of me. Smiling. And coming from her, it is contagious.

"What are you doing here?"

" Looking for my best friend who abandoned me in the middle of the school and didn't tell me why." Elaine exaggerates even further with a pout.

"Dramatic much?" I sigh, shaking my head.

"Seriously though, What are you up to this time?"

"I wrote a new poem. Do you wanna read it?"

"Oh! Is it about me?" She asks, hopefully.

"Uh no, but it's about your favourite time of the day." I reply. More like lie because I, in fact, have written about her many times before but never had the courage to tell her about it.  I can't even tell her about the new story I am working on because maybe it speaks a piece of my heart that I am too afraid to let anyone know, much less her.

Her light brown hair is tied in a high ponytail and her chocolate brown eyes are as bright as ever. Her pale skin glows whenever she smiles or laughs and I love seeing her smile. I have many other friends but she is the one I spend most of my time around. Every Tuesday, we even spend time doing homework at each other's house. It's never dull with her around.

"Really? Well, second best it is then. But I hope you really do write something "good" about me  someday. And yeah, I'd love to read it."

"Ok, so, here it goes." I hand her the notebook in which I'd finished writing it last night.

Gradience of Dusk

Leaving the sky a gradience of
orange and red in its wake.
Sinking low, serenity flows around,
piece of heaven as you gaze.

Hiding behind mountains and buildings,
letting the darkness envelope.
And the moon rises and shines,
All the city lights wake up.

As it sets the sun marks,
the end of a great day.
Or not good if you had one
know you could make it better another way.

Elaine finishes reading and turns to me with a look I can't decipher.

"What? Is it not good?" I ask. I brace myself for whatever "honest opinion" she has for me.

But then she grins.

"Didn't think anything could make me love sunset even more but you definitely proved me wrong. I love it. It's so beautiful Ethan!"

"Thanks. I just wrote it last night. You're the first person who has read it so far." I say rubbing the back of my neck.

"Ooh, wow, I'm flattered. First one to be able to read the work of an up-and-coming author/poet. And I suppose it is your entry for the upcoming poetry contest?"

"Yeah well, I don't know. Do you think it's worth it?"

"Of course! Believe me you're gonna nail it with this."

"Well, then, I'll submit it today itself."

"Hmm-hmm" She says but her eyes are on the table with the notebook in which I was just working on. And before I could react, she grabs it and dangles it just out of my reach.

SHIT!

I try to get it back but she dances out of reach and the librarian gives us a look that clearly states that we would be thrown out if we didn't settle our asses right now.
We sit but Elaine doesn't return the notebook.

"Come on El! Give it back. There's nothing special in it." I whisper but she isn't listening. Instead, her playful expression changes into something...serious.

"El? What is it?" I call her.

"Whom is it for, Ethan? You have any secret crush I don't know about." She asks me and looks me in the eyes.

Indeed I have.

"No! What are you talking about?"

"This." She turns the notebook towards me and I look at the words I had started writing in the beginning.

'Thank god she didn't read the previous page.' I think to myself.

"Oh this! I had some ideas while I was here so I jotted them down. But did you really think I would dare write this to a girl while you're still here with me?" I  say and curse myself mentally for not thinking it through before speaking.

"Oh? so you're not going to get a girlfriend while I'm your best friend? Let me tell you one thing then: you're gonna die alone, mister, because you're not getting rid of me that easily anytime soon."

"Correction: 'We' are gonna die alone."

"Why? Who said anything about me not getting a boyfriend?" She says and my heart sinks.

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