DEAR YOU [Part 1]

Chapter 11

ELIOTT

"Hey babe. I just wanted to remind you once again that today is the last day to sign up for the Washington DC trip so do not forget to sign up. Okay bye. Love you." I heard Rome's voicemail. In between this chaos in my head, I completely forgot about it.

"Okay students, now that all of us are here and have done the roll check three times now, thanks to Richie." Ms. Mira addressed a huge crowd of high schoolers as we stood in front of the buses.
"Always a pleasure ma'am." Richie shouted from within the sea of students.
"Now, I hope you all have checked your assorted bus numbers and after doing so, kindly move into the buses in a queue. Don't forget that you are all not five year olds so I would love to see some less pushing. Talking about you, Eddy."

"Babe." I heard Rome calling out to me. She walked towards me with her hand full of a month long luggage, "A little help please." I took some of her bags and gave her a kiss.
"So, whats your number?" she asked.
"Its five, yours?"
"What the fuck, mines four. Let me go talk to Ms. Mira."
"Babe, I don't think she'll change the entire route for you. And see, all of your friends are with you right babe. Its just for an hour or two"
"Yeah, I guess so." She kissed me bye and took the luggage from me.

The entire bus was buzzing with people, kids shouting and laughing. It felt like they were having the time of their lives. Well, I was too. School trips always made me excited but I generally didn't have this heavy weight on my chest.
I made my way through the front seats and finally found a seat at the back, last corner.

"Matt. Hi, uhm what are you doing here." I haven't spoken to him since my birthday. To be honest, I don't know how to talk to him anymore.

"The school trip?" he replied.

"Yeah, ofcourse. I meant uhm" it hasn't even been five minutes and I have already ruined everything. What is wrong with me. I continued, "Can I sit there?"

"Yeah, by all means."

So we sat there, in silence for about thirty minutes. Maybe none of us had anything to say, maybe we were thinking the same thing.

"I am sorry, did I do something to offend you?" he finally broke the silence.

I gave him a confused look.

"At your birthday. You just left there so quickly. Was it the gift?" My god he was so nice, nice enough to take all the blame.

"No obviously not. Matt that was the best gift I have ever received," I said, nervously running my hand through my hair.

"Then? What was it? Was it Nate? He can be intervening sometimes."

Yes it was nate. Yes, it was the fact that you already have a boyfriend. I left because I can not see you with someone else, I cannot see you kissing another boy and I definitely cannot see you be in love with someone else when I am in love with y-

"This is going to be embarrassing but I left because I had a stomachache." I responded.

He looked at me and laughed a bit.

"You want to listen to some beatles?" He put an airpod in my hands.

"Hey sleepy head. Wake up." I woke up to a soft, angelic voice. I opened my eyes and found myself to be drooling all over Matt's shoulders. Things could not be more embarrassing for me.

"Oh fuck. Uhm" I looked at him and saw him chuckling.

"No worries dude. Now let's go, we are the only ones left."

I looked around and saw the whole bus empty.
Did he really just sit there waiting for me to wake up. Not moving so that I can sleep. Everything he does, how is he so perfect all the time.

We stepped out of the bus and saw the entire city, gleaming and bright with lights and noise and crowd. The city lights twinkled in our eyes. We turned and looked at each other.

Ms. Mira called out to us, "Matt. Elliot. Keep up."

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