Linked Souls

3) The birthday

Days were passing by quickly, as if it was fleeing from justice.
Leia started to make friends other than me with girls of our school.

This wasn't easy for her as she isn't social enough, but it went well anyway.
I was always happy for her more than I was happy for myself, jumping with joy when I knew that she got good grades in an exam, Even if my grade is bad, but who cares as long as she's smiling and happy, I'm overwhelmed with psychological comfort when I see her well and reassured.

More days passed until we were fifteen, six years of knowing her, It's been like just six minutes, the good times always fly by.

We haven't changed much, I'm still .. you know .. me.
But with different hairstyle and new hobby. I write sarcastic books about life, Because irony is the only way out of tragedy.

I published a book on satire, It's called "The Law of Foolishness" which talks about the laws of parents and schools that control our minds and our actions to prevent us from being creative or different, or to think outside the sterile box of their old thoughts.
This book has sold a good number of copies and it was a nice step in my life.

And Leia hasn't changed much either, nothing but became sweeter than her regular sweetness.
And her chocolate cakes are better than before, thanks god.

However, time itself changed, now we have phones and social networking sites.
The ironic thing is that even the social media didn't make me friends.
My classmates had thousands of followers and likes per post. while I had ... you know .. like real life, there are no likes except from Leia.
Speaking of Leia she became most popular with the passage of time on social media.
She was gorgeous and funny, as if God had implanted people's love in her.

Of course I was happy for her, but I was worried about the society around her.
I was afraid of boys likes.
And their comments, that when she was responding to it I felt very strange.
I think it's called "Jealousy" .
It's like all the internal organs of my body are on fire, my heart shakes in anger like the Chilean earthquake.
She always told me she didn't care about them but I still had a grudge in my heart towards them.

She's mine, don't comment on my girl's post.

But I always felt that weird feeling, the feeling that I loved Leia more than she loved me, maybe I exaggerated my giving to her, I cared for her too much.

My mother always used to tell me, "If something goes beyond its limit, it turns into its opposite."

That means if you eat too much, you will get satiated and sick. And you if you didn't eat at all, you will die within days.
If you spend a lot, you will go bankrupt, and if you don't spend at all, you will die before enjoying life.

"You have to be moderate, my son." She always said.
But I couldn't moderate my feelings towards her.
I gave her all my attention if she spoke, All my time if she wants. And everything I have is Underestimated in front of her satisfaction and angelic smile.
By the way, I never told her that I love her.
Because in my point of view love is not a word to be said.
Rather, they are two things, feeling and doing.
If I love you, I will not say it to you, but I will prove it with my actions and attitudes towards you.

My feelings always proved themselves, but this time I wished I was wrong and that Leia loved me as much as I loved her.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

November fifteenth. her birthday.
The day when plants flourished and the universe breathed.
And that bright star fell from the sky, and made my heart flutter and fly, no woman will give birth to a girl like her, no matter how hard they try.

Today my moon will be sixteen.
I bought a gift for her for sure. It was a gold chain with the first letter of her name written on it. And a wristwatch so that she can remember me whenever she wants to know the time.
A letter I wrot... Oh ... hey, I forgot to write it.

I was good with words.
But not with her.
As if all my words stand helpless, as for my attempts to describe her.
Every letter trembles with fear that I would choose it to represent her beauty, "Beauty" isn't enough, "the moon," "the stars," "roses," "Dream," "gift," not enough, I had no ideas, I cried.

I wanted this letter to be perfect, but I couldn't. I really cried.
After a lot of attempts I wrote the next "Leia, you are the innocence in its magnificence, the beauty in its charm, and you are the loftiness of love with its intense fragrance, you are the bright hope, you are the roses moistened by dew drops, the dreaming moon that looms in the summer nights illuminating the range, you are the childish dreams as a gift to the earth from the Lord of Heaven, you have magic that takes away hearts. Night has an end, life has an end, but my interest in you, has no end"

(It wasn't perfect but it's all I could write)

I went to her birthday and gave her the gift, she won't open it until we blow out the candle.
But she was shaking her feet.
I know this move.

"What's going on, Leia? Is everything fine?"

"Yes, nothing, I just got a little nervous."

"What, why?"I had a look of astonishment.

That conversation was interrupted by a strange boy who isn't from our school.
I didn't know him, but I hated him at first sight.
Just as I believe in love at first sight, I believe in hate at first sight as well.

I looked at Leia's legs, she stopped shaking it.
She got up and greeted him. "John this is Adrian. Adrian, this is John", he extended his hand to shake my hand, But I didn't give him my hand.

"I don't care who you are",
Leah smiled an embarrassed smile and said, "He always likes to joke."

I walked away burning inside, I've thought of a thousand and one ways to put this Adrian to death in two minutes

Leia came to me and admonished me "Why did you act like this with my new friend?"

"What? your new what? Friend?"

"Yes, I met him online and invited him to attend my birthday, be nice" she said.

My craziness was about to become crazy. "Why didn't you tell me before he came, and why did you know him in the first place?" I yelled in anger.

"He's just a friend. Calm down" she replied.

I calmed down because it was her birthday.
But I had a giant reproach for her inside me.

Lights out, candles were lit.
We got around the table and started singing the birthday song
-Actually I didn't sing- I was just looking at her while she was killing me.
Her eyes meet his, and she didn't look at me the whole song. -just a friend huh-

Leia blew out the candles and then began to open the presents. Someone gave her perfume. What a stupid person, She doesn't need perfume.
The other girl bought her a hat. Leah hates hats.
These are silly gifts, There's no competition, my gift is the most precious and valuable among them all, I know she loves chains.

She opened my gift and laughed, "that's very sweet, thank you John". After she finished unpacking all the gifts, Adrian get closer to her and said "I'm sorry Leia, I didn't bring a great gift, but I have drew this photo of you." and showed her a portrait he painted.

She became excited and told him "wow, that's charming that's the best gift I had today"

This words entered my heart cut it to pieces and made all my efforts seem like nothing, I rectified the situation and went to her while taking the letter out of my pocket.
"Oh Leia, I almost forgot. I wrote this for you."

She read it and then "said thank you very much. These are really wonderful words."

"Words? I cried writing this letter and you just see them as words, It's so disappointing to feel that from you, I knew that giving too much would only hurt myself, but I fell into it nonetheless" I thought but never said.

The rest of the party was bleak for me, I didn't even eat the cake. On this day, I learned that something was wrong and that I had to fix it, I don't want to be an outcast again.