Friends, Foes, Fun

Truth.

The next morning, Dexter arrived at school earlier than usual, his heart pounding with anticipation. As he walked through the hallways, he spotted his friend, Derek leaning against the lockers, engrossed in his phone. Dexter approached him with a nervous smile.

"Hey," Dexter greeted, his voice betraying a mix of excitement and apprehension.

Derek looked up from his phone and raised an eyebrow as he noticed the flowers and chocolate in Dexter's hand.

A mischievous grin spread across his face. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" he teased, nudging Dexter playfully. "Are you finally going to confess your undying love to someone?"

Dexter blushed, feeling a mix of embarrassment and excitement. "Actually, yes," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm going to give these to Lily."

Derek's eyes widened in surprise. "Lily? That pretty girl who always walks with the two monsters?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Dexter nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. "HAHAHA, That's her friend, Shane and Marcus, uhm yeah.. I've liked her for a while now, and I think it's time to let her know how I feel."

Derek grinned, clearly enjoying the moment. "Well, buddy, this is a big step. I'm proud of you for mustering up the courage. You've got this!"

With Derek's encouragement, Dexter felt a surge of confidence. He took a deep breath and made his way towards Lily's classroom.

Dexter peeked through the slightly open classroom door and spotted Lily sitting at her desk, engrossed in her notebook. Her long, flowing hair cascaded over her shoulder as she scribbled down notes, completely unaware of Dexter's presence.

Taking a deep breath, Dexter pushed open the door and walked towards Lily's desk. The room fell silent as all eyes turned towards him, but Dexter's focus remained solely on Lily.

"Lily," he said softly, his voice filled with a mix of nervousness and determination.

Lily looked up, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw Dexter standing before her, holding flowers and chocolate. A blush crept onto her cheeks as she realized the significance of his gesture.

"Dexter," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "What's all this?"

Dexter took a step closer, his heart pounding in his chest. "These are for you," he said, offering the flowers and chocolate with a shy smile. "I wanted to let you know that I've really enjoyed getting to know you and... well, I like you, Lily. Can I be your boyfriend?"

The room held its breath as Lily took the flowers and chocolate, her eyes sparkling with a mix of surprise and delight. She looked at Dexter, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"Dexter," she said, her voice filled with warmth. "Yes Dexter! I've liked you too. I was just waiting for you to make the first move."

Overwhelmed with happiness, Dexter couldn't contain his excitement any longer. With a beaming smile, he pulled Lily into a warm embrace, feeling a rush of emotions as he held her in his arms. Lily returned the hug, her own joy evident on her face.

As they stepped back from their embrace, Dexter and Lily walked hand in hand towards the hallway, their hearts still fluttering with excitement. It didn't take long for them to spot Derek, who had been eagerly waiting for them.

Derek's face lit up with a wide grin as he saw Dexter and Lily approaching. He clapped his hands together and gave them a playful wink. "Congratulations, you lovebirds!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine happiness.

Dexter couldn't help but chuckle at Derek's playful remark. "Thanks, Derek," he replied, his voice filled with gratitude. "None of this would have happened without your encouragement."

"Dexter, there's something important I need to tell you," Derek began, his voice tinged with concern. "You know Asher, right? Well, he has a half-sister named Eve, and she's been raised by his parents."

Dexter's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Asher's half-sister. He couldn't help but feel a surge of shock and confusion.

How could Asher have kept such a significant detail hidden all this time?

But he knew he had to remain composed, especially with Lily standing beside him.

Keeping his voice steady, Dexter asked, "Eve? I had no idea. Why didn't Asher ever mention her?"

Derek sighed, his brows furrowing. "I'm not sure, Dexter. But Asher called me earlier to ask how you were doing after yesterday's match. He mentioned that Eve wanted to come, but her cellphone was broken, so she couldn't reach out to you directly."

Dexter's shock deepened at the revelation. He couldn't fathom why Eve would want to attend his match, let alone apologize for not being able to make it. The situation was becoming more perplexing by the minute.

Before Dexter could gather his thoughts and ask more questions, Derek excused himself, citing the need to focus on his homework. "I'll catch up with you both later," he said, giving Dexter a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Take some time to process everything, my friend."

As Derek sauntered off into the distance, Dexter remained rooted to the spot, his mind a tempest of conflicting emotions.

"Would you like a refreshing beverage?" Lily offered, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I'll treat you to something delightful."

Dexter, momentarily taken aback by Lily's unexpected gesture, managed to muster a grateful smile. "Uh, yes, please. That would be wonderful."

With a graceful stride, Lily made her way towards the nearby drink vending machine, her steps filled with purpose.

Suddenly Eve spotted Dexter, she overcome with excitement, she ran towards him and gave him a big hug.

"Dexter! I missed you so much!" she exclaimed, her voice full of joy.

Dexter smiled back at her, feeling happy to see his friend. "I missed you too, Eve," he said, his voice full of warmth.

Asher watched the scene unfold, feeling amused by his sister's enthusiasm. He gave them a wave and said, "Uh..guys..I.. think..I'm going to class now. See ya later!"

Eve and Dexter laughed and waved back at him, feeling grateful for his understanding. They continued to chat and catch up, feeling happy to be reunited after being apart for so long.

"Hey you know what? I'm so grateful to you, because of you I know the true meaning of life," said Dexter to her

"And...when we were at the library, I will never forget hehe, but..." Dexter trailed off as he caught sight of a girl waving at him. A smile spread across his face as he walked towards her, his heart full of happiness. Without a second thought, he took the girl's hand and led her forward, his eyes never leaving hers.

"So...This is Lily, she is my girlfriend," Dexter said while his girlfriend waved at Eve.

"Wh..what..," Eve's heart sank as Dexter introduced Lily as his new girlfriend.

"I'm happy for you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I hope you'll be happy with her, and...from now on, I hate rain. I hate the memories of what we've done, of what we've lost. I hate the way it reminds me of you! About rain, that song, and your fucking library,"

Overwhelmed by her feelings, Eve turned away from the two of them, desperately holding back tears.

Dexter filled with a mixture of regret and longing, could only let out a weary sigh and murmur,

"If only you knew the truth, Eve..."

"You have to finish your previous page first, so that you'll know how the story goes"

- Raestheries, 2024