Unforgiven Dreams ✔️

Chapter 8

Dedicating this chapter to the person who inspired me but will never know.
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Josh.

Josh Stone.

I breathed in heavily, as if trying to take in his scent through the phone. Josh and I went way back. He used to be my neighbour. I remember little five-year old Josh stumbling into our garden, his blond hair messed up over his blue eyes, green and white striped tee covered in dirt and jeans torn at places. I giggled away as I realised the sand trap I made in the garden gave way to him. "It's not funny!", he frowned at me as he flicked away specks of dirt.

I lalala-ed around him, teasing, "Joshie is a cry baby, Joshie is a cry baby!!" He got up and shoved some dirt at me and hence followed a rather very messy fight. My mom had to separate us before we turned into clay pieces like those at Mohenjodaro.

We were the best of friends, and we did almost everything together. The whole neighbourhood called us the Meanie Beanies because we were always upto something mischievous, be it stealing oranges from Mrs. Tilly's garden, or breaking window glasses when we played cricket or ringing random doorbells and running away.

I think we were about twelve when his smile didn't provoke me to punch his teeth off anymore. Instead it gave me butterflies. I realised that I liked him a bit more than just a friend. I dreamt about him all day and when we spent time together, I would cherish every moment.

At school, we were in different classes so we didn't talk that much. I noticed his growing friendship with this girl, Celine, who wasn't the I'm-a-bimbo type. She was really nice, and I was glad it was her he was friends with.

She would laugh flirtatiously at everything he said and flutter her eyes when he smiled back. Oh god, how I wished to scoop those eyes out. There wasn't any particular reason for hating her, except that she was stealing my Josh.

Oh, right.

He was never mine to begin with.

A beautiful evening it was on the roof when he disclosed that he asked Celine out and she said yes.

I broke inside, my heart shattered into pieces. "I'm so happy for you!", I said, holding back tears and cuss words. I hugged him tight and lied through my teeth,"I always knew. You guys were meant to be." "You think so?", he asked, as he stroked the roof pieces,"And I was getting nervous." I eyed him,"Nervous for?". He just shook his head.

One day, we were lying on the slopy grass in the corner of my garden. I pointed at the neelakuranji [Its a type of flower] and said, "In four more years, this lil baby will bloom and there would be blue everywhere."

"How blue?", he pressed. "Blue as your eyes. Not when you're excited though, because they became a gleaming and a lighter hue of blue. But when you're calm and satisfied, your eyes become this bluish-purple colour.",I waved my finger in air, unaware of what I just blurted.

"Wow.", he said slowly,"I didn't know they were so many shades. And the fact that you noticed." That's when I realised what I said and I immediately blushed," Uh.. Yeah, well it's very hard to not notice." I heard him smile and then he sighed.

"Sophie?", he stuttered as he lay on his side, his elbows supporting his head,"I need to tell you something." I looked at him,"Yeah?"

He sighed again, "I used to be in love with you." I gaped, unable to register anything. Did I hear right? This boy was in love with a girl like me?

"Oh.", I found myself say. Is that really the best you can do,Sophie? Dumbhead.

"Well, oh what?"