Hi, everyone. I'm Annabelle
But you can just call me Anna, if you like it short. Everyone does, by the way.
Right now, I'm on my usual three-minute walk to school.
Only a minute left before I reach the main gate. I pass by the school guard, Julie, and we exchange smiles and a quick, familiar Good morning.
A few minutes later, I'm walking through the hallway, weaving through the early crowd, until I finally reach my classroom.
I slip into my seat, dropping my bag with a soft thud.
As I take my seat, a guy sits in the chair in front of me, facing backward.
He looks at me and says, Hey! in a lively way, as a greeting. Hey, Eduardo, I replied with a slight smile as I fixed my things from my backpack.
It's a habit of mine to always give anyone I encounter a smile, it always been like that since I'm an introverted person and rarely knows how to socialize properly.
It's really a blessing to see someone as beautiful as you early in the morning. It gives me motivation to stay in school.
Eduardo says, leaning his head comfortably on his arms, his eyes locked onto me.
Wow, I mutter, sounding completely uninterested. Seriously face forward. The teacher is about to walk in any minute.
Hours later, the bell rang, signaling recess. I reached for my biscuit, eager to take a bite, but before I could even taste it guess who showed up. Eduardo, standing right in front of me with that familiar grin, asking for one. Honestly, what did we expect.
Barely two minutes passed when another figure appeared at the doorway my friend Tom. Did you hear about the issue? he asked, his voice low like he was spilling some secret.
"Not really," I said, half-curious, half-distracted. We chatted quietly, words passing between us like a small secret bubble, until the teacher walked in and the room straightened itself back to silence.
In our school, every grade level is divided into two sections. I belong to the second section. Sure, I have a few friends from the first section but honestly, it's just one or two. Sometimes, I wonder if it's an introvert thing, or maybe it's just me. Because honestly, I prefer having a few real friends over having lots of fake ones.
Every Friday, we held a flag ceremony where all the students would gather in the quadrangle, lining up by grade level.
As I stepped out of the classroom, my eyes immediately caught sight of Sia.
My heart did that annoying little skip it always does whenever I see her.
Yeah... she's my crush. I've had a crush on her for a while now.
And I know exactly what you guys might be thinking— we're both girls and all that.
But yeah... explaining that would take a whole lot of time.
Honestly, it's just a small crush. We all have them, right?
Sometimes, having a crush makes you feel a little more alive, like you're not completely locked into the endless cycle of classes and homework.
And if I'm being even more honest... sometimes she's the only reason I even bother dragging myself to school. Haha.
Now you know why I'm in the second section, not the first.
After the flag ceremony, we headed back to our classroom, and of cours as usual, Tom and I launched into one of our ultimate conversations, this time with my friend Jean.
Yeah, she's a girl
Are you guys finding my friend group confusing yet?
Here's the thing Tom's gay, which basically makes all three of us girls.
Jean's been my friend since seventh grade, while Tom is a transferee.
But honestly, it didn't take long for us to get close.
Some people just fit into your life without needing much explanation.
After school, when the bell rang, I caught sight of Jane.
I guess I can call her a friend... somehow.
She's a ninth grader.
I walked up to her and said, Hi.
She smiled back and said Hi too, then casually linked her arm through mine.
I don't know—I felt kind of uncomfortable.
You might think we're just friends, but honestly, it feels more like her way of flirting...
and if I'm being real, I'm not really into it.
This whole thing has been going on for weeks now. Those weeks, she would always come by my classroom, asking if we could have recess together and just... hang out around school.
Honestly, I don't even remember how it all started.
It just kind of happened.
And now well, this is the situation I'm stuck in.
The next day, I had plans with some of my classmates—even though, honestly, I spend about ninety percent of my time with them anyway.
Hi, guys. I said, sliding into the seat beside them.
Your favorite, Eduardo said, grinning at me and raising his eyebrows twice like he was bragging that he knew me too well. Tsk.
Thanks, I said, flashing him a fake smile just to mess with him, then took my first sip of my drink
Can you believe it? In a few months, we'll be seniors already, one of my classmates said.
"It's crazy. I still remember us running around and playing like little kids back in seventh grade," they added, laughing.
The topic went on from there—old memories, funny stories, random plans for the future.
And honestly? I did enjoy my day today.
Even if sometimes, their faces are a little too much to handle. Haha.
After getting home, I chatted a little with Tom and Jean, took a shower, then read a few chapters from a book to help me fall asleep.
Sunday.
Wow, Sunday already.
Tomorrow's Monday again.
I sighed, feeling the weight of it.
Hey, later, 7 PM at the Grill's Bar. Sia will be there. You should come.
A text popped up on my phone—it was from Jean.
It's not like she's into girls, right? I replied.
Losing already, Anna? The game hasn't even started yet and you're giving up, Jean texted back, followed by a laughing emoji I could almost hear in her voice.
I didn't say I wouldn't be there, I typed quickly.
See yah! was the last thing she sent before the conversation ended.
I arrived early.
Great.
Not even Jean was here yet.
I guess I was just... nervous.
Calm down, Annabelle, I muttered to myself, feeling like I was about to be interrogated or something, my hands shaking slightly.
Oh, right—you might be wondering why a tenth-grader like me is even allowed inside a bar.
Well, technically, a student from our school owns this place. I mean, his parents do.
That's why students are allowed to hang out here sometimes.
Of course, even with that connection, we're not allowed to order alcohol—obviously.
We just hang out, drink soft drinks and juices...
Sadly.
Thank God they finally arrived Jean, the others... and Sia.
She sat across the table from me.
We had all squeezed into one table, the whole group crammed together, laughing and talking over each other.
Meanwhile, I kept sneaking glances at Sia, trying so hard not to be obvious...
Which, yeah, I probably failed miserably. Hoo.
I excused myself, mumbling something about needing the bathroom, but really, I just needed some fresh air.
I needed to breathe.
Outside, I took a big, deep breath of fresh air and let it out slowly.
That feels nice, I said to myself, smiling.
Hey..
A soft voice spoke from behind me.
I turned around—and there she was.
Sia.
The moment I met her eyes, I felt a sudden wave of heat brush over my face.
Without thinking, I quickly turned away, hoping she hadn't seen how much I was blushing.
Are you okay?
Sia's voice was soft, almost teasing.
I could hear the smile in it even before I dared to glance back at her.
I'm fine, I muttered quickly, probably too quickly.
Smooth, Anna. Real smooth.
I just needed air, I said, trying to laugh it off, waving my hand like it was no big deal.
She laughed softly, and somehow, just hearing it made my heart skip.
Good, she said. Wouldn't want you passing out or anything.
I gave her a nervous laugh, feeling like I might actually pass out if she kept smiling at me like that.