ã€ŠChildhood Dreamingã€‹


 Chapter 1

    "Today''s the day I''m going to confess my feelings for her!", he thought as he looked himself in the mirror. His dark brown hair gave of a slight hue as the ceiling light got reflected in it. With a smile on his face, he made his way downstairs and on his way to school.

    The pen was lifted off the paper as the author in question stared intensely at what he had just written. His hazel eyes squinted as he analyzed every word on the sheet. With a single, quick movement with his right hand, a dark line crossed out sentence after sentence with the intention of leaving nothing behind. He groaned as he leaned backwards in his chair. A small minute went by, before he returned to his original position while looking at the clock on the wall. "Shit!" He suddenly jumped out of his seat, grabbed his backpack and blazer, and started running down the stairs. Before long, he was already out of the house.

    A shining, blue sky filled the world with light as luscious colors of all kinds danced in the sunlight. The silent melody of birds chirping was almost drowned by the sound of a bustling town. Students, electricians, office workers, janitors, they all made their way towards their daily tasks. In the midst of it all, a lonely girl stood still in her neighborhood, waiting. Her worried face looked down on her watch. Suddenly, the sound of panting could be heard, slowly growing in noise.

    "Please¡­wait!"

    The girl turned her glance towards the boy running towards her. He stopped as he finally caught up to the girl. Sweat rolled down his forehead as he bent forward, panting intensely.

    "You have some nerve making a girl like me wait."

    The boy apologetically looked up at her.

    "Sorry¡­It won''t happen again."

    "You also said that the last five times¡­"

    "It''s not my fault that time moves so quickly!"

    "Fiiinneeee. I''ll overlook it this time."

    The girl winked at him and smiled before she turned around and started walking down the road. The boy watched for a second, as her blonde hair happily waved back and forth with each step. With a small smile on his face, he started walking as well.

    "Now, how was your summer break?" The girl asked with her cute and innocent voice.

    "Well, let''s see¡­"

    The boy thought for a moment. What had he really done this summer break? He had practiced his writing, played some games, read some books, nothing really out of the ordinary. Well, he did go to the beach that one time with his family, but that wasn''t really noteworthy. Six weeks had gone by, and he hadn''t used it for anything.

    "It was¡­normal."

    "So, nothing special happened at all?"

    "Not that I can remember."

    "Such a boring answer."

    "Hey, you''re the one that asked!"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    The girl giggled.

    "Since you critique MY summer break, what did YOU do?"

    "Well¡­eehhhh"

    She looked flustered as she tried to answer the question.

    "I did¡­nothing."

    As she answered, the boy could not hold back his amusement and started uncontrollably laughing.

    "HEY!"

    She gently pushed him as her face pouted in response to his reaction.

    They finally made their way to school, and by the entrance, a boy with light, brown hair waited patiently. Standing in his uniform, it was hard to differentiate him from the others if you didn''t know what you were looking for. A sudden smile appeared on his face as he brought up his hand and started waving towards the boy and girl who made their way through the entrance.

    "Chris! Lilly!" He shouted while walking towards them.

    "Hey!" Chris said excitedly as the two boys fist bumped.

    "So good to see you again Adam!"

    "You too Lilly."

    The group smiled at each other, as they hadn''t seen each other since the start of summer break.

    "So, we''re finally second graders!" Adam proudly said.

    "Guess so¡­" Chris started before being abruptly interrupted by the sound of the bells ringing.

    Students started moving into the school hallways as to not miss class.

    "See you guys at lunch." Adam said before he hurriedly started walking towards the school. The two others quickly followed suit.

    School went on as normal as any other first day after a break. Meeting the class, new teachers, starting new subjects, and so on. Before long, lunch had already arrived.

    "So, you ready for lunch?"

    A set of blue eyes with a small smile under them looked down on Chris, still in his seat.

    "Sure, just let me get my packed lunch."

    They quickly made their way towards their usual meeting place.

    On a bench under a tall spruce tree filled with green leaves, three students sat and ate.

    "Maaaaan, chemistry sucks!"

    "First day of school and you''re already sick of it, Adam?"

    "We all can''t be as good as you at school Lilly."

    Her face turned a slight shade of pink in response to the sudden compliment.

    "At least you two are in the same class. There''s only strangers in my class."

    "Come on Adam, it can''t be that bad."

    "Sure, there''s at least some cute girls there."

    The two boys laughed by themselves, with a slightly irritated face by their side.

    "It''s just fun and games Lilly. Don''t take it so seriously. Anyway, you two free later today?"

    "Yeah, sure." Chris responded.

    "Sorry, I''m working late hours today."

    "Well, looks like it''ll be just you and me then Chris. Been a while since we had some bro time."

    They continued to chatter as they finished eating their lunch. Suddenly, the clock rang once again, signaling the end of lunchtime.

    As usual, Lilly and Chris walked home from school. Almost every day since elementary school all the way up to high school they''d take the small trip together. It was more unusual to see them walking apart to the normal onlookers. Of course, there had been the occasions where one of them were sick and the other one would have to walk alone, but those were few and far between.

    "So, what do you actually write about?"

    They had never really talked about Chris'' hobby before. It was a topic that Lilly had acknowledged, but never really shown interest in.

    "Well, ehhm¡­It kinda depends on my mood. I could really write about anything."

    Lilly grinned as she looked at Chris.

    "What about now then?"

    "Now? Nothing special."

    "You''re such a bad liar! Come on, you can be honest with me. We''ve known each other for such a long time."

    "Fine. I''m writing a¡­romance."

    "Ooohhhh, how cute!"

    In response to his answer, she happily jumped up and down with a big smile on her face. Chris on the other hand, blushed in embarrassment as he looked down onto the pavement.

    "Tell me about it! Is it inspired by real life?"

    She quickly moved closer to him, as she excitedly awaited the answer.

    "N-No¡­Anyway, I''m still in the planning phase." Chris answered, as he increasingly became more and more red. He could feel his heartbeat shake his entire body.

    "Let me read it when it''s done, okay? Oohh I love romance novels! I love it when the protagonist finally confesses his feelings to the girl. I wish that would happen to me¡­"

    "Y-yeah¡­"

    Chris looked down onto the ground, as his blush finally disappeared, and his heartbeat went back to normal. It went quiet for a while as they continued to walk.

    "Well, here''s my house. See you tomorrow!"

    Lilly quickly waved before she turned around and started walking to her house.

    "See ya."

    Chris stood there for a while, looking at her blonde hair shining in the sun, her uniform that perfectly accentuated her body, and her cute little strut slowly moving away from him.

    "Dammit¡­"

    He continued walking.

 Chapter 2

    The girl he had fallen in love with, was, in fact, someone dear to him. The one person he could feel safe around. He could be himself, and if he ever needed to talk to someone, she would be there for him. She meant the world to him. He wanted to give her the love she deserved, but he could not bring himself to do it.

    First thing Chris did when he came home was to continue writing. It was a hobby he had picked up a few years ago when he started reading more books. Writing had become an essential part of his life now, and it worked almost like a coping mechanism for when he was felling down or had something on his mind.

    As he was writing, he was suddenly disrupted by his phone vibrating. He picked it up and checked the screen. It said Adam in bold letters, followed by a message. "You ready to meet up?" He replied with a short yes, before he got up, got his sweater, and left his room.

    "I''ll be heading over to Adams house."

    "Okay!" a small voice answered from the kitchen.

    "Just be sure to come home before dark."

    "Yeah mom. Bye."

    Chris opened the door and stepped out of the house, leaving his mom behind.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    Loud button tapping and sounds from a TV could be heard as the two boys were in a heated duel. Both staring intensely at the screen, neither wanting to lose. "YES!!!" Adam jumped out of his seat in response to his decisive victory, as he did a small victory lap around the room. Chris, visibly irritated gently threw the controller in front of him while looking at Adam.

    "Calm down! There''s no reason to run around the room. It''s only a stupid game¡­"

    Adam stopped and looked at Chris with a small smirk on his face.

    "Not my fault that you suck at it, and you only say that ''cause you lost."

    They both laughed it off while Adam finally found his seat again. This was usually how they''d spend time together. One of them would go to the other persons house, they would order a pizza and play games. As they grew older, time became scarcer and they would meet up less often, but they always made sure to meet up at least a couple of times a month.

    "Anyway¡­ there were some things I would like to talk to you about." Adam started, looking at Chris.

    "First of all, have you decided your after-school activities? I guess you won''t try football again after last year''s fiasco."

    "Yeah, I think I''m gonna try something more suited to my abilities. I''m thinking of joining the literature club."

    "Booooriinnng."

    "Well, it''s better than sitting on the football team''s bench for a whole year."

    "I was hoping you''d join me at the basketball team. Oh well, don''t come crying to me when all the girls fall for me while you''re reading a book in a classroom."

    "You know I''m not interested in that kinda stuff¡­ And that isn''t really how it works."

    "You don''t know that! Anyway, you''re already too occupied with someone else."

    Chris lightly smiled while a certain person came to mind.

    "So, when are you actually gonna confess instead of staring at her from afar?"

    "I''m not ready yet. It has to be the right moment."

    The room went silent for a moment.

    "And you''re sure she is the one? I mean, there''s like a billion other girls in this world."

    Chris chuckled.

    "Yeah¡­"

    "And if she finds someone else?"

    "¡­"

 Chapter 3

    "You should tell her man."

    "No, it''s not the right time."

    "But when is? She''s gonna end up with someone else if this continues."

    "Fine¡­ I''ll tell her in the next couple of days."

    Dylan got up from his seat, gave Thomas a final stare before he got his things and left the room in silence.

    The classroom erupted in noise just a few seconds after the bell rang. Talking, people getting their stuff, walking, it all filled the room with noise. In the back of the classroom, Chris sat silently writing on a piece of paper, still in his own world. Suddenly, he lifted his head up in confusion as he saw all his classmates pack their stuff. He quickly followed suit and made his way out into the hallway. Now, where''s room 215? Chris thought to himself as he walked onwards, reading every classrooms room number.

    Around a small circular table in one of the classrooms, sat three girls. Books of all kinds were stacked on top of each other on the table, as well as cookies and tea. They seemed to be having a good time, all of them smiling and happily talking. Suddenly, the door to the classroom quickly opened. All the girls turned around in response, and their sight was greeted by a boy standing in the doorway. The girl closest to the door, looked in shock at the boy, and in response, the boy looked back at the girl with the same kind of shock in his eyes.

    "Chris!?!" The girl shouted at him.

    "Lilly!?!"

    The two best friends had ended up in the same after-school activity, the literature club.

    "Do you two know each other?" One of the girls asked as Chris slowly made his way towards the table.

    "Yeah, we''re childhood friends!" Lilly proudly exclaimed with a big smile on her face."

    "Y-yeah¡­"

    Chris looked at the three girls by the table.

    "Oh, great! I guess you''re here for the literature club?"

    "Yeah, I was hoping to join."

    "Of course, the more the marrier! First, let us introduce ourselves. I''m Mia from class 3-A!"

    Her short, hazel colored hair happily jumped up and down with each word she said, and her soft yet energetic voice soothed the listeners. Chris couldn''t help but to notice her facial features. Her brown eyes were perfectly complimented by her freckles and large smile.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "I''m the leader of the literature club."

    She quickly lent over to the girl next to her and grabbed her shoulder.

    "And this is Amelia!"

    "N-nice to¡­meet you." Amelia whispered. It was almost as if she hid behind her dark hair while she sat with her arms crossed.

    "Don''t worry, she''s only a bit shy in front of new people. She''s from class 1-B. Now, who are you then?"

    The girls looked at him with anticipation in their eyes.

    "Hello, I''m Chris from class 2-B, the same as Lilly." He explained as he sat down next to her.

    "Now that we''ve all introduced each other, should we start?"

    The sky had turned bright orange as the two friends made their way home.

    "I didn''t know you were interested in literature Lilly."

    She smiled in response to Chris'' statement.

    "Well, I got curious after we talked about it. Also, Adam told me you were going to join."

    Wait, they talked about me? Chris thought while trying to hide his smile.

    "Anyway, I hope I get to read your texts soon! We are in the literature club after all."

    "Y-yeah, we''ll see¡­"

    It went silent for a while as they continued to make their way past house after house. The town had finally quieted down.

    "What did you think of the other members then?"

    "Ehh¡­"

    The question caught Chris off guard, and he scrambled for words.

    "They''re¡­nice."

    "Just nice?"

    "What?"

    Lilly giggled as she sped up.

    "What are you implying?" Chris said while trying to catch up to Lilly

    "Nothing¡­I just think you and one of them would make a cute couple."

    NO!!! Chris reddened as he let the scenario run through his mind.

    "You know, I gotta look out for you. I wouldn''t want you to end up with someone I don''t like." She said as she stopped and smiled at Chris.

    If only it was as simple as that. Me loving someone else. He stared down onto the pavement with a defeated look on his face.

    "Hey, I was only joking. Don''t take it seriously."

    "N-no, it was nothing." He smiled, and in response, Lilly smiled back as they continued to walk down the street.

    They would spend their time at the literature club every day after school. Some days, they would read books, other days they would write their own stories. Mia would always bring cookies and tea to lighten up the mood.

    "Did you read the book I recommended Chris?"

    A set of brown eyes shined as they looked upon the lone boy.

    "Yeah, I liked it."

    Mia grinned in response.

    "What book was it?" Lilly asked from the other side of the table.

    "It''s called The hidden forest."

    Amelia looked up from her book, trying to listen to what they were talking about.

    "What''s it about?"

    "It''s about a boy who finds a cave that leads to a magical forest."

    The two girls continued to happily talk by themselves. Chris on the other hand, could not avoid shifting his attention towards Amelia, who was quietly reading.

    "What book are you reading, Amelia?"

    She looked up in shock as her name was called out. Still flustered, she tried to answer the question.

    "It''s uh¡­a book called¡­Summer rain."

    "What''s it about?"

    "N-n-no don''t worry it''s just a stupid book."

    She quickly dragged the book towards her in response while trying to cover the pages. Her cute cheeks reddened.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t laugh." He said while smiling and trying to encourage her to answer.

    "It''s about¡­a boy and a girl who¡­f-fall in love during summer."

    As she answered, she hid further and further behind the book, while her face turned completely red. Clearly seeing that Amelia was embarrassed, Chris could not help but to let out a small giggle.

    "It''s stupid right¡­"

    "No, I think it''s cute."

    The answer shocked Amelia even more, but she knew it was something he genuinely meant.

 Chapter 4

    Her eyes bathed in the sun''s orange hue. Her hair waved in the summer wind. Waves running through the sand made a soothing sound in the background as they stared at each other in silence.

    "I-"

    "Don''t worry, just let us enjoy the moment."

    Zoey moved forward, and as her smooth and soft hands touched Dylan''s hand, he knew right then and there that she was the one.

    The Saturday sun had barely risen as Chris sat in his chair as usual. The first few weeks of school had come and gone like they were in a hurry.

    "Chris! It''s breakfast!" Someone shouted from downstairs. Reacting quickly, he closed his book and went downstairs.

    The whole family was gathered around the table, Chris, his mom and dad, and his younger sister Sara. They all sat there quietly, focusing on eating. Although they were siblings, Chris and Sara didn''t really have much in common. They could quite honestly be considered polar opposites of each other. Chris were good at school, Sara always seemed to Struggle. She had lots of friends and loved to be around lots of people, Chris only had a few friends, and preferred his alone time. We could talk on and on about their differences, but deep down, they stilled cared for each other, like all siblings should.

    "What are you guys up to today then?" Their mother asked.

    "Going shopping with some friends." Sara answered quickly, not even looking up from her plate.

    "I''m going to the arcade with Lilly and Adam."

    "Really? When are you going?"

    "I''m supposed to meet them at 1 o''clock." Chris answered to his mom.

    "Okay, just remember to be home by dinner, you too Sara."

    Chris nodded in response to his mother before he finished his plate. He then made his way back to his lair and sat down at the desk once again.

    Chris got off the train and looked around at all the people surrounding him. People getting off the train, talking, walking quickly, eating food. The train station was packed with people of all kinds, all doing their own thing, even on Saturdays. He continued his way out of the station and into the main street. After walking for just a couple of minutes, he stopped in front of a large, shining light that sticked out like a sore thumb on the otherwise classier and more passive main street. In bold letters, it said ARCADE. After checking the time, he walked through the door beneath the sign.

    Chris was immediately met with all kinds of sounds coming from the countless machines in the room. On top of that, he could hear mumbling from the people using these machines, as well as a sore attempt from the arcade to play background music, although it was almost drowned by all the other sounds anyway. The room was pretty big, and it could hold many people at once, and by the entrance, there were stalls where you could sit down and eat if you wanted to.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Quickly surveying the room from the entrance, Chris quickly located Lilly and Adam who were already sitting at one of the stalls, drinking milkshakes while talking. Lilly were smiling in response to something that Adam said. How long have they been sitting here? Chris walked over to them.

    "Hey guys."

    "Oh, hey Chris! We just got here." Lilly responded as she looked up at him.

    "Hey Chris. Why don''t you sit down and order a milkshake as well?"

    "S-sure¡­"

    Chris sat down next to Adam and ordered a chocolate milkshake, which he quickly got from one of the servers. Sitting at the booth, they indulged in small talk.

    "Well, shall we start?" Having finished their drinks, Adam was eager to start playing.

    "Sure!"

    Lilly and Chris got up and followed their friend towards the machines.

    There were all kinds of machines. Claw machines, rythm, fighting and racing games, and much more, so it was difficult to even know where to start. They nevertheless decided on what to start with and made their way through the machines.

    Soon, they got to one of the rhythm games. The machine was equipped with six buttons, and you were supposed to click on the different buttons in the right order to the beat of a song that the players chose. Chris and Adam played intensely against each other, but Chris ultimately came out victorious in their intense battle. Lilly cheered on from the background and grinned as Chris won.

    "Do you wanna try?" Chris asked Lilly.

    "Eh¡­Sure, but I''ve never tried it before."

    "Don''t worry, it''ll be fine."

    Chris stepped out of the way as Lilly positioned herself in front of the buttons. They chose a song, and they quickly got into the game. After only a few seconds, the boys could easily see that Lilly was struggling with the game.

    "Wow, you''re really bad it!" Adam said while laughing to himself.

    "Thanks for the motivation¡­."

    You could easily see her visible frustration with the game and Adam, as she struggled on.

    "Here, let me help you."

    Adam made his way to her side and tried to help her understand. Chris watched on from the sidelines with a slight discomfort. He should have been the one helping her.

    After receiving help, Adam and Lilly continued playing, and she did much better. It actually seemed like she was enjoying the game after she figured out how to play better. Her joy gave Chris a small smile, even though he wasn''t the one that helped her enjoy the game.

    "Dammit, were almost out of coins."

    "I-I''ll go get some more!" A startled Chris responded to Adams statement.

    "Sure, we''ll stay here meanwhile."

    He started on his walk to the coin machine.

    While waiting for the machine to empty the coins into the box, he watched the blond-haired girl and her companion from afar. They continued to smile while playing and chatting. When did they get so close? All day they''ve been like that. Chris pondered on the situation as the last coins were ejected. He then went back to them with the coins in hand.

    Sitting under the tree that they would usually eat their lunch, Chris waited for someone to meet him. It was eerily silent in the courtyard. Suddenly, one of the school doors opened and a familiar face looked at Chris.

    "Now, is there any reason why you wanted to see me after school?"

    "There''s something I''ve been thinking of since we were at the arcade a few days ago. And I need you to answer me truthfully."

    Adam, now even more confused, hesitated for a bit before sitting down next to him.

    "Sure, but what is it?"

    "And this is between you and me, so don''t go talking to anyone."

    "Of course."

    "Well, I''ve noticed how you and Lilly have been really close lately. I want you to be honest to me. Is there anything between the two of you?"

    Surprised, Adam didn''t really know how to answer that.

    "Well, we have been talking more lately, but there''s nothing between us. We''re just friends."

    "You sure?"

    "A hundred percent."

    "Well that''s a relief¡­You''re my best friend, so I guess I can trust you."

    "Y-yeah¡­"

    A weird smile appeared on Adam''s face. Yet, the discussion went onwards to other, more calm matters.

    "Well then, should we get going? The club leaders probably wondering where I''m at."

    "Yeah, See ya''."

    The boys went their separate ways.

 Chapter 5

    The stars twinkled overhead while two sets of eyes stared upon them. Not a single cloud covered up the beauty of outer space, or its vast, infinite set of questions still left unanswered, waiting for humankind to solve them. The forest around them made for a nice scenery and separated them from all other trivial matters in their normal lives. Only a slight gust of wind broke the silence.

    "Adam, do you remember the first time we met?"

    "Wasn''t it during PE?"

    "Yeah, we were paired up together during the obstacle course."

    Chris grinned as he turned towards Adam.

    "Oh no¡­."

    "I''ll never forget how stupid you looked when you tripped on that tree log and face planted in mud!"

    "Hey, don''t laugh! It''s your fault for not warning me you know. We were supposed to be a team!"

    "Yeah, yeah, but you gotta admit that it was at least a little bit funny."

    "Sure¡­"

    "Kinda funny how we would have never met if not for PE classes."

    "What''s so funny about that?"Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    "Just thinking about how the universe works. Like, what are the chances for us even existing and deciding to go to the same school as each other. What are the chances for life to even exist in this infinite universe? Just look up at the sky. Look at all the empty space, and still we managed to exist in the exact same place at the same time."

    "Sure you''re not just overthinking it? Well, I guess you kinda have a point. The universe sure does work in mysterious ways."

    The silence once again laid upon them.

    "Adam¡­thanks for sticking with me all this time."

    "No problem. I''m happy I made that choice too. Just think about all the fun I''d miss out on if it weren''t for our friendship, like that time at the camping trip with the school."

    "Ohhh, yeah. I had totally forgotten about that!"

    "It was a lot of fun, but next time maybe you should bring a fully working tent."

    Adam smirked at Chris, turning red from embarrassment.

    "You know camping isn''t my strong suit! Anyway, if it hadn''t been for that, maybe we wouldn''t have grown so close to begin with, literally."

    "You didn''t have to bring that up¡­"

    "Why? It was my first time spooning with someone."

    "Don''t phrase it like that! Ugh, I shouldn''t have shared my tent with you."

    "I''m joking!"

    Some awkward few seconds went past.

    "Maybe you should have brought a larger tent." Chris said.

    "Or maybe you should''ve taken care of your own tent."

    "Come on, I know you liked it, whether you admit it or not."

    They both filled the air with laughter before once again, silence took over.

    "It''s getting late, maybe we should start heading back? Don''t want our families worrying."

    "You''re probably right¡­"

    The boys packed their stuff before they started walking home.

    "Hey¡­" A slightly awkward voice said while peeping up at his best friend.

    "No matter what happens, you''ll be there for me right?"

    "Of course, through thick and thin!"

    They both smiled at each other happily. Thanks for being my friend, Adam. I know I can trust you, no matter what.

 Chapter 6

    "I never knew you liked those kinds of movies Zoey."

    "Yeah it kind of goes against what a typical girl likes, but I''ve really enjoyed watching them since I was just a little kid."

    "It pretty cool though, and know I''ve seen a completely new side of you!"

    They both smiled at each other while walking down the red carpet. The cinema was filled with light and people in all directions. Posters of the upcoming movies hung on the wall, but Dylan''s eyes were only fixated on one spot, Zoey''s bright smile as she talked passionately about something she really enjoyed.

    "I used to watch them with my dad every Saturday, so those kinds of movies have a special place in my heart, especially after he passed away."

    "How long has it been now? 6 years?"

    "Yeah¡­ Let''s talk about something else. Wouldn''t want to ruin the mood out on our little date!"

    Dylan blushed. D-d-date? Zoey smiled.

    "Caught you off guard, huh?" She laughed as she turned around and continued walking.

    Darkness lay over the town. In the center of town, an old building stood like it probably had for tens of years. Old statues were spread around its entrance. They were probably just as old as the building itself and in dire need of some renovation. They were all miscolored and had moss growing on certain parts of them. Weird that the town never does anything about these statues. They don''t exactly sell the feeling of a grand theatre anymore.

    Chris stood next to one of the larger statues. This one in particular depicted a proud (or at least once) lion guarding the entrance.

    "Chris!"

    A loud, but also soft and smooth voice yelled out his name. He looked over in its direction only to see two girls, one rather tall and the other petite, walk racing towards him. The tall one, Mia, took the lead as Amelia desperately tried to keep up.

    The difference in personality were clear as day only from looking at their outfit. Mia, the club leader and more outgoing one wore a white shirt combined with a black skirt and black shoes. Amelia on the other hand, wore more loose-fitting clothes, with a baggy hoddie almost completely covering up the upper part of her.

    Despite Amelia''s lack of effort when it came to clothes, Chris could not stop himself from noticing how well it fit her. He even noticed the smaller details sprinkled over her outfit, like her bag outfitted with pins of different animals, and the pink lines which contrasted the otherwise gray hoodie. For someone who didn''t know her she might have looked like a slacker, but for Chris, the outfit made perfect sense. Just like her clothes, Chris had painted the picture of a reserved, but cute and caring person from his encounters with Amelia.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    "Sorry for being so late! I tried to convince Amelia to wear something more appropriate for a trip to the theatre, and then time just flew, and we missed the bus."

    Chris could see Amelia trying to hide her obvious embarrassment in the hood of her hoodie. I think it looks well on her.

    "Oh, don''t worry about it. I just arrived myself."

    "What about Lilly?"

    "When I went to her house, her mom said she had already left. But she wasn''t here when I arrived."

    "Weird. I just hope th-"

    "Sorry I''m late!"

    They all turned around as Lilly came running towards them. She came to a halt just in front of them.

    "Where were you? Your mom said you''d already left."

    "Oh: I¡­uh¡­Just¡­took a longer route. You know, to get some air."

    They all looked confused at each other at Lilly''s statement.

    "Then I lost track of time."

    "Oh well, at least we''re all here now, and it''s still 10 minutes until it starts."

    Mia took all the attention away from Lilly, who desperately tried to explain why she arrived late."

    "Yeah, let''s just get inside before it starts."

    Soon they were inside the theatre, slowly making their way towards their seats. Mia had planned this trip for a while now, so they managed to get relatively good seats. They sat in the fifth row from the front, with seats in the middle of the row.

    Mia sat down first, with Lilly next to her. In the other end sat Amelia, which meant that Chris got Amelia to his left and Lilly to his right.

    We haven''t really talked a lot except from when were in the club together nowadays. She''s always occupied with something. I just hope she hasn''t grown bored of me¡­ I guess I should try to talk to Lilly. Also, it seems like she''s trying to hide where she actually was before meeting up. Ugh, why does it have to be so hard!

    "C-Chris¡­"

    Chris left his thoughts and looked to his left. Surprisingly, Amelia looked at him with her cute yet timid stare. Her light brown eyes shone in the light coming from the ceiling.

    "D-do you¡­ like going to the theatre?"

    "Well, I haven''t really been here so often but the few times I''ve been I really enjoying it."

    He smiled back at Amelia who now looked even more embarrassed from Chris noticing her.

    "What did you watch?"

    "I watched a few plays from Shakespeare, but I''ve never seen a play written by a local before."

    "hmmm¡­"

    Amelia let her thoughts take over in response to his answer. She''s kind of cute when she''s lost in thought like that.

    "I¡­used to watch a lot of plays when I was young. W-with my dad I mean¡­ He used to be a playwright."

    "Seriously?" Chris almost jumped out of his seat after hearing about Amelia''s dad.

    "Did he write anything well known?"

    "Uh¡­He mostly wrote more locally known plays, but he had some success with that, and said he liked it that way."

    The light suddenly faded and in quick response, they both stopped talking and moved their attention to the scene. It was nice being able to talk to Amelia like this. She is usually more reserved, and don''t really talk about her private life.

    Before they knew it, the three-hour play was over, and the crowd moved out of the room after a standing ovation.

    "Who knew someone in this area could write such a good play? I''m so amazed!"

    "I agree! The plot twist at the end were just so good."

    "And what about the choreography? They''ve really spent a lot of time working on it."

    Lilly and Mia continued ranting about the play they just watched, as all of them made their way outside. Lilly, not managing to hide her excitement, happily paced back and forth with a wide smile on her face as she passionately talked. I''ve never seen her be so excited about something like this before. It''s kinda cute to be honest.

    "Good to see you liked it at least. Maybe this will be your gateway into literature?" Chris said jokingly.

    "You know what? If it''s possible to make something like that, it''s worth a try! Starting today, I''m gonna try my hands on writing as well!"

    Well, this is gonna be interesting.

    "I like your attitude, Lilly! Why don''t we all try our hands on it? Let''s say, a month from now, every member will submit a text. And then we can submit the winner''s text to the newspaper, maybe we''ll even throw in a prize as well!"

    Mia, speaking like a true club president.

 Chapter 7

    "What is it you''re trying to say?"

    "What I''m trying to say is, that I¡­ have feelings for you Zoey. We''ve been through so much together, and nothing makes me feel the way I feel when I''m with you. I wish to spend every day with you. I love you."

    Silence laid over them as Dylan finished his confession.

    "AAAHHHHH! I can''t submit something like this!!!"

    Chris jumped out of his chair and into his bed face first in a swift movement. He laid there in complete silence for a minute, thinking. How can I ever submit this text? I thought it would be the perfect timing to show Lilly the text, but no matter what I write, I can''t help but cringe at my awkward dialogues. How will she even react? Is it too obvious what I''m writing about? If I submit this text, I''ve forced myself to confess¡­ Why does it have to be this hard? I guess I could ask Mia for some help. She already has some experience with writing texts for competitions.

    He forced himself over and onto his back and pulled up his phone.

    "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

    In the middle of town, Mia and Chris sat at a petite caf¨¦. They had met up at Chris'' request. As for now, they had just started taking small sips of their coffee, just shy of ten minutes after they arrived.

    "I''ve really been struggling with completing my text for the competition, and I was wondering if you could help me out."

    "Oh, I''d love to! But remember, you''ve still got a week to complete it."

    "Yeah, I know, but I really want this text to turn out well. I''ve been working on it for a while already, I just need to finish it and fix minor mistakes."

    "Well, I guess I didn''t make a rule about using older texts¡­ Oh well. What are you writing then?"

    "It''s¡­ a love story, about two childhood friends."

    "Wow, didn''t really take you for the hopeless romantic type. Pretty exciting nevertheless."

    "I''m at the part of the confession, but whatever I write, I feel like it just ends up being too clich¨¦ or cringey. What methods are you using when writing dialogue?"

    "Well, it kinda depends on the dialogue and my mood. Sometimes, I let my hands and imagination do the work and I easily write what comes naturally to me. But other times, I can really struggle. Then I try to make a chart which starts at the start of the conversation and ends at the end goal. Between those points, I fill in what needs to happen or needs to be said. After I have written down everything, I organize it after which thing should happen after the other. Then I just fill in the gaps."

    "But how do you avoid writing something you yourself think I poor or cringey?"

    "You can''t. That is your inner demon trying to tell you that what you have made isn''t good enough. No matter how hard you try to work towards pleasing this voice, you will never be able to silence it. That''s the curse of a writer."

    "So, you''re saying it''s inevitable?"

    "Yes, and that''s why you should ignore that voice, or else you''ll chase something that''s unrealistic. Trust in your skills as a writer, and you''ll be able to achieve what you''re aiming for."

    The bell rang just as any other day at the end of school.

    "Sorry, but I have work in an hour, so I won''t be meeting up at the clubroom today. Could you also tell the others?"

    Lilly looked apologetically at Chris as she picked up her bag.

    "Oh, no worry! I''ll tell the others."

    "Thanks! See you tomorrow."

    "See ya¡­"

    Well, I guess it''s just gonna be me, Amelia and Mia today¡­

    Chris opened the door to the clubroom, but to his surprise, he was the only one there. Usually, the other members would have been there by now. Nevertheless, he entered the room and sat down in one of the seats. Well, if no one''s here, I might as well work on my text.

    After about half an hour alone, he suddenly heard the door slide open. Amelia entered the room quietly, as to not interrupt Chris, but he had already moved his attention to the girl.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    "H-hello¡­"

    She sat down opposite to Chris and put down her bag.

    "Sorry I''m late. Mia¡­ wasn''t feeling well, so I walked her home."

    "Oh, it''s okay. I hope it wasn''t anything serious?"

    "No, I think it was just a fever¡­ What about Lilly? She''s usually¡­with you."

    "She had work so she said she couldn''t make it."

    The room went awkwardly silent. It was the first time they had been alone together, and it really showed. Think of something to say! Come on!!

    "A-Are you working on your text?"

    The timid voice snapped him out of his thoughts as it caught him off guard. He looked in its direction, only to see Amelia steering intently at him.

    "Ehhh¡­y-yeah. I''ve been trying my hardest to finish it before the deadline, but I just can''t write an ending I''m happy with."

    "What''s the problem?"

    "No matter what I try, the final dialogue ends up feeling kinda clich¨¦."

    "hmmm¡­"

    Amelia put her hands into her bag and dragged out some sheets of paper from a clear file. She put them on the table in front of her and moved her attention back to Chris.

    "In my story, I tried to envision myself in that situation. I wrote what I would have said, no matter how cringey or lackluster it was. The readers will resonate more with something that sounds realistic enough to be true, than something fabricated."

    "Maybe you''re right¡­"

    Amelia suddenly looked down at the table, and her cheeks turned pink as if she seemed embarrassed.

    "I-If I may¡­ Could I read your text, then maybe I could help you more.?"

    Should I really let her read it? It''s kind of embarrassing, but I mean, she''s gonna read it later anyway, and she might have some good tips.

    "Sure¡­ But would you let me read yours as well meanwhile?"

    "Uhhhhh¡­."

    Amelia went silent for a moment in response to the question.

    "S-sure¡­. But it''s not so well written, so don''t expect anything."

    "No, I''m sure it''s gonna be good!"

    Amelia became visibly flustered at Chris'' assurance. They both switched texts and got ready to read.

    This is actually really well written. This is definitely on the level of something you could read in those collections of short stories. The story moves smoothly forward, and the main character is so well fleshed out, you could definitely mistake her for being a real person.

    You can tell that Amelia really poured her heart out in this text. It''s such a deep and personal story. It must be based on something she herself has experienced. I wonder what she thinks of my text?

    Chris slowly raises his head to look towards Amelia. She is engulfed in Chris'' text to the degree that she probably wouldn''t realize if he just up and left. Her clear blue eyes didn''t even leave the sheets of paper for one second, as if they would disappear if left unattended. Her dark brown hair covered up parts of her face. It was impossible to not immediately fixate on her beautiful, luscious hair. Despite being a more reserved and shyer person, she really took well care of her looks, Chris thought.

    She really can be cute sometimes. Her more shy nature just helped build the picture of a more mysterious, or asocial person. It really hadn''t helped her throughout her period in High school, which was rather tragic. If only she were more outgoing, everyone else would see what a nice and caring person she is. She probably would have had all the boys after her as well.

    Suddenly, Amelia looked up from the paper, and their eyes locked for merely a second. They both jumped in response, and quickly looked away in embarrassment.

    "W-well, what did you think?"

    Amelia quickly took the initiative to dodge the awkwardness of the situation.

    "I think it''s really well written. Your character truly resonates with the reader. Her pain is felt through the text, and all in all, your writing style truly is mesmerizing."

    Amelia, not used to getting compliments, hid behind the sheets of paper in her hands, as to not show Chris her embarrassment.

    "I think you truly have a talent for writing."

    It went silent for a moment.

    "D-do you really think so?"

    "Definitely!"

    Amelia removed the paper in front of her, and a small smile could be seen on her face. She was visibly touched by Chris'' words of encouragement. He had never really seen her that much emotion before, and it really warmed his heart to see her happy. Like he would do anything to keep her like this. His whole body felt hot, and his cheeks turned a mild pink.

    "I think your text''s also really good."

    "Really, you think so?"

    Amelia nodded. "I can see that you''ve worked really hard on perfecting it, and it has paid off. You have managed to depict something with so much detail that you can imagine it being ripped from reality."

    The room fell silent as Amelia took hare eyes off Chris.

    "You''ve¡­truly managed to make a text that reflects yourself and who you truly are as a person." Amelias voice progressively got quieter.

    "What about the ending?"

    "I think it fits perfectly. How they behave fits with how you''ve built up these characters throughout the story.

    "You don''t think it''s cheesy?"

    "Well, aren''t all confessions cheesy?"

    They both looked at each other, before they both let out a small amount of laughter.

    Chris and Amelia both made their way out of the club room and on their way home. Spending some time alone really helped them to connect, and conversations between them went way smoother.

    Despite being in the same club for almost a year and speaking frequently during club meetings, they had never really gotten to know each other that well. They had still seemed to hit it off well. It really is a shame that I haven''t gotten to talk with her like this before now. We do have a lot in common.

    Before long, they had gotten outside, and it was time to say goodbye. They both waved happily before going each their own way.

    "Chris!"

    He was surprised by the sudden shout and quickly turned around. There stood Amelia a only a short distance away. She seemed really flustered as she built up the courage to say what she had on her mind.

    "Are you free on Saturday?"

    Is she actually asking to hang out? Chris could feel his heart beating as if it was going to jump out of his chest. He was truly surprised by Amelia''s sudden courage, but at the same time, he couldn''t help but be a bit proud to see the usually timid girl speaking up her mind.

    "I should be free all day."

    "W-would you like to¡­ join me on a walk in the park by the theater?"

    "Sure!" Chris said while smiling. The thought of spending more time with Amelia excited him for some reason.

    "Could I¡­get your phone number so we can agree on a time?"

    "Yeah."

    He pulled up his phone and let Amelia write down his number. Amelia, visibly proud of her courage and happy that it went well, were jumping with joy as they once again walked away from each other. Chris couldn''t either stop himself from letting a small smile out. What is this feeling? Could I possibly- No, no, no. Lilly is the one for me. We have always been there for each other. Don''t get confused just because you meet another cute girl. But what if it really is what I think it is?

 Chapter 8

    "I-I don''t know what to say. It''s all just so sudden."

    Tears piled up in Zoey''s ocean blue eyes, but in stark contrast her eyes, her mouth showed of her pure and true feelings. A smile that could not be described as anything less than pure joy had taken shape on Zoey''s face.

    "You don''t need to say anything." Dylan started before he swiftly embraced his love.

    "I love you too¡­" Zoey whispered into his ear before their eyes locked.

    Maintaining eye contact, they slowly closed in on each other''s faces, and before long, the space between them was gone.

    "Yuuuummy!" Lilly blurted out as she ate a big spoon of her strawberry ice cream. Sitting opposite her, Chris could not hold back his laughter in response to Lilly''s spontaneous reaction. Quickly composing herself, she could not help but be a bit embarrassed.

    "How was your ice cream?"

    "It''s good." Chris started. He grinned as he continued. "But it''s not worthy of a reaction like that. And isn''t it kinda weird to eat ice cream in the winter?"

    "Stop! You''re ruining it."

    Lilly''s cute face turned a slight shade of pink as she turned away from Chris.

    "A-anyway, how''s your text coming along? We''re supposed to submit them on Friday, right?" Lilly said, quickly trying to change the subject.

    "Yeah, I finished it yesterday. What about you?"

    "I''m just missing some finishing touches. I should be done by tomorrow."

    "What did you end up writing anyway?"

    "You''ll have to wait and see!" Lilly gave Chris a small wink in response, before she turned her attention to the ice cream once again.

    "Anyway, I heard you''re going for a walk with Amelia on Saturday?"

    "Who told you that?"

    "She said it herself, and best of all, she looked kinda excited. Just don''t forget to give some attention to your childhood friend after you become all lovey-dovey!" Lilly teased Chris.

    "W-wha¡­I." Chris almost fell out of his seat as he turned bright red. Lilly, seeing how much he struggled, started laughing uncontrollably, which only made Chris even more embarrassed.

    "You know nothing will happen between us!"

    "And why is that? You two would make such a cute couple."

    "Because¡­I-I don''t look at her that way."

    "Too bad¡­ Well then I''ll continue to have you all for myself!" She smiled.

    "Y-yeah¡­" Chris started. "You know, could we hang out on Saturday next week? There''s something I wanted to talk about."

    "Hmmm. Sorry, I''m busy that day¡­ " Chris was visibly disappointed by that answer.

    "What about the Monday after that? We have winter break then after wall." Lilly said.

    "Sure!"

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Yet another sunny day blessed the town during summer. Even though the temperature had reached well over what a normal person would say was "comfortable", kids were running around the yard. Two elderly people were watching over them as the kids, numbering at least 30, played to their hearts content outside the kindergarten.

    Not all children were as stoked about the burning heat and the smell of grass. In a small corner placed perfectly far enough away from the supervisors so that they couldn''t keep an eye on it, sat a lone child, hiding in the shadows. Even though he was alone, he didn''t seem bothered by it, it even looked like he enjoyed his own company.

    That''s how I used to spend the days in kindergarten, alone. I was quite a sheltered child, so being around so many people felt wrong. I tensed up and lost my ability to speak. Life seemed much simpler that way. I used to think that if I just stayed in the shadows, no one would notice me.

    The child was slowly etching away on the ground some sort of pattern when suddenly a pebble hit him. Confused, he raised his head and looked towards where the pebble had flown from. There, three boys, also in kindergarten, looked at him menacingly.

    The boys, clearly showing signs of ill intent, moved towards him.

    "Well, look who''s alone again today!" One of the boys said out loud.

    "No one wanting to be around today either, huh?" Another of the boys said sarcastically as the two other ones started smiling in response. The child could do nothing but stare at them as they approached quickly.

    "Well, makes sense that no one would want to be with someone like you. Must be soooooo boring. You never do anything or say anything!"

    They started laughing.

    "Why are you even here? You might as well go home. It''s not like anyone''s gonna notice or miss you."

    The child did nothing. He merely looked down at the ground.

    "Say something!" One of the boys shoved him and he fell face first into the ground, but yet again, the child did nothing but look at them. Despite his silence, sadness had befallen his face, and tears were slowly building up in his eyes.

    "Not even that will get you to talk. Well, it looks like we have to make you talk!"

    Yet again, the boys closed in on him even further, but before they could do anything, a loud scream stopped them in their tracks.

    "STOP!!!!"

    They all turned their attention to the person who shouted. In surprise, a petite girl came running at full speed towards them. She quickly forced her way between the child and the boys and put her arms out as to block them from moving any closer.

    "What do you think you''re doing?" One of the boys blurted towards the girl.

    "Don''t you dare touch him again, or else you''re gonna be in big trouble!"

    She was visibly angered by how they had treated the one she fiercely defended and showed no sign of backing down.

    "What''s all this ruckus about?" They heard yet another voice. This time an older one. Running towards them, one of the kindergarten teachers came running.

    Seeing who approached, all the boys scattered quickly, but the girl stood still.

    "What happened here? Chris, are you okay? Did you fall?"

    "Y-yeah¡­" The child managed to say, albeit in a low voice.

    "Let me get you all patched up! Follow me" The teacher grabbed his hand as he got up, an they both started walking.

    The day at kindergarten quickly drew to a close after that, and all the children made their way home. While waiting for their parents to show up, the children got to play outside once more. Chris finally got out of the building, a little later than the others, as usual. This was as to avoid as many as possible. But to his surprise, he was met with another child outside, to be more specific, a girl. The same girl that had saved him earlier. They made eye contact, but Chris quickly moved his eyes as to pretend he didn''t notice her and continued walking.

    "Hey!" The girl shouted, following him onto the playground. This left the boy no choice but to acknowledge her presence. He quickly turned around and said a quiet "what?". Hadn''t it been for the girl anticipating an answer, she probably wouldn''t have heard it.

    "You know, you shouldn''t let them do whatever they want with you. Their just big dummies!"

    "Why do you care? It had nothing to do with you."

    "Of course I can''t just watch someone get bullied!"

    Her cute face turned into a frown as she spoke, but the frown quickly turned into tears as she continued.

    "I-I would hate it if something like that happened to myself¡­. So, I can''t just let it happen."

    Her head lowered, Chris could not see her face as it was covered by her blonde hair. But he could see by her body language that she really meant what she said.

    Silence fell upon them as the girl quietly sobbed in front of Chris. But suddenly, she felt a light touch on top of her head. It was Chris'' hand. Beyond all odds, he had managed to do this gesture of friendliness. She moved her gaze towards him and was met by an awkward, but kind smile.

    "M-my name is¡­Chris." He said cautiously.

    The girl wiped away her tears, and quickly a smile managed to emerge from her previously weeping face. She quickly jumped up with a grin, and Chris pulled his hand back as he was surprised by her sudden energy.

    "My names Lilly!"

    And that''s how I met Lilly. Kind of a wimpy story, but that''s how it started. Since then, we''ve always been there for each other. Through thick and thin. She was the first one who saw me. Cared for me. And I''m eternally grateful for her.

 Chapter 9

    "Time for what you''ve all been waiting for. Time to hand in your texts!" Mia said with a puffed chest.

    The small group of people all bent over to pull out their sheets of paper from their bags. They then silently traded texts with each other, one copy each.

    "Okay! Your homework for winter break is to read these texts. Then you''ll message me which text you think is best. The winner will be the one with the most votes. Now, the literature clubs last official meeting before winter break, is officially over. See you next year!"

    They all smiled and talked about their winter break as they packed their bags and made their way out of the room.

    As they walked out of the school and into the cold and snowy streets, they all went their separate ways.

    "Where are you going Chris?" A confused Lilly said.

    "Oh, I''m meeting Adam. Sorry that you have to walk home alone today." Chris said apologetically.

    "It''s fine! See you on Monday then." The always jovial Lilly said with her usual happy and energetic smile, before she turned around and started walking home. Chris as well, turned his separate way and started walking.

    The two boys, Chris and Adam, both sat together enjoying their burgers. They were seated by the window of a local fast-food restaurant. To call it "run down" would be an understatement, as you could visibly see the wear and tear on both the outside. It probably hadn''t been renovated since it opened, so it had a distinct 80s design.

    Despite being so worn out from the years of teenagers entering and leaving, it was still a popular place for people to grab a quick bite. It was not unusual to see people in the same uniforms as Chris and Adam in and around the place.

    "I don''t know. I kinda feel the ending was a bit rushed." Chris answered to something Adam had previously said.

    "Yeah, but I don''t think it ruined the ending. It still covered the most important parts, without sacrificing too much on the quality of both the storytelling and animation."

    Chris nodded in agreement as he took a bite of his burger.

    "Anyway, what are you up to tomorrow?" Adam enquired, awaiting the usual response of "not much".

    "I''m actually meeting Amelia in the park in the evening." Chris said as Adam took a drink from the soda, but as he finished his sentence, Adam almost choked on the soda due to the unexpected answer. As he coughed, he managed to let out a small "What??".

    "Yeah, she kinda asked med if I wanted to meet her."

    "Dude. You know what this means!"Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "What?"

    "She definitely likes you."

    "W-what??? No! absolutely not."

    "Why would she ask you out of the blue to hang out?"

    "I don''t know. Because were friends?"

    Adam gave Chris an annoyed glare as he said "Don''t be so oblivious."

    "Shut up! Nothings going on between us, and as you know, I kinda have my eyes set elsewhere¡­"

    Adam quietly looked away as Chris talked.

    "You''re still sure about that? That she''s the one you want?"

    "Of course! Why wouldn''t I be?"

    "Oh well. You can at least show your best friend a picture of who''s crushing on you!"

    "Stop! She doesn''t." Chris said as he defeatedly took up his phone and went into his camera roll. He quickly navigated his pictures until he pulled up a photo the literature club had taken together. He smoothly slid the phone over the table until it ended up in front of Adam.

    "She''s the one to the right. In the white hoodie."

    Adam closely examined the girl in question, as if he was a detective looking for clues.

    "dude."

    "What?"

    "She''s HOT!"

    Chris blushed in surprise to Adam''s statement about Amelia, but he quickly recovered from his shock and gave Adam a small hit on the top of his head. "What?" Adam said as he covered up the top of his head.

    "Why wouldn''t you want to be in a relationship with her? How is she personality wise?"

    "I guess she''s kinda cute, and we have a lot in common. But as I''ve said, I have my sight set elsewhere."

    "You sure you don''t want to give her at least a chance? You don''t know what you''ll be missing out on. Besides, I don''t intend to be harsh, but it doesn''t look like it''s going your way with Lilly. You''re still in the same spot you''ve always been in."

    "I know what you mean¡­ But I can''t just give up. And I think I will just end up hurting Amelia if I enter a relationship with her without being 100% committed. I can''t do that to her."

    "Do as you may, but you have been warned. Anyway, should we maybe move along?"

    "Sure. We could go to my place, if you want. Maybe we could continue that game we started last time?"

    "I''m in!"

    Both of them picked up their trays and threw the junk into the garbage before continuing outside and walking down the road.

    "Would you ever leave me for someone else?"

    "Of course not. What a stupid question. Where did you even get that from?"

    Zoey picked ger head up from Dylan''s chest. She looked him deep in his eyes in silence. It was as if she tried to read his mind.

    "I just wanted to hear that. I know I can trust you." She smiled, before giving him a kiss. They both held around each other, neither saying a word. Only enjoying every second of each other''s warm embrace. Wishing it wo-

    A sharp alarm sound suddenly rang, interrupting Chris'' focus on what he was writing. It said 19:00 ¨C Saturday 15.12.2018 in bold letters. Ending the alarm, Chris stood out of his chair and put on more fitting clothes before walking downstairs.

    "Mom! I''m just going out to hang out with a friend. Don''t worry about me."

    "Sure. Where are you going?"

    "Were planning on taking a walk in the park, so shouldn''t be too long."

    "Okay, have fun!" She smiled as she waved him goodbye.

    It wasn''t long before Chris finally was outside. The cold hit him, despite wearing a winter jacket, a beanie, and a scarf. Ugh, this is why I hate winter. Too cold! Despite Chris'' thoughts about the season, he couldn''t help but appreciate the beautiful scenery of a snow-covered landscape (albeit only barely enough to cover the ground) and the endless darkness of the sky.

    As Chris thought about this, he made his way towards the park. It wasn''t that far, so he could quickly close in on him and Amelia''s meeting place.

    Turning a corner and entering the park. He saw a person standing under one of the lampposts. The light reflected of her white jacket and gave it an almost angelic reflection. Her dark brown hair barely showed from under her beige beanie. Her cute, yet timid body language accentuated her heavenly appearance even more. Chris could do nothing but stop and admire the view. Wow¡­ She suddenly turned her head towards him, and their eyes locked as they both stood there in silence.

 Chapter 10

    "H-hey." Chris said as he waved awkwardly towards the girl. His cheeks felt hot as he slowly blushed, making them even more red than due to the cold.

    Not exactly making the situation any less awkward, Amelia answered him with a distant "Hey¡­" as they both realized they had been locking eyes for way too long. They both quickly disengaged and looked another way. Despite it, Chris started walking again, and walked up to Amelia, stopping about a meter in front of her.

    "Um¡­ Have you been waiting here for a while?"

    "N-no¡­ I just arrived."

    This is so awkward! What do you even say at times like these? Chris thought as they both stood there in silence until¡­ A silent chuckle came out of Amelia. Chris could do nothing but join in as they both laughed at the awkwardness, instantly making the situation more relaxed.

    "Should we start?" Amelia asked as she pointed towards the snow-covered road into the park.

    "Sure!" Chris happily said as they both started walking next to each other, leaving the lamppost behind.

    "Do you walk here often?"

    "I usually don''t walk that often, but when I need some fresh air, or calm myself down, I often take this route and watch the scenery."

    "Oh really? Usually when I''m in that mood I try to write or listen to some music, but this is definitely a nice change of pace. Thanks for bringing me along!"

    "N-no problem¡­" Amelia stuttered as she slowly turned her blushing face away from Chris. "Well¡­ I guess I can see why you would be so attracted to this place."

    "Huh?" Her eyes widened as she turned towards him.

    "It definitely gives off its own sense aura, especially with the snow and darkness. It''s almost like looking at a painting."

    Amelia, visibly surprised and intrigued by this side of Chris she had never seen, listened closely to what he had to say.

    "The darkness seems never ending and is perfectly contrasted with the white snow."

    "Right! You feel like you''re in your own world, separated from everything else!"

    Chris was surprised by Amelia''s sudden surge of energy. She really gets intense when talking about something she likes, completely forgetting how shy and timid she usually is. Chris couldn''t hold back a smile as he saw how passionately she talked about it, quietly listening on her ramblings.

    "You know, it''s quite cute how passionate you are when talking about the things you like." A grinning Chris said as Amelia finished her rant.

    "W-WH-WHAT???" That, as well as realizing how long she had talked, turned her face completely red with embarrassment. She quickly turned away from Chris, who could do nothing but laugh at her adorable reaction to being called cute.

    "D-do you really think I''m c-cute?" Silently made its way out from Amelia''s mouth.

    "Sure. Everything from the way you behave to how you talk is cute!"

    That was the final straw for Amelia, who couldn''t handle the sudden praise. She quickly bent down and filled her hand with the white layer from the ground. She then turned around, throwing it all on Chris, who flinched in surprise at the sudden attack. As he looked back at Amelia, he was met with a pouting face. Well, that face certainly doesn''t make you any less cute. In fear of being attacked once again, he decided it would be best to maybe not say that out loud. Instead, he started laughing, and before long, Amelia joined in.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Say, how did your text turn out?"

    "M-mine? It turned out okay. There were definitely some things I would have done differently if I had written it now." Chris answered honestly.

    "I¡­ liked your text. It will definitely be the winner, in my opinion"

    "Really?" Chris blushed a little bit.

    "Y-yes. You portrayed your characters so realistic, it was almost impossible to not feel sympathetic for them. And your twists, caught me off guard¡­I was really impressed by your work."

    "Wow. Coming from you, it really means a lot."

    "From me?"

    "Yeah. I really believe you''ve got talent Amelia. I''ve never seen someone play with words the way you do. It''s almost moving to read."

    Amelia lit up while listening to Chris'' opinion on her work. Happily strutting past Chris, she took the lead. Seeing her so energetic, made Chris truly happy, as he had seen how shy she could be around people. He had only seen her act like this around Mia, so basically only around people she really trusted.

    Walking next to her during this time made him get a really good look at her. It made him realize just how pretty the girl who usually hid behind her hair was. Her brown puppy eyes truly could capture any boy in them, and her perfectly proportionate face entranced Chris with only a glance. Chris also noticed her sense of fashion. Now that he thought about it, every time he had been with her she had worn an outfit carefully assembled. She usually wore baggy clothes, with different shades of pink and white, matching her pure personality.

    Making their way through the park at a decent pace. They suddenly encountered a fountain. Due to the weather, it was shut down and filled with snow. At the top, a lion stood on its back feet, roaring. Water would have come out of its mouth; had it been turned on.

    Amelia suddenly stopped in front of the fountain and turned around towards Chris. Her eyes shone bright with the reflection of light around them as they locked onto the boy in question. Silence befell them.

    "T-there''s¡­something I would like to tell you." Amelia said in a low voice before taking a deep breath. Chris could feel his heartbeat almost taking over. As he stood there dumbfounded. Amelia raised her hands to her chest before opening her mouth. Chris stood in anticipation.

    "Chris¡­ You''re funny, nice, cool, and always helpful. You stood by me despite my shyness and talked to me. No matter what. And through this past half a year, I feel like we''ve really connected."

    Wait. Is she actually going to say what I think? Why is my heart pounding so much, and why am I so hot? How can someone like her like me? She''s one of the funniest and nicest people I know as well. I''m wayyyy outta her league.

    "What I''m trying t-to say is¡­ I like you Chris¡­"

    Amelia looked at Chris with hopeful eyes as she finally confessed her feelings to him. Chris didn''t know what to say. He stood there completely still, and his mind had went into overdrive trying to figure out what to do.

    "Amelia. I''m¡­ I''m sorry¡­ I just can''t. There''s someone else I like."

    Just as quickly as her head had been raised in anticipation, it fell down once again in agony. It went completely silent, until some almost silent sounds came from Amelia. Chris suddenly looked up in surprise. Snow started falling on them.

    Looking back down, he could now visibly see Amelia shaking, and a few tears falling from her usually more timid face.

    Oh god¡­ Chris knew what he had done. But he didn''t know something like this would affect him so much as well. His whole body felt hollow, as if every part of him had been dragged out and replaced by the darkness surrounding them. P-please Amelia. I don''t want to see you like this. Chris fought to keep his own tears from leaving his eyes. Seeing Amelia, who he still held dearly, being so distraught over something he had done made him want to run away and hide in a hole somewhere, never to return. But he knew he had to take it. He had no right to be the one to feel sad after doing something like this.

    "I-It''s Lilly¡­right?"

    "W-what?" Chris was left speechless as she mentioned that name. Amelia wiped away her tears before raising her head, looking at Chris once again.

    "You don''t need to say anything. I had a hunch after reading your text."

    Now it was Chris'' turn to feel humiliated. He broke their eye contact, feeling too uncomfortable to look at the girl he just rejected.

    "Your characters, they were just too real to not be inspired by yourself. Seeing your main character struggle. Seeing you struggle to overcome your problems. The way you were able to portray your emotions. That was when I knew how I felt about you."

    Tears now running down his own cheeks, Chris couldn''t contain it anymore. He felt naked. Completely exposed to the guilt. Layer upon layer of guilt fell on him. Amelia, knowing she had close to no chance of succeeding, but trying anyway. It was truly something admirable. Despite being so shy, she had still managed something he hadn''t.

    They both stood there, tears running down their cheeks, snow piling up on their heads.

    "Amelia. Please."

    "I hope you succeed." She said, before doing a complete 180 and started to run away, leaving Chris alone.

    "Wait!" But Chris'' last attempt to reach out to her failed. He now stood in silence, seeing her move out of sight. The darkness completely taking over.

    Now it was just him. Him in his own world, isolated from the rest of the world. Staring into the woods. Tears in his eyes.

 Chapter 11

    Chris laid in bed tapping away on his phone. He was playing some kind of gatcha game, trying to make the time pass. Despite these types of games'' addictiveness, Chris quickly grew bored and threw his phone onto the bed. He had other thoughts circling inside his head.

    I can''t believe she actually had feelings for me. Oh god, I''m so dense. Of course, she had. And I broke her heart. The fact that she really confessed as well. She always seemed so timid, but when it was needed, she had no problem speaking her mind. Yet I''m still here not even able to do anything. I''m such a wreck¡­ I need to do it too. That''s the least Amelia deserves.

    Chris couldn''t help it but smile at the situation he was in, despite feeling awful for how it had turned out.

    His thoughts were quickly cut short though, as he heard the doorbell ring. He got out of his bed and went to the front door.

    "Helooooo!!" the grinning Lilly said to Chris as he opened the door before she walked through the door. She and Chris had planned to meet this day, since he had said he had something he wanted to talk to her about.

    "It''s freezing out there!" Lilly stated as she took of her shoes and jacket. They were well into December now, so it wasn''t that surprising of a weather. Chris had also had to fight this cold during his walk with Amelia the other day.

    "There''s a reason why I said you could come over to me. I''m not taking a single step outside unless I have to in this weather."

    "So selfish!"

    Chris laughed in response to Lilly''s remark.

    "Let''s go into the living room. There''s no one else home. Do you want some tea?"

    "Sure!" Lilly smiled. Then they both made their way further into the home.

    Sitting in the couch, Lilly watched Chris as he walked out of the kitchen with a full tea set. She couldn''t wait to get this cold out of her body and fill it with the warmth of a good cup of tea with her best friend.

    "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

    "Y-yeah¡­" Chris started as he put down a cup in front of Lilly. "Well, I just wanted to tell you what happened during my walk with Amelia. And I need some advice on it¡­"

    "Sure" Lilly replied as she smiled, but it quickly turned into a smirk. "Give me all your saucy details!"

    "So, it turns out Amelia¡­had feelings for me."

    Chris looked towards Lilly to see her reaction, only to be met with a disappointed set of eyes looking at him.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    "Did you really think that was going to shock me?" Lilly answered.

    "What do you mean?"

    "You really are dense as a rock sometimes. It was pretty obvious from the way she acted. And like, everyone tried to tell you that, but you didn''t listen."

    Chris went beet red in response to Lilly.

    "A-anyway that''s not the thing I wanted to ask you!" Chris continued. "She actually confessed to me¡­"

    "Oooooohhhh! What was you answer?" Lilly bent over towards Chris, who sat on the other side of the table, in response.

    "I said no¡­ But problem is how she reacted."

    "What do you mean?"

    "I think I really hurt her."

    "Well, it''s not like she would be over the moon at getting rejected."

    "I know, but I just feel sorry for her. It''s my first time rejecting someone, you know."

    "But what happened next?"

    "She ran away¡­"

    "WHAT?" Lilly jumped out of her seat. "I mean, it was probably for the best. Considering the situation, it would definitely be something Amelia would do¡­"

    "Anyway, what do you think? Should I have done something differently?"

    "Hmmmm¡­ From how I look at it, someone was doomed to get hurt either way." Chris quickly raised his head as he listened to what Lilly said. "You might feel bad for what happened, but it''s not like you could just date her because you feel bad for her. Since you rejected her, I guess you don''t have feelings for her anyway, so someone would''ve gotten hurt in the end either way."

    "Yeah, you''re right¡­"

    It went silent for a moment.

    "Chris you know you can tell me anything, right?"

    What? Chris thought. Why would she bring that up now?

    "Yeah, I know."

    "Then why are you hiding something from me?"

    Chris jumped in response to Lilly.

    "We''ve been friends for so long. Of course, I can see when somethings bugging you. What is the real reason you said no to her? No one would give something like this so much thought without actually caring for that person."

    But what could Chris say? What was the real reason? It''s not like he really knew himself. One reason was absolutely clear though. And that reason sat in front of him right now.

    His heart started beating at an astounding pace, and it rocked his body to the very core. The thought of Amelia confessing circled in his head. If she could do it, so should I.

    "I-" Chris started. "I''m not sure myself. I guess she''s just a really close friend, and I didn''t want to lose that."

    He waited in anticipation to see Lilly''s reaction.

    "Well, I can understand that."

    It felt like a thousand weights had been lifted off Chris. I''m not ready yet. He thought to himself.

    "Anyway" Amelia said, trying to switch topic. "Why don''t we watch a movie or something, to put your mind at ease?"

    Chris looked at Lilly and quickly let out a smile.

    "Sure thing!"

    Meanwhile on the other side of town, another girl was holed up in bed, just like she had been for the last few days. Next to her, a stunning beauty sat trying to console her.

    "I don''t care anymore! Let me just be depressed alone!" The girl tucked in her bed, sobbingly shouted at the one consoling her.

    "Amelia, I know it hurts, but crying about it all the time''s not gonna help."

    "Like you know. No ones ever managed to resist you alure."

    "Oh stop!" A slightly blushing Mia started "It''s not like I''ve never had my heart broken. But being hurt is no reason to stop you from living on. Try to get back into routine, make your mind busy with something else."

    "No matter what, I only think about it. About him. Oh god, I am such a mess!"

    "No, you''re not! Come here." Mia opened up her arms and sat there welcoming Amelia to a hug. "I know you''re hurt, and it''s okay. But you don''t have to carry this alone. I''m here to support you, no matter what!"

    Amelia was left looking at Mia for a couple of seconds, but before long, she finally folded. She quickly clung onto Mia before opening the flood gates. Despite crying her eyes out, being gently caressed and consoled by Mia definitely helped. Despite Amelia sulking, Mia couldn''t help it but smile. No matter how it had gone, she was proud of her best friend.

 Chapter 12

    Knock, knock

    Chris'' bedroom door slowly opened, and from between the door and the frame, a small head popped out. Between her hazel hair, her two eyes stared at the boy in the middle of the room.

    "What is it you want Sara?" Chris said without even moving his eyes from the tv screen.

    "What are you doooing?" Sara smiled as she strutted into his room and sat down on his bed. She silently awaited his answer.

    "Playing some games." Chris quickly replied, knowing fully well that Sara had an ulterior motive.

    "I know it''s winter break, but don''t you wanna go outside a little at least?"

    "Nope."

    Sara puffed out her cheeks in response before she once again got on her feet. She would not be defeated so easily.

    "Come ooonnn!" She exhaled, before grabbing his hand. "Isn''t the Christmas time all about spending time with family and loved ones?" Chris had no choice but to move his attention to her now.

    "Fiiine. What is it you want?"

    "Yay! Let''s go right away!" Sara grinned as she nearly dragged him out.

    Taking the bus, they quickly made their way through the snowy city, before they ended up outside a large building. It was almost completely covered in the season''s festivities. Snowmen, Christmas trees, Santa Claus, and everything else you could possibly think of. They definitely didn''t pull any punches this year, Chris thought to himself.

    "Is this really where you wanted to go? At a day like this?"

    "Yeah! It''ll be fun. There''s plenty to see at a mall" Sara stated as she stood proudly between Chris and the mall.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    "Well, if it gets me out of the cold, it''s fine by me."

    And just like Chris thought, it maybe wasn''t the brightest idea to come to the mall the day before Christmas eve. It was jam packed of people. Seeing them all made Chris feel overwhelmed, but if it would please his sister, the quicker he could get back to gaming.

    Even though they were siblings, there couldn''t have been a starker contrast between the two. Both in how they acted, and how they dressed. Chris, who preferred functionality over looks, wore a simple dark blue winter jacket, normal jeans and a black beanie.

    Sara however, liked flashy clothing and had always been interested in fashion. From top to bottom, she oozed the word "cute". She wore a light gray coat, with a pink knitted sweater underneath it. On her head, she wore a white beanie with a smiling teddy bear face on the front. And on top of this, she had matching boots and gloves. Both brown, filled with wool to keep out the cold. And to keep her belongings in, she had a small white handbag hanging from her shoulder.

    Despite Chris'' nagging, the time moved quickly. After one hour, they had already been to countless shops, looking at clothing for Sara. Even Chris was surprised by their efficiency, and how quickly the time had gone. For a quick break, they decided to eat lunch at the food court.

    "Thank you for joining me today!" Sara gleefully said while smiling at Chris.

    "Yeah, sure."

    "Come on, isn''t fun to spend some time with your sibling once in a while?"

    Chris and Sara didn''t really talk much except in school breaks. They were usually preoccupied with other things, as well as not having that much in common. But he had to admit that it was fun occasionally.

    "Yeah, you''re right. Thanks for bringing me with you. But you could have chosen something more suited to me than looking at clothes."

    Sara awkwardly laughed. "Well, I think I''ve found my share of new clothes. Time for your treat!"

    "What?"

    "Don''t worry, just follow me."

    Sara quickly grabbed her bags and Chris'' hand and started moving.

    They walked down floor after floor, trudging through the heaps of people before they finally stopped in front of a big sign. "CINEMA" it said in bold letters.

    "Tada! Let''s watch a movie!" Sara said as she stood proudly. "Choose any movie, the tickets on me!"

    "You sure?"

    "100 percent!"

    "T-thanks." Chris moved his eyes to the posters on the wall. "Well, let''s see Zemiru: Dark Moon!"

    Sara looked at him in disappointment. "Really?"

    "Well, you said I could choose any movie." Chris grinned.

    Looking at him, Sara could not help it but smile in return. "Sure thing!" Se said before they both started walking into the cinema.

    The front door of their home opened, and they both quickly made their way in as to get out of the snow.

    Despite being almost dragged out of his room and having to follow his sister while she looked at clothes, Chris couldn¡¯t deny that it had been a fun day.

 Chapter 13

    "Happy new year!"

    "yeah, yeah. Happy new year to you as well."

    "Anyway, there''s something I wanted to discuss with you."

    "What? Can''t it wait? I''m kinda busy right now."

    "No. Don''t worry it won''t take long. We can just take it over text."

    "Fine¡­"

    The two best friends were tapping away on their phones. Despite apparently being busy, it was a best friend''s duty to help a friend in need.

    "What are you doing anyway?"

    "Oh, just some stuff. Out with the family."

    "Oh, I''ll hurry then. So, I was thinking about what you said about me needing to believe in myself more, as well as Amelia being so brave."

    "Where are you going with this?"

    "I think I should just jump into it. What''s the worst that could happen?"

    "RIGHT NOW????"

    "Ehm, yeah¡­?"

    "Are you sure about that?"

    "What? You were the one who recommended it to me."

    "I know, but maybe slow down a little? I really don''t think you should do it right now."

    "I need to do this. If I don''t know what she''ll answer, it''ll just keep eating at me."

    "Trust me. You shouldn''t."

    "I can''t. I''ll head over now."

    Chris hurriedly put his phone into his pocket and got out of his bed. There was nothing stopping him now. Despite feeling his pocket vibrating continuously, he ignored it and moved forward. He was though, quite surprised by Adam''s reaction, since it originally was his idea to just confess.

    Luckily, Lilly''s house was rather close to Chris'', like most childhood friends. His phone had finally quieted down, and he could focus on the task ahead. It was now or never, and he would finally know the outcome of his crush for the last years.

    Moving with haste through the white landscape and beyond the countless warm houses, he finally ended up in front of his target. Lilly''s house.

    It wasn''t until he actually looked at it, that he realized what he was about to do. His hands were trembling, and despite the cold, he was burning up. Our relationship may never be the same after this. Is it really worth it?

    He took a deep breath and walked up to the front door, but before he could knock, the door slammed open. Chris stood in shock as he was faced with a realization. That fucker. He could never have guessed what face would have met him in the doorway.

    "I told you not to do it Chris¡­"

    Chris couldn''t even answer him as his nervousness was replaced by a mixture of both sadness and rage. He couldn''t even look at his so called "best friend" and chose instead to bend his head forward to hide his face.

    Finally, he managed to get out a small "w-why¡­". He couldn''t even finish his sentence. There were so many questions on his mind.

    "Look, I really didn''t want you to find out this way." Adam started as a second person emerged from behind him. Chris instantly recognized Lilly, but her presence only hurt him more.

    "You''re right to be angry. I-I should have told you really, but there was never the right time."The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    "F-for how long?" Chris managed to let out.

    "It''s only been a little over a month¡­"

    "So you did this, knowing fully well how I felt!" Chris stared daggers at Chris, rivers running down from his eyes.

    "Please! Just come in and let us explain properly¡­"

    "There''s nothing to explain!" Chris shouted at them both as he quickly turned around.

    "Chris, please. You know we care about you!" Lilly said, tears also running down her soft cheeks. She carefully stretched out a hand, trying to calm Chris. But before they could stop him, Chris dashed off into the darkness.

    "Chris!" They both shouted to no avail.

    Running aimlessly through the dark, Chris couldn''t even think straight. The tears didn''t stop, no matter how hard he tried.

    At his pace, he quickly covered the space between their homes and the city, and the sounds of Christmas surrounded him. But that didn¡¯t stop him. Being new year, the streets were empty. No one could see the helpless boy in his broken state.

    He didn''t fully realize just how far and for how long he had been running before he suddenly stood in front of the snowy lions in front of the theatre. It was a distance he usually would take the bus, but he had run the distance without even realizing it.

    Chris looked around himself. Complete darkness. Being so far from home, he knew of only one place he could gather his thoughts.

    The light jogging continued once more. Past shops and Christmas lights. Past gates and trees and onto a gravel road. Past everything that reminded him of reality.

    Chris finally stopped by a snow-filled bench and streetlight. The infinite darkness of the woods surrounded him once more. He did not dare move any further, as he would have to face the frozen fountain once more.

    He fell down onto the snow, holding around his legs. The silence soothed his mind, and he could finally think straight. Chris recalled the events, trying to make sense of his situation, but it only doubled the tears rolling down his face.

    How could it have ended like this? He was left with no one. Amelia was gone, she didn''t even read his messages. Adam and Lilly had betrayed him. He was simply back to being that helpless crybaby he was before meeting Lilly.

    Chris sat there for what felt like an eternity, and he had no intention of walking home either.

    "C-C-Chris???"

    Suddenly, the softest of voices reached his ears and pulled him out of the darkness. Chris'' head jumped up and faced in the direction it came from.

    In front of him, a petite, timid girl stood. The light from the streetlight spread out from behind her, truly making it an almost angelic sight to behold. Her brown hair waved slightly in the cold winter wind. Her face however, was formed into an expression he had never seen anybody give him. An expression of true worry and surprise.

    Like light in the darkness, Amelia had appeared before Chris as a ray of hope.

    "What are you doing here??" She said as she ran up to him. She tugged at him with full force to get him to stand up. Chris however, couldn¡¯t muster the courage to answer. His tears were still rolling as Amelia shoved of all the snow from the bench and sat them both down on it.

    It quickly became quiet however, as they both realized that it was usually Chris who kept the conversation going between them. But suddenly, a handkerchief appeared in front of Chris.

    "Here, for your face¡­"

    Chris was surprised by the gesture, but obliged. He grabbed the handkerchief and wiped his tears.

    "Y-you know. You never answered my question¡­"

    "W-what?" Chris replied.

    "You never answered what you''re doing here."

    "Its''s¡­complicated."

    "Talking about what happened is a good coping mechanism." Amelia said, before quickly adding "B-but if you don''t want to..." in embarrassment. Then she suddenly grabbed Chris'' hand. "But I want you to know I''m here for you." They both locked eyes as Amelia went on.

    Quickly realizing how cheesy it was, they both pulled away from each other.

    "I¡­ was rejected."

    Amelia almost jumped in surprise.

    "And she apparently is dating my best friend¡­"

    Amelia couldn''t contain it anymore. She flew of the bench as she screamed "WHAT????". Like her nature however, she quickly became embarrassed by the sudden burst in energy and hurriedly sat down once again.

    Her reaction, however over the top it was, made Chris let through a small smile. Seeing this, Amelia couldn''t help but smile as well.

    It became quiet once more. But suddenly, Chris felt a warm embrace. He looked over his shoulder and saw Amelia cling onto him. The random gesture made Chris turn red in embarrassment.

    "I know you tried so hard¡­" Amelia started. "I''m sorry it didn''t work out."

    "I-It''s fine. Really. I guess it just wasn''t meant to be."

    While answering, Chris heard a quiet sulking. Amelia slowly looked up at Chris. Now it was her turn to shed a few tears. Chris didn''t know how to even react.

    "W-why are you crying?"

    Amelia quickly wiped her tears as she answered. "I¡­don''t know. I just felt so sorry for you."

    "What?? Really, you shouldn''t cry for me." Chris started. "You really do care too much about other, you know that?"

    They both shared a small laugh as they locked eyes. They were both encapsulated by each other''s eyes. They simply couldn''t look away, no matter how hard they tried. No words being shared.

    Like a magnet, the two of them were attracted to each other as Chris suddenly held around Amelia in return. His face slowly moving towards Amelia''s.

    Slowly closing in, their eyes closed. Then, Chris felt a soft touch on his lips. A softness that could not be compared to anything in Chris'' mind. It was like nothing he had felt before. His heart jumped into overdrive as his entire body suddenly felt hot.

    They both slowly moved away again and they both started giggling.

    "Amelia¡­"

    "What?" Amelia said, smiling.

    "I love you."

 Chapter 14

    "All right everyone! Let''s get this started!" The ever so enthusiastic Mia burst out. However, unlike usual, the room didn''t quite meet her enthusiasm. Mia was left in silence, standing with one fist towards the sky.

    As you probably could imagine, there definitely were some minor problems in their roster. Excluding Mia, their lineup consisted of Amelia, who were usually pretty silent anyway, Chris who first rejected Amelia, but now dated her (his brain still hadn''t even caught up to that fact yet.), and Lilly, the girl who rejected Chris.

    Of course, Mia, being Amelia''s best friend, had heard of the situation, and now was simply trying to salvage what little there was left of the usually lively atmosphere. Seeing that her first attempt didn''t work, she quickly moved on like nothing happened. But she could clearly see the split. How would she even salvage this when the trio couldn''t even look each other in the eyes?

    "A-anyway¡­" Mia continued, falling on her chair again. "Now that were back at school, it''s back to our normal routines. So, clubs back on once a week. And don''t forget exams at the end of the semester! Now that the formalities are done, let''s get on to the real things."

    Mia continued like this, leading the room forward, but also trying to include the others, who occasionally let out their thoughts. Considering the situation, she was doing quite well. Her leader skills really shone.

    "Since it''s our first meeting since break, let''s could it a bit short." That''s definitely an excuse to leave the room¡­ "But first! The most important thing of all. Yep, I have not forgotten, despite how forgetful I can be. It''s time to announce the winner!"

    Just before winter break, they all submitted their own texts to a friendly competition amongst the members. We got a copy of each text and sent our vote to Mia on which text we thought was the best. And it was finally time to announce the winner.

    "I''ve read through your rankings and the text with the most first places were¡­. Amelia''s text!"

    Mia happily jumped while clapping as she announced the winner. Amelia, however, were in complete shock. It took a few seconds, but a small smile managed to appear on her face in the end.

    "Congratulations Amelia!" Chris said as he joined in on Mia''s clapping.

    "Truly deserved! You''ve always worked hard to improve your writing since we were kids. And as promised, I''ll get the text published in the school newspaper for everyone to read!"

    With that single sentence, Amelia''s smile quickly disappeared. She had really improved on the shy side of her, but that was waaaaay out of her comfort zone.

    "Oh, come on!" Mia started as she grabbed Amelia''s cheeks. "We all think your text''s great, and I think the rest of school will think so as well." Mia then quickly turned around again and pulled out an envelope from her backpack.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "And as a second reward I have managed to obtain these!" Mia proudly presented the envelope, holding it up in the air for all to see. "Ta-da! Two tickets to the theater, to commemorate our trip there last autumn." Mia smiled.

    "T-thanks!" Amelia replied while reaching out and grabbing the envelope.

    "Well, I think that does it for today. Remember our meeting next week!"

    And before long, we all packed up our stuff. Lilly leaving first, followed by Mia. As Amelia finished up and stood up, Chris turned around and prepared to start moving. He was however, quickly pulled back by something. He turned around to see Amelia holding onto his jacket.

    "What is it?"

    "How was it seeing Lilly again?"

    "It''s fine. I''m not really angry at her or anything. But it is pretty awkward sitting here next to her."

    Amelia giggled. "Yeah¡­ But I guess it won''t change any time soon."

    "Yeah." Chris said as he once again tried to move. But once again something held him back. Turning around once again, Amelia looked at him with her expression being a mixture of embarrassment and smugness. Although most people wouldn''t understand what she meant by just looking at her, Chris didn''t even flinch in his response. He put out his open hand and Amelia quickly latched on to it. Flaunting a victorious smile.

    Hand in hand, they walked out of the classroom.

    The couple slowly strolled through the town center and past all kinds of stores, talking happily between each other.

    "So, were do you wanna go?" Chris enquired.

    "Hmmm¡­ What about that place?" Amelia said as she pointed at a petite caf¨¦ on the left of them.

    "Have you been there before?"

    "No. but it looks fine. Have you?"

    "No. But sure, it''s always fun to try out something new!"¡§

    Agreeing to her choice of where to go, they went to the caf¨¦ and opened the door. A light bell rung as they went inside, and the waiter happily greeted them. Finding a nice spot, they sat down opposite each other and opened the menu.

    "Hmm¡­ looks like they mostly sell hot drinks and cookies in the winter, but it all looks really good!" Amelia commented.

    "Yeah."

    During their short time together, only a little over one week, Chris had realized that Amelia was a total foodie, especially when it came to sweets and dessert. So her comment made him let out a small giggle.

    Together, they decided to order some hot chocolate as well as some cookies topped with strawberry jam, and before long, the food arrived. They had spent a long time together the past few days, so their conversation easily moved forward almost on its own, talking about the most mundane topics.

    "¡­And then she just left me. She was probably gone for a good fifteen minutes."

    "Fifteen minutes just to find a bin?"

    "You know how Mia is. She can really be so airheaded sometimes."

    They both laughed.

    Although this seemed rather uninteresting, Chris loved being able to learn more about her. Especially stories like these since Amelia told them with such enjoyment. Her smiling away as she told him really made Chris realize how lucky he was to date someone so cute. And it made him feel extra special to be able to see her like this, because it meant she had truly warmed up towards him.

    Taking a big sip of her hot chocolate, Amelia continued. "So, what do you wanna do later?"

    "I''m down for anything, school hasn''t properly started after winter break yet, so we can do what we want." Chris smiled.

    "Hmmmm¡­" Thinking, Amelia suddenly blushed, making Chris a bit scared at what was to come.

    "I-If you want¡­" Amelia started before looking away. "We could go hang out at my place. O-only if you want, of course. It should be no one there."

    Chris cracked up at this suggestion, making Amelia even more red. For him, that was not something embarrassing to ask. They had been at his house a few times. But for Amelia, it was something almost sacred. Very few had been to her house due to her reserved nature.

    Smiling, Chris replied "Sure!" Which in turn made his partner visibly happy.

 Chapter 15

    Amelia''s house was only a few minutes walking from the city center. That''s how she easily could make her way to the park, while Chris had to take the bus. But her house was definitely not how Chris had imagined. Before him stood a rather modern looking home, but the sheer size of the property amazed him. Amelia had mentioned that her mother was working as a lawyer, but this was definitely not what he had imagined.

    Seeing Chris stare in awe, Amelia snapped him out of it with a small "Are you coming?" while walking towards the entrance.

    "Do you live here?"

    "Y-yeah. Is there anything wrong?"

    "No no, I just didn''t imagine you living in such a huge house." Even the yard was huge!

    As they spoke, they both entered the home and started removing their jackets and shoes.

    "Well, living in a house this big is definitely great, but it does get kinda lonely sometimes with just me and mother. Especially since she''s almost always at work. S-so if you want to¡­ we could probably be here sometimes undisturbed." Amelia blushed, embarrassed by her own forwardness.

    Amelia had mentioned how her father had died a few years ago. He and Amelia''s mom had built this home and lived here with their daughter since she was born. He was apparently a locally known script writer, so the combined income of her parents was probably what had made them able to buy such a large plot of land, especially right by the center of town.

    Moving into the living room, it was both spacious and homely. Larger homes have a tendency to sometimes loose some of the charm, but the layout of the living room and kitchen had managed to minimize this problem. In one corner, a large grey couch laid into the corner on top of a marigold-colored carpet. Next to it stood a small coffee table of dark wood, and on its left, a smaller, more modern fireplace. Parallel to the couch stood a relatively large tv on the other end of the living room. On the walls, different type of paintings hung, primarily postmodern works.

    At the end of the living room, the room extended to the right to make place for a kitchen, including an island with a marble top.

    They both made their way to the couch. On the way home, they had decided to watch a movie, so Amelia quickly brought forward the controller and started scanning for anything to watch. And before long, they quickly found something they both would enjoy. Surprisingly enough, Amelia really enjoyed action movies and the likes, so finding something they both could enjoy was rather simple.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    As quickly as the movie started, Chris felt Amelia leaning onto him. Understanding what she wanted, he put his arm around her as she made herself more comfortable.

    Halfway through the movie they both seemed to enjoy it. Chris couldn''t really seem to focus however, because the mischievous girl next to him had progressively pushed herself farther and farther onto him. Despite clearly having a goal in mind, Amelia still couldn''t push herself to commit, so she had compromised with herself with just trying to get Chris to realize it, which he indeed had.

    Chris found it quite funny however, so despite realizing it for quite a while, he decided to act oblivious just to see how far she would go.

    But for the last minutes, it had become increasingly difficult for him. Amelia, who did have quite the attractive body, had either knowingly or unknowingly pushed herself onto him so far that he could feel quite a lot of her body pushing towards him. Despite her petite and slender figure, Amelia''s bust was still rather sizable, without being too over the top.

    Quickly, they had changed positions, and Amelia now lay onto the couch with Chris over her. Despite teasing her, Chris couldn''t deny that he still wanted the same as her. Weighing the options, he had moved quickly and thrown Amelia down onto the couch.

    Her face all red, she started "W-wha¡­ What are you doing?" as she smiled. This had been her plan all along however, and Amelia welcomed it with open arms.

    Before she could continue, their lips met. Not being opposed to it, she closed her eyes and held onto him.

    The week of dating had slowly built up to this. It was the first time they had so passionately made out.

    Holding onto him, Amelia caressed his head as they went at it. Sensing an opportunity, Chris placed his hand on her thigh and slowly moved it upwards, feeling every inch of her figure. And as he went above the waist, it quickly slipped beneath Amelia''s top.

    He then reached the point he had hoped for. Grabbing it with his whole hand, he gently squeezed it. He couldn''t believe just how soft, yet firm Amelia''s bust was.

    "Hnn-"

    Chris'' handling of her body had made her unconsciously make a sound, before she quickly stopped herself. They both looked at each other, Amelia even more embarrassed. But just as suddenly, they both laughed as they went back to business.

    Amelia felt someone tugging at her top, giving it a hand, the top was of in an instant. Chris couldn''t stop himself as he moved down towards her chest.

    "I-I think we should leave it at that for today!" Amelia stated as she stopped Chris.

    It was a limit to how far she was able to go without dying of embarrassment, and she had reached her limit.

    Not wanting to upset her, Chris stopped. And deep inside him he agreed also, as he knew he couldn''t stop if they had went any further.

    "Yeah, you''re right. Maybe we went a little far¡­"

    As Chris looked away, he suddenly felt a pat on his head. Amelia had got up and smiled as she looked at him. In return he couldn''t help but smile either.

    These first weeks with Amelia, just spending time with her, really were the best.