I got ready to go to my college after the weekend. My mom was right. Always right. I can’t just hide from everyone, every time. Anna was already there in the living room talking to my mom. After having our breakfast, we started to go to our college.
I noticed Anna’s gaze on me and I asked “What?”
“Are you completely fine now?” She looked at me with a concerned expression.
I nodded my head saying “I’m perfect.”
Before she spoke anything, I said “I convinced Noah.”
“What do you mean by that?” She narrowed her eyebrows.
“Yesterday I told him that I wanted to be his friend. Only a friend. He understood and accepted our relationship as only friendship. He didn’t force me.” I said smiling.
Anna kept looking at me with no emotion on her face. I understood she didn’t like what I said because a part of her wanted me to be with Noah as he was a good guy for me unlike others.
I looked at Anna asking “You are not happy with this, are you?”
Anna shrugged her shoulders saying “If you are happy then I am happy.” She then smiled hugging me.
We reached the college and as usual we went to our lockers to take our books. When I turned back I saw him. Harry. His emerald eyes were looking at me like he was seeing directly into my soul. As soon as I saw him, my heart started pacing fast and sweat began forming on my face. I never felt like that anytime before. I didn’t even know why I started to sweat. Along with that my limbs started trembling and I dropped the books from my hand.
Harry narrowed his eyebrows looking at me. I kept looking at him while my inner self was shaking. I felt Anna was patting me but I was not able to respond to her. It felt like I was glued to that position. I understood the feeling. It’s fear. I was fearing of him.
Harry looked at me for a minute then turned to another direction. When he stood behind a pillar and he was not in my eyesight, I started to become normal or maybe I was thinking I became normal but the truth was everything started to blur. I turned my side to Anna blinking.
“Are you…”
Before I heard completely what she was speaking, I started to fall back but someone caught me. I didn’t understand what’s happening clearly but I was being carried by someone in a bridal style, who might be having big arms as I felt like a baby in those arms. I realized I was moving rapidly but my legs were not touching the ground.
“Move aside.” I heard a loud voice and in my blurred vision I saw the eyes which I feared. I was in his arms and he was running fast carrying me.
“Ha… rr… y.” I mumbled and suddenly everything went black.
I hated disturbances when I was sleeping. My mom too knew that but what were the sounds around me. What’s everyone doing in my room? I thought myself without opening my eyes. Like a flash, I remembered what happened. Suddenly I opened my eyes and saw myself on the bed in the medical room in my college. I saw a nurse and a doctor talking to eachother looking at me. Anna was there at my left and Roman was there at my right.
“Stella!” Anna called out my name. She was looking at me with a worried expression.
I tried to sit and Roman helped me. The doctor smiled looking at me and said “Ms. Jones, you are alright. No need to worry.”
I looked at Anna asking “What happened to me?”
“Doctor said you panicked. And you are weak too. What made you panic, Stella?” Roman replied.
“Panic? Me? No…” I lied. I was really frightened when I saw Harry. God! I never knew I would really feel afraid of the person whom I loved.
“You are fine, right?” Roman asked and I nodded my head as response.
He then stood from the chair saying “I’ll be back.”
When he left, I looked at Anna, who seemed more worried. I held her hand saying “I’m fine.”
Roman entered in again asking “Stella! You are fine, right?”
I nodded my head smiling. Roman shouted from the door entrance “Tell me.”
I chuckled hearing him and said “Yes I am.”
Roman let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. He then walked away.
“What happened to Roman?” I laughed.
“It’s not Roman. It’s Harry.” Anna replied.
“Harry?” I narrowed my eyebrows.
Anna nodded her head saying “Harry is outside. He kept checking on you. He might have sent Roman inside to hear your voice.”
I became silent and saw out but I couldn’t be able to see anyone there.
Anna asked “Do you know who brought you here?”
I nodded my head saying “It’s Harry.”
“He literally ran in the college corridors with you in his arms. You have no idea how everyone saw you both. He was here with you few minutes back. But when the doctor said you panicked of something, Harry went out. He might have realized he was the reason behind this. I don’t understand him.” Anna said with an irritated face.
“If he was that easy to be understood then I might not have been in this position.” I let out a dry laugh.
Anna shook her head saying “Okay leave it. You are fine, right. I’m so worried about you.”
“I’m fine. Totally fine. Seeing him suddenly after few days… it made me feel afraid. I’m normal now.” I smiled.
Anna nodded her head and said “Let’s go home.”
I nodded my head and stood from the bed. “I don’t understand what to tell mom.”
We both walked out of the room. When I stepped out, I saw Harry there, leaned to the wall. I didn’t fear or panic much again. Just a kind of shock. Harry and I both looked at eachother for a moment. Okay, what was I seeing in his eyes? Guilt? Worry? Lov… Never mind.
Then I shifted my gaze away and left the college with Anna. Anna and I reached my home and as expected we gave a long convinced explanation to my parents excluding the fact about Harry, before we reached my room.
Anna made me lay on the bed while she sat beside me holding my hand like I was a patient. I kept telling her that I was fine but she wouldn’t listen. I shut my eyes trying to not think about everything but my stupid self kept recalling him.
“He literally ran in the corridors with you in his arms.”
I opened my eyes when the sentence kept repeating in my head. I saw Anna still holding my hand. She got a call from Roman and she kept speaking to him. Oops! We forgot. Roman said he would be back but we left the college without even informing him. After few minutes Anna left the house and I drifted into sleep again. If I’d given a chance, I would sleep my entire life.
The evening Anna and I went for a casual walk. We met Roman in the middle and we kept walking.
Roman asked “You were scared of Harry, right?”
Anna hit him with her elbow shouting him to not start the topic again. I let out a small chuckle nodding my head. “I didn’t know what happen to me that time but… it happened all of a sudden.”
Roman nodded his head saying “I can understand. I know it’s hard to forget that night easily.”
I didn’t reply anything to his words. We three walked in silence for a while then Roman spoke “Harry feels guilt for everything.”
I rolled my eyes and kept silent. He continued saying “He told me to apologise you on the behalf of him. For everything. He thought you and Noah were together so he kind of disliked it. In anger, he went to that extreme. He is really sorry.”
“Why won’t he tell this to me? Why are you apologising instead of him?” I asked.
“He asked me so I’m doing this.” Roman shrugged his shoulders.
“Fine. Leave it Roman. I don’t want to talk about this. Don’t want to talk about him.” I said.
After spending few minutes with us Roman left. Anna and I too left to our houses after our walk.
Three days later, Noah started to leave to his college and he wanted to meet me before he left. I accepted to him and he came to my house to meet me. It was getting awkward between us both. He was more than nervous as he didn’t understand whether to talk to me closely or behave in an official manner. He bid adieu and stepped forward to hug me but stopped in the middle.
I smiled looking at him and hugged him. “Bye Noah.”
He hugged me back saying “Thank you.” Then he stood straight and said “Bye Stella. See you in next holidays. Be happy.” I nodded my head and he left on his bike.