I wish I had never met him

‎ ‎ ‎⸻ ‎ ‎I Wish I Had Never Met Him ‎ ‎Kendra met Leslie on a Tuesday she almost skipped school. ‎ ‎He was standing near the IB notice board, uniform perfectly neat, phone pressed to his ear, laughing softly. Everyone knew Leslie—the richest boy at Intelligence Bridge, the one whose name carried respect, not rumors. He wasn’t loud like the others. He wasn’t reckless. He was… kind. ‎ ‎And that was the problem. ‎ ‎Because once Kendra noticed him, there was no un-noticing him. ‎ ‎Kelvin was always beside him. Kelvin, who treated girlfriends the way people treated snacks—temporary, replaceable, forgettable. He smiled too much and cared too little, and somehow he was Leslie’s closest friend. ‎ ‎“Don’t trust boys who walk with storms,” Aurora warned one afternoon. ‎ ‎Kendra smiled. “Leslie isn’t the storm.” ‎ ‎⸻ ‎ ‎Leslie and Kendra grew close in quiet ways. ‎ ‎Studying together. ‎Shopping at Cosmos Mall after school. ‎Sharing milkshakes while Cosmos himself teased them, saying, “Young love spends the most money.” ‎ ‎Leslie would laugh and shake his head. “We’re just friends.” ‎ ‎But his eyes always found Kendra first. ‎ ‎Sebastian noticed everything. ‎ ‎“He likes you,” he said one evening. “But he’s scared.” ‎ ‎“Of what?” ‎ ‎“Of choosing wrong.” ‎ ‎⸻ ‎ ‎Amara made sure the whole school believed Leslie had already chosen. ‎ ‎She was rich, confident, cruel in the way only beautiful bullies could be. She wore her wealth like armor and spoke Kendra’s name like an insult. ‎ ‎“Why do you keep following my Leslie?” Amara sneered one day in the hallway. ‎ ‎Kendra froze. “He’s not yours.” ‎ ‎Amara laughed. “He will be.” ‎ ‎And somehow, everyone believed her. ‎ ‎Leslie never corrected them. ‎ ‎⸻ ‎ ‎Rumors spread faster than truth. ‎ ‎That Kendra was desperate. ‎That she was chasing money. ‎That Leslie and Amara were secretly together. ‎ ‎Henry Apraku called Kendra into his office after a heated argument broke out near the lockers. ‎ ‎“This school values discipline and reputation,” the headmaster said sternly. “I suggest you focus on your studies, not distractions.” ‎ ‎Distractions. ‎ ‎That’s what love became. ‎ ‎⸻ ‎ ‎At home, Tracy noticed the silence in her daughter. ‎ ‎“You’re hurting,” she said softly. ‎ ‎Godfred added, “Love should not make you disappear.” ‎ ‎But Kendra didn’t know how to stop loving Leslie. ‎ ‎⸻ ‎ ‎The breaking point came at Cosmos Mall. ‎ ‎Kendra saw them first—Leslie and Amara. Standing too close. Laughing. Amara’s hand resting easily on his arm like it belonged there. ‎ ‎Kendra’s chest burned. ‎ ‎She waited for Leslie to pull away. ‎ ‎He didn’t. ‎ ‎That night, she cried until the words finally escaped her lips: ‎ ‎“I wish I had never met him.” ‎ ‎⸻ ‎ ‎The next day, Leslie found her sitting alone behind the library. ‎ ‎“You never asked me,” he said quietly. ‎ ‎“Asked you what?” Kendra replied, her voice empty. ‎ ‎“If I loved her.” ‎ ‎“Did you?” ‎ ‎“No.” His voice cracked. “I love you.” ‎ ‎But love spoken too late sounds like a lie. ‎ ‎Kendra stood up. “You let the world hurt me while you stayed silent.” ‎ ‎Leslie reached for her hand—but this time, she stepped back. ‎ ‎⸻ ‎ ‎Amara lost interest once she realized she had never truly won. ‎ ‎Kelvin moved on to another girl. ‎ ‎Life continued. ‎ ‎But Kendra changed. ‎ ‎She learned that innocence without courage can still break a heart. ‎That love needs a voice. ‎And that silence can be louder than betrayal. ‎ ‎She still passed Leslie in the hallways of IB. ‎Still remembered Cosmos Mall. ‎Still felt the ache. ‎ ‎But she no longer wished she had never met him. ‎ ‎She only wished he had loved her out loud. ‎ ‎⸻ ‎ ‎ ‎