Endless pursuit

“Surprise! Happy Birthday!” Selina jumped at the howl of her classmates in surprise. She placed her hand over her chest in fear. She wondered what had happened and why they were screaming so loudly until she saw the pink and yellow cake with colored candles her best friend, Tiana, held to her and then realized they had just surprised her for her birthday. She smiled happily and composed herself. 'Thanks, guys,” she said. Tiana came forward and hugged her. “Happy Birthday, bestie, you mean so much to me, and I hope you enjoy your day,” she said, then whispered, “The night party is going to be so lit. And Aaron is also going to be there.” Selina giggled in anticipation. Aaron has been her crush since middle school. His blue eyes and muscular figure mesmerized her anytime she saw him. He was so handsome, all the girls at school tried their best to impress him. He was also the football team's captain and yet aced his exams. Aaron was brilliant. Yet he remained nice and sweet, friendly and humble. He spoke to everyone and didn’t discriminate, unlike the other jocks who looked down on nerds like her. But he wasn’t like the other jocks. He was different. She guessed that was what she liked about him. They talked a lot, and he even said she was an interesting person. The day he said so, she remembered how her stomach had flipped in joy. He had called her interesting! Interesting! That was what boys said to girls when they had begun to fall for them! Has Aaron started to fall for her? She would be so happy if he did. Yet when she got home that day and looked at her reflection in the mirror, she realized that someone like Aaron would never fall for someone like her. She was just too plain; there was nothing spectacular about her. None of her facial qualities stood out. Everything about her was ordinary. The glasses she wore made her look more plain. She was never the type to stand out anywhere. She would forever remain in the background where no one would notice her. Yet, it had never really bothered her. She had good friends, and her classmates thought she was cool. She had a great…maybe not so great, family, but she was okay with what she had. And she usually participated in hobbies she loved. But now that Selina had started to fall more and more for her beloved Aaron, the thought of her plain appearance bothered her. Her tiny eyes and prominent nose made her feel very insecure. It didn’t help that Yvonne, the school queen loved to tease her and make fun of her looks. Yvonne was slim, blonde, with big turquoise eyes, a button nose, and full lips. Her curves were very noticeable despite her slender figure. Yvonne detested Selina to the core. Perhaps it was because of Aaron's attention to her because she also had a crush on him. Or because Selina was a fun-loving person everyone loved to talk to and befriend instead of her; no one liked an arrogant, selfish meanie. So she bullied Selina at any opportunity she got, especially whenever she saw Aaron act friendly towards her like he was doing now. “Happy birthday Selina,” he said, holding a little gift box. She excitedly reached out for the box, but he withdrew it and chuckled. “I'll give it to you at your night party,” he said and winked. Selina blushed red. She wondered what he had planned to give her, and she felt excited. “I'll wait till then,” she said as Aaron turned his back to leave. “I'll wait till then!” Yvonne mimicked in her high-pitched voice. “Don't you ever give up?” “Well, I just wanted to greet the birthday girl! I heard you are having an all-night party. Can I come?” she asked. “No! My party does not need snakes in it,” Selina said. Yvonne chuckled and stared directly into her eyes. “ I don’t need to come to your lousy party, full of losers. The only cool person who will be at the party is Aaron, and it’s only out of pity, ” she said, twirling her blonde curls. “Well, I had better have losers at my party than have no one attend my party. Does that ring a bell? Or have you forgotten already? It hasn’t been up to two months. Your birthday party? That’s if it could be called one because no one attended your birthday party,” Selina said, stopped, and cackled loudly, then continued,“ No one attended your party because no one likes you! You are just under the delusion that you are important. Come down from your high horse and discover you are not special.” “How dare you talk to me that way?! I hate you! You witch! I’m going to kill you,” Yvonne said and lunged at Selina but missed as Selina simply stepped aside and caused Yvonne to land on the floor. She lay there in a very awkward position, and everyone in the hall laughed at her. Selina smiled in satisfaction and walked away with her head held high. Selina was in her room with her girlfriends dressing, applying make-up, and chatting about boys. “Hope you didn’t forget to invite Michael,” Viola, one of Selina's friends, asked as she slowly combed her hair. “Of course, I invited the whole class, except, of course, the witch. So if Michael doesn’t come, it will be because he is busy or doesn’t want to come,” Selina said, applying foundation to her face. “You're not doing it right!” said Tiana, snatching the foundation brush from Selina's hand. “Let me do it for you,” she said as she held Selina's face and applied the foundation more lightly. “Michael will come. I’m sure he will. He won’t leave me alone at this party, will he?” said Viola. “ He has a girlfriend,” Rose, the quiet and sensible one in their group, said. Selina and Tiana burst out laughing. “It doesn’t matter! After all, Michael was dating Lizzie before he broke up with her to be with Ashley. He can do the same and be with me,” said Viola. “And if you eventually get together with him, he would do the same thing. He will break up with you and get together with another chic. He’s a playboy; that’s what they do. Is that the type of guy you want to date?” asked Selina. “Let her do whatever she wants. Love is, after all, blind,” said Tiana. They soon got ready and went to the party.