Curving His Straight Line

Chapter 2: Back of a Notebook

Maybe once in our life, we wrote down the names of our crushes in the back of our notebook, well that happened to me too – the satisfaction of inking every letter of their names is just so thrilling, speaking of thrilling – I was so thrilled when Drake angrily barked at me that day.

“Mom! He was peeing at me!” Drake falsely claimed.

“No, Mrs. Xavier, I only thought no one was using the comfort room because it was open…” I defended myself.

“That’s not an excuse!” Drake scowled at me. This is what pushes us away from Drake, this is his trash attitude.

“Yes, it is, plus, why didn’t you lock the door in the first place?” Pears butted in, which made Drake gave him a deadly glare.

But – Drake wasn’t the only one looking at Pears, I was too, was captivated that he protected me like a knight in shining armor.

“Come on, Drake let it go. DJ didn’t mean to intrude.” Mrs. Xavier tried to calm Drake down.

He gave me an “I’m not finished with you yet” look before storming out the room.

“I’m really sorry for that Mrs. Xavier, I should go now.” I paid my respects to Mrs. Xavier before heading home.

Pears accompanied me outside their house.

“See you tomorrow!” He happily smiled at me.

“See you.” I started walking towards my house.

The next day, right inside our classroom, our teacher gave us an activity. I was beside Pears, as always. It was then that I noticed his favorite superhero pencil case was broken.

“What happened?” I asked out of curiosity.

“Ha?”

“Your pencil case.” I pointed at it.

“Oh, uh, I accidentally dropped it when I was preparing my bag at home.” He explained.

“That’s unfortunate.”

I wasn’t so convinced though, for his favorite case, surely, he will take extra care of it because it was special to him, still, I let it go.

After our break time ended, Pears went into the comfort room, and just out of curiosity, I’m sorry. I dove into his belongings to check his case again, because I am still not buying the whole “he accidentally dropped it” thing. Examining it, I think it wasn’t just mishandled and fell to the ground, I mean the damage is like – like someone broke it.

Could it be? Drake?

While putting it back before he catches me, I noticed an unnamed notebook because all his notebooks have their corresponding subjects for it. I took it and it was random sketches and drawings, but on the back of it, a name was written.

C. E. L. I. N. E.

Uhm? It has a heart on its right. I don’t know anyone named Celine except that – he once tried to call me that. What… what does it mean? Does he like me? While my brain was trying to make something out of it, my heart, on the other hand, was beating out of control.

Back then, I didn’t understand what it was to blush – to feel the thing they called love.

I put everything back to where it was and just sat. I was looking at the doorway as he entered the room and well, yes, my heart as well.

Maybe it started yesterday? The way he stood up for me against Drake? But to be honest, maybe I’ve always liked him, his company, his smile, his laugh, what the hell? I actually like everything about him. But now, it just felt different. Seeing what he used to call me back then is written on the back of his sketchbook, made me want something more.

“Hey, you okay?” He asked me which caught me off guard.

“Ye… Yeah.” I stuttered.

“Okay. Let’s go straight to the park after class today.” He was eager to head to the park again, why?

“Why do you love the park so much since like yesterday?” I decided to ask.

“Well… I… I want to spend more time with you.” My heart was literally racing and I don’t even know where the finish line is.

I just smiled at him. Pears… What are you doing to me?

As what we have talked about, we were at the park that afternoon.

“Your knee still hurts?” He asked me.

“Not really. Want to play catch?” In my mind, it was a different game of catch, the one where I’ll fall for him and he’ll catch me.

“You might get hurt again, let’s just hang out today.” And I hope he’ll never let me get hurt, like ever.

We were talking about the most nonsense things when he suddenly asked something out of the blue.

“What would you do if you like someone?” My eyes widened while it was pinned against his.

“You… you tell the person.” I told him.

“You think?” He asked me once again.

Just please tell me you like me, and I’ll say it back.

“Yeah, I think so.” But I cannot tell him that I saw the Celine thing in his notebook.

“Alright, can you be here tomorrow after class?” Is this it? Is he going to tell me? How could I say no Pears?

“Why?” I pretended like I don’t have any clue.

“I need…” He was cut off when his brother Duke suddenly called him.

“Pears! I knew I’ll found you here.” Duke walked towards us.

“What’s up?” Pears asked Duke.

“I need you to come with me, Mom wants us. I think we’re going to the mall.” Duke explained.

“Drake will hate it if I’ll come.” Pears sighed.

I’m really starting to believe that Drake broke his pencil case.

“Nah don’t mind him, come on now. By the way, hi DJ! Tell your sister I said hi.” Duke greeted me before taking Pears, he is such a nice guy.

“Bye Dion! See you tomorrow!”

‘Bye… Pears.” We said our goodbye before I was left alone in the park.

Tomorrow will be the day and I am just so excited. As Ed Sheeran song stated, we are still kids but we’re so in love.

I can’t wait to tell him that I like him too.

I went home and locked myself in my room. I took one of my notebooks and tore one page at the back. There I wrote something for Pears, I wanted to surprise him too tomorrow.

“I think I’m going to have to say sorry first, for peeking at your belongings, leading to me accidentally seeing the thing you wrote on the back of your notebook. When I saw it, I don’t know but I blushed at that moment, because I think, no, I know Pears, that I like you. People might say we might be too young to talk about things like this but we don’t need to wait until we reach the end of our notebooks before we dive in love. We might not be able to fully understand our feelings right now but I just know that I am so happy whenever I’m with you.”

I was smiling the whole time I was putting these into words, into sentences.

The following day after classes, Pears went ahead and just told me to meet him at the park. He really wanted to surprise me huh?

I was walking alone in the hallways while reading the note I made yesterday for Pears when someone suddenly took it from me which was like a punch right through my nervous system.

It was Drake. Oh no.

“Give it back to me!” I shouted at him but he pushed me and read the note against my will.

No, no.

“What the hell?! I knew you and Pears are both gays.” He looked at me like I am some kind of trash.

“Just give it to me and let me go! This is none of your business!” I was just so mad at him.

“You want this stupid gay love letter?” He crumpled it and threw it away.

I followed it immediately and found it after a few minutes. I was almost about to cry when I remember I was about to meet Pears. No Drake, you’re not going to ruin my day today. I kept the note in my pocket and rushed to the park.

When I arrived, Pears was there, and all the bad things earlier were just wiped out of my memory.

“Hey.” I called him so he’ll know I’m here now.

“Oh Dion, I wasn’t able to do it.” He told me.

“Do what?” I followed up.

“Confess my feelings.” Oh, is he pissed that I was a bit late?

“Why? I am here now.” I smiled at him.

“Yes, but she isn’t.”

What?

“Who’s… she?” My voice was so awkward.

“Her name is Celine, she’s a girl from the other section and she usually comes here, that’s why I was always eager for us to go here after class these past days so that I can see her, but she didn’t go today.”

I felt my heart crushed and I just wanted to disappear right away. It wasn’t me, it wasn’t.

“Hey, are you okay? By the way, what took you so long? I kind of need your support to pull this off” He asked me.

I wanted to run and cry but I fixed myself and put on a smile.

“Oh, I just came across Gary our classmate, and… and talked about something.”

It was the start, the start of my selfless acts for him, thinking of it maybe that is why I am so used to the pain he is giving that somehow it is addicting, because I started this young to be this miserable.

It was painful but we’re only at the beginning.