EVE: A Short Unforgettable Love Story

Chapter Six

Kellan Porter POV

The music was loud, the crowd was buzzing on the dancefloor, light dimmed, sparkly disco ball flashed, Couples swayed on a sweet song, girls wait for a dance invitation from boys. It was Valentines Prom. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go here, but my club buddies convinced me. Everyone scrubbed up in a perfectly ironed suit, girls wearing shimmering dresses and inches of heels with new fresh curled hair. I don’t have any date, and I’m used to that.

It’s also been three weeks since I last saw Isabella. My mind wasn’t really in a good shape mainly because of her. I don’t know when it started. Is it when I met her at the library? Or the consecutive days when our paths crossed? Or the day when I found myself smiling because of a short funny conversation that we had at work? Or when I watched her danced in the rain? I don’t know. But I started to think about her a lot. If I’m going to see her at school? If my eyes will capture her smile? If I’ll hear her laugh. Suddenly, I started to care about what she thinks about me? If my outfit looks okay or not? If I still smell good? Suddenly, I started replaying our conversations in my head every night. Suddenly, I thought about her the moment I woke up. Suddenly, hearing her name thrills me. Suddenly, the thought about her makes me smile.

But those changes are giving me more reason to stay grounded, to not be tempted, to stay unshakable. And honestly, it’s getting harder to resist it. I know she was hoping for me to give her back the umbrella. I was about to, but then I saw her at the hallway wearing a red dress with her constant sprightly mood. She was greeted by her friends, that’ when I knew it was her birthday. I should’ve walked towards her and greeted her, but fear stopped me. I was being a complete Asshole, like my father. But there’s a single, inevitable significant thought that comes to my head, I should destroy these feelings before it burns me. I know it was Love, and it's slowly poisoning my cold heart and my stable mind. I would prefer to stay on reality, than in a tangled, messy world of Love. I shoved that flaming affection into a little jar in my brain and tightly close the lid. Perhaps, I’m being in denial, narrow-minded, paranoia of love, but I’m just being careful.

I have been avoiding her for a couple of days until she approached me at the hallway while I talked to Ezra, my club-mate. Standing there, hearing her love confession my throat instantly dried, and the air thickened. The feelings that I have kept locked up is screaming and evaporating inside me. A loud, confusing unstable warmth spread through me- a confusing mix of joy and fear occupied me. She likes me. I felt very precious, very loved loudly. I know that she’s honest and bold, but I never knew that she could be this brave. I cannot deny it anymore; I f*****g like this fourteen-year-old girl. Every part of me screamed to say, ‘I like you too’. But the fear, cold, sharp cut through it all. The logical, unsettled part of my brain took over, and the memories of my mother rambles in my head, how the beautiful fragility of love shatters her. I couldn’t put myself, or her through that possible tragedy, so I rejected her, I hurt her. But I think that is the only way to save us both in the tragedy of, Love. I’m a coward I guess, and she deserves so much more than that. Seeing her hopeful, lively eyes turned dim and her smile that always captivates me fades, it kills me. Those, memories will probably haunt me forever.

‘I like Isabella Madden.’ I have been replaying this internal monologue for weeks now, and until now I still can’t fathom the fact that I am trapped in Love because of her, the truth that now I cannot deny. Until now, even at this loud, large and crowded room my mind only thought about her even after the fact that I hurt her. If I’m going to see her or not? If she’s wearing her most, beautiful favorite dress? If she has a date or she’s alone?

“Hey.” Ezra approached me, sweetly smiling in front of me. “Hi.” Cold. I responded. “How are you doing?” She asked. “Good.” I spoke. “

“You shouldn’t be rotting yourself on the side. Come on this is a prom. Break free, have fun.” She said.

“No, I’m good.” Suddenly, my eyes snagged on her the moment she entered the room. Isabella, the girl I have been waiting for is here, shimmering like a constellation in the night sky, so beautiful as always. In a room full people, it’s our eyes that met first. She looked at me with her alluring melancholy eyes, I looked at her with an admiration. She enters, her hand held by a guy. My breath suddenly tightens, and an unfamiliar ache unravels in my chest. A kind of a bittersweet pang, because she’ here but she has someone with her and I had no right to get mad. That moment seeing her with someone, I knew I messed up.

My eyes followed her, as she sat on the corner, how she converses with this boy her age, how she tried hard to smile and swayed her eyes on the other direction so she wouldn’t met mine. He asked her to dance, she refused. Someone approached her offering his hand for a sweet dance in the center of the dancefloor, she still refused. A guy followed by another, she wouldn’t acknowledge. She was adored by everyone, and I would never know it until tonight. She was praised like a princess, while I treated her like a commoner. And in an agonizing second, I hated myself all over again. All I could do was watch her like a silent observer in a room full of noise.

Then, in a flashed, Ezra pulled me in the center during a sweet song. I was in an immediate confusion, what’s going on? what is she doing? My club buddies applaud as they saw us in the middle of the dancefloor. As much as I wanted to go back, we have attracted dozens of eyes and I couldn’t ignore the fact that Ezra could feel humiliated if I left her there, alone. So, although feeling reluctant I consorted her, I dance with her. I don’t know how to dance. I have never dance with somebody in my entire life. Although my feet kept bumping with her, and my body swayed in a catastrophic way, I had no choice.

“Kellan.” Her head tilted slowly on mine with her deluding eyes. “I have something to tell you.” She gathered a heavy breath. “I think I like you.” My club buddies heard it and they started joshing and teasing me. “Come on Kellan, be a man. Say Yes, and kiss her.” They shouted. At that point, I was speechless. I have thought deeply about those words. Ezra said the same words like Isabella, but feels different- the nuance, the conviction, everything is different. The way Ezra said it, was uncertain and unsure, I felt nothing. When Isabella said it, it’s filled with defying passion, real and certainly persuading. For a lingering moment I looked at Isabella, who quietly watched us on the corner. I saw her stiffen, subtle tension in her shoulders and with an intense gaze and a tightened downward lip. I had never seen that look from her. She looks angry and sorrowful at the same time. For an unbeknownst reason, my stomach did a weird flip and washed a strange wave of guilt and fear. I felt terrified like I needed to defend myself from her. I thought about pushing my body apart from Ezra, walked towards Isabella get on my knees and explain. But it was only on my mind, I was still there swaying my body with her, holding Ezra’s waist. I watched Isabella as she stood and walked out of the room with teary eyes. I wanted to follow her so bad, but I don’t have enough courage to. I’m a coward.