There's still tomorrow

The boy she once knew

17th March, 2011

The school hallway buzzed with the usual chaos of students shuffling to their next classes, the sound of laughter and chatter filling the air. Among the crowd,  Emma was standing in front of her locker, trying to open it. She had requested for it to be changed a lot of times, but after being ignored each time she had just given up.

"Hey, stranger!" Kaylee called out, sneaking up behind her and tapping her on the shoulder with a mischievous grin.

Emma jumped, startled by the unexpected touch, and turned around to face Kaylee, her heart racing. "Oh my gosh, Kaylee! You scared me!" she exclaimed, her small hand pressed against her chest.

Kaylee laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

Emma laughed after recomposing herself from the scare. "Watch your back", she joked.

Kaylee smiled back. "So, what did you get up to this weekend?" she asked, linking her arm through Emma's as they walked down the hallway together.

Emma sighed, her expression turning somber. "Just a lot of homework," she admitted, a hint of stress creeping into her voice. "I have so much to do, and I feel like I'm drowning in assignments."

Kaylee frowned sympathetically, squeezing Emma's arm in reassurance. "That's because you want to be perfect. But you need to take a break once in a while, you know? Come on, there's a party tonight, you should totally come with me," she suggested, her tone light and playful.

Emma hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip as she considered Kaylee's invitation. "I don't know, you know arties aren't really my thing, and besides, my dad hasn't been feeling well lately. I should probably stay home with him," she replied, her brows furrowing with concern.

Kaylee nodded understandingly, her playful demeanor softening. "You look sad and tired, Em" she said.

Emma couldn't say anything but to agree. She was, in fact, tired and sad. Her father hadn't been feeling well for the past two months and she had taken her mom's place since she was the one who had to work hard.

Emma's eyes landed on a group of guys across the hallway and immediately noticed him. His curly hair catching the light as he laughed with his friends. He wore a cozy sweater, and his smile, as always, was infectious. Emma couldn't help but look at him from afar, her heart fluttering everytime he laughed. He seemed to effortlessly blend into any crowd, always with that radiant smile adorning his face. Emma could hear his laugh even from such a distance.

"Do you know who is also coming to the party?" Kaylee teased, nudging Emma playfully.

Emma felt her cheeks flush, realizing she had been caught staring. "Stop it, Kaylee," she murmured, trying to hide her embarrassment.

But Kaylee persisted, a sly grin spreading across her lips. "Dzhokhar is coming too."

"Why would i even care?" she retorically asked as she blushed harder.

"Cause you've got a thing for him. Why don't you go talk to him?"

Emma's heart raced at the suggestion, her mind swirling with a mix of nerves and excitement.  For months, she had harbored a silent crush on him, admiring him from afar but never daring to even say hi to him. He was always surrounded by friends or girls looking for his attention.

She looked at him again, his laughter mingling with the voices as he joked with his friends. 

Emma felt her stomach twirl when he suddenly looked in her direction, probably sensing someone was staring at him. Emma quickly looked away, the fear of getting caught making her heart beat fast against her ribcage. Approaching him felt like an insurmountable hurdle. She was too shy, too self-conscious to make the first move, and the thought of drawing attention to herself in front of him made her legs feel like jelly. So instead, she remained right where she was, contenting herself with stolen glances.