Lena's Light

📸 Helena (11)

I feel a little guilty. I know I hurt him, cause it's hurting me too. I can barely even be friends with him.
So what am I doing? Ignoring him as much as possible. Right now I'm sitting at lunch with Nora.
She sighs and starts to talk. "I can't believe you did that to him."
"I had to, you know that."
"You were so good together. He still looks at you like he used to. Like you're-"
"The most enchanting thing on Earth? I know. You don't know how many times I've heard that this week. Even from the other guys on the team."
"Speaking of guys on the team, here they come." I look over and sure enough, his two best buds, Trey and Leon are making their way over here.
"Of course they are."
They take seats on either side of me.    Trey talks first. "He's miserable, Helena."
Then Leon. "Seriously. He's not playing the same, giving coach attitude. It's truly sad."
I ask, "speaking of Darren, where is he? He never misses lunch. Not until this week."
Trey is the one to answer. "He's been spending lunch terrorizing the punching bag in the weight room." Yikes. "He told us to give you a message. He says he'll wait as long as he has to."
Leon pitches in with, "no matter if it takes ten years. His words. Welp, see ya ladies." And with that, they leave. Persistent guy, I see.
   
                               ✝️
   
     Every day from that point on, every time I open locker in the mornings, I find notes. They vary, but are all along the lines of "I'm not giving up". Today's note is lyrics from Taylor Swift's 'If This Was a Movie'. 
     Of course he'd choose a Taylor song. "Come back, come back, come back to me like You would, you would if this was a movie Stand in the rain outside 'til I came out".
     I was getting ready leave to go downtown, when I seen him. It's raining. He's soaked. I guess he took the song literally.
    I sigh and furrow my brows. "Darren, you're crazy! Get out of the rain before you catch a cold!"
     He just shakes his head and crosses his arms. "Nope. Not happening."
     I put on my own version of puppy dog eyes. "Please? I don't want you to get sick. Get in the car." I get into the drivers seat of my car and turn on the heat for him to dry off. He doesn't move. So I honk the horn.
     Finally he gets in the passenger seat. I turn to him and ask, "what the heck was that all about?"
     He takes a deep breath. "I love you. And it's driving me insane."
     "You're not Noah Calhoun, Dar. So quit with the act."
     "What act? There's no act. I'm just trying to prove to you how much I need you in my life." He has a pleading look to his eyes.
     "Let me ask you this."
     "Yeah, sure. Anything."
     "Have you told them? Have you tried to shine your light on them?"
     "Well...no, but-"
     "But nothing. Talk to me when you do."
     "You can't be serious."
     "I am. You knew that from the second I told you we were taking a break from each other." And so he gets out and goes to his own car.

                                 ✝️

     It's a major home game for the Cheetahs. They're going against the second best team in the state, the Barac High Beavers. I'm snapping photos when I see Darren acting strange.
     "This one's for you, Lena!" He says while pointing at me. Just go ahead and bury me in the ground ASAP. This better be good. He does a backflip while catching the ball in his stick. Oh my word. I should've expected something like this after that "standing in the rain" stunt he pulled a few days ago.
     "Darren! Stop. Back to the game!" He shrugs and winks. He's gonna kill me one of these days. I swear it.
     Immediately after the game is over, he runs up to me. His grin seems to be a mile wide. "We beat the second highest team in the state! Can you believe it?"
     I nod, smiling. "Of course I can. You boys are good at what you do.
      His smile drops. "Serious talk. You've been avoiding me like the plague. Why?"
     "If I don't, I'll break my own heart. That's why."
    
                  AUTHOR'S NOTE
Heyyy! This chapter was...interesting to write, to say the least. It'll get better, I promise, so don't come attacking me.