The Wallflower Game

Chapter Twenty-seven

A few hours later, Emily was sprawled on her bed. She could’ve said it! Right there and then, she could have just told him, and saved herself all this headache. She wasn’t sure why she was so irritated by the fact that she still hadn’t told him how she felt, or why she felt this pressing need to say it. 

She groaned. What if he was just waiting for her to say those three little words? What if his patience was running out? What if she never found the courage to tell him? Or what if she didn’t tell him how she felt and then he gave up on her and chose to date Katy instead?

Emily mentally slapped herself for all those foolish thoughts. Clearly she was over-thinking the whole issue. What was so important about saying something that was already shown through actions? Wouldn’t it just be stating the obvious? 

Emily groaned again. She might as well just text him “I love you” and then rid herself of this silly frustration. 

Eventually, she fell asleep to the hypnotic rhythm of the raindrops hitting against her windowpane, imagining that they were the sound of pebbles being thrown against her window pane by the boy she loved. 

The next day, Emily woke up with a strange determination. She had to just say it before she went insane just thinking about saying it. The morning sun was shining down on her and, while there were no birds chirping in her backyard, she could hear the song on her neighbour’s radio drifting into her room. It was a soft and classy tune. 

She sprang out of bed and got to work. She washed up, ate her breakfast, brushed her teeth, picked out a pretty shirt and pulled on a pair of jeans. She combed her hair and tied it up into a neat ponytail. Looking at herself in the mirror, she told herself that she was confident, then left the house quietly. 

She marched over to Keith’s house and texted him to come downstairs, not wanting to wake Kimberly up with the doorbell. She waited for about five minutes before Keith replied and about one minute more till Keith came down. He was in what Emily guessed were his pajamas, just the simple shirt and khakis. He still had bed hair. Emily took a deep breath, strengthening her resolve. 

“Good morning.” Keith grinned, looking refreshed and well rested. He was obviously in a good mood. 

“I love you,” Emily blurted out before she could change her mind. 

Keith’s smile faded and he stared at her for the longest time, a slight frown on his face. Emily maintained eye contact, convincing herself that she was brave enough. He continued looking at her straight in the eye. After a while, Emily looked away, looking at everywhere else except Keith. She felt her cheeks and ears burn as the silence stretched on.

Then, very slowly, his grin widened and he laughed, his broad shoulders shaking.

“Emily!” He exclaimed, and Emily looked up at him reluctantly. Keith pulled her into a bear hug. “Emily,” he said again, still laughing. “Oh, Emily.” 

Emily hugged him back, unsure of what his response meant exactly, but knowing that he was happy. She smiled and squeezed him tighter. Hugging him always made her feel happy. 

After a while, he pulled back just to look at her face. Keith had this look of utter happiness on his face and he couldn’t stop smiling. 

“Emily,” he said yet again, softer this time. 

“Keith,” Emily giggled as she said his name back at him. 

Keith reached up to tuck her fringe behind her ear. 

“I know, Emily. I already knew,” Keith murmured, bringing her head to rest on his shoulder as he hugged her again. 

Emily nodded. “I know you know,” she said, her voice muffled. 

“I love you, too,” Keith whispered into her ear and she felt it all over. “I love you,” Keith said over and over again. Emily inhaled his sleepy scent and let herself float in the trance of bliss. 

At that moment of time, she felt as though it was all a beautiful dream that she would never wake up from. That this fantasy had been woven into reality and that it was real. It was happening, Keith was tangible, she wasn’t dreaming, it was real. Emily remembered how they first met, when she first noticed him anyway, since he had known her long before. She couldn’t have imagined where they were today. Her mind replayed scenes of them together, all out of order. 

She recalled how he threw rocks at her window, how he pressed to know what actually happened, how they stopped by the ice cream store and he had guessed her favourite flavour correctly, how they had studied together, how she had babysat Kim, how they had dinner with his family and he had said she was beautiful. Her mind was flooded with all these snapshots of them...and it all boiled down to this single feeling she had when he held her in his arms. Love. 

Keith pulled back and smiled at her, his blue eyes clear as the sky and burning with the same emotion she felt inside. He planted a soft kiss on her smiling lips. Then he waited till Emily turned to leave before heading back to the house, fully energised to face the rest of the day. She had finally told him what she had been feeling. Words don’t mean much sometimes, but for situations like these, it still felt awesome hearing the words. He watched her as the wind blew her hair and she turned to look up at the sky, feeling his heart swell with love for her. 

Taking one slow step at a time, Emily headed home. She put her hands in her pockets and what Keith said before she left replayed in her head. 

“It’s just the start,” he had whispered. “It’ll only get better.” 

Emily found it almost funny how this journey had only led them to the prelude. It was as though all they had gone through was just a prologue and that there was so much more: that it was a small part of a longer, greater story. It would get harder down the road: maybe they would break up, maybe they would stay together forever, she couldn’t know. For now she could only put all she had into their love, having full faith that Keith would do the same. She closed her eyes and let the warm sun shine down on her. 

Some distance away, Katy quickly turned to walk back home, not wanting Emily to catch up with her. She had heard Emily leave the house and thus had followed her, curious as to where she was going so early in the morning. Emily usually didn’t leave the house until noon, unless it was a school day. True love, she mused, as she always did, true love, it changes people. She looked to the blue, blue sky and the white, fluffy clouds. 

She smiled. It was a good day to tell somebody how much you loved them, she thought.