Are We In Love? | (Re-writing)

7. Take Care

Vanessa

The day at school went by in a blur. I stepped outside the school building with Candice by my side, scrolling through her phone. I stretched my muscles a little, getting rid of any sign of exhaustion.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Candice asked, looking elsewhere, waving at someone in the crowd.

"It's alright, I can do this..." That's what I've been telling myself ever since I told Caleb that I'd be meeting his mother. I wished to meet her in a better circumstance.

"If you say so..." She looked past me and said, "...he is here" I turned around and saw Caleb walking towards us with Noah Davis, his best friend.

Noah Davis was the captain of the soccer team of our school. He was every girl's dream, with those soft curls, long eyelashes and that boyish charm that would be enough to make girls swoon. And every time that flirtatious smile graced his lips, he earned a smack from Candice. He was the type of guy who came across as too friendly and energetic, just like Candice, who always seemed to be dancing on cloud nine. I guess everyone has that one best friend.

Candice was the first one to speak when they approached us, "Heya! What's up?" She sounded cheerful, whereas Caleb just responded with a simple 'hey', and Noah met with her enthusiasm.

After chit-chatting for a while in the car's parking area, Noah left because he had a date to go to, whereas Candice left as her Mom called to ask her for help at the garden she maintains, leaving both Caleb and me alone.

"Let's go" I nodded and both of us got into his car quietly.

The ride back to his home was silent, he didn't say a word and neither did I. But I wanted to say something, anything that could ease the pain. That can make this sudden awkwardness vanish. But I couldn't bring myself to say anything.

I sighed, "Caleb, say something".

"What do you want me to say? There is nothing left for me to say anymore," He muttered, looking ahead.

"Don't be so cynical, Caleb," I found myself holding back. I don't know what else to say anymore.

The quietness took over our surroundings again.

And by the time we reached the door of his house, the silence became unbearable.

He didn't say anything. Instead, he opened the door and gestured for me to come in. He gently closed the door behind us and went upstairs without saying anything. I slowly walked into the living room and sat on the couch, waiting for Caleb to come down.

It was quiet. I couldn't help but think about our memories together here. I used to spend most of my weekends here with Caleb. We used to watch movies together. We used to watch many sunsets by the hillside. My favourite memory was when he used to read books to me. He used to make sarcastic remarks in between, making me laugh. Those were the days I miss dearly.

We were so close back then, I wonder what happened? It was not like before, the way we used to spend time together and visit the beach house during summer vacation, and those lovely family gatherings were such a delight. Things changed two years ago, we drifted away when he started to date-

Never mind, it was in the past.

The beauty of our bond didn't fade away even after that. It was still there, buried somewhere, it just needed a little push to come out and breathe in the fresh air. It did come out months later, and we met once again, but the feelings, my feelings were suppressed under the pressure of losing a friend.