The Days I Fell For You

1

12th December 2012, was when I met Seth Liew.
We were 9 years old when we decided we would hate each other till the day our babies had babies and their babies had babies and we would ultimately die. Of course, we'd still hate each other in our after life, if it does exist. We'd probably haunt each other's grave. I never understood why we cared so much and why we wasted so much time hating each other. We just did, and we always will.

We didn't always hate each other. You know, honestly we could've been friends. If he didn't call me a wannabe spice girl when I had my hair done with purple pom poms in my hair. It took me hours to get it done. Or at least, to get my dad to do it right. He's a single dad taking care of two girls. He tries, thats all that matters.

I remember the exact moment where Cathy Stewart was giving her presentation about her trip to the Maldives when I felt his gross, slimy, sour patch covered hands reach for my perfectly pinned purple pom pom. I felt a chunk of my hair being tugged out and I turned immediately to see Seth Liew with a sour patch pack on one hand and my perfect purple pom pom with a chunk my wavy brown hair attached to it on the other.

I was furious to say the least, and I did what any other 9 year old spice girl would do. I attacked him like a grizzly bear. Not like a black bear. A grizzly bear. I don't kill, but I am very very much capable. I know my limits, unlike some people. Unlike Seth Liew. He has always teased me since the first day of first grade. I don't even know why I was always so nice to him. That purple pom pom, was the limit.

I got up from my assigned seat and turned and pushed him down to the white tiled floors in the middle of rows and rows of parents, classmates, and teachers. Even my neighbour Ms Lorraine was there. Well she's always there.

I started to slap him and pushing him down and before my fist could finish its swing, he caught my arm and turned me around. Now I was on the ground, and I stared at him for two seconds, the weirdest two seconds of my life, before I kicked him where it hurts. He fell back and started crying, and I started crying too. I was the victim here. I lost hair! And my purple pom pom. Why does he get to cry?

Ms Lorraine took me home and I made her promise not to tell my dad. He's a wonderful dad of course, but he never knew how to understand or how to deal with the highs and lows of being a 9 year old, he doesn't even know how to deal with me now!
Ms Lorraine always understood. She would never get angry and she was always on my side. She even told me i should've went straight for it right from the beginning! She was always like a mother to me. I never knew my mom but I never felt like a piece of me was missing, Ms Lorraine always filled that gap for me. She gave me all the love and support I needed.

Life would be so good if my dad and Ms Lorraine would just get it together and tie the knot already. They obviously like each other but my dad says he's always so busy, that's his excuse but I know he just misses my mom too much. Or maybe, he just feels guilty. From what I heard, my mom was never a really good person. Every person in the neighbour knew how heinous and mean she could be, and how harsh he was on my dad. I tried asking him about her, but he seems so numb that every time I do, he falls into this weird spiral and loses focus. So I just stopped trying.

———

Dad was asleep on the couch watching The Wheel of Fortune as usual, and it was way past my bed time. I took Mr Possum out to the front porch. I sat him down on the swings before I did, and we watched the street as we sat in silence. Mr Possum was never just a stuffed animal to me. Mr Possum was my best friend.

I hear rustling in the bushes.

"Who's there?" I whisper loudly, though it was a really bad whisper.

A small, scrawny little boy walks out of the bushes slowly with an unopened pack of sour patches in his hands. Seth Liew, of course. It just had to be him.

"What do you want Seth? Another chunk of my hair?"

"Hey Ellie. I brought some sour patches." I motioned for him to sit with me on the porch as I roll my eyes.

I place Mr Possum on my lap to give him space and he chuckles under his breath. I give him a glare and he stops immediately.

"I'm sorry for what happened. I even got my bike taken away." He says as he hands me a red sour patch.

"How did you know I only like the red ones?"

"Who doesn't? Also, I see you steal my candy during third period." I look down to my feet in embarrassment.

"I guess I'm sorry too. I still hate you though." I said firmly as I turn to look at him again.

"Hate you more Miles." He says as he walks away and leaves the sour patch on his side of the seat.

He didn't even say goodbye, he didn't even look back. Not like I cared or anything. Except I did, and I don't know why.