Love Alarm [Based On A True Story]

Young Devils

Seven months later:

"Dear Diary," I wrote the words on my journal with a little smile etched to my lips, a slight tint appearing on my cheeks. "For the first time in my life, I have a crush on a boy. A boy named Stefen. And the alarm rang! It rang in my heart! Isn't that proof enough that I'm in love! Oh! He is just so handsome! I could literally melt!"

Like a fool in love, I giggled to myself, away from the prying ears of my siblings.

That was months ago, when the concept of love was entirely new to me and my feelings for Stefen were fresh like wet grass on a winter morning. But now, now that time has passed and I'm familiar with the constant ringing in my heart for a certain blonde boy, when I learnt a great lesson from my traitor friends, when I found another new bunch of girls to call friends, this entry in my journal suddenly feels...childish.

"Dear Diary," I wrote yet again, this time my face void of any smile but the continues ringing giving a certain hope to my heart. "I'm still in love with Stefen and his blonde locks. With his silver eyes and little freckles, with his honey laced laughter and the realistic drawings he makes. I'm in love with him, and my ringing heart is the proof of it."

And as I write it all down, a smile finds its way back to my lips, but not a giddy one. If anything, it feels...sad with hope.

"But you see, the alarm had rung. But it hadn't blared. Not even once."

The movement of the pen came to a stop as I stared straight at the words, but my mind elsewhere. Recalling all the recent events that took place.

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Six months ago:

One month after Nat and her goons betrayed me, and one month of getting new friends, preparations for our second semester exams were starting, although we had another month left.

After that day, Claire and I became thick as thieves, talking about anything and everything. We did everything together, shared everything together, until it became so obvious that the whole class knew about us. We became the signature best friend material in front of everyone's eyes, and that also included Nat and her goons.

But soon, I would find out that Claire wasn't the only person interested to be my friend. Before I knew it, Sandy was our friend too, mostly Claire's but because Claire and I were always together, Sandy became a friend of mine too. And then shortly after, so did Sofie and Meave.

The five of us became a gang of our own, going by the name of Young Devils, very much to Nat and her goons disappointed. Soon we were the infamous gang with the tallest girls of the class, save for Meave, who was a head shorter than the four of us.

Now you might be wondering why the description was so long and how was it related to what I wrote in my journal seven months from now. Well, let's just say, the story of my first friendship, first betrayal, first thrill and lastly, first love, might just be coming to an end.

And is it a happy ending you ask? Let's see.

Second semester exams came to an end in a roller coaster ride, with me trusting Nat once again and ditching my friends and befriending Nat and her goons yet again. We became the infamous Young Devils, courtesy to me and my carelessness in not informing my previous friends.

I don't know what demon possessed me to believe Nat and her goons wanted to be friends with me again, but in time I think I realized it again that they wanted to have nothing to do with me, they just...wanted the title.

Once again, I left.

Funny. I was changing friends like you change socks.

I was thankful to Claire and the others for even forgiving me and once again, we were the Young Devils, and Nat and her goons decided to create something of their own. I believe they called themselves...the Rocking Crystals.

Claire and Patrick finally expressed their love for each other, and by the time we were nearing the final semester exams, they were both already in a romantic relationship. Sandy liked a guy way higher in class than us, someone from...eleventh grade. I know, don't get me started. I already know what the age gap was, please don't get me started.

And I don't even have to mention that things never worked out, obviously.

Meave was obsessed with this rising singer that she just saw in a survival show, and every time we asked her if she had a crush on anyone, she would say it was him. Typical of Meave, that's why I liked her.

Sofie on the other hand, was confusing. She told us she liked Chad, a boy of our class but it was hard for us to believe she was being serious because...well...Chad was, way too shorter than her. Like really very short.

Sometimes teachers mistook him for being a student of year 3 because of how small he looked. So, to believe a tall beauty like Sofie liked Chad, you can't really blame us for not believing her.

As for me, I was...conflicted.

Stefen no longer stared at me. At all.

I don't know where things went wrong, or where he had stopped staring, but at one point I realized I was the one doing the staring instead of him. I was the one lovingly gazing at him instead of what others believed it to be.

Claire's words rang in my head, about Stefen liking me for sure. Now that I thought about it, I realized just how childish her words seemed. Because at the end of the day, what did Claire even know? She was a child like me too. Not a love expert. She was merely assuming too. Everyone was. No one knew anything for sure.

By now every girl in the class knew about my crush on Stefen, but they all swore not to tell him, and I trusted them on it. So, when the change in Stefen's behaviour became evident, it took all of us by surprise. Maybe they all thought he had a thing for me. Yeah. Maybe. But whatever it is, it's already too late.

I was madly in love with Stefen already. The damage was already done. Now it was a matter of luck. If Stefen really liked me or not.

I should have known better.

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