"Gajeel, I-"
"No."
"What?"
"I overheard your friends outside. They want you to ask me to take you to the dance. I'm going to have to decline on that offer. I'm sorry." He left the music room and closed the door on his way out. Twice. He left me alone twice. The first one was bad enough, but the second time really got to me. I couldn't take the pain and sobbed quietly.
Why does it hurt so much?
I heard the door open, but I didn't turn to see who it was. I was too busy crying all my feelings out. He declined my request and I felt so sad when he did.
A pair of arms enfolded me with a soothing hug. The voice shushed me, in an attempt to calm me down. I looked to see who was being so kind to me and saw Erza comforting me.
"Erza... He... Shut... Me... Down..." I said in between sobs. Erza hushed me again and offered me a tissue. I accepted it and wiped all my tears away.
"Don't cry, Levy. He doesn't deserve you. He's stupid if he thinks he can get away with this," Erza said.
"You heard everything. Didn't you?" She nodded at my question.
"I was wondering why you didn't come with us, so I followed you. I didn't mean to intrude or anything. I had good intentions. I didn't peek at you guys, but you were talking loud enough for me to hear. I really thought he was going to take you to the formal, but I was wrong. For that, I'm truly sorry. I wouldn't have forced you if I knew he wasn't going to take you." I made a doleful smile.
"Things would've been different if I went along with it," I said. Erza was confused.
"What do you mean?" I moved my body to face her and took a deep breath.
"Remember when we took the exam?"
[FLASHBACK]
"Levy, I need help," Gajeel said as he pulled out his textbook.
"No surprise there. I heard that everyone is taking a big science exam. It's worth 30% of your grade," I informed.
"30%? Why so big?" Gajeel asked in shock. I shrugged my shoulders.
"Don't ask me. I'm just a tutor. Although, I did hear that the test will be on a scantron, so it's highly likely that you're going to receive your test grade after you've taken you're exam."
"Please, Shrimp? I really need to pass this test. I'll let you confiscate my phone if I have to," Gajeel said as he bowed down before me.
"Alright! Alright! Just get up from the ground. You're embarrassing me." He embraced me with a hug thanked me. I felt my face heat up.
The exam wasn't coming until next week, so we had a lot of time to prepare and study. Gajeel looked really determined to pass the test and I obliged him for that.
After studying for quite some time, it was testing day. Everyone looked stressed out about it. Some even had black holes beneath their eyes. I wished Gajeel luck and went to my designated class. I only prayed that Gajeel did well on his test.
The bell rang and everybody lined up to see their test grade. As usual, I got an A, but I saw some other students with a grade of D's and F's. It shocked me to see the number of people who failed the exam.
I was dismissed from my classroom and I waited for Gajeel to come out and show me his grade. He came out of his class and his face held no emotion.
"So, what did you get?" I asked eagerly. He flipped his test and handed it to me, revealing a solid A. I cheered with joy.
"I passed, Shrimp!" I jumped up and enveloped him with a hug, but because of that, we landed on the floor with me right below his face. I tried to gently push him out of the way, but he was too strong. Instead of moving aside, Gajeel took a strand of my blue hair and placed it behind my ear. He leaned closer and I fluttered my eyes closed.
"Gajeel..." He took the chance and captured my lips with his. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. As I gasped for some air, Gajeel used the opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth. It was getting really intense, so I pulled away from the kiss and forcefully pushed him away. I was speechless.
"Are you ok, Le-"
"I'm fine... I just... I need to think." I looked away from him and covered my face with my hands. He looked at me and had an expression of regret.
"I should go..." Gajeel said as he left me on the ground. I wanted to reach out to him, but I couldn't find the right words to come out. What are you suppose to say after you kiss someone? So, I just watched him. For every step he took, I could feel as if our relationship was being drifted away. We haven't spoken a word to each other since...
[END OF FLASHBACK]
"So, that's what happened. After he kissed you, he left you. No wonder you guys were avoiding each other at the Christmas party. But, I don't understand how any of this was your fault," Erza said as she handed me a piece of her strawberry cake.
"I was the one who stopped it. A part of me really wanted to continue, but I was just scared. Taking a relationship to the next level? I thought it was absurd. I never thought about dating, until he kissed me. I always focused on my schoolwork."
"Was it nice?"
"What was?" Erza looked embarrassed. She played with her cake before proceeding.
"You know...the kiss?" I blushed when she asked that question. I tried to remember when he pressed his lips on mine. The feeling and the taste I was receiving from him. Just thinking of that made my face heat up.
"For my first time, I felt like I was in cloud nine. I kind of regretted that moment when I pushed him away, but I didn't know what else to do," I said honestly. Erza made a light chuckle.
"You're lucky. Jellal and I are dating and not once has he tried to kiss me. Maybe I should go in for the kill." We laughed together in unison and hugged.
"Thank you, Erza. For being a great friend and helping me."
"Levy, he may be your first kiss, but your first love has yet to come." She patted my back and we exited the school. What Erza said was only half correct. It's true that Gajeel was my first kiss. But, the second part was wrong. My first love did come, but I know it's never going to happen...
Why did I have to love you, Gajeel...?
~~~
Next Update: Saturday
CHECKLIST:
Did I include at least one GaLe moment for this chapter? [✔]️
Was this the saddest thing I've made in my entire life? [✔️]
Did I produce tears when I wrote this chapter? [✔]️
Did I include a best friend that would be there for Levy no matter what? [✔️]
Will GaLe ever happen? [ ]
Will Mira kill me right about now when she sees the empty check box on the previous question? [✔️]
~TheKonfusingKK
Chapter Thirty-Four: Why Does It Hurt So Much?
Start from the beginning
