House Of Anubis: The College Experience.

Even If It Is Tragic.

The class clapped as two more pairs finished reading their poems to the class.

I sat nervously, next to Fabian, and waited for miss to call out our names.

"And our last pair is...Fabian and Nina." She smiled at us as we stood up and walked to the front of the class...

Fabian looked towards me and I smiled back and nodded, signalling that I was ready.

He smiled back and I started reading my poem about the brunette boy standing next to me:

"Who knew?
Who knew you'd be the one my heart fluttered for when you walked by?
Who knew you'd be the one to hold me hand across the beach or kiss me chastely?
Who knew you'd be the one to fight for me when I couldn't?
Who knew you'd be the one to break my heart?
Who knew.
But that's what they want to happen.
Isn't it?
Girls crave for that one guy to call her beautiful or to tell them 'I love you'.
Girls crave the feeling of being introduced as 'the girlfriend'.
Girls crave exactly what guys crave.
Lust. Love. Passion.
All of it.
But then suddenly, with a few words, everything can come crashing down- crashing into us.
Love is like glass. Once you 'accidentally' drop it, it's hard to fix...hard to put back together like it was before.
So, who knew?
Who knew you'd be the one to take everything I have and just...leave.
Who knew you'd be the one to show me your favourite songs that weren't about love?
Who knew you'd be the flightless bird to my American mouth?
Who knew that would end up being the song we'd be known for?
Who knew, after everything, you could not know. Didn't know. Could've known." I finished and looked up from the sheet of paper in my hands and saw faces full of shock, sadness and understanding.

I sucked in a shaky breathe before looking at Fabian. He was looking at the floor, a guilty expression on his face.

I shifted my eyes and looked towards my teacher. She was looking at me with happiness? in her face.

What?

"That was beautiful...very real, Nina. Fabian, you're turn?" She said

I saw Fabian's head snap up and he cleared his throat before muttering an apology to the teacher and started reading his poem...

"Love.
T-There is special kind of p-pain that come with love.
An u-unbearable pain.
A f-feeling of 'what if?'
What if one guy c-could ruin this?
W-What if one girl could r-ruin this?
W-What if I ruin this?
What then?
No more pain- but then t-that means no more l-love.
No more l-lifeguard tower kisses.
No more d-date nights.
N-No more family meets g-girlfriend.
All of it, g-gone.
There is also a feeling of a-awe that come with l-love.
Awe.
H-Happiness mixed with dread.
The happiness is k-knowing the girl you care about visits you a-after you do something stupid while i-intoxicated.
It's knowing t-that you can wake up one day and see her s-smiling back at you.
It's knowing y-you can kiss her, hold her, call her yours and h-have everybody know.
The dread. The d-dread is k-knowing that she had to visit you because of one guy. O-One mistake.
It's k-knowing that m-might be the last time you see her s-smiling at you.
It's knowing that e-every kiss, every touch...might be the last.
B-Because love is patient, love is kind...but it's also g-greedy and selfish.
Love. Pain. Awe. It's s-something we created to deal with society.
Falling in love is the worst.
B-Because the landing afterwards is what really h-hurts.
Y-You never fall out of love- you've just softly landed." Fabian finished

I continued to look down at the floor, I couldn't look up and see what everyone's faces said. I couldn't look up and see Fabian's face.

"That was truly inspiring, Mr. Rutter. I'm proud of you both." The teacher commented

The bell rang, signalling class was over, and everyone started leaving when the teacher told me to wait in her class and told Fabian to wait outside...

"Yes?" I frowned, adjusting the bag on my shoulder

"How are you, Nina?" She asked, leaning on her desk

"Good, I-I guess...." I answered, confused

"How's things been after you and Fabian? I heard your friends are turning against you?" She asked, arms folded across her chest

"Umm....y-yeah...wait- I mean no. Everything's fine. Me and Fabian are cool being friends and my other friends....that's another question" I sighed

"Tell me about it, come on. What's up?" She persuaded me

"Well, Jerome, Alfie and Eddie are no longer considered friends anymore. But me, Amber and Patricia are still strong." I smiled slightly

"Okay. Thank you, Nina." She nodded at me before smiling and I started to leave-

"-And I meant what I said...about your poem. It was really beautiful...I can see you really care for this boy....even if it is tragic." She flashed another smile at me before I left

I frowned to myself as I closed the door and saw Fabian leaning on the wall opposite me.

"You can go in now." I mumbled to him, avoiding eye contact

"O-Okay..." He muttered back before clearing his throat and standing up straight from where he was leaning on the wall

"Nina." He then said

I turned around from where I was just about to leave and looked him in the eyes.

I regret that decision.

"A-About you're poem....i-is that r-really how y-you felt....a-about us?" He asked

Oh no.