Woven Desires [Completed]

Almost There

Mum stroke my cheek then gave me a warm hug.

"You don't have to be afraid," she said. "Even if you fall, there are so many people that will be there to catch you."

She was right about everything. Her words chased away the panic and uncertainty I had just minutes ago. 

"Thank you," I hugged her back already looking forward to seeing Orson the next day. 

She didn't say anything. That was the signal. Tiffany didn't say a word after I told her about my feelings. Yet there I was happily going in for a kiss like a dummy. When I woke up on  this awful Tuesday morning, I hoped it was all a dream. There was no way that highly embarrassing moment actually happened. But my sweaty palms and the outstanding speed of my pulse when I saw her as I entered the building, proved to me that something had happened the day before. 

I immediately adverted my eyes from her and rushed to class. It was all real. I thought I read the atmosphere correctly but I was mistaken. There is no one on this earth that doesn't fear rejection from the person they care for. It's a feeling that scrapes your heart. 

"If you sigh one more time," Quincey said, "I'm going to pull out your lungs."

"Really?" I took a step back wondering if that was even possible. 

"Try me."

"Yeah, I'd rather not."

We had a little break in the morning between classes so Quincey and I met up as our classes were right next to each other. He had his back leaned on the wall behind him, as I stood in front of him but looked to my right. I knew Tiffany was close. We were on the same floor this morning, not too far away from each other. If I took a couple of steps forward to my right, then turned to my left I would have been in the corridor where her class was. Our other classmates were around, I heard side talks and laughs all mixed up, but I tried to listen attentively to the noise from her corridor believing I could be lucky enough to hear a bit of her voice. 

"What's the matter?" Quincey asked. "Something bothering you?"

"Hmm, yeah," I wanted to take off what was on my chest, "it's Tiffany. I don't know what to do."

"What happened?"

"Well, yesterday we were alone at the bus stop and I-"

My instincts made me swallow my words. The same way your brain knows not to jump off a cliff, or stand in front of a train, because it's instant death, I knew not to tell Quincey that I had tried to kiss Tiffany.

"Yesterday you?" He urged me to continue now curious as to what I wanted to say. 

"I... had a little talk with Tiffany."

"Yeah?"

"Told her I like her."

"Uh-huh."

"That's it. She blew me off."

"Really?" He lifted a brow. "That's strange."

"Why? You know something? Did she say anything about me?" I was desperate for any kind of information.

"Well, not explicitly," Quincey scratched his forehead. "But there's no need, it's quite clear."

"I thought so too."

"You have nothing to worry about concerning Tiff. Maybe she just wants to take things slow. It's all new to her you know."

Oh. It hit me. That's right. 

The explanation Quincey gave made sense. I wasn't the problem, it was my approach that was wrong. 

"Why didn't I think of that?" I said. "I was only thinking about myself. I probably messed up everything when I leaned in to kiss her. I can't believe I- I mean...," my mind confirmed to me what my mouth just confessed and I froze. "I didn't... do anything..."