TO THE STARS

Chapter 24

Day 50

"I know I shouldn't, but I like you, I really do. "

     My eyes flustered open. It was pretty dark outside and the air glowed with the scent emitting from the orange tree few meters away. I unwittingly had my lips pulled to a small smile. The dream brought a strangely comforting warmth to my chest, just like the nights before. Following its usual course, it ended the same way as always; him telling me how he felt towards me.

     The day he said it replayed in my head, making me a tad bit sad that I couldn't return back the feelings. It wasn't that I felt otherwise. No. I mean I knew I liked him; very much so. The beat of my heart accelerates whenever he was around or simply when I thought about him, but that wasn't the problem, my mind was. It was stubborn; too guarded to let anyone in. He didn't expect me to say it back, he only wanted me to know how he felt, he had said.

     My smile grew wider as I recalled what occurred yesterday during our cross bonding session. I couldn't remember the last time I laughed so hard.

~•~

"You all know what to do by now. Sit by your respectable partner. Today we're going to be talking about our moments." Mr. Julian gave a pause, glancing around the group. "Your most embarrassing ones, the ones you wish to never forgot, your funniest ones, your scariest ones, your all and all. Everything you could possibly remember, till the time is up."

     Aidan and I were already sitting side by side, so there wasn't any need to move. "Ladies first." He had a smirk on his face and his hair was flowing softly with the movement of the timid breeze. He looked...nice.

"Ok, your most embarrassing moment?" I blurted out the first question that came to mind.

     He scoffed. "I knew you would start with that."

The comment made the butterflies in my stomach flutter. He was indirectly implying that he knew me, the real me.

"Let me think." He placed his hand under his chin and suddenly laughed out softly, as if remembering an inside joke. "So, my parents were hosting a function at our house and my siblings and I were strictly instructed to be on our best behaviour. I had all intention on sticking to the instruction, but I've always been a magnet for trouble, not intentionally of course." He smirked.

He flicked a stray strand of hair away from his forehead. "What happened next was truly an accident," he let out a refreshing laugh, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I promise."

    He continued. "The next thing I know, the DJ started playing my song. Back then, I didn't like to dance in front of person, because I sucked at it. I went to the back of the podium, concealed by a curtain and busted some killer moves. I was so in my element that I didn't notice when I somehow made it on the podium, in front of everyone and that wasn't the worst part. Oh no."

     He was full blown laughing, I was smiling widely, waiting to hear what would happen next.

"Well?"

"As I was dancing, I... I bumped into the music control table—you know, the ones DJs always have set up—and the moment it hit the floor, a loud crashing sound echoed across the whole hall."

"No way!" I busted out laughing and so did he.

     He was still laughing. "Everyone was staring at me, I felt like wetting my pant and my father was drilling holes at my head with his eyes. It was so embarrassing."

     We fall into a laughing fit and settled down, only to begin again.

     He took a deep breath. "Ok, your turn."