CHAPTER ONE
'i am in love'
summer is long. atleast for kids as young esmeralda was. before leaving paris, she expected to just do the same things she does whenever she's in manchester. do everything with shelly and if not, just stay put at home.
but right now, things are obviously not how it always was then. it was no longer just esmeralda and shelly. there's also owen.
owen who walks a little too fast so it makes it look like he's leading them but when he realizes, he immediately slows down until he's walking side by side with shelly who hugging an injured bird close to her chest.
her cousin dragged esmeralda to the park to play at the playground where they met up with owen who left his friends immediately upon seeing shelly.
they played for awhile until owen asked them, asked shelly, to walk around the park with him. that was when they encountered the injured bird the must've fallen down from its nest.
"what are going to do with it?" owen asks shelly who is looking down at the bird as she walked, owen immediately grabbing her arms softly so he could guide her to avoid any accidents.
"i don't really know. i'm going to ask dad." shelly answers and the boy nods with a proud smile.
esmeralda quietly observed but not really noticing how her stare lingered far longer on the arm owen was holding so gently than anything else she'd found interesting. maybe it's fortunate that both owen and shelly aren't as mature as her then to notice.
the day ended with her cousin and owen leaving for the vet with her uncle and esmeralda more quiet than usual and going straight to her room to think.
;
esmeralda isn't really sure. maybe she's far too young to be thinking about these things. but then she couldn’t help it. she's never really liked someone.
she's heard her classmates talk about it. saw how their smiles would widen and their cheeks would redden whenever the boy they liked would walk by or be mentioned. the older people say it's called puppy love when it in esmeralda's age. that it's just a crush and not the type that was serious.
she thought that she was crushing on owen. but seeing or thinking of him never made her smile or blush. but then why was she so bothered whenever she would treat shelly so special?
little esmeralda couldn't help but frown.
"are you okay?" shelly tugs at esmeralda's hand that she holding as she walks ahead.
they are going to go to the park. again. esmeralda has never walked outside this much in her life. she's always in a car or in their house, or in one of her mommy's tall buildings.
"yeah." she answers and shelly stares for awhile before nodding and looking back ahead. "do you have a crush on owen?" esmeralda couldn't stop herself from asking.
"i don't know. but i guess i don't." shelly shrugs. "but alot of girls in our school does. they all blush and smile at him and they think he's cool. i don't really see it." she adds snarkily.
esmeralda just nods even though shelly is looking ahead. blushing and smiling. could be just one of the two. liking owen really isn't possible when she's never experienced any of the two because of him.
"oh, he's here again." shelly sighs. "he's so much like a bully."
esmeralda looks at where shelly is looking, becoming a little breathless as she watched owen effortlessly dodge any of his friends' attempt at catching him while laughing at them.
it's such a small thing. maybe esmeralda was just thinking a little too hard about it. but then why...
"are you sick, emy? your face is all red." shelly frowns in worry, wiping the sweat off her forehead clumsily while fixing her hair. "must be because you were under the sun for too long when we were walking. let's stay home tomorrow." she adds but esmeralda was no longer listening.
she just continued to watch owen play with his friends, feeling her heart racing, heat on her neck and cheeks, and something weird and fluttery in her stomach.
little esmeralda likes owen.
;
she's fully realized her feelings now. because of that, she no longer stared at the boy as she always did when she wasn't aware. when she thought that she was just curious.
esmeralda could not even look at owen.
"i'm going back to my room." she tells shelly quietly who looks up at her in alarm.
"are you still feeling sick? we can just stay home until summer is over once you're okay." shelly says worriedly and esmeralda shakes her head in response.
"no, i just want to call home." esmeralda makes up an excuse and shelly buys it.
"oh! tell auntie estel that i said hi!" shelly smiles and esmeralda nods.
she couldn’t help but steal a look at owen, finding the boy already looking at her with a blank expression. she couldn’t do it sray anymore so she looks away and leaves the living room quickly to go to her room.
esmeralda couldn't help but frown to herself, growing irritated at the feeling of nervousness whenever the boy was around. her mother would always laugh at the little boys back in paris whenever they'd turn shy and clumsy around her. it made her amused as well.
now she's put in their shoes.
;
for some reason, she's outside without shelly. her aunt took her cousin with her and for some reason, she must have adapted to shelly's hobby of running around outside.
little esmeralda is sitting alone on a swing, her legs dangling down, her feet not reaching the ground.
"where's shelly?" owen suddenly appears and esmeralda averts her eyes, avoiding making eye contact.
"out with auntie." she answers him quietly.
she realizes that this is the first time she's alone with owen. he's usually only around whenever shelly is around. and that thought made esmeralda realize another thing.
"hey," with a burts of courage, she looks at the boys who was about to leave after getting an answer. "do you like shelly?" it was esmeralda's turn to ask.
and maybe, there's already an answer that she's is hoping to hear from the boy.
"i'm shelly's knight and she's my princess." owen turns back to esmeralda, puffing his chest up proudly. "when we grow up, i'm going to marry her and build her a big and pretty castle!" he grins boyishly and the other's eyes widen.
because maybe, that wasn't the answer she was hoping to hear.
"like shelly is ever going to like you back," esmeralda rolls her eyes, pushing the bad feelings away. "she always talks about a boy from korea she's never even met."
she hopes and hopes that it was enough for the boy to give up. for owen to lose his feelings.
"i bet i look better. i'm even getting better and better with my bike." owen just huffs and esmeralda grips on her dress. "i'm the one shelly is going to end up with. i'm her knight!"
"whatever." esmeralda mutters, getting off the swing with a hop. "bye-bye, wen." she gives him a little wave before walking away with a bad mood.
she's been in a bad mood for a few days now. what's up with england?
;
summer is over. esmeralda is now in the airport with her mother who arrived two days ago to pick her up. shelly’s already crying and owen who tagged along used that chance to get close to her and comfort her.
"how cute. puppy love." her mother smiles lovingly at the two and something feels like it hurts to esmeralda. "well, we have to go now. bye, mark. bye-bye, shelly and owen. thank you for taking care of my esme."
"esme? i thought her name was emy." owen, who never really asked for her name says and esmeralda feels even worse. feels insignificant.
estella crouches down while facing owen, gently pulling her closer as well. "this is my daughter and her name is esmeralda. a bit too late of an introduction, huh." estella smiles. "shelly and her dad calls her emy because it sounds cute and similar. but to me, she is esme. a very pretty nickname for a pretty girl, right?" her mother smiles at owen playfully.
"hm." owen nods, feeling like he shouldn't lie to estella. "pretty." he adds and esmeralda's eyes widen and her cheeks redden.
"why, thank you. she's my daughter after all." estella laughs and gets up. "well, bye-bye for now. you'll meef again next summer."
"bye, emy." shelly who has been crying to her father runs up to tackle esmeralda into a hug. "come back quickly, okay?"
"okay." esmeralda nods, her cheeks still red. "bye, shelly." she hugs bag, offering a small wave when they pull away from one another.
again, she avoids looking at the boy and continues to do so when she quickly turns to her mother.
"bye, esme." owen speaks up and esmeralda blushes harder.
no one, other than her mother, has ever called her esme. it was something special between her and her mom that it felt uncomfortable when she thinks of other people calling her by the name.
but if it was owen then maybe it could be different. an exception, maybe.
"bye." she whispers a reply, not making a move to look back.
estella quickly took notice and a smile appeared on her face. her daughter’s got a crush. now she feels bad for not noticing earlier, wishing she could take back what she said about owen and shelly.
but esmeralda's still a little girl. maybe the time she has before the next summer just makes her crush fadr away.
but there will always be the possibility that it won't. maybe it could also worsen.
ignoring that, esmeralda thinks that her bad mood has gone away. just in time for her to not leave with unpleasant feelings.
just like how her bad mood has always been because of owen, it was lifted up by him as well.
🌪️
author's corner
meet little esme!
the summer she met owen
and fell for him~