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Dear Diary,
It came! Now it's gone. And no I didn't screw up. At least I don't think I did. The wrist band seems pretty lame next to what he gave me. But I really think it's just because girls are really easy to please. To be honest I think I'd have taken anything as long as it came from him, as my Valentine. Even a rock would suffice...okay...not really. But I just like the idea that it comes from his heart.
I woke up unusually early this morning. It was definitely the anxiety even if I tried to deny it earlier. It should have subsided as soon as I got ready for school but it didn't. I was a nervous wreck when I got to school wearing the wrist band I made for Lemuel. Possible scenarios of how I'd give him the band kept popping up in my head everytime my brain had the slightest chance to wander. I also thought about what he'd give me but I couldn't imagine what it was. What could come from macho superhuman Lemuel. It didn't help that everyone was getting their gifts in my class. Some came to school to find surprise presents in their lockers. The school was filled with squeals of delight from girls. The gifts ranged from chocolate to heart-shaped cookies to perfume to long letters and poems of love. The girls seemed to be getting every possible thing but, I noticed, there weren't any boys overjoyed from getting surprises and presents. Was I the only one who thought about getting a boy something? Was it tradition for girls to only be the ones to get gifts? Or boys just didn't react to them the way girls did. I started to imagine Lemuel receiving my gift with a straight face without so much as a thank you and my heart sunk. I hadn't even thought to wrap it. I just wore it on my wrist. How would you wrap a wrist band though? I decided I'd just shove it in the envelope of the card I got him. Yes. I got him a card. One of those ones that light up and play music too when you open them. For some reason, this card beckoned to me. It plays really beautiful music that I recognise somewhere but I still haven't placed my finger on it.
I put the band in the envelope just before break thinking I'd make my usual get away to the music room and give it to him there. I hadn't seen him all day and I awaited break although very impatiently. All my classes passed with a blur yet, at the same time, they seemed so long.
At last the bell rang for break and I got up to run out of the class that's when I heard it. Music. My class was on the upper floor and led to a verandah. That's where the music was coming from. I dashed there but saw no one, still the music continued. It was the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack but there was no singing, just the strumming of a guitar. I looked down and I saw Lemuel. He was strumming the guitar but looking up at me. I was torn between singing and just jumping down and hugging him. I had a feeling it was part of my Valentine's day gifts but I also wondered why that song - I admit it's a love song but it was very unusual. I just watched intently and by then, a small crowd had started forming around him. I could see Jenny pushing her way through the crowd to the front and I saw fury cross her features when she followed the direction of Lemuel's gaze and saw he was also looking up and I was the only one upstairs. It reminded me of that scene from Romeo and Juliet but this time he was a serenader and instead of a family feud, there was a jealous bitch to keep us apart.
Lemuel ended his serenading with finesse, gave me a small smile and without looking back, he pushed his way through the crowd to the building that housed the labs. I tried running after him so I could give him his present but by the time I got to the music room the door was locked. I was certain he hadn't left because I didn't see him on my way up which could only mean he had locked himself in. I rapped on the door. No response. Desperately, I called his name a few times hoping he'd recognise my voice and open up but still no answer. Feeling defeated, I retreated to my class and went through the remaining three periods of the day. Throughout all this time, I was hoping I'd see him again or else that would be the end. There was no way I'd see him if school ended; or so I thought.
The bell rang signalling the end of the school day and I hadn't given Lemuel his gift yet. Maybe the song was my gift and I really wasn't supposed to get him anything. In melancholy, I packed my school bag and proceeded to leave the class. As usual, I was the last to leave the class; my classmates usually packed their bags way before the bell rang and so they were on their feet at the first sound. I dragged my feet lazily out of the class and down the stairs. For some reason, I had the envelope in my hand. I just refused to put it in my bag. I walked out the school gate and that's when I saw him. It was almost unbelievable. At first, I thought I wasn't seeing well because I'm short sighted and wasn't wearing glasses. I thought I was only seeing what I wanted to see but I was sure when he started walking towards me and I saw something in his hand wrapped in red wrapping paper that had pink hearts and white flowers on it. I looked around and I became aware of the fact that his classmates were there too - male and female - probably the entire population. They were all standing there staring at my direction but it was hard to tell if they were watching me or him.
"Hi." He mouthed, his face expressionless. "Hi." I whispered back and I realised that that was practically the first thing I said all day. I hadn't really said anything to anyone in my class. I was too tense during the first parts of the day and too gloomy later on. "You sure took your sweet time coming out. Saved me the jitters of doing it in front of your classmates." He said as he stopped right in front of me. "I'm guessing, this..." he said, pulling the envelope from my hand. "...is for me." "Oh. Yeah. Yeah it's yours." I said as realisation hit me. "Huh. No designation." He said, closely examining the blank white envelope. I could swear there was a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Well, you're my only Valentine. So..." I tried to explain before he cut me off. "I guess I should just be grateful you got me som'in. No boy in my class got anything." He ended in amused tone. So I was right. The boys did all the giving - but I'm glad I got him something - because he was definitely amused to have received it, no matter how small. "And this..." He pushed the wrapped gift in my hands. "...is yours." He finished. It felt like plastic under the paper. It took every ounce of restraint to keep myself from tearing open the gift there and then. "Thank you." I finally managed to whisper after staring at the wrapped gift for a long while. "First one to say thank you too. You really are an enigma Ruby." He said smirking. Was I really the only one who said thanks? I doubt it. The girls in his class are just so stuck up. "Oh wait, this is also for you." I said after I remembered the wrist band. I rolled up my sleeve, removed the band from my hand and handed it to him. I saw a weird expression cross his face although I couldn't figure out what it was. "Well...uhm...my mom's gonna get worried if I don't get home soon. So..." I awkwardly said, breaking the silence. "You have to go. I get it. My sister, friends, and other social climbers are gonna stay here a little longer." He explained. "Alright." I turned on my heel and made to leave but I felt a tug on my arm and next thing I knew, I was in a warm - very warm - embrace. The world slowed and a feeling of oblivion fell over me. Good kind of oblivion if there's such; like the world could fade away and I wouldn't notice. Like nothing else mattered. "No goodbye hug let alone a goodbye. You never learn do you? And you're smarter than that. I know that." He whispered in my ear after what felt like a very short eternity in his embrace. He broke away from the hug and I felt empty. It felt like a piece of me was ripped from me. Detached. It hurt; but not the physical type of hurt. I whimpered and I'm certain he heard it too. "Goodbye Ruby." He said and turned, walking toward his friends. I glimpsed his female classmates looking at me scornfully but I didn't care. Lemuel just hugged me. In front of them. Me. Not them. So their looks didn't matter.
I got home and couldn't focus on anything but the present I had stuffed in my bag earlier on. I ran inside, locked myself in my room and brought the gift out of bag. I ripped the wrapping paper off and there it was. It was a petite beautiful white teddy holding a red heart in the middle on which 'To My Love' was engraved in beautiful white cursive writing. I tried opening the plastic casing to bring out the bear but a small card fell off the top.
' TO MY LOVE.
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY.
From: Lemuel.'
I felt a teardrop roll down my cheek.
Now here I am. Absolutely overwhelmed. Clutching the little bear - that smells like him by the way - and feeling like it belongs right next to my heart. Now I'm going to fall asleep every night holding it.
Goodnight diary.
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
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