I know this may sound cliché but maybe it was supposed to be cliché. The day I met Lena was a rainy day. I was walking home from ballet class when it started to storm. I ran into a small cafe to protect myself from the rain. When I was inside I looked around and saw that there were only three small tables and lots of books. At one of the tables sat a girl with blonde hair. She looked up and smiled. Then she waved her hand signing I had to come to her.
I walk over to her. "Sit down," she said. "Are you cold? Need my towel to dry yourself? Do you want something to drink?"
A bit overwhelmed I said, "Hot chocolate is fine."
"Alright!" she said. She put down the book she was reading and ran to the bar which I hadn't noticed yet. "Two hot chocolate with whipped cream please."I hear her say. I turn around and saw her talking to an old woman who I assume must be the owner.
I sat down at the table and looked at the book she was reading. She was reading Little Women. I guess she is a literary fan.
The blonde girl came back with two big mugs with hot chocolate and whipped cream.
She sat down as she gave on of the mugs to me. "I think I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Lena. My dad got a job here and we moved to here with him."
"I am Nora."
"Nice to meet you Nora. Do you do ballet?" Lena nods at my pink ballet costume.
"Yeah. I just came from ballet class when it started to rain."
"Cool! I used to do ballet too until my dad got this new job where he has to move all across the world. Since then I find it useless to apply and quit after a few months."
"Oh." is all I say.
We both take a sip of our hot chocolate causing Lena to laugh.
"Where have you lived before you moved here?" I ask.
"London. And before that in Tokyo, Hong Kong, New York, somewhere in Switserland and many other places. I have seen a lot but never really had time to make friends."
"You can make one now."
Lena smiles. It is a very beautiful smile. Her eyes smile too when she smiles.
"Thanks Nora." she whispers.
We talked for a long time until the old woman told us she was closing the cafe. Lena and I exchanged numbers and we chatted all evening after we both went our own ways.
I convinced her to join my ballet club and within a few days we became best friends and inseparable. Slowly autumn turned in to winter. And not much later snow started to fall.
On the first snowy day of the winter, Lena and I were walking from ballet class to her house. The first snowflake I saw fell on Lena's nose.
"Oh my god!" Lena shrieked. "It is snowing! I haven't seen snow for a few years now."
She looked up and saw many snowflakes were following and jumped around. I laughed because of her. Watching her being weird made me realise I really liked her.
It started snowing harder and we made our way to Lena's house. There her dad made us hot chocolate with whipped cream while we heard on the news that a snowstorm was approaching Stockholm.
"Maybe you should stay here for the night, Nora?" Lena's dad suggested.
"I will give my mum a call."
And that is how I ended up in Lena's bedroom for the night sharing secrets and embarassing moments in our lifes.
"Do you have a crush right now?" Lena asks.
Lena lays down on her belly on her bed and I lied on my back with my arms under my head on my matress on the ground.
"Uhm, not know I think."
"Have you ever had a crush before?"
"I think so."
"You think so? You are not sure?"
"Actually not. How does a crush feel like?"
Lena thinks about it. "You feel happy when you see that person and even happier when you are around them. You can't stop thinking about hem nor wait to see them again."
"I see."
"So you never had a crush?"
"No I don't think so."
I did tell the truth. I never had a crush. But I had a crush right now and my crush was Lena. I have thought about being gay a lot because I never had a crush on a boy. I didn't mind being gay actually but still how was I going to tell anyone especially not Lena.
Soon it was Christmas Eve and Lena's parents invited me and my family over to have dinner together. We had the best time together. After dinner Lena asked me if I wanted to go with her outside. She gave me a gift but said I wasn't allowed to open it until I was home. I apologised I didn't have anything for her. She said it was okay.
When I was home I opened the gift. She bought me a silver necklace with a rose pendant. I wore it everyday. We celebrated New Year's Eve together. And after that we had to focus on ballet class. We were preparing for our yearly performance. This year we did Cinderella. Though we were just guests in the ball we were happy doing so.
Due to our busy ballet schedule we didn't hang out that much. And before we knew it it was spring. The performance was coming closer. While practising I noticed Lena kept on staring out of the window. After practising I asked why she looked out of the window.
"I was looking at the cherry blossoms," she confesses.
I look out of the window too and see blossoms falling from trees and floating in the air because of the wind.
"It looks like snow," I say.
"It does. It remembers me from when I lived in Tokyo."
"Ah."
Lena looks at me. "You want to sleep over at my house tonight?"
So we did. My feelings for Lena started to grow more and more after our sleepover in December.
I really wanted to tell Lena how I felt about her. The only thing was that I was too scared. Or the moments weren't right. At that night's sleepover I almost told her.
I almost told her because she started the topic LGBT. She told me she sometimes liked girls because they were very pretty but she didn't know it that meant that she was gay.
"Can you imagine yourself in a relationship with a girl?" I asked her.
She thought about it. "Yes, I can."
"Does it feel uncomfortable?"
"No actually not really. But I still like guys."
"Maybe you're bisexual."
"That is that you like both girls and boys right?" Lena asks.
"Yup. I am bisexual." I say softly.
"Really? What did you never tell me?"
"Because I wasn't sure until a few weeks ago."
"Ohw. But still! Were you struggling? You could talk about it to me." Lena pulls me into a hug.
"It is okay Lena," and I hug her back.
"Is there anyone you like? Like a girl?"
I opened my mouth to say yes you but I closed my mouth again. "No."
No. I said no. I could have said yes. But no I didn't.
"You will find someone. I am sure!"
After the sleepover Lena tried to find some cute girl for me to date but I rejected them all. Our ballet performance came too soon and we trained a lot. Around the same time Lena seemed to start avoiding me.
At first I didn't notice because we were so busy but when the performance had ended and we had no ballet classes for this year until the new season started Lena always had to do something when I wanted to hang out.
One day I received a text of Lena. I had just waken up and saw she sent me this an hour before.
Hi Nora. My best friend Nora.
I don't know how to tell you this and I wish I didn't need to tell you but did you remember me telling that my dad has to move a lot for his work. I thought since we had lived her for almost a year now we didn't have to move anymore but we are moving again. We are moving to Stockholm this time and it is so far from Paris. I hope we can keep on talking. I am really sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I just couldn't.
Love you very much!
X Lena
It took me too long to realise what she said. Lena is moving. Moving away from me and I never had the chance to tell her how I feel.
I immediately jumped out of bed and got dressed. I ran down the stairs and heard my mum saying where I was going but I didn't answer. I ran as fast as I could to Lena's house and I hoped she would still be there.
When I arrive in her street I see her parents putting the last boxes in their car. With my last energy left I run to them.
Lena walks out the door. Her eyes grow big when she sees me. "Nora?"
"Lena. Lena there is one thing I want to tell you before you leave."
"What is it?"
"I like you. No. I love you. I have been in love with you for a very long time and I don't care if you don't like me back but you are also my best friend and I couldn't leave you without saying it," I say in one breath.
Lena doesn't say anything. She takes a deep breath and I am scared what she is going to say. But instead of saying anything Lena puts her lips on mine and kisses me. I am surprised but I kiss her back.
We hear a cough behind us and it is Lena's dad. "I am sorry," he says, "go on." He tries to hold his coughing.
"I am so sorry Nora." Lena is now crying. Seeing her so sad makes me sad and I start crying too.
"It is okay Lena," and I hug her.
"I am going to try the long distance relationship thing if you try too," she says when she lets go.
"Yes I will try," and I smile.
Lena gets in the car and waves. I wave back and the car drives away. I wave until I can't see the car anymore. I told and I am happy and though we won't see each other soon I can't wait until I see Lena again.
I will love you forever Lena.