Isaac stuttered for a while before words pieced together to form sentences. The girls sitting on the bed sat up excitedly to see the development between Isaac and Kyla. From the outside, Kyla appeared calm, but her insides were in the midst of a stirring chaos.
"I..I never expected you to say this. What should I say? Kyla, you're only fourteen while I'm seventeen. Right now, you're going through a phase where teens your age are exploring to find yourselves. I appreciate your feelings for me, but these feelings aren't what you think they are. You haven't met anyone outside of your social circle. Once you approach others, you'll find someone even better and more suited for you."
Isaac was about to repeat his famous rejection line about liking Kyla as a sister, but he was interrupted. If he knew his response could cause such storms coming his way, he would probably reply to her with his simple old response.
A soft sigh breathed out of Kyla's mouth, capturing Isaac's attention. She stared strictly into his eyes and crossed her arms. "If you're going to tell me you like me as a sister, then you can save your saliva, swallow it back down your throat and warm your stomach. Isaac, age does not matter when it comes to love. If a twenty-eight-year-old could fall for a fifty-six-year-old man who isn't rich, then I could also fall for you. You can't represent my feelings or me because you're not me."
"You don't know how I feel and you can't guess how long my feelings would last either. How would you know whether our relationship would work out or not if you never tried fighting for it? Forget this for a second, let's focus on your response just now. You said I'm only fourteen and I am going through a phase, right? But if that's the case, then I must have gone through puberty at age five because that's when I started liking you."
Her response rendered him speechless. He swallowed the words he planned to say and began listening to her words. This was the first time she spoke to him in a stubbornly fierce tone. His eyes didn't dare leave hers as she continued.
"I won't hold you accountable for the childhood responses about liking me as your sister since I never clarified it to you; but this doesn't make you innocent either. You basically sister-zoned me every single time I said I liked you. Those responses were lame, and I'll let it go. Today's confession is the first time I've told you sincerely about my feelings, but you brushed it off with your excuse of my age and phase."
"As true as your words are about my future interactions with more people, you've underestimated your place in me. So, let me ask you a question. Do you really not have the teeniest feelings for me? Think carefully and consider it yourself. You don't have to answer me. Keep this question in mind and one day; I hope you'll see it."
"Since you mentioned social circles and meeting more people, I'll do as you say. I'll meet more people in high school. But Isaac, I won't always be here waiting or hoping for a positive response. These words I've said aren't to force you into a relationship. I just want you to think about it yourself."
The minute she finished speaking, Kyla found her arms trapped on either side. She blinked a few times to process what was happening. Her head twist left and right before she was dragged to the empty bed to the left side of the room. Isaac frowned at the sight of the two female classmates hugging Kyla.
He stood up halfway wanting to ask them what they wanted to do to her, but paused when he caught the girls' warning gaze. "Sit down." One of them demanded. Somehow, her words had an effect on him, and he obediently lowered his butt cheeks back onto the soft bed.
Turning around with smiles on their faces, the girls gave Kyla a mischievous look. "Girl, you're only fourteen and you're this brave to sneak out of your house at night? You came all the way here with the risk of getting caught by the security guards on campus just to confess to this fool? What do you see in him? All I see if a blockhead dressed in a pair of jeans and t-shirt." One of the girls said.
Right after she said that, the other girl nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, though. As girls, we stick with girls. You're so brave to confess in front of all of us. You're fourteen right now, but in three years you'll be seventeen. You'll be in the same position as he is in right now. By then if you still like him and want to confess, he has no more excuses."
Hearing the two girls speaking, Isaac instantly stood up from the edge of the bed. "Wait! What are you girls saying? How could you put those thoughts into her mind?"
Kyla arched her left brow and stared at him with amusement sparkling in her eyes. "And who are you to tell them what to say and not say? They're encouraging me to not give up on an egghead like you. Do you know how hard it takes me to say what I wanted to say? Have you considered how nervous and embarrassed I was to come to your dorm and confess in front of strangers? And have you considered any of my feelings or took it seriously to heart?"
Lowering her gaze, Kyla felt slightly disappointed in him. "Because if you actually thought it through, you wouldn't say the same words. No, you wouldn't have thought about saying the same words you've told me in the past. But I have no regrets now. I'm going home with Jess. Have fun with your welcome night, and I'm sorry for the intrusion. Oh, and one more thing, I'll prove you wrong."
Kyla smiled at the two girls who tried cheering her up and bringing her out of the awkward situation from earlier. She thanked them and walked out of the room with Jessica. Although Isaac offered to walk them home, both of them rejected in unison. This time, even Jessica was angry at him.