Bella woke up to a thumping sound.
She gripped her sheet burrowing into the comfort of her bed.
What was that?
The sound becomes louder and errant.
Stop being a ninny, just check it out. She told herself.
Finally mustering courage, she creeped out of the bed, grabbing the baseball bat she found next to her nightstand.
The sound was coming from her window.
Bella tiptoed to the window, the bat clenched tightly between her fingers.
If worse comes to worst, she would defend herself.
Someone was knocking at the window.
Bella shook her head in denial.
That can't be possible, It is like -17°c out there.
Then she heard the muffled voice the wind carried.
"Bella, open up its Kingsley." The voice repeated and resumed banging harder against the window.
She hesitated for a second.
Why would he be here at the hour? she wondered.
Clicking the shutter open, she stood akimbo, the bat still twirling from her fingers.
"What are you doing here?" she asked as soon as he climbed into the room.
Kingsley gasped, blowing on his fingers to get warm.
It was a cold winter, snow road was covered with snow, and he walked from the third street, and the journey up here was slippery and stupid but It was now or never.
"I had to talk to you," he said, his teeth chattering.
Bella threw up her hands.
"Jesus! Kingsley, what were you thinking? It's freezing out there, and you climbed your way up here, what if you had fallen to your death. Couldn't whatever it is wait till morning."
"No, it can't," he replied.
Bella's eyebrow rose. "Fine then, make yourself at home."
Kingsley plopped right into the right side of the warm couch.
It was his favorite spot when he comes over.
Not through the window though. He mused.
Bella threw a blanket at his head, setting down on the bed, her bat forgotten on the floor.
"What did you need to talk about?"
You screamed something at me in school this morning. Something about___.
The indignation took her by surprise. "Do not say another word."
Bella walked to her door and held it open. "If this is what you wanted to say then get out."
Kingsley cleared his throat to hide his laughter. "Bella, I came through the window."
"This time, you leave through the door."
"Truly you wouldn't like Charlie to catch us, you know he has the ears of a bloodhound." His lips twitched with a smile.
Hearing the amusement in his tone, she whirled to face him.
"This is not a joke." She doesn't want him to continue, it will become real__his rejection. She couldn't stand it if he rejected her.
"Don't you get it, I want you to leave."
"Please Bella just listen." The plea ripped from his throat.
Bella turned away from the door, resuming her former position on the bed. "Alright, I'm all ears."
Those were very hard words to say but she never heard Kingsley sound like that before.
"You__" He took a deep breath. "You said you liked me for a very long time; since middle school and that you were okay with just being pals until I had to ask out Jessica of all the girls in Tumblewood high."
"But the thing is__"
Here comes the rejection. Bella closed her eyes, waiting for what was coming.
At least she wasn't a coward.
"But the thing is I had being in love with you right from kindergarten."
"But you have to know how___" his words began to flow very fast. The way he talks when he was nervous.
"How long I been wanting to tell you. I liked you ever since the day you slugged me for taking your favorite pencil, then the teacher asked us to apologize to each other and you kissed my cheek.
We became friends ever since. Then I just wanted to at your side__" his lips curled back_ "then you grew more attractive the other guys started noticing you and asking me if you were seeing."
"I told them you were seeing someone_ which you weren't I'm sorry about___"
"Stop." She interrupted him and he stared at her with startled eyes.
Bella's face drew tight in shock.
"Repeat what you said before."
"Uh_ I have being in love with you since kindergarten?" he said, his expression perplexed.
"Wow, I thought I didn't hear it," she grinned, hugging herself.
"He loved me since kindergarten," She whispered to herself.
Recalling what she heard that morning, her mood soured.
"Then why did you ask Jessica out?"
"I didn't ask Jessica out," he said a strange expression on his face. He looked almost mad. "After all, I said, do you believe I had asked Jessica out."
Bella turned her face away from him. "But I heard you, you asked her on a date to la' chu; our place."
Kingsley strode to the bed, he settled down next to her turning her face toward him. "I wasn't asking her out, I asked her opinion on how I could ask you out, because she knows what you like, what you saw was us acting like we were on a date."
"I couldn't afford to muck it up when I asked you for real," he said, voice soft, dark eyes searching hers.
"So I'm going to ask. Would you like to go on a date with me__ you can say no if you want to, I can wait until__"
"Shut up will you?" she said, throwing her arms around him and kissed him so hard he thought he was having a heart attack.
Bella almost laughed at the look on Kingsley's face. He went from shock to flustered, a flush tinting his dark skin.
She kissed his cheek for good measure.
"I'll love to go on a date with you, and I love you too, since middle school. It's probably not long as you loved me but it's the same."
"No, I liked you first so my love is more."
"No is not," she replied, not missing the glint in his eyes.
"Is not?"
"Is too, Damn."
His laughter rang through the room.
"Climbing up here was stupid of you, but you are my stupid." She hugged him, plastering her body to his.
"If I had waited till tomorrow, you would never have spoken to me again."
Bella nodded. "True."
"I'll forgive Jessica only because she helped you." she rolled her eyes, pleased at his look of approval. "And I'm glad you told me."
"I'm glad too," he replied, before leaning in to kiss her.