He opened the door to his bedroom and headed straight for his bed, feeling tired and exhausted.He took his phone.
He placed his index finger on the phone's fingerprint sensor.Two more trials and the phone was successfully unlocked.He opened his whatsapp.It's icon was usually at the top of the screen since it was his favorite app .A number of people had texted him,including his classmate Ashley.Ashley had been his confidant for as long as he could remember.They met when they joined university for their postgraduate degree in economics.
She had texted 'hi Luca💕💫 .'He anxiously typed a reply. "Hi too,Ashley🌹".She enquired when he would be reporting to school. The hols were coming to an end and the second semester would resume soon. Ashley was missing him. He could tell from the way she texted. She even video called him but he rejected the call. He dreaded calls. He prefered chatting.He was a master in chatting.Ashley always wondered at his enthusiastic and energetic vibe in his chats since he was a mere coward in real life.He too was missing her.He missed the long hugs after classes.The holding of hands when walking down the school halls.The quick kisses in the lonely corridors along the school halls.He just loved her company.It was the best of all.He was longing to see her.His face shone with smiles as he replied to her 'sweet' texts.Everything about her was sweet.Her round pink and yummy lips,her company,her smile,her kisses,her food ...everything!He wondered if she felt same about him.Did she find him sweet?Did she ever think and daydream about him?Did she miss him?Time would tell.
***
It was already eleven o'clock yet he could not find sleep. Luca was building castles in the air. Fantasizing about Ashley had become his hobby.Forever his mind was in an illusional universe, and Ashley was one of the vital elements in the universe.She was like the sun in there.Everything revolved around her.He knew he was not in love with her.Or maybe he was not ready to accept that he loved her.He could not tell.He was afraid of this thing called love.He never wanted to fall in love with anyone,neither had he fallen in love before.Thaweirdo.She thought of him as being strange.Yet she insisted that she liked him.Whatever she meant by 'I like you' was a mystery to him.Once he made sexual advances in their chats she would sound irritated.Did she like him just like a friend.She was one of the many puzzles Luca couldn't figure out.However, he was quite happy because there was at least a person who could understand him,who could understand he felt he was strange and different from the rest of his peers.A person who could come in handy in his lowest moments.A person who was not blinded by the stereotypes of the archaic society to always remind him that being shy was girlish.That was Ashley.She was his medicine.His smile keeper.His therapy.He loved her.