_The hardest thing about unrequited love is the realization that the person you love will never love you the same way
Elodie's POV
My alarm blared to life at 6:00 a.m., jolting me awake. I groggily pushed off the bedcovers and headed to the bathroom to start my morning routine.
"Mum's not back yet," I noted, feeling a slight pang of worry. But I pushed it aside, focusing on the day ahead.
As I packed my hair into a ponytail and slipped into my school dress, I hummed my favorite tune. "Today's going to be a good day," I said to myself, feeling a sense of optimism. I had a plan to ask Daniel to the upcoming spring dance, With the spring dance just two weeks away, I saw the perfect opportunity to ask Daniel to be my date. I headed downstairs with my school bag, ready to start my day. Since the maid hadn't arrived yet, I took charge of preparing my breakfast and lunch. I opted for a simple but satisfying meal: a fresh salad, toasted bread, and my favorite drink. As I packed my lunch, I threw in an extra set - a clever excuse to strike up a conversation with Daniel.
I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nerves as I thought about asking him to the dance. Would he say yes? Or would I face rejection? I pushed the doubts aside and focused on the task at hand. Today was the day I would ask Daniel to the spring dance.
As I finished cleaning up, I headed to the door, feeling determined to make today perfect. The driver was waiting to take me to school, and I was ready to ask Daniel to the spring dance. But as I walked down the hall, I started to second-guess myself.
"Would you be my date for the spring dance?" sounded too forward.
"Emm, Daniel..." I muttered, trying to come up with the perfect words. But everything I thought of seemed wrong.
"gosh...this is hard"... I sighed in frustration
I quickly grabbed my phone and texted Hannah, hoping she could help me out. "Uhh, please, I need your help!" I typed, feeling a bit desperate.
"What's wrong? I'm in class now, can't it wait?" Hannah replied.
"I wanna ask Daniel to be my date for the spring dance," I explained.
Hannah responded, "Uhh, really? Then what do you need my help for?"
I hesitated a bit, then asked, "Wasn't he your class president last year, Hannah? Do you know anything he likes?"
I waited anxiously for her reply, hoping she could give me some insight into Daniel's interests and help me come up with the perfect ask.
I waited impatiently for Hannah's response, but she seemed to have gone offline. I sighed and opened the classroom door, slipping inside just as the teacher was about to start the lesson.
"Miss Elodie, you're late," he said sternly.
I stammered, trying to come up with an excuse. "Uhhmm... something came up sir" I said hoping the teacher would buy it.
But before I could elaborate, Daniel spoke up from across the room.
"she isn't feeling well sir, her mum called in maybe you weren't informed"
"Damn, thanks for covering for me, Daniel"... I whispered to myself.
I whispered a quick "thanks to Daniel" as I felt my face flush with embarrassment . I made my way to my seat. I couldn't believe Daniel had just bailed me out like that. And why did he have to sound so charming while doing it? I tried to focus on the lesson, but my mind kept wandering back to Daniel and the spring dance. Maybe, just maybe, this was a good sign.
I gazed blankly at the teacher, my mind a million miles away as I waited patiently for the lesson to end. The minutes ticked by at a glacial pace, each one feeling like an eternity. I couldn't focus on the lesson, my thoughts consumed by Daniel and the spring dance.
I found myself wondering what he would say if I asked him, whether he would smile and accept or politely decline. The uncertainty was driving me crazy. I just wanted the lesson to end already, so I could finally make my move and ask him.
"And that would be it for today," the teacher announced, finally dismissing the class.
"Finally," I whispered under my breath, standing up from my seat with a sense of relief. I had been waiting for this moment all lesson, eager to go talk to Daniel about the spring dance.
But just as I was about to make my move, the teacher called out, "Elodie, you should come to the office with me."
I let out a frustrated sigh. "Arghh,"as I muttered under my breath, feeling my plans being derailed. I reluctantly followed the teacher, wondering what I could have possibly done to warrant a trip to the office. And to make matters worse, Daniel was now walking out of the classroom, giving me a curious glance as I trailed behind the teacher. This was not how I had envisioned my talking to Daniel to be.
We finally arrived at the office, and the teacher closed the door behind us. "You were late to class today, Elodie," he said, his voice firm but concerned.
I tried to downplay the situation, hoping to end the conversation quickly. "I'm sorry, teacher. I wasn't feeling well," I said, attempting to sound as sincere as possible.
I hoped this explanation would suffice, but the teacher's expression suggested he wasn't entirely convinced. I could tell he was waiting for me to elaborate, but I was determined to keep my response brief. After all, I had more important things on my mind – like asking Daniel to the spring dance.
"I have a medical report with me," I said, rummaging through my bag and producing the documentation I had picked up from the hospital earlier... seems like it was useful now.
I hoped the teacher would accept this as proof of my illness, and thankfully, I had the papers to back up my claim.
The teacher's expression changed from skepticism to understanding as he took the report from me.
"I see," he said, scanning the pages. "Sorry to hear you weren't feeling well, Elodie. Maybe you should take it easy today."
I breathed a silent sigh of relief, grateful that the report had done its job. Now, if only I could get out of here and catch up with Daniel...
"Thanks, sir," I said with a smile, feeling a sense of relief wash over me as I left the office. I had dodged a bullet, and now I was free to focus on more important things... like asking Daniel to the spring dance. I took a deep breath, feeling a renewed sense of determination. It was time to make my move.
As I turned to leave the office, I collided with Daniel, who was walking in. "You ain't well?" he asked, his eyes filled with genuine concern.
I was taken aback by his question.
"Huh?" I replied, surprised.
"Sorry, I overheard your conversation with the teacher," Daniel explained, his expression softening.
I quickly brushed off my earlier illness"Oh, I'm fine now," I said with a smile, rummaging through my bag.
"I got this for you," I added, producing the extra drink I had packed earlier. I handed it to him, our fingers touching briefly as he took it from me.
Daniel's eyes met mine, and for a moment, we just stared at each other. I felt a flutter in my chest, hoping this was the perfect moment to ask him to the spring dance.
"Thanks," Daniel replied, his smile brief.
This was my chance, I thought, taking a deep breath. "Actually, I was hoping...emm...if you could go to the spring dance with me?" I asked, my heart racing.
Daniel's expression changed, and he looked taken aback. "The spring dance? I'm sorry, no," he said, already turning to leave.
Desperation took over me and I grabbed his sleeve, not caring about our surroundings. "Actually, I like you...I mean, I love you, Daniel, and I was hoping you would feel the same way," I confessed, my voice trembling.
Daniel stopped in his tracks, looking at me with a mixture of surprise and discomfort. "Like you?" he repeated, his tone softening slightly.
But then, his expression hardened, and he delivered the blow.
"I don't like you, Elodie. We're just classmates, nothing more," he said, his words piercing my heart like a bullet.
I felt my face burn with embarrassment and rejection, but I refused to let go of his sleeve, hoping against hope that he would change his mind.
"But what about the coffee date, the texts?" I asked, my voice shaking as tears welled up in my eyes. "You made me think...you made me believe there was something between us."
Daniel's expression turned cold, and he removed my hands from his sleeves.
"I made it clear that we would be working on the class project," he said, his tone firm but detached. "Did you really think it was a date? I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression."
His words stung, and I felt a lump form in my throat. "But...but you were so friendly, so nice," I stuttered, trying to process the rejection.
Daniel sighed, his expression unyielding. "I'm just a friendly person, Elodie. Don't read too much into it." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing alone, tears streaming down my face.
The reality hit me like a ton of bricks. "Did I just get rejected?" I thought, my mind reeling in shock and embarrassment. The tears I had been holding back began to flow freely as I stood there, frozen in disappointment.
Daniel's words echoed in my mind: "I don't like you, Elodie. We're just classmates, nothing more." The finality of his statement was crushing, and I couldn't help but wonder what I had misinterpreted. Was it all just a friendly gesture to him? Had I been blind to the signs?
I took a deep breath, trying to process the sting of rejection. I had put myself out there, and it hadn't paid off. But as I stood there, feeling the weight of my emotions, I knew I had to pick myself up and move on.
But was it that easy to let go? The pain of rejection lingered, refusing to dissipate like I had hoped. Every word, every gesture, every moment we had shared came flooding back, taunting me with what could have been. I thought of all the times I had mustered up the courage to talk to him, all the times I had tried to impress him, all the times I had dreamed of being with him.
Letting go seemed like a distant possibility, a fleeting concept that danced just out of reach. My heart ached, heavy with the weight of unrequited love. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of what-ifs, each wave crashing against me with relentless force.
But even as I struggled to come to terms with Daniel's rejection a voice within me said "dont worry... you would be fine,you can get through this... it's just time"
But for how long?
picking up my school bag as I ran down the hallway with tears in my eyes.