As their training continued, Elijah's feelings for Alicia remained steadfast. Alicia was acutely aware that she couldn't reciprocate those feelings. Ever since fate brought them together, she had always seen Elijah as a great friend. She hoped his feelings would eventually fade; she didn't want their friendship to be compromised.
One brisk autumn day, Ma'am Vanessa entered the journalism room with a sense of urgency. The thick, paged book in her hands thudded onto her table, making a resounding noise that instantly captured everyone's attention.
"Now that I have everyone's attention," she announced, her voice brimming with excitement, "I have great news. The Divisional writing contest is near, and all of you are qualified!"
The room erupted in cheers and smiles, students exchanging excited glances. Alicia, however, felt a mix of excitement and dread. The thought of more intense training made her uneasy. She shifted in her seat, her fingers playing nervously with the edges of her notebook.
"But of course," Ma'am Vanessa continued, her tone turning serious, "our training will get stricter, and you all will go home much later." As soon as Alicia heard that, she groaned and let her forehead thump onto her desk in exaggerated despair, eliciting a hearty laugh from Elijah beside her.
"You okay there? You might end up with a lump on your head, which won't do much for your beauty or brain function," Elijah teased, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
"Blah, blah, blah," Alicia mimicked him mockingly and thumped her head down once more.
"Do that again, and I'll be forced to tell your parents. Their precious baby girl might end up in a coma," Elijah said, feigning seriousness.
Alicia shot him a playful side-eye. "I didn't say anything wrong, did I?" he added with a grin.
"It would be better if you kept your mouth shut," she retorted, her voice tinged with mock annoyance. "Ugh, going home late is going to be the death of me."
"Just focus on finishing your article. Maybe Ma'am Vanessa will let you leave early," Elijah suggested, patting her back before heading outside to take photos.
Alicia returned to her article, her pen gliding over the paper until it suddenly sputtered and ran dry. She let out a frustrated whine, staring at the nearly finished page.
"Seriously? Now, of all times?" she muttered, pressing the pen against her notebook in vain. As if on cue, a hand holding a pen appeared before her. She looked up to see Elijah standing there, a smile playing on his lips.
"Are you just going to stare, or are you going to take it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Alicia rolled her eyes but took the pen. "Didn't anyone teach you manners? Where's my thank you?" Elijah pouted playfully.
"Stop pouting. Thank you, Eli. You always show up when I struggle," Alicia said with a genuine smile. Elijah felt a flutter in his stomach, the words warming his heart. "As always," he replied softly, meeting her gaze.
"You want to come with me? I need to take pictures outside the school," Elijah asked, his eyes hopeful.
"Of course, let's go!" Alicia's face lit up with excitement, making Elijah chuckle. "You're more excited than I am," he noted.
"Well, you're used to it. I'm not," she said, standing up and grabbing his hand, dragging him outside. Elijah's face reddened slightly at the contact, his heart pounding in his chest.
They arrived at their destination, and Alicia immediately stopped, her eyes fixed on a familiar sight. The clicks of a camera drew her attention to a tall boy sitting down, capturing the flight of birds with focused intensity.
Elijah, still curious, asked, "Why did you stop so suddenly?"
Alicia shushed him and led him to a nearby bench. "Do you know that person?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Who? That boy?" Elijah followed her gaze and nodded. "Oh yeah, I've seen him before. But I don't remember him using a camera. He always had a pen in his hands."
"Do you know anything else about him? Like his name or anything?" Alicia pressed, her curiosity piqued as she watched the boy adjust his camera settings, completely engrossed in his task.
"Well, I'd guess he's introverted. I've never heard him talk, even though Ma'am Vanessa and his coach can never seem to shut up around him," Elijah replied with a shrug, his eyes flickering with a hint of jealousy.
"Wait, don't tell me you're interested in him?" The question stung Elijah's heart, but he forced a smile, knowing he had to respect Alicia's feelings.
Alicia, still lost in thought, didn't notice Elijah's discomfort. She was too focused on the boy with the camera, her heart skipping a beat at his every movement. "Ehem, ehem," Elijah cleared his throat, bringing Alicia back to reality.
"I don't know, I just... I saw him before," Alicia said, her voice trailing off as she remembered glimpses of the boy around the school.
"Yeah, he's everywhere. His only goal seems to be winning," Elijah replied, watching Alicia nod thoughtfully.
The two friends sat in silence for a moment, the sound of the camera clicks and the rustling leaves filling the air. Alicia's mind raced with questions, while Elijah struggled to push aside the pang of jealousy. Despite the complexity of their emotions, they both cherished the moments they spent together, even if their hearts were pulling them in different directions.
"Wait, aren't you going to take pictures?" Alicia asked, breaking the silence as she glanced at Elijah.
"Oh right, I'll go take pictures first," Elijah said, standing up and getting ready to leave. Before he could go, Alicia's curiosity got the better of her.
"Does he come here every day?" she asked, her eyes still fixed on the boy with the camera.
"Pretty much. I see him every time I come here," Elijah replied, a hint of resignation in his voice.
"And you two never talked?" Alicia pressed, her curiosity growing.
"I mean, I talked to him before during a contest. He asked me if I saw his coach," Elijah said, nodding while looking at Alicia.
"Oh... Alright, you can go take pictures now so that we can go home early," Alicia said, waving him off.
"Are you going to stay here and just watch him?" Elijah forced a laugh, and Alicia nodded, her focus unwavering.
Seeing Alicia nod broke Elijah's heart into a thousand pieces. He looked at her, seeing her completely engrossed in the boy with the camera. "Then I'll get going..." he said, his voice barely above a whisper as he left, feeling the cool breeze against his face.
The boy with the camera looked around and met Alicia's eyes. He stood up, still looking at her, and began to approach. Alicia blushed, her heart racing as he drew closer. She felt like a tomato, her cheeks burning.
As the boy reached the bench she was sitting on, Alicia opened her mouth to speak, but he spoke first. "Do you know that boy?" he asked coldly, pointing at Elijah.
"Yeah, he's my friend," Alicia replied, nodding quickly.
"Oh... Okay. Then I'll get going, but please find some shade. You might get a sunburn sitting there," he said, his voice softening slightly.
"Hey! What's your na—" Before Alicia could finish her question, he had already turned and walked away.
"Just because you have long legs doesn't mean you should leave so quickly," Alicia muttered to herself, pouting.
"Why are you pouting? You look like you got lost," Elijah laughed as he returned, seeing Alicia's expression.
"That camera boy talked to me..."
"Oh, he did? What did he say?" Elijah asked, trying to hide his jealousy.
"He asked me if I knew you. I was about to ask him a question, but he left before I could," Alicia said, frustration evident in her voice.
Elijah chuckled. "He hasn't changed a bit. He always leaves before anyone can get a word in."
"He did that to you too?" Alicia asked, intrigued.
"Of course he did. I told you he's a nonchalant person who avoids people. I've seen him leave whenever a girl tries to talk to him, but I don't know why he approached you," Elijah said, a hint of sadness in his voice.
Alicia wondered, why did he really approach her? "Let's go back. It's getting late," she said, standing up.
"Yeah, let's head back," Elijah agreed, and they walked back to the journalism room together. Ma'am Vanessa immediately looked up as they entered.
"Now that the two of you are back, everyone can go home. Remember, the contest is in two days. Prepare and read previous articles," Ma'am Vanessa reminded them with a smile.
"Will the nonchalant boy join?" Elijah raised his hand, knowing Alicia wanted to get to know him. He had decided to put her happiness above his own feelings.
"Of course, he will. But he's a photojournalist now, not a science and technology writer. So, you two will be opponents," Ma'am Vanessa said, smiling again.
"You just want to talk to his coach," Elijah joked, making the teacher laugh.
"You know me too well, Elijah," she giggled before turning serious. "Okay, everyone go home now. It's already late."
Alicia was zoning out, lost in thoughts about the camera boy. Elijah's voice snapped her back to reality. "Let's go? Your parents might be dead worried." Elijah's voice brought Alicia back to reality. She nodded, and Elijah immediately stood up to retrieve her bag.
"Huh? What are you doing?" Alicia asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Are you blind or something? I'm carrying it," Elijah replied with a teasing smile.
"But why?" she questioned, her confusion growing.
"It's heavy. Come on, let's go," he said, hoisting the bag over his shoulder. Alicia nodded, a small smile forming on her lips as they walked together to the bus station.
The sky had begun to darken, and the streetlights cast a warm, amber glow on the pavement. They walked in comfortable silence, the only sounds being their footsteps and the distant hum of traffic. As they reached the bus station, Alicia turned to Elijah.
"I'll get going now. Arrive safe, Elijah," she said, her smile genuine as she looked at him.
"You too..." Elijah whispered, his voice barely audible as he waved to her.
In a blink of an eye, Alicia's bus arrived, and she found herself looking out the window, watching the familiar scenery pass by. Her thoughts drifted back to the boy with the camera, and she couldn't shake the image of his focused expression as he captured the birds in flight.
When she reached her house, she walked up the pathway, the crunch of gravel under her shoes breaking the evening quiet. She pushed open the front door, the smell of dinner wafting through the air.
"Dinner's ready, darling," her mother called from the kitchen, her voice warm and inviting.
"I'm not hungry, Mom. I'll go rest now," Alicia replied, her voice tired as she trudged up the stairs.
She entered her room and closed the door, leaning against it for a moment. Her gaze fell on her bag, and she let out a sigh before heading to the bathroom. The hot water of the shower was a welcome relief, washing away the fatigue of the day. She changed into her favorite blue pajamas, their soft fabric soothing against her skin.
Climbing into bed, Alicia stared at the ceiling, her mind swirling with thoughts. The day's events played back in her mind, and her curiosity about the boy with the camera grew stronger. Who was he? Why had he approached her?
Her eyes grew heavy, but her mind refused to rest. She reached for her notebook on the bedside table, flipping it open to a blank page. With a deep breath, she started sketching his face from memory, the intensity in his eyes, the way he adjusted his camera.
As she finished the sketch, Alicia felt a strange sense of calm. The boy's face looked back at her from the page, almost as if he was a puzzle waiting to be solved. She closed the notebook and placed it back on the table, her heart still racing with unanswered questions.
"Who really are you?" she whispered into the darkness, the question lingering in the quiet room.
Alicia lay back down, pulling the covers up to her chin. Despite her exhaustion, her thoughts remained on the boy with the camera. She knew that the answer to her question wouldn't come easily, but she was determined to find out.
The gentle hum of the ceiling fan, the rustling of leaves outside, and the distant sound of the ocean waves lulled her into a light sleep. Even in her dreams, the boy's face appeared, and the mystery deepened.