ABOUT LOVE

High school wasn’t so nice at first, there was nothing fun about it or so I thought, I was an introvert who preferred staying at home watching a romantic or horror movie on my bed to going out to a party. Parties never seem appealing, I always thought it was just a group of people, drinking dancing, and wasting their time. Going out wasn’t my type of thing, I hate seeing people and it seems scary talking to people for the first time. I only have one friend, my best, Sarah.

Sarah and I met when we were much younger, I didn’t know how we started talking but we never stopped unless we fought. I knew everything about her and vice versa. She was neither an introvert nor an extrovert she was just in between. She always finds a way to blend into things easily, so luckily for her, she has several random friends unlike me who has got only her.

I read a lot of novels so most times when Sarah isn’t with me in school, I lock myself up in the toilet and read till the break is over. My life was boring but I was not ready to risk it, I hate mingling with people because I don’t know what to say when I’m around them so it was just better to stay in my lane where I can be myself and nothing else. My lifestyle seem pretty normal to me and it was as if nothing could go wrong until the day I met Andrew, that day changed my life.

Sarah like every normal day would nag me to go out with her, as usual, I said no that day, she was not persuasive enough but I just decided to go with her that day, I knew the guy whose party we were going to so I knew I’d be around familiar people even if we don’t talk, after making shocked Sarah swear not to leave my side throughout the night, I sneaked out of the window and went with her.

The party was just like I thought it would be, people dancing to very loud music, drinking and laughing. I knew I was in for it that day but I just had to hold it in. Took my soft drink and went to sit at the back of the house which was a little bit quiet compared to inside, Sarah who didn’t keep her promise was inside mingling with friends and drinking. I sat down for about thirty minutes looking at the sky and silently wishing I had never come to the party.

I was lost in my thoughts for a few minutes and I didn’t notice the guy that stood in front of me, “So you’re not the party type?”, I looked up and saw him, under the full moon he was beautiful, his hairs were gently curled to the back and even if he was looking down at me, they still wouldn’t move. He was dark-skinned, tall with a well-built body to compliment his appearance. I was still appreciating his looks when he pointed to a space beside me and said “Can I sit?”, I didn’t have the heart to talk so I just nodded and shifted, he sat beside me and repeated his first question, ” You’re not the party type?”. I couldn’t look at him straight in his eye so I looked down and replied “Nah, I hate parties”.
“If you hate parties then why did you come?”.
“My friend, Sarah, she dragged me here, this is my second time,” I said again shyly.
“Of what? Having sex?” He replied, ” Huh?” I looked at him and he laughed.
“That was a joke, you should have seen the look on your face, so this is your second time coming to a party?”.
“Yea, it is, I still don’t get why you people do that”.
“Do what? Party? I like parties you get to meet people, it’s fun, makes you happy and you can forget your problems for the time being” he said.
“So people come to the party to forget their problems?”.
“Not all but some, I like going out, gives me the chance to meet everybody I’m supposed to meet every day, the fool, the wise, mean people, nice people like you, and yea, I get the fresh air too”.
“Hmmm” I made a quiet sound.
“You don’t like going out, do you?” He asked.
“Nah, I don’t, I prefer staying in my room, reading novels, or watching movies”.
“Sounds boring” he replied.
“Nah, it’s not, it’s fun for me”.
“Maybe I’ll take you out someday, so you can feel what I feel each time I step out,” he said looking at me.
“Maybe”.
He looked back towards the house and said “I love the song they are playing right now, wish I can dance to it”.
I looked at him again, this time more intently, “You can’t dance?”.
“Nah, I can’t but I love watching people dance, can you dance?”.
“Yes, I can, in my head” I answered.

He laughed again and this time I laughed with him too, “That was funny, I get it, you dance so well in your head but if you try it, it would be disastrous”
“Yea, something like that,” I said smiling
“What do you do best?” He asked.
“Write”
“Write?? Hmmm, I can draw, I’d like to draw you” he said, taking my hands in his. I could feel a shiver going up my spine, I looked at his eyes, I knew he felt it too.
“You’ve only seen me for like what? forty-five minutes and you can draw me already?”.
“Yes, I’ve seen for just forty-five minutes but I have looked at you hundreds of times, your eyes are beautiful but it’s more beautiful when you laugh, it is like they are closing up but they ain’t, your lips curve in the perfect way when you smile, I like the way you look at me, it is like I can see myself in your eyes, you’re a very beautiful woman”.

I looked at this young man again, my lips fell apart as if I wanted to say something but I couldn’t, nobody has ever made me feel that way before, I was close to this type of feeling only in my fantasy when I eventually mustered the courage to speak, I said: ” You make my heart beat faster than normal, there’s a medical word for that, I can’t remember “.
“Tachycardia?”.
“Yea, tachycardia” I replied and smiled.
“I just met you but it is like we’ve always talked like we’re more than friends,” I said again.
“Like lovers?” He replied.
“Yes, like lovers” I gazed at him again.
He said ” I want to kiss you, forget that, I’m going to kiss you ” and with that, he leaned towards me, came closer until our lips met and locked.
My heartbeat increased, I held my breath while kissing him, he tasted like apple, our tongues met and I shivered again not from cold but from the nudity of his mouth, he held me close until I became lost in his arms.

When we finally came apart, I looked into his eyes and I knew our lives would never remain the same again, I have fallen in love and he had also. I laid my head on his shoulders and he wrapped his hands around me, we both looked at the sky.

“Where have you been?! “Sarah asked interrupting our moment, we both got up, she looked at me then at him then back to me and said ” It’s past two, we have to go”
“Oh shoot! I have an early class tomorrow” I said as Sarah began to drag me inside the house.
The guy looked at me and started following me “it was nice meeting you” he said.

I looked back at him and smiled “It was nice too”.
As Sarah opened the front door and was pulling me out so we could leave he said “I’m Andrew by the way”
I giggled, waved, and shouted “I’m Chelsea.

And that was it, I never saw Andrew again after that night, Sarah said he was one of the college guys that came to look for chicks like us, I knew she was wrong about him, Andrew wasn’t that type of person, I knew deep down our path was going to cross soon. And when that time comes I’ll be ready, ready to go places with him, ready to pose for him to draw and finally I’ll be ready to get out my shells and go into his world.