Winning My Ex-Crush

Fenella’s POV

I still can’t forget about Laird this afternoon. It could be said that I was head over heels for him. If this is all just a dream, I don’t want it to end quickly. If this turns out to be true, I want to confirm it again and again until I am truly convinced that this afternoon was not a dream.

Laird and I, kissing?! It was my first kiss!

I bury my face in the pillow, feeling hot. My hysterical scream might have reached my mother’s ears.

“Fenella? What’s wrong?”

My mother entered the room and opened the door. Her eyes widen in confusion as she sees my messy hair and flushed face. I could see my own embarrassing appearance in the mirror!NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

“Oh, nothing, mom. I just can’t wait to see the latest music video.”

I quickly opened a rock band’s online video streaming page on my laptop screen. My mother let out a long sigh as she slowly walked to my room’s window. From the second floor, my mother could see something on the street in front of the house.

“You should be studying.” My mother frowned, and suddenly I heard a commotion outside.

I hurried to peek through the curtains. Outside on the street, I saw Laird on the side of the road banging on the door of a black car. I remembered it was Mrs. Evans’ car. I could faintly hear Laird’s panicked shouts.

“Come on, mom!” Laird shouted.

“Mom, isn’t that Mrs. Evans’ car?” I asked my mother.

“Yeah. It seems like there’s a problem.” My mother furrowed her brow as her gaze remained fixated on the street in front of their house.

Mrs. Evans’ car slowly drove away, leaving Laird alone, although he seemed determined to catch up. My heart ached as I watched. All the happiness from earlier evenings vanished, replaced by a sense of pain after seeing him in distress.

Without saying much, I immediately ran out of my room, down the stairs, and opened the door to my house. Even though my mother called out to me, I insisted on helping Laird with whatever he needed.

“Laird! What’s wrong?”

I ran to where he stood on the sidewalk, his face looking troubled. His hands covered his mouth as his eyes remained fixed on Mrs. Evans’ car, slowly turning away.

“Laird, what’s the matter? Why are you crying?”

I asked again, my hand reaching up to wipe the tears from his wet cheeks. He lowered his head and gripped my shoulders so tightly that it felt as if he were seeking help. My shoulders ached, but my heart hurt even more.

I hugged his head, letting it rest on my shoulder. He cried for quite some time, enough for my pajama top to get wet on the shoulder. He raised his head and released his grip on my arms.

“Sorry, Fenella. Go back to your house. Forgive me.”

Laird turned around and walked back to his house’s open door. He said nothing else and didn’t stop talking to Lloyd, who was standing at the door. He disappeared into the house, while Lloyd stood silently, looking at me with a grim expression.

“Lloyd, what’s wrong?”

Of course, it would be futile to ask. I shouldn’t interfere, but I still felt worried about Laird’s condition.

“Get back to your house, Fenella,” Lloyd said coldly as he adjusted his glasses on his nose.

“But, Lloyd-”

“You’re not wearing a bra at home? How fortunate,” he said, smirking.

After hearing that, I immediately covered my chest with my hands. I pursed my lips and huffed in annoyance.

“Get inside. We’ll talk later at school.” After saying that, Lloyd went back inside his house and closed the door.

“You-” I was about to scold him, but decided to turn back and enter my house.

***

Early in the morning, around 6:30 a. m., I was already sitting outside Laird’s house, waiting for him. True to his schedule, the boy came out of the house at that time. When he saw me in front of his house, he looked surprised.

“What’s up?” he asked.

I examined his swollen and reddened eyes. I thought he must have been crying all night. He also didn’t reply to my messages. Although I didn’t know what the issue was with Mrs. Evans last night, at least I wanted to support him.

“I want to go to school with you,” I said with a friendly smile.

“Whatever.”

He didn’t refuse me. I took his response as permission, and we walked together to the bus stop. We were silent the whole way. This silence wasn’t like the awkward silence after a kiss, but a somber one.

We sat in the same row of seats. He sat by the window, resting his chin on his hand at the edge. He didn’t look at me, but it seemed like he was staring at me through the reflection on the window. When I caught his eye, he turned.

“What?” he asked.

“Ah, it’s nothing,” I said, shaking my head.

For some reason, he smiled slightly. His other hand reached around my shoulder, then he ruffled my hair until it became messy. Despite that, I remained silent and let his hand rest on my head.

“Are you not angry? Your hair is all messy,” he grinned widely.

“It’s okay,” I said softly.

“Good girl.”

Suddenly, he kissed my cheek. I jerked back in surprise. My voice stuttered, and now my cheeks felt burned inside. I didn’t know he would dare to do that on the school bus. The high and mighty Laird Evans would never do that.

Then I realized that maybe we’re really on a higher level of friendship, though the pain is still hanging on my chest.