Petit Cheri – Crushing
by: Bakunawa
His name was Jan, a boy a year or two ahead of ours. He was tall, brown-eyed with fair-colored hair perfectly swept to the side and not a strand out of place. 'Smart', 'talented', 'one of the best in class', I have heard and 'very cute and too'.
I've heard about him but I never bothered myself with him.
Who was he to me?
--
Class hadn't started yet and everybody was either running around or hanging out. It was a typical loud restless morning while waiting for our teacher. I was talking to the girls when he suddenly appeared by the door. He was looking for me.
I came over, wondering, heart beating fast.
"Hello?"
"Hi."
He presented a lollipop wrapped in purple paper. He was sucking on a red one too. His mates were right behind him, chuckling amongst themselves and encouraging him.
He wouldn't look at me straight but he gave a smug grin when I took the offered candy on a stick.
--
Sakura was standing behind me when I took his gift.
I was dumbstruck. What was that about? Who gave him the idea of giving me candy? And why?
But then I looked at her. Her eyes had gone very wide and her cheeks were tainted pink.
"Oh my..." she murmured behind her hand.
Then I looked at the lollipop and back to Jan's face. And I knew what it meant instantly. But how I would react, I didn't know.
--
The girls were giggling while the boys were cat-calling.
But I was in another world. I felt lightheaded and my heart was running very very fast.
I'm not sure what I was experiencing but I could say that it was my first dose of it.
And that's how I knew then I'd be thinking of him for a long time coming.
