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.