UNREQUITED LOVE...


I woke up with my back aching madly and my cheeks making these funny tingles.

The whole place was crammed with such damn bright light that I couldn't tolerate to open my eyes.

I groaned, rubbing my forehead.

"Where am I?" I mumbled, dumbly.

The ground was hardly soft, and I know I'm lying on something.

But it wasn't dirt ground.

The ground was smooth.

And that's when I realized I was back at the dojo.

I slowly opened my eyes but quickly shut them close.

"AAARGH!" I cried, covering my eyes. "SOMEONE SHUT THAT DAMN SUNLIGHT OFF!"

Groaning angrily, I tried to turn to my back but—seeing as how it hurt—it made a soft cracking noise.

I quickly gave up trying to do so and lay there motionless, eyes close, trying to ease my back.

The edges of my lips twitched as the up and down wave of small twinges of pain wracked through my left cheek.

My God, it still hurts?

Did that damn girl worked out or something 'cause I'd never felt such girl power.

Laughs

Girl power.

Yeah, right.

Without warning, a shadow loomed over my closed eyes.

I could feel it since the oh-so-damn brightness of the sun made my eyes see all red when it's close.

"Wakey, wakey, sleepy, sleepy," someone sang, sniggering.

I grumbled and tried to find my blanket.

Where the hell is it!

"Ungh," I murmured.

"Wha?" the voice asked.

My annoyance came to me.

"I said GET OFF ME, MAX!"

I heard Max chuckling.

Rei's voice came next.

"C'mon, sleepy ass," he said. "Wake up."

I growled and turn away from them, screaming and winching in pain.

"Do you know what time it is!" I cried.

"Do YOU know what time it is?" Rei asked.

"Yeah," I grunted. "Time for you to let me sleep."

"Tyson, get up. Did you know how long you slept?"

I opened one eye and tried to look at Rei.

But since I just turned away from them, all I saw was the dojo's roof.

"No," I muttered. "And I don't care. I'm sure I slept like a baby."

"Actually, no," Max chuckled. "You were groaning so loudly in pain all through your sleep. You kept me and Rei awake through the whole night and day!"

I laughed.

"That's good," I mumbled softly, going back to sleep. "Can I go to sleep now?"

"NO. We have to practice," Rei told me, then added, "and besides, you have a visitor."

I huffed angrily.

"Tell him to step off," I rumbled. "No one disturbs the all mighty Sleepyhead unless he awakens."

I just LOVE to exaggerate and be sarcastic.

Sometimes, it makes me laugh.

Sometimes, others.

But, really, this time I don't feel like going in for games these guys always played when I'm sleeping.

Don't they know where I've been last night?

And who I was with?

I could still remember what happened last night, like it was a dream I'm having right now.

Even when I'm fully awake.

It's like a memory that I can't get out unless I understood what it meant.

But, who cares.

It'll be gone soon.

SOON.

Like, RIGHT NOW?

I groaned and touched my cheek.

Damn, that girl can slap hard!

I know she's a bossy cocky girl but I never knew she ever had muscles.

Laughs

Hilary didn't really look like a girl strong enough to fight for herself.

Well, she CAN fight with words with that BIG ASS mouth of hers.

No offense, though.

No offense.

Chuckles

Yeah... 'Big Ass Mouth'.

Eehee-hee.

"Tyson," Max interrupted my memorable thoughts of happiness.

"What?"

"We said you have a visitor," Rei told me.

I growled with defeat and turn to face the roof, as always, screaming and twitching from back pain.

"Can't you see I've got back problems right now to deal with a damn visitor?" I mumbled softly, but angry enough for them to hear.

"Aren't you going to see her?—"

"Yeah, yeah. Take a chill pill and just help me, will ya?" I growled and stretched my arms upward.

Rei and Max took one hand each and helped me sit up.

Sit up.

The price you get when you got the aching in the back.

And, DAMN, it hurts!

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, shit!"

I rubbed my back and arched them.

It felt better but I don't think I can last looking this way for more than two hours.

I rolled my eyes when I heard Rei and Max laughing their butt off.

"Whatever," I mumbled. "I was sleeping against a cement wall last night, okay?"

"We can so tell," Max wiped the tears off his eyes.

I try to ease my temper away.

I looked at them.

They looked back at me.

I raised my eyebrows crossly and made a face.

"AREN'T YOU GOING TO HELP ME STAND UP!"

"Oh," Max chuckled. "THAT'S what you meant."

"I thought you had a stroke," Rei laughed. "Seeing as how your face looked right now."

I growled and spat when they finished helping me stand up.

What loyal friends I have!

Sarcasm

OooOo-wheeee, give them awards for being such loyal friends.

OoOo-wheeEEeee...

But then I remembered what Rei had said.

"You said my visitor was a 'her'?" I asked.

Rei nodded and that was all they could say.

"Well?" I began. "Who is it?"

Max put a hand behind his head and smiled.

Rei placed his hands on his hip and beamed a little.

I hate it when they do this.

It always meant that bad news were coming soon.

"Well?" I repeated, rolling my eyes. "Who the hell's the visitor?"

"It's Hilary."

It's Hilary...

FLASHBACK

Why are you lying there, sleeping on the cold grass, Hilary?

Why are you trembling and shuddering?

Why can't you notice how freezing this hour of darkness is?

How icy the grass is?

How wet and repulsive it even feels under my shoes?

Why are you lying there, sleeping silently on the cold grass, Hilary?

Why are you trembling and shivering so, so badly?

Don't you see how bitter the dark autumn night is?

How cold the grasses are?

How chillingly moist and sordid it feels under my shoes?

Under your skin?

When I walk towards you, you're trembling harder than I thought

And I worry

I admit it

I worry

When I walked towards you I see the pain and broken life in your pale face

When I walked towards you, I could sense that you're truly troubled

That you needed help, you needed something

Needed someone...

But who am I to know?

I'm just a normal boy like you

Chuckle

Girl, I mean...

But who am I to see?

How lonely and sad when you aren't suppose to be

Why are you lying there, sleeping on the cold grass, Hilary?

Why are you trembling and quivering?

Why can't you notice how freezing this darkness is?

How icy the grass is?

How wet and disgusting it even feels under my shoes?

When I walk towards you, you're trembling harder than I thought

And I worry

I admit it

I worry

Here you go, Hilary

Are you happy now?

I hope my sweater is good enough

I hope it's good enough to keep you cozy

To keep you secured

But who am I to understand?

I'm just a boy who loves to argue with you

And who am I to even see?

That I'm not a person you think I am

When I walk towards you, you're trembling harder than I thought.

And I worry

I admit it

I worry

I hear you mumble and frown your brows

I hear you shake your head real soft

And I hear you whispering...

Whispering my name

But who am I to understand?

I'm just a boy who loves to argue with you

And who am I to even see?

That I'm not a person you think I am

But I hear you whispering...

Whispering my name

I'm shocked and surprise and maybe confused

But even more so, I hear the hurt in your subtle voice

"I--I'm hurt..."

I try not to change what I'm feeling right now

But it's hard to get angry with you...

When you're pained and hurt

Is that a tear that slid down your cheek?

Or is that just a glisten from the moonlight's shine?

But I know it is a teardrop

As I brushed it away with my fingertips

Here you go, Hilary

Are you happy now?

I hope my sweater is good enough

I hope it's good enough to keep you warm

To keep you protected

I do nothing but sit and watch your pain

I do nothing but stare at your pale face

But who am I to understand?

I've never been in love

"Let me heal you then," I whispered, finally breaking my trance

I don't want to be what I'm not so I keep it cool

I wrap the sweater tightly around your body

Hoping you'd forget what I'd said, or even hear of it

Hoping that I would forget and had never said it

Why would I want to love a girl like you?

Why would my heart choose over something that's about you?

But, most of all...

Why can't I get this strange feeling off my chest?

What is happening to me now?

Here you go, Hilary

Are you happy now?

I hope my sweater is good enough

I hope it's good enough to keep you warm

To keep you out of harm's way

I'm sorry I just can't stand it

To sit right here staring at you...

So close to you

I'm sorry I can't bare it

To have these feelings arise

So I forget them quickly as I stood up

To take one last look at your pained pale face

So I turned around, walking away...

Forget this ever happened.

Why are you lying there, sleeping on the cold grass, Hilary?

Why are you trembling and shaking?

Why can't you notice how freezing this hour of darkness is?

How icy the grass is?

How wet and disgusting it even feels under my shoes?

When I walk towards you, you're trembling harder than I thought

And I worry

I admit it

I worry

I do nothing but sit and watch your pain

I do nothing but stare at your pale face

But who am I to understand?

I've never been in love

Here you go, Hilary

Are you happy now?

I hope my sweater is good enough

I hope it's good enough to keep you warm

To keep you safe

But one thing for sure, Hilary and Me:

Forget this ever happened.

END OF FLASHBACK

I frowned.

"Who?"

Max frowned next.

"You know who," he said.

"I know," I told him, sounding serious now. "But Hilary? Visiting? Here? Coming here? Again?"

"Well," Rei waved his hands. "She wanted to see YOU."

I raise my eyebrows.

What could she possibly want now?

"'Cha asked what she want?" I asked.

"Yeah," Rei answered. "She said she had to give you back something."

Here you go, Hilary

Are you happy now?

I hope my sweater is good enough

I hope it's good enough to keep you warm

To keep you safe

"Oh."

I remembered now.

I forgot I lent her my sweater.

Forgetting the sudden pain in my back, I scooped over to pick up my hat and place it over my head.

"She wants to see me, eh?" I asked them, also myself.

"Yeah," Rei said again. "And she told me she wanted to tell you something, too."

"What is it?"

Rei and Max shrugged.

I rolled my eyes and walked out of the dojo room.

Like a vision, the memory last night popped in my head again.

WHHAAP!

God, even that sound in my memory made my cheek hurt!

I rubbed them hard and crane my neck, stretching as I walked towards the place I always see her.

What am I suppose to wait as Hilary told me?

Am I really THAT slow?

Jeez, even I know I'm not as slow as a dumbass turtle.

But the memory last night seemed like two hours ago.

It came to me over and over until I stopped near the pond.

Hilary was sitting on a large rock, gazing down at the fish underneath.

She was sitting sideways, and it made it easier for me to see my sweater clutched on her lap.

Her head was lowered.

Her brown hair veiled her face but I could tell she still had that pale face I saw last night.

But...

But was that really Hilary sitting there?

Was that really her on the rock, staring down the pond?

Was that really her, the brown haired… the brown haired…

The ruby-eyed girl that I befriended with two years ago?

Because the sunlight seem to radiate something around her face, her hair, her skin...

Something…

That made that strange feeling inside me aroused and stumbled.