That lunch break I could barely stay awake.

I found myself snoozing on a bench in the cafeteria, my head plopped on my sleepy hand – BUT I suddenly jumped when I felt someone nudge me from the side.

My head slammed onto the table and I could hear all my friends laugh at me, as I slowly fluttered open my eyes and yawned, glaring back at them for disrupting my rest.

"You okay there, Minnesota?" Val asked me and I shook my head suddenly, like a dog shaking water off itself, before I finally looked back her way and nodded with a tired smile.

"Yeah, of course, I-I mean, why wouldn't I be?"

"Cool," Val said back and then turned back to our other friends again.

~x~

"She's a good friend," Joy said once again and all the other emotions all nodded in agreement.

~x~

"Oh!" Val then suddenly continued, nudging me on my arm again eagerly, "I invited someone to join us for lunch!"

"Ah cool," The other girls cooed and for some reason my heart jumped in a panic.

She didn't! She wouldn't have?!

~x~

Love looked at the screen so insanely tensely, that the other emotions kept silent behind him, afraid of this dead silence he was in himself.

~x~

"Bradley!?" I yelped when I saw him suddenly wave our way in the distance.

Those TWO annoying basketball girls were WITH HIM AGAIN! And I felt such a huge hurting twinge of jealousy as the three of them joined us at the table. With limited seating.

So the two girls pulled over some more chairs to join.

Of course, they did.

~x~

"I hate them, I HATE THEM, I HATE THEM!" Envy only roared at the screen as the three joined Riley and her friends.

~x~

I swear, my eyes were nearly bright green from rage and envy.

"Hey, all," Bradley said to my gang with a simple wave of his hand. All the girls waved back and he sat beside me.

My cheeks flushed so red it actually hurt me and I don't know if it was by accident or anything, but his hand gently grazed against mine.

But then he quickly removed his touch and my heart only ached for his contact again.

~x~

Disgust was fanning herself from the hot and heavy feelings she was experiencing.

Love was scarily still in his stance, but a big smile was starting to rise up each corner of his face.

~x~

"So, Louise and Veronica convinced me to try out for the basketball team,"

When Bradley said this, I swear my heart literally nearly stopped.

"W-wha?" I said back, not able to form my words.

"But I told them," He continued, winking at me and my heart sped up so fast I had to grab the corners of my seat to keep steady from exploding in anxiety.

~x~

"WHAT DID YOU TELL THEM?!" Disgust and Anxiety screamed, and everyone watched Bradley's face to try to break open his head and know where he was bloody getting at!

~x~

"I told them, I'm more of a hockey fan guy instead,"

I finally let go of the breath I was holding in with anxiety, before looking slowly back at him and said with a weak smile.

"Really..?"

"Say!" Val suddenly interrupted, nudging me again on my upper arm and adding, "You two should have a game on the court!"

"Really?" I said, though the idea delighted me inside to no extent.

"Really?" Bradley added, a bit surprised to hear this recommendation. He finally glanced back at me and smiled that killer smile my way again. A smile that would make me jump off a cliff if he only asked, "Yeah! Cool!"

I swallowed nervously, looking at him and he back at me.

Though I could feel the heated stares from Veronica and Louise as they glared at me in deep hot jealousy.

~x~

"He likes HOCKEY!" Joy only screamed in delight, shaking Sadness who was closest to her, "HE'S THE ONE!"

All the other emotions only nodded, Disgust clicking her thumb from side to side like a sassy older woman as she said with no doubt.

"I always KNEW that."

The other's laughed but Love still remained silent as he watched the moment in deep intensity.

~x~

When the end of the day finally came, I was waiting at the entrance to the hockey ice rink for Bradley to show up, and began to get nervous once more than six minutes had passed.

~x~

"He didn't forget, did he..?" Fear asked, a purple ball rolling out onto the shelf.

~x~

My eyes dimmed down as I stared nervously at the floor.

"Riley!"

I glanced up immediately when I heard Bradley's own nervous voice.

He was dressed in heavy hockey gear and I only chuckled at him and his dedication, as he approached me.

"You look like you're ready to play a match?" I said.

"Heh heh," He only laughed nervously, glancing at me as I handed him his own hockey stick, "So this game is easy enough, yeah?"

I laughed loudly at his question, thinking he was just joking. But when I saw his concerned face I straightened up nervously myself, and only grinned as I replied.

"Depends on who you're playing, I guess?"

I slowly opened up the door and placed my ice skating blades on the cold slippery icy floor.

I slid across to the other side, and Bradley quickly followed me but his legs were trembling a mighty amount and he nearly dropped to the ice but I caught him before he fell and helped level him.

~x~

"They're touching each other and THEY don't even REALIZE yet!" Joy yelled but Love only held out his deep maroon hand as he replied.

"Just wait in three, two, one-"

~x~

I realized right then that Bradley and I were in each other's arms and I jumped back in embarrassment, making Bradley slip to the ground, hitting it hard with his butt.

"Bradley!" I yelled at him, reaching my hand out quickly to give him some help. He clutched it and pulled himself up. I just laughed at this and said, "I thought you said you were good at hockey?!"

"N-no," He laughed nervously, pushing away from me now shyly, "I said, I prefer it to basketball."

I only chuckled at this but in my heart I knew there was something wrong.

~x~

"What's wrong?" Joy asked Love right there and then as blue and maroon balls started to roll onto the shelves.

Love just watched Bradley in quietness before he closed his own eyes in deep sorrow, saying.

"He's not being true to himself."

~x~

I watched Bradley silently, and finally said to him, "If you don't like hockey, you don't have to play."

He smiled awkwardly back at me, before saying.

"Yeah... but YOU like hockey... and I want to do it to know you better..."

He then turned his eyes sadly to the icy floor and added.

"So... that you can know me,"

~x~

"The REAL me," Joy said as if a mystery had finally been solved in their cores.

~x~

I gulped heavily again, my cheeks still burning a little red, and I looked at him in silence, as I dropped the hockey puck to the ice and replied nervously.

"Okay then... let's play."

~x~

Everyone remained in complete silence then, watching the scene take place.

~x~

Bradley smiled warmly back at me.

I skated ahead, hitting the puck from side to side with my hockey stick before pelting it at Bradley and he hit it hard into the goals, his eyes widening as he threw his hands up in the air and yelled.

"WOO!"

I smiled at this, chuckling behind my helmet.

It was my turn with the puck again but suddenly Bradley bashed into my side as he tried to steal the puck away from me.

~x~

Disgust was watching so intensely now, her eyes not even blinking.

~x~

I laughed at this and he did too, but still tried to sneak the puck away from me and it was then that our hockey sticks crossed paths, making us slip and slam onto the ice.

I lay there in a small ache on the slippery ground, and just as I was looking up I saw WHO WAS ON ME!

BRADLEY!?

~x~

"You couldn't get more drama from a soap opera!" Anger declared, Embarrassment slamming his head to the panel like he so often did.

~x~

"Riley..?" He asked me then, as he was still on top of me, our noses only inches away. He swallowed hard before gazing deep into my eyes and my own eyes widened big.

"Bradley," I gasped and before the tension could even get more thicker he quickly pulled himself off me and sat on the cold ice ground as I steadied myself as well on my bottom.

~x~

"Why didn't they kiss?!" Envy yelled, shaking a dial like a little spoilt child.

"It's called, suspense, Envy," Disgust blankly told the smaller emotion.

~x~

"You're really good at this game," Bradley continued then, rubbing the back of his helmet with his hand, a nervous smile still on his face.

"Yeah... and you...?" I said in return, before slowly getting to my feet and offering him a hand up again, "... at least you're handsome?"

I said this as a joke, and he only laughed as he got back on his own feet as well.

"I have something to admit," He finally told me, looking away shyly for a second before forcing himself to look at me, "I am... not really a hockey guy."

~x~

"No duh, Sherlock!" Anger declared furiously.

~x~

"Then why did you say you were?"

"To make you happy..?" Bradley replied nervously, gripping his upper arm with his other hand, "To know you..."

"I-"

"The real you..."

~x~

All the emotions were only growing more and more confused before Anger stepped up to the panel and slammed a button down forcefully.

~x~

My eyebrows lowered down as I suddenly pushed off Bradley and said in anger.

"Well, one thing you should know about me... I don't like liars."

"-But,"

"Or fakes."

~x~

"What is Riley saying?!" Joy asked in a yelp. All the emotions started arguing while Love only watched the scene the same as before.

~x~

"Okay, YEAH." Bradley suddenly replied in an angry burst, "I don't really like hockey – BUT you don't like basketball – WHICH I LOVE!"

"Oh, please!" I said back to him, disgusted at his reply, "You only love it because of Louise and Veronica!"

Bradley gasped.

"I DO NOT!"

I only rolled my eyes hard, scoffing at him and he skated right up to my face now, saying as if he had solved the hardest of math questions.

"I knew it! I knew you were jealous of them!"

~x~

The emotions were all nearly climbing over each other as they tried to take control of the panel.

~x~

"NO I'M NOT!" I yelled at him, tears swelling in my eyes and it was Bradley's turn to scoff now.

"No?"

"No!" I yelled again, and before I could stop myself I said the words.

The words that should never have been spoken.

"NO! Because I LOVE YOU!"

~x~

A deep blue and maroon ball slipped out of the panel without even Love's touch. All he did was watch all the emotions break down.

~x~

"Wait-?" Bradley then said, astonished it appeared at what I just said, "You LOVE me?"

I was so tense in my stance, my eyes dashing to look at his before I turned them back to the icy ground, ashamed.

"YOU DON'T KNOW ME." He answered.

Why had I said this?! Why?! WHY?!

"I-I mean..."

"And I barely even know you!" Bradley continued, still astounded.

I remained so still I was like a marble statue. But I could break so much easier right then unlike marble.

"I.." I uttered out, so upset inside, "I'm sorry..."

"I've gotta go," Is all Bradley finally said to me, skidding across the rink to the open gate and turning back to look at me one more time before adding.

"I'll see you around.."

I bit my trembling lip, closing my eyes as tears slipped out and rolled down my cheeks like a leaky tap.

~x~

"No..." Love finally said, speaking at last but his words were so melancholy, "No... we won't.

~x~

I watched Bradley go and when he was finally gone from sight, I dropped to the floor again and only wept heavily by myself alone on the rink.

"I'm such an idiot," I cried to myself, pulling off my helmet and trying to wipe away the many tears that I had, "I'm just such a fool..."

But my heart was hurting me so much... because it did know what I didn't want to believe any more.

I had deep feelings for Bradley, feelings he didn't reciprocate... at least, not yet and probably now not at all.

~x~

"What do we do now?" Anxiety asked Love and he only closed his eyes in pain as he replied.

"I don't know..." He held back no lie, he truly had no more plan in place, "I truly don't know... BUT."

Everyone froze when he said this.

"This is not over yet."

~x~

I stood unsteadily back to my feet and skated out of the rink, taking off my gear in heavy sad actions till I spotted a bag leaning against the glass wall and I knew who it was.

"Bradley...?"

He had forgotten his school bag.

I picked it up, and ran from the huge court, seeing him in the distance as I yelled.

"Bradley, WAIT!"

~x~

Everyone held their breath again as Riley timidly approached the young man.

~x~

"You forgot this!"

He looked back at me, his own cheeks reddened and he nervously took it, gazing into my eyes and that was when I felt it.

A spark, a connection – A, A SOMETHING!

"Thank you..." Is all he said, his voice weak and broken up as well, and he turned away to leave, but glanced my way one more time as he asked, "I'll see you around..."

~x~

"Why is he playing nice now?" Disgust asked, literally disgusted at him.

~x~

"Yeah... see ya too..."

He gave a small broken smile and added one more sentence.

"Tomorrow? At school, I guess..?"

I closed my eyes, shaking my head as I responded, "You don't have to... you don't."

"I'm sorry..." Was all he said back before turning around and leaving me.

Leaving whatever US could've been...

~x~

"What do we do now?" Anxiety asked and Love pressed a button as he replied.

"Ice cream... Ice cream is the answer."

For what?"

"For a broken heart," Love told them.

~x~

I watched Bradley go and I only sighed heavily, turning around and getting my stuff too.

In my heart, I knew me and Bradley were over... I knew it oh so truly.

But there was one thing I learnt that day.

I can never predict what another person feels or does.

And what was to come in the following days I had no way of predicting.

This love story wasn't over yet. I just didn't know this right that moment.

But the heart wants what the heart wants.

...And me? I am not just talking about my own.