CHAPTER 2: WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE JUST FRIENDS

This can’t be! When did I fall for her? We were supposed to be just friends!

I’m panicking now. I don’t know what to do.

Do I tell her? No, it’ll ruin everything. She doesn’t love me. Our relationship is purely ual. If she loved me she would’ve told me.

The clock on the wall strikes 12. It’s noon, Sandara should be here soon. On cue, there she is walking out of her car which is parked right outside the coffee shop. She’s so punctual.

I just sit there.

She enters the coffee shop and takes a seat in front of me once she spots my table. She greets me with a simple hello.

I just smile and nod.

The waiter takes her order, as always she orders cinnamon tea. It’s her favorite.

We sit there for a while. There’s an awkward silence between the two of us. I’m sure she’s thinking of ways to break up our relationship. I’m just sitting here in anticipation. I don’t want to be here. I should’ve left the coffee shop before she got here. I wonder if it’s too late to get out of here. We don’t notice how long we are like that until the waiter arrives with her tea. She takes a small sip and seems to gain the confidence she needs. She begins…

“I bet you’re wondering why I asked to meet you here after having little contact with you this past few weeks.”

I just nod. I don’t have the courage to say anything. I’m preparing myself for what I already know is coming. She’s about to tear my heart. The heart that loves her more than I even knew.

“I asked you to come here because there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, and I think it’s time I take some kind of action because I can’t live like this anymore.” She continues while tracing the rim of her teacup.

I swallowed my own breath. I didn’t say anything. I just sat there. 

“I bet you’re also wondering why I’ve been avoiding you. I didn’t mean to distance myself from you, but I needed time to think about things, about us. I...I think we really need to think about us and what’s best of us. This…thing… we have. It has been fun, a lot of fun. I’ve learned a lot from you about myself. I just think that…I just…I don’t want to do it anymore. I can’t do it…this thing we have…it… I guess what I’m trying to say is our relationship can’t go on like that anymore. Chaerin…I…”

“I love you!” I blurted out.

What? What did I just do? Why did I say that?

She didn’t say anything. She just looked at me, shocked. There was confusion in her eyes.

“What?” she faintly asked.

 “I…I…I’m…I have to go.” I said and practically ran out of the coffee shop.

“Chaerin!” I heard her call my name. “Wait!”

I turned around and she was walking towards me.

Crap

I picked up the pace and started running.

I ran a couple of blocks before I was brave enough to look behind me. She was gone. I stopped running and tried to catch my breath.

Why the hell did I do that? Why did I tell her? Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! I ruined everything!

My phone began to ring.

It was her, Sandara.

I ignored it. I was not in the mood to talk to her. I was embarrassed. How could I let my feelings get the best of me?

A few seconds later my phone started ringing again.

 It was her, Sandara

I ignored it once again.

Little after that, I got a text message.

Where are you? We need to talk.
~ Sandara~

I ignored it.

Another message came through.

Don’t ignore me Chaerin. We really need to talk. Call me.
~Sandara~

I ignored it. Eventually she would give up.

You can’t keep ignoring me Chaerin.
~Sandara~

I’m not angry at you Chaerin. Please call me. I really need to talk to you
~Sandara~

Don’t make me go over to your dorm Chaerin. I know where you live.
~Sandara~

Great, now I couldn’t even go back to my own dorm out of fear she would be there.

Chaerin. Stop ignoring me. We really need to talk about this. I’m not upset with you at all. Just call me.
~Sandara~

I turned off my phone and kept walking. I wasn’t sure where I was going, I just needed to clear my head. I had to face her eventually, but for the time being I just wanted to be alone.

I walked for a few hours and when my feet began to tire I decided to head back to my dorm. Even if Sandara was there, I had to face her. I couldn’t avoid her forever.

My time alone had allowed me to gather my thoughts. Next time I saw her, I would tell her how I felt. Even if she rejected me, she needed to know. I had to try.

As I approached my dorm I began to look around suspiciously, in case I saw Sandara. I was trying to avoid her after all. Yes I was ready to talk to her, just not now. I’d look for her tomorrow, or just some other time, just not now.

I managed to make it safely into my dorm without bumping into Sandara. She had probably given up and gone home.

So much for trying to find me…

“There you are Chaerin!” exclaimed my roommate as I entered my dorm. “Sandara stopped by here earlier looking for you. She said she really needed to talk to you. It sounded important.”

“Yeah, I’ll call her later Minzy” I simply said and threw myself on my bed. I was exhausted. It was nearly 5 in the afternoon and I was exhausted and ready to call it a day.

“I ordered some pizza. Should be here soon” said Minzy.

“..humphoradaa…” I mumbled. I’m not sure Minzy understood what I said, because she just looked at me and replied with a simple okay.

I dug my face onto my pillow and before I knew it I had fellen asleep.

I woke up to a knock on the door.

Sandara!