Falling
Under the Rain
I’m pretty sure you are able to guess by now that I’ve never dated anyone before. I know this sounds pathetic coming from a college senior, but please don’t pity me. It isn’t a big deal.
But Lucy… Lucy… she sure has a way to make me nervous whenever I’m around her lately. Is this THE feeling? What they say... love? Like? Infatuation?
...
One Sunday morning, I decided to take a stroll around the campus park because I wanted to get some fresh air.
The sound of kids playing and running around happily caught my attention. I looked up and saw a bunch of five and six-year-olds chasing after a football with another girl. Her back looked familiar. And that hair…
It was Lucy.
She had her hair tied up in a pony tail. Unlike her usual style, she wore a baggy football jersey.
Subconsciously, I slowly sat down on a bench and quietly watched them.
The kids were enjoying themselves. She looked very into the game. And her beautiful smile made my heart pump thrice its usual rhythm... again.
I was never good with kids. I think they’re a little annoying. But to see her so good with them tugged my heart for some reason. I saw a different side of her. Different from her usual Editor self in the newsroom. Different from the girl who was shivering on my bike soaking wet under the rain. Different from the girl who kept forcing me to talk.
As I was observing them, lost in my own thoughts, one of the little girls stopped and looked at me. She pulled Lucy’s arm, pointed at me and whispered something to her.
She turned towards me and our eyes met.
I felt my cheeks flush.
I didn’t want her to notice that I’d been watching her.
She turned back to the little girl and said something.
I felt like a stalker the way they looked at me. What were they talking about?
She looked at me again all of a sudden and gestured me to go over and join them. I shook my head to decline and smiled at her.
She nodded and continued having fun with the children.
A few minutes later, the ball came flying towards me all of a sudden. I caught it just in time right before it hit me. Lucy ran up to me.
“Impressive reflex!” she complimented. I handed over the ball to her.
“Why don’t you join us?” she kicked the ball back to the kids and sat down beside me.
“I just wanted to relax in the park.” I looked away from her but I could still see her from the corner of my eyes.
“Oh... it’s good to get some fresh air outside once in a while. Don’t stay in your stuffy dorm all the time. I always see you looking so dull all the time.” she joked.
Do I really look dull to her? I whispered to myself.
“But you’re not as stiff now as you used to be. You used to seem so... bored of everything. You had no expressions. I used refer to you as a statue.” She laughed. “But don’t worry! I’ve never mentioned that to anyone. It’s just me.” she quickly redeemed herself.
Really? I looked like a statue? I tried to recall how I usually act on campus.
“You have pretty good looks. You should smile more. You’ll look better.” She smiled.
I look better when I smile? I noticed I haven’t said a word to everything that she just told me.
“That’s the smile! I bet the little girls have fallen for you by now if you keep watching them with that smile on.” She teased.
I would never have thought that such simple words from her would make me smile so much. At that moment, something churned in my stomach and my heart continued to pump faster.
Maybe... Am I really falling for her?
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