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the chiming bell in the clock tower resonated across the school compound, as it always does in the afternoons for the students of Stellis High.
under the swaying shade of the tree, the figure lying among the dancing grass stirred.
the sweet scent of spring carried by the warm, carefree afternoon breeze filled his lungs as he raised a hand to the textbook on his face, plucking it off him, yawning.
a hiss left him immediately as he winced, arm flying up to shield his squinting eyes from the stream of sun rays shining down on him.
"—oh hey, there you are!"
a ridge pinched between his brows as he lifted his head off the grass to find the voice, looking around in confusion with eyes still full of sleep.
then his face softened, realizing who.
the grogginess heavy on his consciousness evaporated like a puddle of water on a hot day as his gentle gaze followed her, tenderness dancing in his coral eyes.
a smile, like it was an instinct around her, curled his lips as he shifted to prop his elbows under him, chin resting atop of his chest.
she took a seat beside him, shaking her head. "why are you hiding here, Luke? everyone's looking for you."
Luke blinked once, twice at her, then groaned. "and that is exactly why i'm here." a sigh left him as his face fell. "it's that time of the year again."
amusement was written all over her face as she let out a laugh, "what's so bad about that? you should be happy so many girls want to be your date for the dance!"
because they are not you — he wanted to say.
a silent sigh escaped him as Luke watched her eagerness with helplessness on his face.
—then her eyes lit up as if she just recalled something." oh! you know that super pretty girl from 2-C? the one who gave you that box of chocolate?"
she clamped her hands over his excitedly. "she was looking for you too just now! i heard she's likely to be this year's prom queen and you the king."
raking his free hand through his tousled hair, he sat up, groaning in frustration. "why me?
her enthusiasm drooped at his question, only to be replaced by incredulity, "are you seriously questioning why?"
his brow rose.
"you've been the top in our cohort ever since year one," she begun to list in a matter-of-factly tone, "you're excellent in sports, being the captain of our soccer team, and the girls votes you the best-looking."
she let out another laugh.
"i'm worried about you." she shook her head. "...at this rate, when are you going to get yourself a girlfriend when you're this oblivious to the hearts you've captured?"
a look caught between amusement and exasperation appeared on Luke's face as a dry chuckle left him through the wry smile on his face.
the irony of that statement.
but he said nothing to that.
twirling the grass he plucked between his fingers absentmindedly, quiet contemplation swept over his face.
"...erm hey," shyness crept up on him. "those qualities you mentioned of me...do you also happen to think so?"
she blinked, tilting her head in puzzlement. "those qualities?"
Luke cleared his throat awkwardly, "like you know, something you said about me being the best-looking in the school?" he explained, feeling heat warming his face. "...is that what you think too?"
at his question, silence fell between them as she raised her eyes to his face.
the same face she had seen for more than a decade — the first face she sees everyday and the last before sleep closes her eyes; he has always been simply 'Luke' to her.
the boy she grew up with. the boy who fought off her playground bullies while she bawled with snort running down her face. the boy she played detective with; him as Sherlock and her his Watson.
but now that she was taking a proper look at his face, a slow realization dawned upon her.
gone were the baby fats, his cheekbones outlined the maturity of his face and down to his strong neck, the once small, scrawny shoulders were now strong and broad.
her eyes rose, back to his face — in time to watch a smile gently curl his lips, in time to watch his coral eyes soften upon meeting hers, in time to watch his brown hair tousling in the light breeze glimmer under the golden rays of the sun shining on them.
for some weird reason, she found herself holding her breath, felt her heart skipping a beat, her cheeks burning .
"—oh, o-of course." it was her turn to clear her throat awkwardly, fingers flying to hold her chin as if she was simply inspecting him and nothing else, as though her sudden realization never came across her mind.
—that her bestfriend was no longer a boy but in actuality, was now a handsome, desirable man girls dream of dating.
"ahem...of course! my opinions regarding any good things people say about you are sure to be hundred times stronger than theirs!" she pumped a fist into the air. "i'm your number one fan, Luke!"
"anyway," she hastily changed to the subject, "who are you planning to bring?" she could feel a strange sense of sadness sinking her heart as she asked.
raised by the same pair of parents, Luke probably saw her as his sister or as simple as who she is to him, a childhood bestfriend — he'd seen her puking all over herself, making a fool out of herself, seen the ugliest sides of her — those mere thoughts were enough to make her cringe and repel anything beyond their friendship.
but Luke seemed taken aback by her question, "you, of course!" as if it was absurd that she even bothered asking.
her eyes widened at him, then lowered to her hands on her lap.
"I..." wisps of doubt was holding her tongue; she almost wanted to say yes.
was he doing this because he felt obligated to bring her?
or maybe he couldn't bring in another girl into their space because she stuck around too much? perhaps he was worried she would feel like a third wheel if he did that; it was such a Luke thing to do — he was always so thoughtful of her.
she looked up decisively, "i'm not going, Luke."
she forced an apologetic smile, laughing. "sorry, that law drama i told you last week is ending on that very day, so i'm staying home." it was a total lie.
his brows shot up, disappearing into his hair, "what? for that drama?" his face fell.
another round of laughter left her, this time, a genuine one at his expression. "it's a super important finale i have to catch okay?" she playfully smacked him on his arm.
his face stretched with a grin at her, hand rubbing where her playful smack landed on before he grew decisive too. "then i'm not going too." Luke rolled his eyes teasingly, "i'll sacrifice myself and watch that boring drama with you."
"what?" she faked an offended look. "it's not boring at all, okay? and look here, Mr. Popular, didn't you volunteer and promise Mr. Reicher that you would help the planning committee?" she crossed her arms.
in a lingering moment of silence, she watched on in amusement as his eyes widen, face lighting up then falling the next second before he broke the silence with a dreadful groan and a smack to his forehead.
"....right, i forgot."
as days flew by, the dance drew near. there was just a week left until the event.
talks about it was all she ever hear everywhere in school — the hallways, the cafeteria, her classroom and even the girls she hung out with.
guys were asking out the girls, and some were the other way round. the air in school was bustling with gushes of what to wear on that day, who was going with who, the prom queen and king etc.
as Luke had promised, he'd been busy with the committee, so she couldn't quite find chances to ask about his progress regarding the dance — what he was wearing, whether or not he had found someone to bring.
every time he was home late due to the committee, she was already in her room asleep, and when mornings came, he was already out. times when she could, words lingered on her tongue and just wouldn't come out like the coward she was.
she had been playing around with thoughts of attending the event, unsure if she should or not; they always dissipated so quickly, fleeting and scattered too fast.
but not today .
she had made up her mind, decision spurned by a memory of how Luke had to miss last year's dance with her because she was down with a bad cold and high fever that day.
she owed him that much, and frankly, she really wanted to say yes to him that day.
her eyes searched the bustling hallway as soon as she exited her classroom, determination blazing within her as she reminded herself — it was her only opportunity before a girlfriend comes into their picture in the future.
it was lunch time, and the first place she went to was Class 2-A where she thought was the best place to catch him.
—and indeed, there he was, standing by the hallway windows with back facing her, focused on something before him.
a smile broke across her face as she hurried over to him, calling out his name.
"—Luke!"
his head rose sharply and turned, eyes flitting over in his shoulders. his brows instantly shot up in surprise to find her behind him.
"i've been thinking about the dance," she blabbered the moment she reached him, hands resting heavily on her bent knees to catch her breath, oblivious to the two pairs of eyes on her.
only until she looked up. "and I—"
her next breath was caught in her throat as she blinked, stunned to see a girl standing before him, peering over at her with the same puzzled look as Luke.
her heart sank.
no, not just a girl but the super pretty girl from 2-C.
trying not to let the ache she felt show, a sheepish smile was forced across her face. "oops sorry, i'll talk to you later." she turned, about to go.
no, scratch that, she wanted to run.
" oh not to worry, i was about to leave anyway." the girl smiled sweetly at her then turned her gaze back to Luke with a shy smile.
the girl's eyes were full of adoration. "thanks for asking me, Luke."
an icy hand tightened around her heart at those words. Luke asked her?
she watched on with an unbearable ache in her heart as Luke turned his head, almost reluctantly, to return his gaze to the girl.
his lips held a faint smile. "—sure."
then the girl turned and left, with an exhilaration barely contained in her steps. so ready to share her good news to her friends.
she didn't even realize she was watching— staring at the retreating back of the girl until a tap on her arm jolted her out of her trance.
her eyes swung back to Luke, only to find him looking at her with a concerned frown. "you were saying something about the dance just now?"
"oh erm, I..." her eyes shifted awkwardly from his.
maybe she was too late afterall. she was one step too slow.
her shoulders fell, her heart sank and only what remained was resignation as she looked up to face him with the best cheerful smile she could muster.
"whew! you had me worried there!'' she gave him a hefty pat on the back. "i'm starting to worry that you'd be alone that day!" she forced a laugh, "looks like i can enjoy the final episode properly afterall."
Luke didn't seem convinced; the concerned frown grew even more intense on his face.
but she didn't have the strength to care.
presence of tears at the back of her throat was quivering like her heart right now — she didn't know how long she could hold herself together.
why was she...so bothered ?
"oh look at the time," her eyes left him to look at her watch. she could feel his gaze on her; it was so heavy. "i've gotta go, Luke, i'll see you around!"
then she walked away, the fastest she ever did in school.
she was lying that day. there was no drama to catch today.
the only drama was within herself; a tug of war between wanting to avoid Luke and the girl, and wanting to see everything unfold between them with her very own eyes — was she a masochist?
the latter won, hence here she was, standing awkwardly before the doors to the ballroom. she felt like a sore thumb sticking out, waiting alone in a line full of couples.
the guys were looking sharp in their suits while the girls were extravagant in their elegant dresses.
well at least, she blended right with them in that aspect, being in the dress she had meant to wear for last year's dance if not for her falling ill — a dress she had spent her time pondering over while Luke, being part of the planning committee, was preparing to head to the venue earlier than the stated time.
soon, it was her turn to enter.
a deep breath was sucked into her lungs as she lifted her dress slightly off the floor to cross the threshold, her heels leaving the marble floor behind and sinking into the wine-red carpeted floor of the ballroom.
Luke and the committee had done a wonderful job planning the dance, for everything from the ceiling to the floor was splendidly done. class and elegance was written all over the place, like a ballroom right out of a fairytale.
done admiring the interior, her gaze was drawn right to the middle of the ballroom.
—formal dances have always been a tradition of Stellis High so she wasn't too surprised to find them as a centerpiece tonight.
eyes on a search for him, for them on the dance floor, she weaved around couples aimlessly, dropping mutters of excuse me and sorry along the way.
her attention flew to every brown hair she could find, but...
she frowned.
....none of them was Luke. weird.
feeling lost, she stopped at the edge of the dance floor. looking around, she felt odd, strangely out of place in a crowd of lively laughter and flirty chatters. somewhere among the crowd, she spotted some friends.
taking a few steps in their direction, she faltered.
— but they were like everyone else here. and she didn't want to intrude.
a silent sigh escaped her, turning her back to them. her eyes idled on the dance floor then lowered to her watch to catch the time.
perhaps she should just go home, she thought dejectedly.
then a wry smile whispered across her face — maybe in next year's dance, she could find hers, just like how Luke found his. they could even go on double dates!
the bitterness twinging in her heart almost made her want to laugh. laugh at herself; she felt so silly.
tearing her eyes away from the dance floor, she dropped excuse me and sorry along her way to the door. unlike how she entered the ballroom, there was no energy in her steps.
eventually reaching the door, she hesitated for a lingering second. her eyes lowered, her fingers curling tightly into her dress and teeth biting onto her inner cheeks as she fought to reign in the emotions threatening to spill from her eyes.
the ache echoing in her was a storm. pain, regret, melancholy, disbelief, incredulity — all in the turmoil.
Luke was no longer simply...Luke. she likes him. likes him more than a childhood bestfriend should. pinning and hoping for more than a childhood bestfriend should.
it took her this long for her to realize. that he'd been there the whole time, right by her side, but she was too scared and too late.
tonight he was about to slip away; out of her grasp, out of her reach. and it was all her fault.
a deep breath was sucked into her lungs; it was almost painful to breath, drowning in the harsh voice of her thoughts.
her eyes raised to the door, her leg stepping forward.
but a tap on her shoulder stopped her.
"what's a beautiful lady doing all by herself?" her shoulders jolted stiff in her surprise to the voice coming from behind, "a pity, don't tell me you're already leaving."
she spun around and right away, a gasp fled her.
standing a head taller than her, a pair of coral eyes smiled down on her from a handsome face that could only belong to one man — one she knew so well.
"...L-Luke?"
the girls were right to vote Luke the best-looking. if he was handsome on a typical day, tonight he was dashing . he was Luke she did not recognize or at least one couldn't bring herself to believe. the black suit clad to him outlined all that he was — a fit, strong figure of an ideal man.
she could sense more than see the females around where they stood staring, with eyes pinned on him ; practically drooling over him if they could be animated into cartoons.
Luke didn't seem to notice. he had a look in his eyes as he swept a glance over her.
she suddenly felt self-conscious, remembering how she had decided on coming in the spur of a moment, and how she simply threw on the dress and hastily went through makeup before leaving home.
however, her discomfort dissipated as soon as he returned his eyes to hers. there was a glimmering gaze of amazement and admiration in them. "...you look beautiful."
"i do?" she blinked in surprise.
"of course, you always do." Luke grinned. "but tonight, you're breathtaking." his eyes softened. he extended his hand to her. "so gorgeous lady, can i have this dance?"
hand hovering over his, she looked back up at him, confused "but don't you already have a date for tonight?" she looked around.
Luke said nothing to that, only chuckling as his hand enveloped around hers, surprising her once more. her hesitant feet followed him as he led them to the dance, her bewildered eyes on his back.
he pulled her to him the moment they joined the floor; his hand on her waist, and hers on his chest and his hand.
"but Luke, i can't...you can't—" her eyes searched around them. "where is your date?"
his hand raised to her face, his fingers finding her chin.
"please, stop looking for her." his touch was gentle, turning her face to him— "because she's right here." —until their eyes met.
a similar look of adoration she saw in the girl's eyes on Luke was now in Luke's eyes, and on her . there was tenderness in them that nearly made her forget to take her next breath.
enough to make the tears she held back from before to brim in her eyes. "but why? didn't you ask her?" she shook her head in confusion.
"i've known you long enough to know." among the gentleness on his face, a serious tone set in both his gaze and voice. "that day you heard that i asked that girl, i noticed something was wrong."
his eyes flitted down to her dress. "at home, you kept staring at this dress when you thought i wasn't looking."
when his eyes returned to hers, he smiled. "i withdrew my invitation to her right after, and waited for you tonight."
his fingers left her chin to lace with hers.
"in fact," his voice softened. there was a vulnerability in the way he whispered his next words.
"i've been waiting for this...for you for a long, long time."