True Love it is

Yet another tedious college day but Lily was happy that at least it was coming to an end in a few more weeks. Lily dint really have a great college life since the very beginning. Since her dad had abandoned her mom and her, she had distanced herself from her friends and everybody else she knew. People at college obviously dint care to help her get out of it by being patient with her, they just walked out on her because obviously why would they want to worry about their friend’s life when they could continue enjoying theirs’s instead. But Drake, he was different and so her best friend. He stuck around even when she kept pushing him away. At a certain point of time he seemed like the most irritating person to her, but the sweetest and most caring irritating person indeed. He gave her space and yet kept checking up on her. He would always be there with her when she needed to talk to someone. He even carried a box of tissues every time he met her just in case she began to shed her tears in front of him. Tears always scared him, he would get all goofy and anxious when someone ended up crying in front of him. He would never understand what to do at that moment. Once his uncle was in the hospital, being treated for cancer and to lighten the heavy depressing atmosphere he had cracked what only he would call a joke saying that “Well if cancer would have been a person it would have surely been aunt Melanie since she would have loved to kill uncle Dylan as well, coz you know cancer kills, aunt Melanie kills…..no..okay!” and everyone just stared at him with disgusting faces while he murmured to himself “ looks like these people can kill as well, I wouldn’t be surprised if I get admitted beside uncle Dylan tonight” and he ran out of there.

Lily smiled as she played that incident in the back of her mind, she had been there with him throughout that disastrous event. Her thoughts were interrupted when Drake walked up to her from behind and gripping her by her shoulders he shouted in her ears “Hey have you seen Lily? I think she’s lost…in her thoughts.” “Shut up Drake, be thankful you dint lose her before itself because only she is brave enough to hang out with a monkey like you” Lily taunted while shoving him off her back. They walked up to their class and sat in their usual places, Drake with the other guys and Lily with her lab partner Amy but as Lily walked up to her place she noticed that Amy wasn’t there yet and she remembered that she wasn’t going to come for a week since today. She sat down and opened her desk to keep her bag in it and noticed a small note with a red rose. She picked up the note carefully so that no one noticed it and began to read it while placing it compactly in between her palms. It had been written in bold letters that said “A rose to make this morning special for a very special person. P.S though this rose is only half as beautiful as you I hope you like it.” Lily blushed after reading it and searched all the faces in the classroom so as to find out if someone was watching her intentionally. She turned her head and caught Brandon watching her, he smiled at her and she smiled back. She quickly turned around again and kept the note and rose in one of her bag pockets. Her thoughts started to take over her mind “Omg, is that note from Brandon!! Well of course it’s from him after all he was watching me to analyze my expression.” “But he’s like the cutest guy of our class, why would he like me but then again why did he smile when I looked at him? Maybe he smiled because I am looking funny” she quickly checked herself in her phone camera after that thought.” Na looking just as ugly as everyday” she said to herself as she sighed “Or…maybe he started liking me after that fest day” she wondered. Her mind drifted off to the day when she had coincidentally ended up sitting beside Brandon that day during their college fest and he had himself initiated a conversation. They had chatted for a long time after that, he had even offered to drop her home but seeing the disgusted reaction on the faces of his girl and guy friends Lily had innocently denied his offer. She blushed as she thought of it. Suddenly she heard her name being called out “Miss Lily Merin it would be an honor to me if you would concentrate in my class rather than your thoughts for a change” Mrs. Grundy shouted in her ever so sarcastic tone. Lily buried her face in her notebook and hoped that Brandon had fallen asleep for a second or two and not noticed what had just happened.

As she walked out of the class she waved bye to Brandon and he reciprocated with a bye and a cute smile, Lily felt her heart pounding in her chest. She then turned to see Drake goofing around with his friends near his locker and she walked up to him trying to decide if she should tell him about the note or not. As she reached near him his friends noticed and waved him goodbye. “Why do they always leave when I come to talk to you?” she asked Drake. “I think it’s obvious, because only I am brave enough to hang out with blood sucking bat like you” he replied. “If I had been sucking your blood, I had die soon since no one survives this long after drinking poison” Lily reverted back with a proud face from her reply. “Aww… that proves that you are immune to poison as well bat, nothing can kill you except some sweetness of the soul which you can never have” Drake taunted while giving her the side smile. Lily made a grumpy face and then pulled him close by his hand “Well someone did notice my sweet soul, I found a note in my desk today along with a red rose.” Drake stared at her for a while and then burst out laughing “Okay…you got me this time. You are really funny. I love your sense of humor” he cried out while pretending to wipe the tears in his eyes. Lily watched him in anger and then took out the rose and note and shoved it onto his face, “See it for yourself” she growled at him. Drake read it with a serious look on his face and then stared back at her with a look of worry. “What? Why are giving me that look?” Lily asked with confusion. Drake cleared his throat and spoke” Lily, I don’t know how to tell you this but this guy is definitely blind….he called you beautiful” and he maintained that worried look on his face. Lily’s face grew red with anger and she punched him on his arm after which he ran for his life with lily following him.

They walked back after college “So who do you think wrote it and keeping in mind that he’s blind, it’s really hard to say huh! It could be anyone from our class” he teased her. “Ya whatever you can tease me as much you want, I will not mind because I know that you are dealing with your jealous character since I have a secret admirer and you don’t” Lily replied. “As for who it might be, I think it’s Brandon because I caught him staring at me after I read the note” she blushed. “No way, Brandon is the blind guy, but hey how did you know that he was staring at you if he is blind?” Drake scoffed. Lily just ignored him and continued walking. “Hey I am sorry, c’mon it was just a joke. I am really happy for you.” Drake consoled. “Really? And do you think its Brandon? I think it’s him and also I want it to be him” Lily exclaimed. “Well, I don’t know who it is since I dint see the blind guy place it in your desk but…Ow!” Drake cried as he received another punch from Lily. “Okay okay… I feel whoever it is will be really lucky to have you and he was right about the last line. You are the most beautiful girl I have ever met” he said while staring at her eyes. “Really Drake? That was so sweet of you” Lily said while smiling back at him. “Lily come in quick your Aunt has come to visit” Lily’s mom shouted from behind while standing at the door, distracting her from the moment. Drake took his eyes off her and waved her goodbye, she waved back and walked to her door.

The next day Lily left early for college, she met Drake at the corner of the street like always and walked to college with him. They chatted and Lily kept bringing the topic of the note and Drake just kept joking about it. Finally she reached the classroom and ran quickly to her place. She opened the desk and found another note waiting there for her. She picked it up and began to read “No rose for you today because I realized that the color of your cheeks when you blush makes the red rose look dull! I am so full of that smiling glance of yours from yesterday that I can’t stop smiling myself. I think I can watch you smile all day and never get tired of it. P.S I hope my note doesn’t distract you in class today!” Lily could hardly control her giggle, her cheeks were hurting from trying to suppress it. She turned back and blushed again as Brandon kept smiling at her. She made sure that Mrs. Grundy dint realize that she wasn’t paying attention in her class so as to avoid being embarrassed in front of Brandon again. After class she ran back to Drake and showed him the note. Drake just smiled and turned around to keep his books in the locker.” You have nothing to say?” Lily asked with astonishment. “No, now I just feel happier for you, till yesterday I was thinking he’s blind but now I know that he’s just color blind. You can live with that, not being able to see green and red is just a small problem right?!” he mocked. “Say what you want but he’s super cute and romantic” she defended while keeping the note back in her bag. “Maybe but he can’t be as cute and romantic as I am” Drake confidently replied. Lily just laughed and began to walk towards the gate. Drake caught up with her and turned her around by the waist “Anyone can quote such lines from movies and books, but a person who truly loves you will make you feel special even with simple words and actions. I don’t know about the color of your cheeks Lily but what I do know is that you have the most amazing blue eyes and every time I look at them I just drown into them. It’s like I can see my entire world in them. Lily could feel her heart beating really fast in her chest as she stared into Drake’s eyes. She was close enough to feel his breath on her cheeks. She had never felt this way about him before. She closed her eyes and moved ahead to kiss him and that’s when he untangled himself from her and stood in front of her taking a bow. “Thank you my audience, I know I am just too good!” he gushed while winking at Lily. She stood there for a while trying to grasp what had just happened and then shook her head as if to get herself out of that thought and started walking home, Drake laughed and followed her.

Lilly sat there on her bed with all the notes spread out in front of her. It had been almost two weeks now and today the note had finally asked her a question that she had been waiting for. “Would you like to go to the Alumina Ball with me? If yes, meet me at the cafeteria before the ball dance begins….I will be eagerly waiting for you dear.” Lily had been so happy after reading it that she had almost jumped out of her chair shouting yes and Mrs. Grundy had stared at her with a look of concern on her face. As she waited outside the class that day for Drake, Brandon had walked up to her and asked her “hey about this Saturday, are you...” and he had been interrupted by his friends who pulled him out of there for playing basketball. Drake had not talked to her the entire day and when she went over to talk to him he had told her that he dint want to know anything more about those stupid notes or about Brandon. “ I don’t know if he’s the right guy for you but I am sure about one thing and that is…I will be very jealous of the guy who earns you because you are the best that anyone can get and I can’t have the best for myself” he had replied with disappointment. Drake had been acting really weird the entire week but at some moments he had also made Lily feel like there was so much more than just friendship in between them. She somehow wasn’t happy anymore about meeting Brandon on Saturday. She asked herself a question “Am I in love with Brandon or am I just in love with the feeling of being loved by someone like him. Why had Drake’s pretentious romantic behavior affected her so much? Did she want more of him in that way?” her mind was spinning around now. She slept off with a dizzy feeling and when she woke up, she knew exactly what she had to do. She had dreamed about both of them last night and her mind had helped her clear her thoughts. She took a pen and a paper and began writing, when she finished she had a look of satisfaction on her face.

Saturday came and she got dressed up. She had bought the most beautiful gown from the La Belle boutique and when she adorned it, it made her look no less than a princess. She kept the letter safely in her purse and headed for the college. As she entered the Gate she saw the auditorium had been lighted up and ball music played through the air. People had already begun cheering for the couples. She ignored all that and walked past the corridor to the cafeteria. It was dead silent there. She reached the center and spotted a guy standing there she looked closely and her eyes widened “Drake? What are you doing here?” she asked looking dazed. He stood there staring at her saying nothing, suddenly she realized “Oh no, have…have you been writing all those notes to me? All this while it was you?” she shouted. “Yes Lily it was me” Drake accepted. “Why would you do something like that? Did you even mean them? Why dint you just tell me on my face? I…..I don’t know what to say to you!” she was gasping for words. “Hey, it’s okay, calm down. I know that it was pathetic of me to do this to you but I hadn’t meant it to go this way. I started it off as a prank, I dint know that you would start thinking of that admirer as Brandon but when you did I started to feel so jealous.” Drake continued with a look of remorse on his face “I used to hate it when you talked about him or get happy because you would think the notes were from him. I continued writing them to you because I thought eventually you will realize that maybe those notes are not what matters more, maybe Brandon doesn’t matter more than me. But you love him now I know and I understand. I got to substantiate how I really feel about you through this incident and I am sorry that I dint turn out to be your Brandon. I am sorry Lily for what I did. But I am not sorry for falling in love with you, that’s probably the best thing that has happened to me and I would never want to get over you and this feeling. I can’t be your friend anymore, I came here so that I could tell you the truth and end this torture right here. I am sorry if you lost a friend, just know that it isn’t your fault” Drake started to walk away with teary eyes. “Drake wait, I wrote this letter for Brandon for when I meet him because I knew I wouldn’t be able to tell this to him in person. Would you please at least read it once?” Lily requested “I don’t ….” Drake tried to explain. “Please Drake, for my sake, please” she insisted. Drake took the letter from her hand and began to read “Dear Brandon, I don’t know if you love me or just like me a lot but I do know that these notes from you have made me feel very special. I have never felt more wanted by anyone before but that is all that I have felt for you through these notes. I am very sorry to say this but I haven’t felt anything more than this, neither love nor infatuation. It was just your words that made me love the feeling of being wanted by someone so romantic. A very special person once told me that words and beautiful lines can be quoted from any book or movie but what really matters is what that person actually feels for you on the inside. True love can be found even in simple words and actions and I think I have found my true love in him. I am in love with that special person without him doing anything to please me because he doesn’t have to. Just being around him is enough to make me feel like I am the best a guy can get and he has got me. Rather he has earned me. I am sorry to hurt you but I am sure you will find your match someday!” Drake ran up to Lily and picked her by the waist as soon as he had finished reading it, she held his face close to hers and kissed him on his lips. He dint want to let her go ever and she wanted him to hold on to her forever. They smiled and kissed again this time more deeply. Nothing was left to be told. They had chosen each other despite the odds. This is what they call true love I guess.

That night the Ball Dance seemed even more spectacular with Lily and Drake dancing at the center staring into each other’s eyes. Both lost in the world that they could see within them. They were the envy of every couple’s eye since their bodies’ spoke of love while they danced and their faces presented the lovely feeling of warmth and happiness which comes when someone completes you not in just one but in many different ways.