Love at First Sight

Annyka was always left behind.

Her parents left her behind in the age of five on the doorsteps of an orphanage, promising her that they will be back before sundown. The sun had sunk down hours ago and still they were nowhere to be seen. They didn’t come back for her.

The next day she was noticed by one of the house help of the orphanage and they took her in.

Five years later, she was adopted by Fred Clementine; a thirty-eight year old man who owned a small bakery down Cherry Street and lived by himself. He served as a good father that Annyka never had. But I’m afraid to say that he left Annyka behind too, in the form of a car crash three days before her fourteenth birthday.

In fact, the only thing that remained constant in her life was her best friend, Eric Halvorsen; the mouth breather who lived next door, the boy who punched Cedric Notch for saying that Annyka was not worth his time, the boy who carried her home when she sprained her ankle after trying out for the cheerleading squad and comforted her when she didn’t make it in, the boy who brought her ice cream every day after her step father’s death, the boy who was present in all of Annyka’s swimming competition sand spelling bees, and the boy who was always by her side.

The boy she secretly loved the first time she set her eyes on him.

But he was soon leaving her too. He was leaving her to pursue his dream.

She knew it was selfish of her to not want him to leave; it was selfish of her to stand in the way of what Eric only wanted in life. But she couldn’t help it. She had been abandoned so many times before that she couldn’t take being abandoned again. She felt so worthless, so unimportant already and Eric leaving would only make it worse. She was scared that all those sad feelings would lead to hurting herself in extreme proportions, like as if she hasn’t done so before already.

She lied down on the dock, her feet dangling off the edge, touching the cold lake water. She stared up at the sky that was adorned of thousands of stars as she fathomed how life would be without Eric.

“It’s only for three years.” She said out loud but as she said it, tears rolled down the sides of her eyes. Three years was a long time, a very long time of being alone.

She taught about the day she would have to say goodbye to him.

The last hug.

The last smile, no, frown.

The last sayings.

She was sobbing now and she was furiously wiping her tears. I have to be strong, she thought. And then it came to her.

He was leaving her and he didn’t even know how much she was in love with him. A lot could happen in three years. He could meet a girl from one of his concerts and fall in love with her and Annyka wouldn’t have a chance.

Her sobbing continued as she could feel someone approach.

His vans era were making thumps against the old, worn out wood of the dock. She opened her eyes to see a face she would never forget even if she tried looking down on her.

“I thought I would find you here,” he said smiling softly.

She didn’t speak as he pulled her up and made her sit up. He sat beside her and they sat there for a moment just looking at the lake before them that sparkled because of the night’s star painted sky.

“I’m leav-“Annyka cut him off before she could hear the words that would break her.

“I know,” she said her voice wobbling, “Don’t say it.”

He turned sideways to watch her as tears ran down her face. He reached over and wiped her tears with his thumbs as his palms that were on her cheeks sent tingles down Annyka’s spine.

“Please, stop crying Annyka,” he said, “It pains me to know that I’m causing all this.”

She shook her head, “It’s not your fault… I’m, I’m just being stupid and clingy and…” she sniffed, “I don’t even have the right to be clingy and all this, because I’m not even… I’m-“

“What?” he said, “My girlfriend?”

She nodded. Eric let go of her face and looked out into the lake again. Annyka opened her eyes and watched him through her tear stained eyes. He looked so deep in thought; his eyebrows were furrowing and his features stern.

Annyka turned to face the lake before Eric let out a deep breath that he has been probably holding.

“Well, do you?” he said softly.

She turned sideways, facing him. As she examined him, she knew he wasn’t joking around and to be honest, she was really shock and she didn’t know what to do. Did she even hear him right? “Wha-What Eric? Do I, what?” she asked as she tripped over her words.

He turned to face her, “Do you want to be my girlfriend?” But before Annyka could answer Eric added, “Because, I don’t know how to tell you this but… I’ve been in love with you the first time I saw you. As cliché as it may seem, it’s true.” He let out a chuckle, “That’s why I was so serious when we had that debate about “Love at First Sight” at Delany’s English Class back in junior year.”

She remained silent as her brain processed what Eric had just said. He was in love with her! This was so ironic.

He looked away, “But seeing as you can’t even say anything, you don’t want to. I’m sorry if things’ll be awkward now-“
She cut him off with a kiss. A kiss that lasted a tad bit longer than a regular one. Both felt explosions as they closed the gap between them with their lips. They’ve longed for this for so long that they were going full on now.

The kiss ended and they both were out of breath.

“I guess that’s a yes then?” he said smiling widely.

She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face on it. “I hate you.”

“Why?”

“You tell me this just the day before you leave,” she says against his skin, “I’m going to miss you more.”

He pulled away from him and grinned, “What if I told you that I was planning on bringing you along?”

“I would tell you that I love you even more now than ever before.” She said.

He smiled. She smiled.

Eric was Happy. Annyka was Happy.

Annyka wasn’t going to be abandoned; she wasn’t going to be alone anymore, she was no longer sad.

Eric was happy that he no longer caused her to cry.

She had a boyfriend and he had a girlfriend.

Oh, Love at First Sight!