Chapter Two

Amelia Scott's p.o.v;

Hannah returned to her game after cursing me for a time. I sighed as I stared at Hannah. Thank goodness she had no idea I was joking about my leg sprain. I didn't want to get into a confrontation with Andrew like our parents did with their neighbours.

I put on my earbuds and began listening to music from my playlist. I grabbed 'You Are the Reason' from my playlist, set it to repeat, and began listening.

I sat back in my seat and bent my head to the left, where I noticed Andrew and his pals sitting in the front. He was conversing and joking with his pals, and he appeared to be content. I grinned when I saw him smiling around his buddies. Why am I happy when you are smiling like that?

Aside from our parents battling about nearly everything, there is a secret that no one knows about. Want to hear it? Okay, I'll say it to you but promise me that you won't tell him. I have feelings for Andrew Campbell, who is supposed to be my rival since childhood.

It all started while we were in fifth grade and attending summer camp. Our parents both joined Andrew and me at summer camp to compete for the most badges in the summer camp. I, too, despised him for no apparent reason until it happened.

My leg was injured when passing across a stream while on a walk with my teammates. My gang's scouts had already fled when I was hurt and fell into the stream. When I tried to reach out, they were already a long distance away. I tried to stand, but I slipped again due to the agony in my left leg and the rushing water.

Someone grabbed my hand and wrapped it around the person's neck. I looked up to see who it was.

“Andrew?”

He helped me get on my feet, and we crossed the water and stepped onto the land together. I grabbed it and stood on my own. The words he uttered that day are still etched in my mind, and they were the first things he ever said to me aside from nonsense.

"It doesn't mean that if our parents battled, we should too," he remarked.

Back to reality, I saw him while sitting in my seat. I'm not sure if he recalls it, but I remember what happened that day well. Every second, every word he said to me. It feels like it happened just yesterday. I believe that was the point at which I began to like him. Since that day, I've competed with him not to win against him, but to be beside him and see him.

Because our rooms are opposite each other in the house, I could see his room via the window in my room. I had always admired him from my room, which was technically termed sneaking through the window. Through the glass, I noticed his numerous sides and feelings, such as happiness, sadness, emotion, and excitement. When he's happy, he'll whirl around his room like a wild man, put on loud music, and dance in the opposite direction of the beats. I enjoy his dancing, despite the fact that he is terrible at it. When he's depressed, he won't even turn on the lights in his room and won't come out of his room at all. When he's excited, he cleans and arranges his belongings till he's exhausted. He has a lot of musical instruments in his room, but he only plays the cello. I sit beside my window and listen to him play the cello till he stops. I really enjoy his playing. I sometimes surreptitiously record the music when he's playing his cello and listen to it later. I know it was childish, but I liked it. It's known as unrequited love. Love? Did I go too far? I burst out laughing. This love is unlike any others. I've liked him since he helped me at summer camp, which means I've liked him since I was a child. Perhaps it's puppy love? Hahaha.

Back to the reality,

While I was watching him converse with his friends, Andrew abruptly turned towards me. I was taken aback and turned away from him to look at my phone. 'Did he see me?' I wondered.

I slowly peered at him after a while, and he was talking with his pals again. I breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't notice me. I enjoyed seeing him in this position. Being in my own world and seeing the person I admire from a distance is sufficient for me.

"What are you dreaming about? We've gotta get down. Move!” Hannah's remarks jolted me out of Andrew's fancy world that I had created.

"Have we already arrived?"

"Look for yourself," she remarked as she pointed.

And when I looked out, I saw that it was our campus. I stood up from my seat, proceeded to the door, and got off the bus with a nervous laugh. Hannah followed me down the stairs.

"I believe we'll be late for Mr Dawson's class." Hannah suddenly grabbed my hand and said, "Wait."

"What?"

"You're moving nicely. What became of that sprain?"

“Really? Oh, yeah. My legs are in good condition."

"Did you actually get sprained before boarding the bus?"

I laughed nervously and answered, "Yeah, who would fake pain, lol? I believe it has improved, but I still have some pain in my ankle." And then laughed again.

When I started walking with Hannah, I looked around for Andrew, who was going ahead of me with his pals.

"Come on, it's getting late," I told Hannah as we made our way to our faculty. Western music.

"I intend to ride our college bus every day, not only on the first days of the week."

“Really? Please attend. It's so dull without you. When you're not there, those guys from Andrew's gang always tease me, and I'm sick of it. You are my salvation."

"Stop speaking bullshit," I laughed. It's not as if I invited them to a brawl. "Did you forget I'm an introvert?"

"Be introverted in your own eyes!" But be an extrovert in their presence!"

"Did you understand what that meant?"

"Why do I need to know?"

“Argh! Leave it alone! It would be a waste of time to explain it to you. You'll forget about it anyway."

"Set it away. Don't reconsider taking the bus. Every day, tag me on the bus. You stated it yourself. Remember?”

"I will." Said as I looked at Andrew, who was walking in front of me.

"Then, let's not be in the back," she said as she grabbed my hand and started running. We'll arrive at class before them."

"We're not in the same class as them!"

She didn't listen to me and grabbed me before sprinting through Andrew and his companions to our class. While we were in front of them, Hannah yelled to Andrew and his buddies, "We'll always be the first!" as she dashed to class. Andrew smirked when I looked at him. That was adorable! I'd die for that. After all, Andrew Campbell is my crush.

It's the secret I've been keeping for all these years and the years to come.