1 1. ONE LOVE.

Do you ever had feelings for someone so intense, you want to give it away or just to make you feel better, sell it off? Like, if you would give it away for free you'll gain nothing right? But if you have it sold you will have money, to spare your ill feelings. And YOU could be richer, you would go shopping, eat in a nice restaurant, travel the world and simply forget your feelings for him.

Haha. But who would buy your complicated feelings, Ria? That's not so simple. And worse, it's impossible.

I open my eyes in shock. "This ain't true." I get out of my bed, fix myself in a hurry, put some clothes on, secure my backpack, grab a toast from the table and ride my bike, heading to my new school. My aunt shouts my name from the background telling me it's too damn early but I don't care. I had to get there.

It's the first day of my junior year actually. And yes, the sun is just rising from the sky. I don't know exactly what time it is but my dream tells me I have to do this now. Because if that was true, I have to prepare myself. I'm lucky our apartment is just a few blocks away from my new school.

I just need the confirmation right away.

I park my bicycle somewhere under a shade of a tree by the entrance of the school and run towards the hallway. The janitor, Mr. Danny in his nameplate, yells at me, "Hey, Miss, you know what time is this?" But I just run past the old man holding a mop, searching for my destination. I look for the room number according to my dream and when I find it, I read through the list of names posted in the bulletin just outside the room. These names of students will be in the same class together. I immediately notice my friends' names, Chloe and Seann then my name, Maria Leticia Albey. I drag my finger down the list hoping I won't see his name until there it is.

Keith Benjamin Devail.

The world crashes before me. No, no, no, this can't be true. I take a step back from the bulletin and shake my head in disbelief. He is here, and he is my classmate.

I go back outside to check my bike and find it where I left it. As expected there is no other student in this school besides me. I look up and feel the rising sun seemingly laughing at me.

Or I'm just going nuts. My God, what shall I do?

I then find myself sitting on the stairs below the entrance door. I dial Chloe's number in my phone. "Where are you?"

"Home, of course." Chloe answers. "I'm getting ready. What is it, Ree?" I can hear her munching on something. "And oh, good morning!"

"I'm here at school already."

"What?! Wait. This early?" Chloe chokes on her food. "Did you bump your head with something? What made you - "

"Chloe, HE is going to be our classmate." I tell her.

"Who?"

"Keith."

"W-what? Are you sure?" I reply yes. "Oh, Jesus. You're dead." Chloe says sarcastically.

"I know....Bring me food, I'm hungry."

"Okay. Wait for me, sis." Then she hang up.

Minutes turn to hour and I have never moved from the same spot. Faculties or teachers look at me and some asked me why I came so early. I just told them I WAS this excited about my new school. But of course, I am not. Not anymore.

I never had a dream that came true before, nor did I ever had a so-called dream. I seldom do, like once or twice in a year, that's as far as I can remember. Somehow I like to thank my dream for giving me time to prepare for possible things. (First, selling my feelings, now thanking my dream. Stupid mind.) Anyway I have to find a place for Chloe and I to think of a plan before the class finally starts.

I send her a text to hurry up and meet me in the cafeteria, to which she replied with -I'm almost there-

I arrive at the cafeteria and finds a fat lady in the counter watching me suspiciously. I take a seat, my back to her. Exactly an hour before the class starts, Chloe comes to me, panting.

"You have to apologize to him, Ria." Chloe immediately says when she takes her seat.

"I...I can't. I can't even look at him from embarassment. You really want me to talk to him?"

"That's the only thing I can think of while on my way here."

"He's mad at me."

"That's why you need to apologize!" Chloe says hopelessly.

"Let me think about it, okay. But first, what have you got there?" I ask, my stomach rumbling.

"I have sandwiches here."

As I eat and silence fall between me and Chloe, my mind drifts to the past, to what exactly happened some months ago.

Keith arrived as a transferee student in my last year in middle school. Unruly hair, piercing eyes and evil-ish smile, an air of arrogance and authority, lots of friends BUT - he doesn't talk to girls. I heard he hates girls above all and whatever his reason is, it made him known for that. Yeah I used to think before but rumors said he was not gay, he just saw girls as dirt and so low and he doesn't want to have business with them. I honestly didn't see him talking to one, or maybe whenever he is around I don't really pay attention to him and his whereabouts. One of my classmates then, happens to be my seatmate, crushes on him as she finds him the hottest guy she had ever seen, so that's how I came to know Keith. Ever since that day, every encounter with him is still on my mind up to this day. I never forget everything.

Our first eye-to-eye encounter happened the day I wore a cute denim jacket my uncle gifted me and I was feeling good that day - I was all smiles. On my way to the library I came across Keith's group then in the hallway and one of his friends greeted me. "Hi, Ria! Nice to see you smiling. You look great..greater!" Then another guy nudged his friend. My smile faded slightly. "Thanks." I am still not used to compliments even if - not to brag - my numbers get asked politely multiple times. I always treat myself ordinary, that's how I look at it. "Mind if you give me your number now?" Yeah, this one asked for the third time already. I smiled at him. "Sorry..no." I felt him getting embarassed for the third time, too. When I turned to walk away, I felt an intense stare and that was the time I caught Keith's eyes on me. I have felt the hatred everybody's talking about, and also maybe he felt bad at me for his rejected friend. I was the one who looked away first. That was the moment I realized he hated girls but he allowed himself to stare at them, like he did to me.

Since that day, I always wondered if that was really possible, a guy who dislikes girl, didn't he want a girlfriend? or simply just a girl friend? I wonder what made Keith think like that.

After that, he caught me staring at him in school for many times. Nope I'm not crushing on him that time, just wondering how people like him live.

Then that day happened. It was weekend when I decided to go to the park and to practice with my newly bought bicycle. My aunt and uncle thought I would be needing it soon after middle school. Because my next school would be just a few meters away and biking is convenient for me. I had rode bikes before but a new one needs practicing, right?

I was riding my new bike and I was nearing the park when suddenly a gray car drove to my right slowly. The car windows are open and I saw Keith's face from the driver's seat. I gasp in amazement. That's when I lose my balance and I fell. I cried in pain when my legs and arms suffered wounds. It was really a bad fall. The gray car ahead stopped and Keith went out, smug-faced. "You, okay?"

He was walking closer to me. No, I've seen this in movies. Don't offer me you car. Don't...please, I don't want to -

"Hop in my car, I don't have first aid kits so... I'll take you home." Oh, my God. "You think you can stand and walk a little?"

"No, I'm fine! Just go."

"Don't give me a 'No' again." What? What did he say? "Wait, I'll get my car here closer."

My heart dropped. Then beat like I have never experienced before. And it beat faster when Keith scooped me in his arms just when I'm struggling to stand. I was never that close to a guy that all I did was close my eyes from embarassment. Now I wish I didn't.

He quickly tied my bike with a rope on top of his car. Beside him on the driver's seat, I asked him as he drove. "Why are you doing this? I thought you hate....us?"

"I saw you in my side mirror with your mouth wide open when you saw me and I feel responsible for your accident. Don't say thanks."

"No. If you really do hates us you could've left me there and laugh at it instead of pulling over."

"I said, don't say No!" I was taken aback by his words, I'm confused. "My friend clearly likes you and you still won't give your number. That's one of the reasons I hate creatures like you."

Wow. Creatures. Like I'm some kind of a turtle or a plant. "Well....I - "

He gave me his phone with a dialer. "Your number. I will delete it after I gave it to him."

I looked at him and wondered again how beautifully sculpted his face is, her new set of ear piercings and adored him by how much he cared for his friend and me. I dialled my number. I asked him why he won't meet my eye the entire time we were together. He said I irritated him. The five minute ride felt forever. He dropped me at our apartment and while he entangled my bike from his car, I said. "Thank you. I hope I can repay you next time."

"Don't bother. Just one thing." He moved closer to me and this time looked me in the eye. "Don't ever talk to me again or touch me, you understand?" Suddenly he turned colder and I swallowed. I realized his words were more painful than these wounds. I thought we could be closer.

"I promise." Then he left me with mixed emotions.

That was the time I realized I was crushing on him. He was always on my mind, and also his spiteful words. I have tried to fight back the feelings but day by day I only wanted to see him, get close to him. I told Chloe and Seann about my feelings a month before graduation. Two weeks after, Seann brought me news he heard Keith was going overseas to study highschool and I would never see him again. I didn't want to accept that. What about my feelings for him? Then I decided to do one brave thing as something to remember on my middle school. I couldn't let things pass by like that. On our graduation night ball I decided to confess my feelings for Keith. I had Seann to request him to meet me at the back of school and he showed up. Chloe and Seann was there hiding in the bushes. For extra courage I drank a couple of beer. Then I confessed to him everything, my feelings. He just stand there, hands in his pocket and clearly not amused.

When I was done he said, "Is that all? That's the most nonsense thing I have ever heard. I told you never EVER talk to me again. Rubbish creatures." He turned around and walked away. Suddenly I reached for him and gave him a back hug. He stopped. "You...I don't have enough time for you. Quit it - "

That's when my stomach turns sour and I puke at him, in his back while hugging him. That was my last memory of him. Chloe told me I fainted and Seann carried me away from the scene. I was so drunk they said. Chloe told me Keith's last message to me was YOU'RE DEAD and he was so angry that time she thought he was gonna kill us three if he had a weapon.

I woke up crying from humiliation and sadness that I will never see him again and it was a bad ending for us. I was really embarassed.

Back in cafeteria, Chloe snaps her fingers in front of me, and my senses awaken. "Ria, I know there's a part of you that is happy to see Keith."

I look at her and I realize I have to agree with Chloe. But then again, if Keith sees me I am so sure he will curse me and that will be the death of me. To have someone you loved hate you is the worst.

An hour again pass by and Seann's presence doesn't help. When it's about time, the three of us head to our classroom. My heart pounding with mixed emotions or feelings, embarassment, excitement, sadness, guilt, etc.

That's when his face appears before me. Right there, a few meters away from me in the hallway is the devil, Keith Devail. He catches my eyes too and his expression turns scornful, indignant. I have never had someone angry at me like the way he is showing. This is bad. He did not forget and he is clearly not happy to see me.

Somebody help me.