24 An 'I Do' Moment

Austin wrote his phone number for me, to call him after I reach my home. He wanted to make sure that if I reached home safe. When I got up from my seat to get down from the bus, an old woman also got up from her seat to get down and slowly walked towards the exit door, I gave her way and stood behind her. While she got down the bus, she almost slipped from the steps and I held her hand to support her.

After we both got down, she thanked me and left. It was then I realised that the paper I had been holding in my hand was missing. I looked around but found nothing. I didn't understand what to do since I lost the paper he gave me. I reached home with a long face and directly went to my room, I remember that I didn't even have my dinner, I was upset.

The very next day, I went early to school to apologize him and explain him.

"I lost the paper you gave me and I couldn't call you yesterday," I apologized to Austin.

"That's alright since you reached home safely, there is nothing to be sorry in that," he replied nonchalantly.

It was only me who felt bad and couldn't sleep the entire night but the person in front was least bothered that I didn't call him. I thought he waited for my call. I was kinda upset but at the same time I knew that I cannot expect things from him since he doesn't feel for me the way I do for him.

A few weeks later, I had final exams followed by our summer vacation and then reopening of our school. Everything happened quick.

I went to the school with Rachel on the first day after reopening of our school. Since we were kids we went to school together and even now.

Thankgod, there was no shuffling of classes this year. Rachel, Justin, Austin and I are in same class this year too.

I hope that everything goes well this year and wish I could get a chance to confess my love for Austin. I don't know if I will ever be able to gather my courage and tell him my feelings for him.

Every year we have investiture ceremony in our school. It was a prestigious event held by our school. On that day, the young students who were selected as leaders take an oath to perform their duties with honesty and sincerity in front of the school students.

It has become really difficult for me to have a conversation with Austin after he became school president. Whenever we had an eye contact we either give a greeting smile to each other or ignore, I felt like things were going back to square one.

I was called by my teacher a week before investiture ceremony, she asked me if I could give an announcement speech on that day. I said that I would, without a second thought.

The very next day, my English teacher gave me the speech which she wrote. Two years ago, I never dared to participate in any events, but things are different now. I take part in every event.

Sometimes I feel that nothing has changed in my life but when I look back, I realise that many things have changed. From the day I decided to be in the top list to this day I changed a lot and the things around me changed too.

On the day of investiture ceremony, I was on the dais to announce the names of the cabinet leaders. I called out Austin's name and he marched onto the dais and stood beside our principal. I stood at a corner after I announced his name, a teacher called me and gave me a tray in which there was a badge and a slash. On the badge, I saw Austin's name and below his name it was printed School pupil leader.

I took the tray and stood beside our principal to face Austin. It was Austin's turn to take an oath. While he was taking oath only one thing was on my mind.

The day when I first saw him, he was on the dais and gave his speech while I was among the audience but now, I stood in front of him while he took his oath as student body president.

Standing in front of our principal facing eachother felt like an 'I do' moment near the altar.

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From a girl who saw her crush giving speech for the first time sitting among the crowd, to the girl who stood in front of him on the dais while he took the oath, made Jessica have a kind of satisfying feeling at that time. The twenty four year old Jessica was too embarrassed to read the last sentence. She was a teenager and such were her thoughts at that time.