Do I Love Her?

I smiled and again watched her video. Suddenly the door opens. I am shocked.

"Dad! What are you doing?" I asked him surprisingly. Because he was standing there with a smirk.

"Hii." He casually came inside and sat on the bed.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked me after seeing my expression.

"You scared me." And my mom came in.

"Why are you scaring my son?" My mom scolds him teasingly.

"Oh I didn't mean to scare him but I saw him smiling at his phone."

Oh no he did see it?

"Maybe he saw something funny." My mom defended me.

"I don't think so." My dad told my mom with a smirk.

"You always accuse my son." Mom starts patting my head

I love them so much. They are so caring. I'm the only child for them.

"Ok fine. Your son is innocent. Ask him to show what he was smiling at." My dad said.

"Why should he show you? You don't need to show it, dear." My mom told me.

"It's fine ma. There is nothing to hide between you guys." And I show Nia's video to them.

"She is so pretty." Mom said,

"Yes," I said with a smile.

"Who is she?" Dad asked me.

"Oh, she is my new friend. We are sitting together and we are in the same club." I told him.

"Club? Which one?" Dad suspiciously asked me.

"Music club," I said casually.

"But you don't know anything about music and you don't sing either. Then why did I join the music club?" Mom asked me.

Yeah, that's true. Why did I join a music club? I have no idea about it. I just joined because of her.

"Actually… I joined the club because of her. Because I am new here and I don't have many friends. She is a nice girl. So I joined her." Somehow I try to answer her question even if the answer is not accurate.

"Do you love her?" Dad asked this question. I was shocked. Mom looked at me shocked.

"Do you love her?" Mom also asked me.

I don't know why I can't answer this question. Do I love her?

"No. We are just friends." I told them but I am still confused. Are we just friends?

Dad and mom start laughing. I am already confused. This makes me even more confused.

"Ok. Fine." They said in unison.

"Ok. Both of you come down. The dinner is ready." Mom said and left.

My dad is still there. He looked at me. Then he was leaving the room. Then he turned back and looked at me once more.

"Think about it again." And he left the room.

I didn't say anything. I don't know what happened here.

Why did he say that? Do I love her? No no no we are just friends. That's it.

*Next day*

*On the bus stop*

*Harry's Pov*

I am standing on the bus stand waiting for the bus. Nia texted me that the bus is getting near my stop.

Within seconds the bus arrived.

I got onto the bus and I saw Nia sitting near the window seat and asked me to sit near her. But before I went there someone else came and sat near her.

She used a sad face which looked funny.

I laughed and said that I am fine.

Then she plugged the earphone again. She looked outside the window and enjoyed the music.

I looked at her and enjoyed looking at her. Literally, I am staring at her. She caught me. Oh no!

She saw me staring at her. Then she smiled at me. My stomach twisted inside. I don't know why whenever she smiles it happens. I just stopped looking at her.

After a few minutes, we reached our school. Without looking at her I get off the bus. Start walking slowly. She ran to me and held my hand.

"Where are you going?" She asked me curiously.

"Nowhere." Then we heard someone calling her.

We saw Emma coming towards us. Nia leaves my hand. Her face changed from a happy to a sad one.

"Nia… I…" She is trying to speak. But she didn't know what to say or how to say what she was trying to say.

"Yes, Emma. What do you want to say?" Nia asked or acted s nothing happened.

"Nia that day…" She tried to say but Nia acted like she was in a hurry.

"That's fine." She turned.

"No. That's not fine at all."

I thought she was going to say sorry about what happened that day. But I was wrong.

"You have asked sorry that day itself. Then the problem will be solved. Instead of that, you started talking against her. That makes her mad. So today you go and apologize to her." She said without any shame.

"What?" I asked her, disbelieving what she had said.

"And why did you get involved in this? Because of you, it gets worse." I saw Nia. She was shockingly looking at Emma.

"Why are you acting like this? Why should she apologize to your friend?" I asked her angrily.

"Because I care for her. If she doesn't apologize they will treat her badly." She said,

"Oh, you care for me," Nia asked her. I know her heart breaks.

"Ye,s I do," Emma said it.

"Thank you for caring about me. Bye." she turns back

"And one more thing I won't apologize to you friend." She turned and said it to Emma.

"Why are you doing this? If you ask sorry to hear, all the problems will be solved." Yet Emma didn't understand how Nia was feeling.

"She won't apologize to anyone." Then I grabbed Nia's hand and walked away from there.

Then I leave her hand and walk into our class. Then we saw our seat was empty. Tina went to her place. So we go and sit in our seats. Then I saw Nia. She was a little upset but not showing up outside. Then I give her chocolate from my pocket. She looked at me.

"Is today your birthday?" She asked me.

"No. I had chocolate in my pocket so I gave it to you." I told her. She nodded and broke it into half and gave it to me. We smiled at each other.

*After a few minutes*

The class was going on. I am so bored. Then I look at Nia. She looked outside the window. I don't know what she sees outside the window. She always looks outside the window when she is on the bus or in class.

Then the bell rang. We just go outside to the playground for this break.

One boy came to me and said that our teacher asked to meet him at his office. So I left Nia there and I followed that boy.

When I was in the teacher's office. He asked me to bring some certificates tomorrow. Because I am new I have given some of the certificates to the school.

While I was talking to the teacher. I saw Nia through the window. She was sitting on the bench. Smiled inside.

I was about to leave the office when I saw that she had fallen because of Emma's friends. They push her onto the ground. I don't know what to do. Then leave the office and rush to her. When I came to the spot she was not there. Where did she go? I started looking for her everywhere.

*Nia's Pov*

Harry goes to the staffroom. Now I am sitting on the bench near the playground. Then I saw Emma's friends coming towards me. One of her friends, her name is Sarah, is the one who asked me to say sorry. She sits near me.

"You're so arrogant nowadays. You got the courage to speak against me. You thought that Harry would always be there to protect you." She said but that's true.

"Apologize to her, now!" One of the girls in the group said.

"Why should I?" I asked them.

"Fine. You don't have to apologize." Sarah said and pulled my hair. The bell rang. I push her harshly and stand up. And then they push me to the ground. My knees hurt. They laughed and walked away.

I struggle to get up and go to the restroom to clean myself. For some time I sat there. I don't want to go outside. Then my phone started ringing. I take the phone. It's Harry.

*On phone*

"Hello hello. Nia. Where are you? I searched for you the whole school." He was tense and heavily breathing. Why did he search for me?

"I'm in the restroom. What happened to Harry? Why are you breathing so heavily? Are you running?" I asked as if nothing happened.

"You are okay right?" He asked with concern. My heart melts.

"Yeah, I am totally fine," I assured him.

"Okay. Come to the rooftop now." He said.

"The class was going on. Where did you go without going to class? You go to class I will also come there."

"Come to the rooftop. NOW!" He ordered me to cut the call.

Then I sighed and saw blood on my knees. I go to the rooftop and there is no one there.

In a few seconds, the door busted open revealing Harry. He ran towards me and hugged me. I freeze in my place. I don't know what to do.

"Are you okay?" He asked me without breaking the hug.

I didn't say anything because I was shocked. He broke the hug and cupped my face and asked again.

"Are you okay?" With more concern.

"Yes," I said softly.

Then he hugged me tightly. I didn't hug back. What happened to him? Why is he behaving like this? I felt like a butterfly in my stomach at first but now it's like an eagle flying inside my stomach. He breaks the hug again.

"What happened?" He asked me.

"Nothing," I said casually.

"Nia. Don't lie to me." He demanded.

"I accidentally fell, that's all," I told him. I just don't want him to get involved in this problem again.

"Accidentally? Then what about this." He showed me his phone. A video of Sarah and friends pushing me and making me fall.

"Did they even record it?" I asked him. Then he grabbed my shoulders.

"Why did you lie to me, Nia?"

"Harry, that … I.." I try to speak but I can't form the words.

"Harry, I don't want you to get involved in any problem. That's why I…" He starts speaking without letting me finish.

"You lied to me. I don't know why but it hurt Nia." He said with hurtful eyes.

"Harry, I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry." Oh no. I hurt him.

"Don't talk to me." Then he started leaving.

"Harry. I'm so sorry. I don't mean to hurt you. Please talk with me. You know I have no friends."

"But you lied to your friend." "But Harry.."

He noticed the dust in your uniform.

"Did you get hurt?" He asked me.

"I'm sorry Harry." He starts checking.

My hands and then he saw blood on my knees. His eyes widened. Without saying anything he dragged me to the nurse's room. There's no one there. Then make me sit on the bed. He took the first-aid box and started treating my wounded knee. I hissed in pain. He looked at me.

"I'm sorry." He murmured.

After putting medicine on it. Now he is going to put a bandage on it. He is so caring.

"Harry," I called. He hummed in response.

"I'm so sorry. I won't lie to you again. Please forgive me and talk with me. please."

"Ok." He said.

"You forgave me?" He hummed.

"Will you talk with me?" He hummed again.

"I am happy now." He looked at me

"With these wounds?" He asked me.

"Yes," I said with a smile.

"What?" He looked at me confused.

I laughed at his reaction. Then he sit beside me and said,

"I won't leave you alone. This world is so dangerous for you. I will protect you from everyone and everything."

We still look into each other's eyes.

"I will be beside you. Forever. I promise that."

Now my heart starts beating so fast.