5

CHAPTER 5

HENRY’S POV

Well, here I am, staring at this email from Sophia for the past hour. She has always been a bright kid, full of energy and curiosity. I suspected the crush thing, you know, the typical teenager stuff. But this... this was something else. She was laying it all out, baring her feelings and thoughts.

"What am I going to do about this, oh my, this was a lot and the thought she put into this well crafted email is to be admire." 

She is so smart, so bright, so intelligent. I shrugged.

I scratched my head, trying to wrap my mind around it. Is this really happening? I mean, sure, I cared about her. She was practically like family, given her dad was my best friend. But this, it was a whole new level. She was talking about love, about being together. 

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. Who would have thought I'd be in the middle of something like this? I'm not some young stud anymore. I've got my fair share of gray hairs, and she was; well, she was vibrant and young. And I have tried to avoid the whole relationship thing for a while because of all the drama it came with. 

But there was a sincerity in her words that was hard to ignore. And the last thing I wanted was for her to get in trouble because of this. Collins would have my head if he found out. I didn't want to drag her into such a drama too, she was just a kid and didn't know how complex these things can be with adults. 

I drummed my fingers on the keyboard, contemplating my next move. It was not like I could just ignore this. Sophia deserves a response, and I couldn't avoid the fact that I need to address this, face-to-face. This wasn't something I would type up some response to her, she needed a good response and explanation why this could NEVER work. 

Decision made, I closed my laptop with a determined nod. Time to pay a visit to Sophia's school. Who would've thought I'd be playing the role of a concerned potential suitor? I laughed at my silly joke, there is no way that would even happen. 

Life really has a funny way of throwing curveballs. Let's just hope I could handle this one without striking out.

****

The school parking lot felt oddly intimidating as I pulled in. I had been here countless times before, picking up Sophia after her football practice. But today, the air seemed thick with tension. I leaned against my car, taking a deep breath to steady myself. This was not going to be an easy conversation. But it was a necessary one, I was going to be leaving for California Florida soon and that was something I needed to do before I leave. 

I spotted her in the distance, her figure moving gracefully across the field. My brow furrowed a bit as she approached, her usual cheerful smile replaced with a neutral expression. No jumping into my arms today. I swallowed hard, preparing myself for what I had to say.

"Hey, Sophia," I greeted her, my voice perhaps a bit gruffy than I intended. This wasn't the start I had hoped for. 

"Hi, Henry," she replied, her tone subdued. She knew why I was here and I was sure she had already read the expression on my face, I didn't come here to give her any good gift or great tidings. 

I cleared my throat, gathering my thoughts. "Listen, I wanted to talk to you." I sounded stern this time. 

Her response was a simple nod, her eyes flickering, she knew what I wanted to talk about but she remained quiet. 

"I received your email," I finally managed to say, my gaze fixed on her squirming face as her eyes where on the ground, waiting for me. I sighed, rubbing my nose, this was another headache. How to talk to a teenager about her infatuation? 

Sophia's silence was heavy, almost suffocating. It was like she was waiting for my verdict. It was like she knew what was coming because she crossed her arms around her stomach. I didn't want to make her sad but I needed to do this for herself. This was beyond my comprehension. 

"I appreciate your honesty," I started, I kept my hand to myself as I wanted to pat her shoulder as usual. "But Sophia, I can't—I can't reciprocate these feelings."

She immediately raised her head, her eyes, once so full of life, dulled. It was as if I had just struck a blow to her heart. I felt a pang of guilt, but I knew this was the right thing to do. She was just confused for the moment. 

"I mean, you're young, and I'm—" I trailed off, gesturing to myself.

Sophia bit her lip, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Henry, this isn't just some silly crush. It's real. I know what I feel." Her eyes were becoming teary and I felt bad for her.

I sighed, feeling the weight of the situation. "Sophia, I'm not trying to dismiss your feelings. But what you're feeling— it will fade. Trust me."

She shook her head, her determination unwavering. "No, it won't. I've thought about this. I've thought about you." She was still trying to be strong but I could feel her melting from ice to water. 

I scrunched my nose at her sincerity, she was still a kid, it'd fade away soon. "Sophia, you need to understand. Instead of putting your energy into pursuing something like this, why not focus on your schoolwork? Your grades could be even better." I know she was already a straight-A student but there wa always more that she can do. 

She looked at me with a mixture of frustration and sadness. "You're missing the point, Henry. This isn't about grades or school. It's about what's in my heart." she moved closed but I pulled myself to the side and gave her a faint smile so she would know the distance, I needed to draw the line. 

I sighed, my resolve hardening. "I know it feels that way now, but trust me, it will change." I lowered my voice. 

Tears welled up in her eyes, her voice cracking. "You're wrong. I know myself."

I could feel the tension between us, the weight of her emotions clashing with my reasoning. "Sophia, please try to understand. There's a lot you haven't experienced yet. This will pass." I have had a lot of women crush head over hills for me, there were even much more older than her, but when they saw I pay no attention to it, they eventually moved on to their own life. 

She wiped away a tear, her voice shaking as she protested, "It won't. It won't ever change."

I knew I had to be firm, for both our sakes. "Sophia, I need you to listen. You're young, and what you're feeling is intense. But it will change as you grow, as you experience more of life."

Her gaze met mine, a feeling of frustration and hurt in her eyes. "You're wrong about this, Henry."

Silence hung in the air, heavy and unyielding. I knew she needed time to process, time to come to terms with what I had said. Without another word, I simply said, "Goodbye, Sophia," and turned to enter my car.

I drove away, I stole a glance at her through the rearview mirror. Her teary eyes haunted me, a reminder of the difficult decision I had made of keeping my distance from her. it was for the best to make her realised it was just a teenager crush, it would fade away. 

This was it, I did all I could and all I just had to do was to leave this town. And I did just that, almost immediately. 

----PRESENT-----

I received a call from Collins, it is always nice hearing from him.

"Hey man what's up," I greeted. 

"Great, I am in a hurry, want to catch a flight, I just wanted to inform you that Sophia would be coming to stay with you, she got into UCLA and would need somewhere to stay and I suggested your place to be perfect for her," he was talking fast as my brow quirked, trying to process what he just said. 

Sophia coming to stay with me, what an epic disaster waiting to happen?