Life is going back to normal. For one I got a new job, that I love very much. I work in an essential oil shop. I am surrounded by amazing smells all the time. I’m happy to be back but this means the world is slowly creeping into my lived fantasy. The bubble Oliver and I have created. We are living in this beautiful fantasy. I can feel things shifting. I can feel people talking to me differently. They notice me more, I am no longer the wallflower I once was. I’m moving differently now. I have an innate confidence that comes with knowing that my life is going well. I am embracing what life is giving me and I love the way everything feels. It feels right. Oliver and I are doing great. The talk we had the other night helped put a lot into perspective. Neither of us feels unsure about where we stand, we both know what is expected in this relationship. I love that for us. But I’m still nervous about going back into the real world. I am afraid to experience what it’s going to be like for us
Jameson knows now. I sigh in relief. He knows how much I’ve wanted this. We talked about how I can take things to the next level with Ryo so many times. We spent hours trying to figure her out. Needless to say none of the plans we had never worked but he never gave up. He gave me so much advice on how to get here. To this place where I can share the amazing night I had with her. It’s still mind-boggling to me that I’m here, I can’t believe it. And the look on his face says the same thing. I want to ask him why he looks like that but I’m not sure if I want to hear the answer. I’ve known Jameson long enough to know when he’s about to tell me something I don’t want to hear. He has this serious look on his face like he’s about to ruin my day. I really don’t want to hear what he has to say because I already have my own, misgivings about my situation with Ryo. I don’t need my best friend reminding me of the many ways this could go wrong. My own mind is a great reminder of all that. I try
I walk into the kitchen and drop my bag on the island with a bang. I walk to the fridge and take out a water bottle. Today felt like a battle. I can’t believe Trevor came at me like that. I know why he did it, I’m the one that ghosted him and then popped up with another dude. That was very low of me and probably trying to figure everything out. But I would prefer if he figured stuff out far away from me. I don’t have the capacity to deal with the drama. I close the fridge and take a long swig of the water. As soon as the water hits my throat I thank the heavens for this small pleasure. Nothing beats cold water after a long day of work.“Is everything okay?” My mother asks walking into the kitchen. The water in my throat goes in the wrong direction and I start coughing. I bend over trying not to die. She quickly comes to my side patting my back softly to help the water get out of my airway. “What’s going on?” She asks concern written all over her face. “You’ve been so jumpy lately.” S
Ry Are you asleep?It’s 10 pm after allPatient O Nope.I’ve been waiting patiently for your call Ry You can’t be thinking about driving all the way here It’s late O Patient O Yes I amI’ll see you in 30 minutes Ry Please drive safely Patient O Always 30 minutes laterPatient O I’m outside I hope you didn’t fall asleepI don’t want to drive all the way back without seeing you
“I promised you a date so…” Oliver says opening his car door for me. I smile at him for being so gentle with me. I get into the passenger seat and watch him walk around to the driver’s side. He gets in and smiles at me. “Are you ready?” He asks starting the car. He puts it into drive and we’re on our way. He texted me this morning telling me to get ready. I tried so hard to get him to tell me what we’re doing for our date but he’s been mum the whole day.He’s pretty good at planning these dates but I am feeling anxious. I decided to be present and enjoy every moment I have with him but there are times like now when I feel anxiety take over me. I want to at least know where we’re going. We live in a small town so I can guess what the date is if he just gives me a hint.“I don’t know what I’m getting ready for. You don’t want to tell me what the date is about remember?” I say
“I can smell water.” I say when Oliver comes to stop. I take in a deep breath, yep. I can definitely smell water.“Okay. It’s time to take this thing off.” He says taking the blindfold off. I take a few seconds to readjust to the light. I look around and smile when I see the boat in front of me. I almost scream when my brain makes sense of the beauty that’s in front of me. “Is this our date?” I ask staring at him. He smiles nodding at me.“I thought we could have a day on the water. Get a dose of the fresh air and hopefully have fun.” He says taking my hand in his. We start walking to the boat. I’ve never been on a boat on a lake before. This is incredible.“Who’s going to drive the boat?” I ask as he helps me get on.“I’m going to be driving.” He says surprising me.“So you just happen to know how to drive a boat.” I state and he nods. “So what do I do now?” I ask feeling a little out of place. This is the part of Oliver’s world I know nothing about. I don’t know anything about boa
“And by all of this you mean the boat money?” He asks smiling at me awkwardly. I nod and he sighs looking in the far distance. “This is a part of who I am. I want to be in a relationship with you as who I really am and that includes this.” He says looking back at me.“So are you saying that I need to get used to it or…” I say and he shakes his head.“It’s not an ultimatum.” He says touching my face softly. “It’s just a fact.” He says and I nod. “A fact that has held me back from truly showing myself to the people I’ve dated in the past.” He adds and I can see regret in his eyes. “My father’s money is the first thing people see when I look at them.” He says and I remember the way I saw him before I knew him. First I saw him as a playboy, then I saw him as a spoilt playboy. I’m happy to say that I was wrong. But now that he’s showing me his world in full I can’t help but feel like I will fall short. I’m a normal girl, I don’t have the luxury of owning a boat or even spending a day on a
“Today I’m the one taking you on a date.” Ryo says smiling at me excitedly. She smiles as we walk into her mother’s plant room. I smile back at her feeling like the luckiest guy alive. The past two weeks have been the best time of my life. I’ve been going on multiple dates and for the first time in my life I’m enjoying dating. I look forward to these dates with her. I always look forward to planning them, the exciting anticipation leading up to the date and the actual dates are always a dream. “I feel like this is turning into a competition.” I say and she turns nodding at me. I laugh because that’s not the point of us having these dates. I look around at the plants feeling so happy. There’s so much magic in this room. I need to convince my parents to create a room like this at the house. I bet it would do wonders for all our moods. Maybe we would get along better. “Oh. It most definitely is. I’m having fun trying to out-plan you on these dates.” She says and I shake my head at her h
As I head back to my room, the cozy feeling from the movie night fades, replaced by a growing sense of dread. I know Savannah won't let this slide. I try to shake off the anxiety, reminding myself that it's not a crime to talk to someone, but deep down, I know this will be more complicated than that.When I reach my dorm room, I take a deep breath, preparing for the confrontation I know is coming. Just as I turn the doorknob, I hear the unmistakable click of heels behind me. I turn slowly to see Savannah, her arms crossed and her expression as icy as ever."Marlene," she says, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Do you have a minute?"I nod, feeling my heart rate quicken. "Sure, Savannah. What's up?"She steps closer, invading my personal space. "What do you think you’re doing with Adrian?" Her tone is low, but the threat is clear.I take a step back, trying to create some distance. "We were just watching the movie. It’s not a big deal.""Not a big deal?" Savannah repeats, her e
It's movie night and every student in the dorms is summoned to come and watch. I would rather be sleeping right now but the headmistress made it clear that we have to be here. The common room is buzzing with excitement. The lights are dimmed, and the scent of popcorn fills the air. Students are chattering as they find seats, some on the couches, others on the floor, creating a cozy, makeshift theater.I choose a quiet corner, my back against the wall and a thick blanket draped over my shoulders. I prefer this spot for its unobtrusiveness, allowing me to watch without being the center of attention. As the opening credits roll, I relaxed slightly, hoping to blend into the background.But my hopes are dashed when Adrian walks in, his presence immediately drawing the attention of the room. He scans the area, his eyes quickly finding me. With a confident stride, he makes his way towards me, carrying a bag of popcorn and two sodas."Mind if I join you?" he asks,
The first week at St. Hilda’s passes in a blur of classes and unfamiliar faces. I keep my head down, focusing on my studies and staying out of trouble. Despite Adrian’s unexpected attention, I’ve managed to remain invisible, just the way I planned.It’s Friday afternoon, and I’m sitting under a tree in the courtyard, reading a book for my literature class. The sun filters through the leaves, creating shadows on the ground. I’m finally starting to
My parents dropped me off at the school dorms a day ago and I've been layng low since. The girl's accomodations is about 5 km away from the main campus and today is the first day I''m seeing it and the other day students.The bus ride to the new boarding school feels like a journey to another planet. Trees blur past the window, the landscape changing from unfamiliar streets to unknown territories. The thought of starting over terrifies me, and I try to suppr
The sun filters through the café windows, casting a warm glow over the bustling breakfast crowd. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked pastries fills the air as Oliver and I walk in, hand in hand. We spot Jameson and Kelly at a cozy corner booth, already settled with cups of steaming coffee and plates of pancakes."Look who finally decided to show up!" Jameson calls out, a wide grin spreading across his face as he waves us over.Oliver laughs, sliding into the booth next to him. "Good morning to you too, Jameson. Ready to celebrate?"Kelly pushes a plate of assorted pastries toward us, her smile warm. "Absolutely. Congratulations on the A in your English assignment. You guys really earned it.""Thanks, Kelly," I say, taking a croissant. "It feels good to see our hard work pay off."We dive into breakfast, laughter and chatter filling the air. It's moments like these that remind me of the importance of friendship, of having people who cheer for your successes and stand by you th
"Forever," I murmur, my lips still tingling from our kiss. Oliver pulls back slightly, his eyes searching mine with an intensity that makes my heart skip a beat. We both laugh, a mixture of relief and joy filling the small space of his car."I have another question," Oliver says, his voice softer now. He glances at his phone, then back at me. "What’s your biggest dream?"I pause, letting the weight of his question settle in. The sunset paints his face in warm hues, making his eyes sparkle. "My biggest dream?" I echo, pondering. "I think it’s to travel the world. To see places I’ve only read about, experience different cultures, and find inspiration in the beauty of our planet. And…" I hesitate, then smile. "To do it with you."Oliver’s face lights up, and he takes my hand, squeezing it gently. "I love that. I want that too." He looks out at the lake, then back at me. "Imagine us, years from now, looking back on this moment. Knowing we had the courage to dream big and chase those dream
"That went well," Oliver says sitting next to me in the driver's seat of his car. I nod looking at the amazing view in front of us. We found a new spot to chill and have our epic question dates. And today is a very special one. "I should say, I think she loves you more than me." He says and I laugh shaking my head disagreeing with him.She was nice to me but she will never feel that way about me."I'm glad you agreed to meet her." He says smiling at me happily."I'm honoured to have met your mother. She's incredibly kind and she's beautiful" I say and he nods in agreement."So, he says taking out his phone." He has this cheesy smile on his face. "I put together a list of questions for us." He says and I get excited. I really missed spending time with him. We had a great thing and all of the fighting and backstabbing had ruined it.But being here with him, the stupid grin on his face beaming back at me. It all
"I'm so happy to meet you." Oliver's mother says getting up to hug me. I take in her beauty, poise and style as we embrace. She looks incredible. so well put together. I don't know if I can stop staring at her. I realize I have to eventually so it doesn't turn into anything weird. I don't want her to think I'm crazy"I'm happy to meet you too," I say finally finding my voice. I'm still nervous but a little at ease because of how sweet she is. She hugs Oliver and then we sit down."I've heard wonderful things about you." She says looking at me with a huge smile on her face. I look at her with such awe. I don't think I've seen her smile before and it's incredible how much her face changes."I hope I can live up to them," I say and she chuckles a little."Oh, no. There's nothing to live up to. You're perfect." She says and I smile not really sure what to say. "So, how are you?" She asks genuinely
"Do you think this is a good idea?" I ask Oliver when he opens the car door for me. I stare into his eyes hoping he changes his mind. I know I agreed to this but now that we're here I'm not so sure. "Yes, it's a very good idea." He says offering me his hand. "Don't freak out. It's going to be great." Oliver says when he sees my face."What if she doesn't like me?" I ask closing the door. We start walking and my legs feel like jelly below me. "What if I say the wrong thing?" I say and he smiles looking back at me. "You can never say the wrong thing." He says and I groan in frustration. I'm freaking out here and he's not taking me seriously. I don't think I'm ready to meet his family, let alone his mom. I've never met a boyfriend's mom. I was never in a serious relationship where it got to this point. What am I doing here? I don't belong here. "That's a lie. I put my foot in my mouth all the time. And I don't know if I can find the right words when I'm this nervous." I say trying to