one
We had an epic love. Our story was known school wide. But, there was a time before all of it, when he was infuriatingly in love with me, and had been for years. Not going to lie, I barely knew he existed.
But, high school meant a clean slate, for everyone. Eighth graders turned freshman started to shed their old skin and jump into a new one. Which meant, I started to change. I started to notice him, maybe even like him. He had liked me all along.
Our everlasting game of cat and mouse was basically an advertisement for gossip.
We were the big story, the big love.
/ /
There was a famous picture of us, taken back when he worshipped the ground I walked on, and I spoke to him at least once a month, that became a sort of excuse to make fun of Shreyas when we were dating. Every once in a while it would pop up again on Facebook, or I would pause to gaze at it on the mantel, where it stood framed for the whole family to see.
We were at a party hosted by one of my best friends from middle school.
He and I were the only one's in the frame, the background nothing but pitch black.
I was pictured deep in an enthusiastic discussion with someone on the other side of the circle. My hands were in front of me, stopped in the middle of a wild gesture. I was clearly very passionate about the topic at hand, my eyes were shining and my mouth was forming into a slight smile as I talked. His eyes, however, his eyes, they were on me.
He had his head turned towards me, a smile playing at his lips. Adoration streamed through his eyes as he gazed at me as if I was all the light in the room and everything else was shadow.