It all happened in a typical rainy day in school, that was in June. I was new to the school and not many people knew me, well because... You guessed it, I was new. So obviously no one in my class knew me.

Right then I saw a recognizable face, which was my neighbor, and she was the only one who knew me in that classroom, I walked in the class awkwardly and went to her seat, as she smiled brightly at me. She was amazing, and that was all I could say. Before I knew it, I was already attached to her, everywhere she went I followed, like a baby duck.

Well don't get me wrong, she is my best friend, so we always had each other's back, so we would often do stupid things together, and it was all fine!!!!

But the thing she doesn't know, and I know is, we have met before. Before I moved in, and become her neighbor, before coming to school, I knew her, because she was the girl who helped me one day when I first came to this city.

It was in a daycare, where my parents left me to play and make new friends, while they went to work for new clients.

It was hard fitting in a crowd, I was a very awkward kid when I was small and even now... It is hard to mingle with others. Then one day, a very ordinary day for others but special for me, a little girl maybe my age, came in that day and introduced herself. She had the cutest voice and she wore a cute pink dress on that day.

Well she didn't come for the daycare though, she came for the guitar class, which was happening at the same time. After that, I decided to play the guitar too, she was my inspiration, she was the girl who made my day, with her soft-spoken voice.

Now you might ask me, where did she help you?!!

Well she helped me by brightening my day, she helped me want to go to daycare every day, she helped me learn something new, what more do you need than this?!!

Fast-forward a year, I became her neighbor and I felt it was just fate!!! The first day I met her when I was 6, and now I was 7.

The 7-year-old me, was very mischievous, but when I saw her coming around, I would change my character, I would tidy my dirty clothes and change the entire way I speak, to impress her.

That was the time I realized, I was really into this girl, but couldn't exactly grab her attention, so I tried many ways, and did I succeed... maybe or maybe not😑 still kinda working on it though.

Well this will be my short stories on the times we spent together, the days, were I actually tried to talk to her about everything, but in a weird way and then try to flirt with her, but instead make me fall for her more🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

- -to be continued- -

It was summer, and we were 12-years-old, we used to go out and sit under a tree with all our friends, she, her younger cousin, and other friends around our age.

We used to have a blast, we used to go around the place and climb walls and do other, normal 12-year-old stuff. And at that time hide n seek was the only game we all loved, because it was very hot, and we wanted to play something with not much running, even though it was too tiresome.

"Hey, come this way, I know a good spot to hide," she said, as she pulled me to a wall and we hid behind it.

The wall was about 3 or 4 feet tall, and we had to squat so that the catcher won't find us, and since we wanted to win the game, we thought about hiding until the catcher gave up.

The heat gave us no mercy, it was hot and cramped, but we still wouldn't give up, so to kill the time, we thought about playing a game.

"Let's play truth or dare" she said whispering into my ears, so that no one could hear us.

"You go first, truth or dare," I asked her.

"Umm... Truth!" she answered.

I was urged to ask her, if she had a crush or if she liked me, but I was too afraid of getting rejected by her and never see her again.

"Ok, who is the most attractive person in our group?" I asked, hesitantly

"Hmm.... Good question. I never saw anyone like that, but since you are my age I guess you," she answered.

Her answer was very thought put, like she analyzed the answer and told me. I was jumping with joy in my heart, but outside I played it off cool.

"Oh, nice! Okay my turn!"

"Oh, truth or dare?"

"I guess I'll go for dare,"

"Oh, bold! Okay I dare you to go to anyone, and say, 'let's go out together'" she said, as she softly chuckled.

My heart was pounding at this time, I didn't know what to do, should I ask her? I mean she never said who!

Questions filled my mind.

"Anyone?" I asked

"Yup! Anyone!" she answered

My heart was speaking, so was my mind. Am I making a mistake? Am I going to regret this? She did say anyone, so let's give it a go! My heart wanted to tell her how I felt, but my mind told a different story.

"Let's go out" I said, winking at her and then chuckled.

"Dude! I didn't mean me!! Hahaha!" she giggled.

"Aww man! But it's going to be awkward if I ask others, pls just take it!" I said.

"Okay, I guess that was too much even for me, fine I'll take it! Let's go out!" she said jokingly.

I knew she was joking but, for some reason my heart couldn't control it's excitement! I was so happy to hear that from her.

"Sure!" I smiled and continued our game.

This went on for three sets before the catcher gave up, and we won, we were the only one who won the game, and in the next round her brother took her, and she hide with him.

Well, what can I say, guess we are going out in our game and no one knows what we played, only her and me, as we were giggling by ourselves.

- -to be continued- -

"Guys since its April 1st why not knock on someone's door and run?" I suggested.

It was a normal day, except it was a day for children like us to roam around and do childish things like ding-dong ditch. It was the only entertainment we got that time, and it was weirdly fun too, to see one among us, get shouting from our neighbors, and as time went by, no one seemed to mind our childish act. So we had to come up with a plan, to prank our own group.

We all had a team and unfortunately this time, I wasn't on the same team as her, because her brother took my spot.

Her brother knew something about my feelings to her though he wasn't certain about it, but it felt like he was keeping something from us, like he knew something about everyone.

Well there is a saying right, 'kids are much more observant than adults', but wait, we ain't adults, so did she know about my feelings for her?

"Okay, our plan today is balloon water! So, we need to buy balloons. I have money so let's go get the balloons," I said. Since I was the oldest in that gang, I always carried money in my pocket for times like this.

We went to the shop bought our balloons and was ready to assemble, hide behind a pile of bricks at the construction site which was happening and we waited for the right moment.

It was a tight match since we didn't know what the other is going to do to us, so we waited patiently hoping it's not something bad.

Just then I saw her coming out from her house, unarmed.

"Are they not planning anything?"

"I'm not sure either, so let's wait," I said to my team.

I walked out, like there was nothing going on and asked her, "Where are you going at this time? Aren't we in war?"

"Oh, well! I have something to tell you," she said, all shy.

I signalled my team to not attack. I mean she was unarmed and no one was around her, there wasn't any possibility we would be attacked right, and I'm sure she has something important to say to me, to stop the war.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The thing is.......... I like you," she said fidgeting with her dress.

I knew I shouldn't believe it, I knew it was a prank, but what if it was real, and she wanted to test me, so if I rejected her she could say it was a prank.

These were the thoughts which filled my mind, the "what if's". I so badly wanted to tell "me too", but then I thought, what if she said it was for April fools, I can tell the same right?!

Right when I was about to tell her my feelings, she called out.

"In position!!!"

The whole team was focused on our conversation, that they didn't know they were being hit from the back, and they threw, wet mud on us instead of water.

I turned around, to also get hit by mud!

"I like you too," I said to her as the mud dripped down my face.

She looked at me, as if she was confused or as if she didn't expect a reply.

After I said that, I threw the water balloon from my pocket at her, and ran away.

You can say it was a win-win situation, but truly, she is the one who won, and not the both of us, and I knew exactly whose plan this was, it was her brother's.

Well I need to say, he is pretty smart for his age, 12-year-old, so I guess we need to send him to a really nerdy school. To use that brains of his, cus when I was 12 I was dumb as hell. Well at that time I was 15 and she was 14, so it might have been her idea too. We might never know.

Now I'm sure you are going to asking about our dirty clothes, "Didn't your parents shout at you?!" Don't worry, we all wore our old clothes because that was the deal made by them, I should have seen this coming to be honest, but looks like her sweet voice blinded my mind and wasn't exactly paying attention🤷🏻‍♂️.

- -to be continued- -