A Love Restored

(Then)

“You’re dressed well today.”

Felix was driving us to school as usual. There was something different about him today. He was dressed really nicely. His hair was combed and his uniem was crisp and ironed. Usually he dressed really, really casually. But today he was all prim and proper.

Felix looked to me and smiled, glowing. “Thanks”

I frowned. “Why are you dressed well?”

He shrugged. “No reason.”

There was a reason, We both knew it. But none of us had acknowledged it yet.

There was a reason.

A girl.

“Is it for Tricia?” I asked. I was surprised at the venom in my tone. I had never been the jealous type, but Tricia kind of got on my nerves.

Felix’s eyes widened, and he laughed an awkward laugh. “Of course

not.”

He was lying. Just then, he pulled over in the school parking, and I got out hurriedly, closing the door behind me with a loud noise. I started walking to my cast, then Felix

caught up to me running. He grabbed my hand and walked me, as usual. But today he didn’t say anything. He was in his own dream world.

*I want to rip Tricia’s hair off.” I whisper–yelled to Tilly, She raised her eyebrows. “What got into you?”

“God, I hate Felix so much.” I groan in frustration. Now I wanted to rip my own hair off.

“She’s been hitting on him left and right.” I told her. “She needs to back off.”

Girls did hit on Felix a lot. I was used to it. Usually, I didn’t care. It was normal and expected by now. I liked that Felix didn’t care. He either never reacted to other girls and their advances, or he made it a point to shrug them off. And mostly in school, everyone thought we were dating, so not many girls would come on to him. Except Tricia. She was so annoying. She had a few classes with him, and always made a point to sit with him. She’d text him about homework or call him over for group projects.

Yesterday she had taken it too far. She Bat out asked him out. At lunch. In front of me. We had been eating on our usual table. Tilly and I and Felix and his friends. Then Tricia had walked up to us, her long curly hair bouncing as she walked…along with other parts of her. She was tall and gorgeous and had legs for days. She had bent down in front

of Felix, his eyes level with her…assets, and said, “Felix, are you free this weekend?”

He raised a quizzical brow and asked, “Why?” Then she’d smiled softly, twirling her hair, “I thought we could go to my cousin’s new restaurant. Its really romantic.” Then Felix had looked at me. I didn’t say anything. I went back to eating my apple. But my ears had perked up to listen to their exchange. “I’m sorry, Tricia. I’m not really looking to date right now. But thanks for asking!

And that had been it, or so 1 thought. But after that Felix had had a spring in his step. And he was smiling more than usual and I hated it so much.

Here’s the thing – Felix didn’t care about any girl but me. But he cared a little bit about Tricia. When he was twelve, his family went to summer in Nantucket. And guess where Tricia’s family ended up, too? Nantucket.

He had his first kiss there. With Tricia. Sure, it was a stupid childish thing that happened only once. But it counted. And it meant sunsething. A first kiss meant something. It meant a lot. And he hadn’t had it with me. He’d had it with Tricia.

“I mean, he told her no.” Tilly said. “You shouldn’t be so jealous, then

Jealousy. It was such a strange emotion. All consuming and ugly and it made me want to do very, very wrong things.

He dressed up for her today. He brushed his hair-

+10

Banu

“Oh no, he brushed his hair?”

I rolled my eyes at her sarcasm.

I thought of Tricia throughout my classes. I thought of her face and her hair and her hands and her hands on Felix and her hair in his hands and face on his while they kissed in

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I thought of her at lunch and then I thought of her during the rest of my classes. I was still thinking of her when Felix and I were driving back, when he popped up with a,

“You’re really quiet today.”

“Thinking.”

“About what?”

“Nothing.” My answers were short and clipped.

“Are we still going shopping on Sunday?”

“Why don’t you take Tricia?”

He turned down the music. “Are you mad at me?”

I turned and glared at him. “What do you think, Felix?”

“I told her no, Flora.” He said, “Stop acting like a child.”

“I am a child, Felix!”

He snorted. “How is that helping?” I shrunk into my seat. He was right. God, I wished so much that I’d been born just two years earlier and we wouldn’t have all these complications.

I got out of the car and stomped to my house, and Felix, instead of driving away, decided to follow me in. I went straight up to my room, and he was hot on my trail. Hannah interrupted us for a second to ask if Felix wanted something, but we both almost completely ignored her.

I reached my room and tried to shut the door on Felix’s face, but he would have none of it. He stuck his hand in, and pushed. My strength was no match to his. The door pushed against me, and I gave up, and then Felix came inside.