Sun - Chapter One

I first met Stella back in 2007.

I had volunteered to help out with the local parade, and we got acquainted then. From the end of 2007 til before the days of the parade in early 2008, we barely talked to each other, except for the occasional hello. Back then, I did not think much of her, for I didn't know her well and she didn't really stand out from the others. On the last night, after the parade, the whole group of us volunteers were celebrating a job well done. As we hit the town in the dead of the night, screaming and shouting, jumping and prancing in the middle of nowhere, I caught a glimpse of her smile under the orange glow of the street lights.

I was captivated by the sight. Enamoured.

We came to a stop near a fountain, and everyone started to break into little groups, sitting around the landmark and recollecting fond memories of the events that transpired over the last few months. I wasn't part of her group, but I looked around for her and there she was, right at the water's edge. I joined the conversation her group was having and listened, and I made a witty remark that made her smile. It was That very same smile I had seen earlier, a smile that could make one forget everything wrong in this world.

Throughout the night we joked and laughed under the stars. As dawn approached, I felt the fatigue creeping up on me, and so I lay down for awhile. To my surprise, she lay down right next to me, and looked straight into my eyes. Under her pair of spectacles and messy ponytail she always wore, was a face so beautiful and pure, and eyes that sparkle even without light. It was enchanting. As she closed her eyes and rested, I continued to watch, etching her beauty into my memory.

We took the first train home in the morning, and when I got back I fell onto my bed and slept. The first thing I remembered after waking up was her smile.

I was determined to see that smile again.

Within the next couple of weeks, we were frequently sending each other messages online, then text messages via phone. I started to meet her after her classes and have dinner with her. We were spending a lot of time together. The more I got to know her, the more infatuated I became. I was absolutely smitten with her, enthralled by her words and her smile.

We weren't in an actual relationship yet. Although I made my feelings known to her, she showed no intention on getting together with me. In fact, she made it known to me that there was another friend of hers that had shown her interest. I was devastated. I tried my best to spend more time with her, for I was afraid that soon, she would be with the other man, and I would be left to my lonesome self again.

It was a night I would never forget. I had a bad day in school before picking her up from her classes and sending her home. I didn't talk much throughout the journey, we just walked side by side. She could tell that I was feeling down. When we were a couple of blocks away from where she lived, I closed my eyes, let out a big sigh, and continued walking, blind. The next thing I felt, was the warmth of her hand, and her fingers between mine. We finished the rest of the journey without saying a word, just a couple, a couple smiling like idiots.