I was never the prettiest. My teeth are crooked. My eyes are dull. My smile doesn’t melt you away. I do not have confidence in anything. And I stutter when I talk to people. I cannot even move freely in class. I only have one friend. However, I was satisfied. It’s not like I have to have a lot of friends to get by. It’s not like I was sad with a small company. It’s not like they’re bullying me or anything. They simply do not care about my existence.
Then came you.
Through small steps of change, I was able to gradually build up confidence. I had dental braces to fix my crooked teeth. I practice smiling in front of my mirror. My eyes aren’t as dull as before. I rarely stutter in front of people—maybe because of my constant speech exercises. I became comfortable in classes and I met two new friends. And I was satisfied with that. Changes happen in life and I’m happy with my changes. And what triggered those changes was your warm and kind gaze. It’s not like I care about looks. It’s not like I care about what others think. It’s not like I’m bothered about how I look in other people. They don’t get to me.
Then came you.
They say it was puberty. They say it was a drastic change. They simply cannot believe that I am no longer who I was before. And I simply do not pay attention to their comments. What matters to me are your words. Now, I long for your words and attention which started since the moment you walked towards me and greeted, “Hi.” Who would’ve have thought that the new friends that I met will include you? The one who kept stealing glances from me, the one who kept flushing his cheeks red whenever he sees me, and the one who’s friends keep teasing him whenever I’m around has mustered up the courage to take another step closer to my heart. My heart has never beat like this before. My face never felt so hot like this in my entire existence. I have never felt anything like this.
Then came you.