Always Be My Baby, a Short Story

"We were as one babe...

For a moment in time...

And it seemed everlasting...

That you will always be mine..."

Boy Meets Girl

Have you ever been in the right love but at the wrong time? Yep just like that one song goes? Love needs a lot of things to be factored into work, and one thing is the timing. This is a story of a boy and a girl who fell so much in love but are in different spaces and times in their relationship. For all of us to understand it, let us begin the story from the start, college sophomore year.

It's the guy's second year in college. He was an easy-go-lucky dude and knows how to be social. That's the reason why he belonged to a little tight-knit group in their class. Their group is just average when it comes to size and quality. Not too cool, not too lame either. Some of the members are well connected and some are living life with low profiles, just like our guy. For almost every break or free time, the group assembles along the hallways of the school building. One day they gathered on the second floor of a building and they were overlooking the university ground from atop.

It was just a couple of weeks into the new semester and they were still in the phase of catching up and talking about what they did over the summer and what plans they have in mind for the new semester. Mostly about getaways, projects, and well, girls. Our guy was pretty much experienced when it comes to dealing with girls, but looking to have a girlfriend was not his top priority because he believed in the romantic kind of love, that cheesy almost nauseating kind. He believed that somehow, someday the princess will come in a golden carriage and will knock him off his feet. Never did he imagine that the fateful day he dreamt of, was that day.

He was leaning over the veranda looking into the vastness of the university grounds with students making their way to their respective classes. Even though his eyesight was not that impressive, he managed to spot a girl walking alone, with her books held closely next to her chest. Her hair was of shades of brown and even though their school uniform sucks, this girl somehow wears it with finesse and class. She was slim, neatly dressed, with fair skin and there was something around her neck, a choker apparently is what they call them.

Mesmerized, amazed, and wide-eyed, he was speechless for a moment. He felt a warm feeling spreading from his chest. His face lit up in bright red and he was so excited to shout and scream right there and then. He turned to his group and said, "hey guys. I found my next girlfriend" the group turned to him and as if guided by his sights they all looked over the veranda and searched for the girl. "Who are you talking about?" they asked. He extended his right arm and with his index finger outstretched, he pointed to the girl walking just past the school's statue, "that one".

"Hmmm. Wait." his classmate said to him like he was recognizing the girl from afar. "I know that girl." his classmate exclaimed and as if he was electrocuted, our guy turned to his friend, and with mouth wide-opened he asked "What? Really? How?!!"

"If I am not mistaken, she's the cousin of my ex."

"Wow for real?! It's a good thing you have many exes. Can you help me with her number then?"

"I'll try. You'll have to treat me to something for that."

"Man, I'll give you a kidney for her digits."

Several days passed and his friend came to him bearing good news. "I got it dude, she also agreed for you to have it. Good luck."

And indeed, he also wished for good luck. He needed all the luck he could possibly get to have a chance with a girl like her. She was quite the looker, the prettiest girl he had seen his entire life. He was ... well, easy to look at at the very least. It took only several hours for him to muster all of his courage and he sent the very first text.

The message was short, it was quick and it was direct to the point. He told her his name, where he got her number, and could he possibly be her "textmate". He thanked every star for that day because soon after, he received a message from her giving him an OK for all of the things he said, he felt lucky that she was cool and really kind to give him a bit of time in her day.

Days passed. Sleepless nights endured. Messages were exchanged and calls were made and answered. He tried to make himself a little bit more decent and even got a fashionable pair of eyeglasses to boost up his confidence a little.

"Hey don't forget your lunch. I miss you. See you after class."

The glances and smiles whenever they meet in the corridors of their college became kisses on the cheeks and warm hugs. It was only a matter of time before they were spending more and more of their free time together. He was over the moon and overjoyed whenever he can laze around lying on the hallway floor with his head resting on her lap. It was a feeling he was only familiar with in dreams and in movies. Sweet talks and future dreams flow steadily into and across his mind.

The Shindig

Several weeks has passed and it was time for a much-awaited party dedicated to welcoming all the freshmen, an acquaintance party. It was a party conducted by the college to welcome all freshmen and showcase the talents of some of the students in that college.

The guy was excited to go since it was like going to prom and his dream girl was his date. The night came, the lights dimmed down and the party has begun. He left his classmates and friends and went to sit with the girl at the girl's table. For the whole night, they were together, talking and laughing.

Bands performed, groups danced and several more attempted to entertain the young crowd. People were singing, people were dancing energetically on the gymnasium that also served as their dance floor. The music stopped and the whole place was silent. Enter David Cook's guitar skills and vocals and the song "Always Be My Baby" came on.

"Let's move to the groove and fall in love with the beat of the music..."

He stared into the girl's eyes and with a smile, they agreed to take it to the dance floor. He held his hand to her and she replied by taking it and they went just in the middle of it all. Her hands shyly rested on his shoulders while his hands were shaking on her waist. They looked at each other and giggled, they have held hands before, they have been closer like that before, so there's no sense in getting embarrassed with a sweet dance. He swallowed everything he had along with the nervousness he felt and he pulled her closer to him. She chuckled a bit and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, while he wrapped his around her body. Cheek to cheek they danced well into the night.

"You'll always be a part of me...

I'm part of you indefinitely...

No way you're never gonna shake me...

Oh darlin 'cause you'll always be my baby..."

The party ended and they were closer than ever. It was a few minutes before four in the morning and they decided to rest on a bench outside the gymnasium. He's got his head on her lap while she was caressing his head. It was a fun night. It was an awesome night and it was the start of something life-changing for him. They parted ways in the morning with smiles on their hearts.

After the party, they just continued getting closer and closer to each other. Second semester and it was the same thing. Although their schedules of classes did not really much, they found time to be with each other. She will wait for him until he gets out of class even if it's 8 in the evening so they can get out of the school gates together. He would blow off a whole boring class just looking at the window waiting for her to pass by.

He calls her 'bhe' (baby), she calls him 'bhe'(baby) and it was fun. She even gave him a copy of "their song's" lyrics in beautiful stationery with a handwritten dedication at the back. It was sweet of her to remember the song they first danced to, not knowing he knows it all by heart and can clearly remember everything that happened that night.

The Sweetest Calm Before the Storm

One particular night they were hanging out outside the gates waiting for a jeepney to arrive. In front of them was a vendor of roasted peanuts but the smell of the cooked peanuts was drowned by the girl's sweet strawberry scented fragrance. They were full-on flirting while holding hands. The jeepney came and stopped to fetch the passengers. It was time for him to let go of her hands and for her to go home. Her pink cheeks with the same shade of her lip tint leaned closer to him. He felt the time move even slower as he felt her lips pressed against his. He tried to kiss back and pay the sweet lips 10 folds but she quickly got in and the jeep went rushing away. He was dumbfounded, surprised, and totally aroused. That was their first real kiss. That was it. No birds singing in the background, no butterflies everywhere, no fireworks in the sky but he was happy. He was contented. Never did he realize that being content was his downfall.

Less and less, the text messages were reduced. The constant communication was replaced by missed calls and rainchecks. It seemed to him that something has changed, something went horribly wrong. So like any normal boy in love he wanted to fix it. His classes were done after lunch and he waited for her to come out of hers at 3 in the afternoon. They met at a park bench inside the university and talked. To cut the story short, he asked her to be his girlfriend. Officially this time. If it rained that day, it was only on his face and from his eyes because she turned him down and offered an excuse that was totally mind-blowing that he wanted his brain to explode on that instance. She said she can't be her girlfriend for that time since she will not have much time to take care of her "ex-boyfriend" who was in bed and was terminally ill or something. He could not comprehend, nor remember what the rest of it was and he was devastated. He threw away his phone. "Well I don't have use for that anymore." and in tears, they both parted ways. He rode the bus and chose the farthest corner in the back so he could cry all the way home. And cry, he did.

Days turned into weeks and into months and he got a whiff of an update about her. Apparently, she was seen with a professor entering a motel. The wounds she left on his heart were suddenly fresh again but there was nothing he could do. He swallowed his tears back to his heart and willed his way to recovery. He went out with other girls, here and there trying to forget the feeling of his heartbreak.

Years passed and they both went on with their lives. Thanks to Facebook and they were able to communicate again after long years without even saying 'hi'. He was good, she was with a kid, and the next one was about to pop and she ended up with that same professor. Although they were not married, they were living together. It took a lot of time and effort and he was finally okay with everything. He realized that back then, they were not on the same page in their love stories. One who wanted to take it slow and savor every moment they had and the other pushing for an immediate future.

They may have the right love, but their timing was a tad off. It's not great but yeah, it happens. That's life.

...David Cook singing in the background until it fades...

Hey there!

Thank you once again for reading this one. Tell me, is there anything relatable with the story? I just hope that when love comes along, both of you will be ready for it. Whatever it takes.

Any thoughts you want to share? I would love to chat with you, kindly drop by on the comments section and let me know. :)

Sources:

Lead Image : https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-24185536-silhouettes-romantic-couple-dancing-hugging-night-club

Image 1 : https://www.istockphoto.com/search/2/image?phrase=college+students+walking

Image 2 : https://kizitovalentine.wordpress.com/2017/11/07/slow-dance/