2.The Teasing

The days in school passed slowly, but seeing Camila always made them feel lighter. She was one year above me, but we studied in the same building, so I saw her often. She always had friends around her, laughing about something or teasing someone.

One afternoon, I was walking back from the playground when I heard my name. Camila stood near the classroom door with her friends, smiling in that mischievous way she had. I knew that look.

Later that day, I found her waiting by the steps, pretending to check her notebook. She looked up, pretending to be casual. “Ethan,” she said, “someone told me a girl in my class likes you.”

I froze. My heart started racing for no reason. “Who?” I asked, trying to sound normal.

She didn’t answer. She just laughed, shaking her head. “Never mind. You’d get shy anyway.”

She walked away, still smiling. I stood there, confused part of me embarrassed, part of me wishing the girl she talked about was her.

After that, she teased me often. Sometimes about my handwriting, sometimes about the way I got nervous when teachers asked me questions. But every time she laughed, I laughed too. I didn’t mind being the joke if it made her happy.

One day, after mass, I saw her talking to a friend near the church gate. The evening light fell softly on her face. She looked at peace, like she belonged there. When she noticed me, she smiled again that same smile that made me forget what I was doing.

I started realizing it then how much she meant to me. It wasn’t just her laughter or her teasing. It was the way she made ordinary moments feel like something worth remembering.

She probably thought I was still the same kid who followed her around years ago. Maybe I was. But now, everything felt different. When she laughed, I felt proud. When she walked away, the day suddenly felt quiet.

That evening, I walked home alone. The sound of the river nearby mixed with the church bells ringing in the distance. The air was cool, the road empty. I kept thinking about her words about the “girl who liked me.”

I smiled to myself. If she only knew how I felt, she’d probably tease me twice as much.

At night, I couldn’t sleep. Her face kept coming back her hair tied with that same white ribbon, her eyes bright, her laughter soft but sharp enough to stay in my chest.

That was when I knew I had fallen for her completely. It wasn’t loud or sudden. It just happened quietly, between teasing and smiles.

She thought it was just a joke. But for me, it was the start of something real.

“She teased me like it was nothing, laughed like it was just another day, but for me, every word, every smile, every glance felt like a memory I never wanted to lose. Maybe she’ll never know how deeply her laughter stayed with me… but that’s okay. Sometimes love isn’t about being loved back,it’s about feeling lucky just to love her at all. 💫❤️”

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