Olivia stops in her tracks and slowly turns to face me. Her coffee brown eyes widen and her eyebrows are drawn together as she takes me in. We're still about six feet apart and the only ones in the school hallway. I can still hear the loud celebrations coming from the school but it doesn't drown out her soft voice.

"Leonardo" she says, confused.

Gulping down my dry saliva I take tentative steps towards her. " You remember my name" I say, a small smile on my face.

"Of course" she says,with that duh look on her face.

I rub my the back of my neck and my heart rate picks up a little.I look down at her when I'm just one foot apart- closer than we've ever been.

"You never watch the soccer games. Why did you come today?"

She looks intently at me and I wish I could know what she's thinking ?What is she feeling? Is her heart beating just as fast as mine?
Is her brain short circuiting?

Has she also forgotten how to speak proper English?

"A friend of mine asked me to come"

Is this friend a boy or a girl? Is what I want to ask but I stop myself because...

"Cool...did you enjoy the game?"

"Uhh ...yeah...nice footwork-that's what they say, right? " she says,unsure and nervous.

I chuckle.

"Thank you... " I say, smiling.

Then it's quiet. I know she's waiting for me to speak as she stares pointedly at me but all I do is smile dotingly at her.

"I should go," she says, making my smile falter.

"Cool." I find myself replying dumbly.

She pauses, her eyes holding mine for a tense second and then she turns around. She walks away distancing herself from me and I just watch her leave knowing full well that tomorrow will be back to watching her from afar like some love sick psycho.

Back to writing poems I'll never send to her. Back to daydreaming. Back to wondering what she's talking about with her friend. Back to pretending with the guys that I'm not interested in a simple girl like her. Back to us just meeting eyes from across the room and breaking eye contact.

❄️❄️❄️

15th of October 2023🥀

It's Movie night Sunday. The house is completely dark except for the television that emanates light. Mkhulu and I are seated on the grey couch munching on the caramel popcorn as we watch Anger management.

It's the part where Adam Sandler sings I feel pretty during the traffic jam and it leaves both Mkhulu and I bubbling with laughter.

Later on during the movie I glance at Mkhulu's hard side profile. " Mkhulu you're old and wise.I need advice"

He puffs air out of his mouth turning to face me. "You're just like my second wife, why do we always have to have serious talks during a movie? This all just leads to unnecessary bickering."

"First of all ouch" I said, placing my hand on my heart. " Secondly, isn't this a dream every grandfather has. It's not everyday I ask for advice."

" My dream would be for you to shut up but we can't all get what we want."

"This is why I won't add you in my graduation speech " I added, making him laugh.

He reaches over the coffee table and takes the remote. He pauses the television and turns to me.

"This better be good for you to interrupt movie night. Otherwise just like my second wife you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight. "

Laughing to myself I stare at Mkhulu, baffled. This is why so many of his wives left him.

"I have my own bed thank you very much... anyway," I clear my throat.
"It's about a g-girl"

Mkhulu groans but there's a glimmer of humour in his dark eyes.

" Oh really " he teases.

"Anyway... From the moment I noticed her I've been awestruck but for almost the whole year I haven't been able to talk to her because I just-I just don't know argh!...well let's just say I get tongue tied -more like mouth shut everytime I'm around her.It's all too much and I think I love her but we've barely spoken but I've been watching her and let's just say I love everything I see..."

My eyes stray to the ceiling and I continue talking with a fond smile on my face.

" I like the way she chews her pen whenever she's freaking out about tests while the teacher talks about how hard the test will be but she still manages to ace it. I like how when she's with her friend she'll cackle loudly in the silence of the class and when all eyes are on her she puts a book over her face in this comical way. I like how when her friend litters I see her pestering her friend about it until her friend picks up the litter and throws it away but I find her littering the next day with this guilty look on her face.

I like how on Fridays she treats herself with her favourite biscuits -toppers and she does a little happy dance every time she takes the first bite. I like how she's always laughing and smiling with everyone. How she's smart and how- I just -love her...and I can't tell her because I don't want her to think I'm insane" my chest heaves up and down the emotions spilling out of me like champagne.

I look at Mkhulu who has a thoughtful look on his face.

"First of all you are insane I mean who watches a girl and falls in love with her from afar that's like some barfy romance movie."

"Thanks a lot Mkhulu. I knew you were the right person to open up to about this"

" I wasn't done," he simply says.

"When I met my fourth wife it was love at first sight and let me tell you this. That kind of love is overwhelming but it can also die very quickly like if you find out she's vegan or doesn't believe in cooking."

I laugh heartily, taking handfuls of popcorn and munching on them.

"But it's also kind of like a jumpstart to something amazing. So all you have to do is see where you and this girl fall under. Will it be a flame that ignited one moment but flickered off the next or will it be fire that burns through the night"

" I thought you hated poetry"

" I have my moments" he says, nonchalantly.

" So how do I know if Olivia and I will be that fire burning night thing you just talked about."

Mkhulu laughs.

" Well you just need to grab this Olivia girl's hand and have a spontaneous wedding and then you'll see along the way "

"..."

" I take back what I said. Nothing about you is wise except that white beard of yours" I say, completely baffled.

Mkhulu laughs heartily,his chest heaving up and down. It gets so bad he falls into a coughing fit.

" That's how your Gogo and I did it. She wasn't my first but she was my last and we lasted."

" Well incase you forgot I'm 18 and still in school so I can't just get married "

"I was joking but clearly you have no sense of humour. My advice would be to be open up with this girl and tell her the whole truth that you're a crazy stalker whose in love with her"

" Thank me later," he adds after a moment.

"You know what I'll just ask Google " I concur, grabbing the remote and pressing play.

❄️❄️❄️

So like the typical teenager I was, I found myself sitting by my black desk typing away on my computer about L-O-V-E.

Me: How do you know it's real love?

Google: When you keep inputting her name in all these articles and you keep finding exceptions through all the points.My man...you have fallen hard for this girl!

Me : How do I express my love?

Google: It's as easy as A B C Leonardo- just take all these courses then you'll be an expert in love

Me : How do I make a girl genuinely fall in love with me?

Google: These are manipulative tips that might mess with someone's mind and mental health if you choose to break their heart and I don't suggest using them but since you asked -here

Okay so maybe Google didn't say all that but you get the gist. It was around 1 am when I clicked on a video that made something in me click.

It was titled 36 Questions to fall in love with a stranger.

After the first video I watched the second and then the third and before I knew it I was watching the sixth video. I went into a rabbit hole of these questions that make people fall in love.

Around 3 am I started reading the articles about this study that has been going on for years

I was intrigued and excited like I had just found the formula to make humans fly.

I also read people's comments on how it didn't work and it didn't last but I still didn't lose hope. I read all the success stories of the people who tried this and were happily married as well as the failure stories of relationships that didn't last three months.

I took down notes listing the pros and cons and let's just say by 5 am in the morning I was ready-to fall in love.

The door burst open and Mkhulu stepped into the room assessing my untouched bed, the bags under my eyes and the desk with scrunched up papers.

" Either you woke up early for school or you spent the night typing away like a raccoon on your computer. Either way I don't care just get ready for school"

"Yes Mkhulu"

❄️❄️❄️

16th of October 2023 🥀

The after effects of my all nighter only set in during the middle of the day when I started dozing off on Dominique's shoulder during class. Dominique shoved me off snapping me awake.

" Bro, what time did you sleep?"

"Trick question" I said, laughing dryly.

Dominique raised his brows. " I'll take that as you didn't sleep. You do know that exams are in a week and not just any exams but the exams that will determine your whole life"

" Since when did you become such an antsy pantsy guy what happened to the 'we'll see it when we get there' attitude?"

" Mrs Jones happened. That woman scared the hell out of me with her practice tests that were so difficult I almost shed a tear . We have to pass grade 12! " he whispered,yelled.

"Whatever man... just calm down before you have a heart attack and die before you even take the exam and to answer your question I watched a movie with my Grandfather and then read articles,watched a few YouTube videos and lost track of the time"

" Articles?" Dominique asks, baffled.

"You're not going through some teen life crisis are you?" he asks, concerned.

I chuckle. " No...it's nothing like that I was just googling my way to a solution for what's going on between Olivia and I"

Dominique snorts then he starts laughing loudly, throwing his body over the table earning a glare from the teacher.

" I'm... sorry" he says,after a moment still trying to control himself.

" You said 'Olivia and I ' " he lost control of himself again, until," There is no Olivia and you"

I punched his shoulder hard and he groaned.

" As I was saying,I know how I'm gonna get to know her better"

Dominique's silent for a second ." Let me guess you're gonna do what men did since the beginning of time which is to open your mouth and actually start speaking to her."

Another punch, this time he whimpered.

"Something like that."

" Once again isn't this all bad timing I mean you had the whole year to talk to her but you were to busy pulling a Mordecai and you want to make a move on her when schools are about to close and we'll probably never see each other again "

" I liked you better when you didn't think so much, " I complained.

" Me too but I guess this is adulthood-I think. To be completely honest with you I still feel like a 12 year old"

" You still act like one too" I tease and I didn't get to hear his comeback because I dozed off.

❄️❄️❄️

1st of November 2023🥀

Today was the first official day of our grade 12 exams and I could just feel the tension in the air. Most kids had their books glued to their faces, a few groups trying to think of everything else except the exam.

" Ayo Leonardo!" Oratile called, a big toothy smile on his face as he waved me over.

He sat by the bleachers alone with his English textbooks. " Oratile, how' you doing ?" I asked, giving him an easy smile.

He shrugged, and I took a seat next to him. " I see you brought your weapons for battle" I said, gesturing to his textbooks.

He laughs heartily and I can just see some of the tension leaving his shoulders.

" Oh so you're that type of student " he says,after his laugh.

Raising my brow I stare at him in question. " You're the pretend it's not happening until I pick up the pen student."

" What?"

" Everyone has their way of coping. There's the cramming until the last second student. The 'ask your friends what they studied until you freak out that you didn't study the same thing'. The cheaters. The ones who are literally eating the stress away and you"

"Wow...you're very observant. "

He shrugs.

" I wouldn't say I'm pretending it's not happening, I just don't want the test to sike me out. I'm not an idiot. I did study and I did listen in class. The rest is not up to me . I might not get all the answers but it's impossible to get nothing -not if I know I put in the work. So just put your textbook down Oratile and breathe because I guarantee you that you're not going to learn a year's load of work in the next few minutes."

Oratile looks hesitant for a moment as he holds the textbook but then he sighs placing the book beside him and shutting it.

"... Thanks I needed that."

"No problem."

"- But if I fail I have a fist with your name on it"

I laugh, shaking my head.

We stare at the field ahead of us watching the students in navy blue flock around and it's weird that I'll never see this again.

" I'll miss you man" Oratile says, glancing at me.

I stare back at him and he looks scared that he shared that. I give him an easy smile and his shoulders relax.

" I'll miss you too but we still have about 30 days so stop missing me and start talking. It's what we'll remember."

" No offense but I could have sworn you were low-key an idiot when did you get so wise"

" Offense taken! " I say, in mock fury and it turns into laughter.

Then we spend our time talking.
Talking because it's one of the only things we'll remember and although he wasn't my closest friend it's like the ending of highschool has brought us closer. I tell him about Olivia and he's the first guy to answer differently:

" Olivia is beautiful," he says.

I smile fondly at him. " I know," I answered truthfully.

I'm glad I didn't need any reassurance from other guys about how amazing Olivia is because that would make my love for her ingenuine.

It also makes me wish I spent more time with Oratile. He seems like a cool guy and although our friendship seems to be blossoming. I think we all know a goodbye when we see it.

Highschool ends and takes away lots of things with it.

But I'm not gonna let it take Olivia.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

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