DREXEL GENESIS  

"The engine is blown, the windscreen and windows are shattered, the bumper is missing, the back door-the back door has fallen off its hinges!" Uncle Danny's uproarious and flabbergasted voice booms through The Garage making the other workers and mechanics jolt at his volume. "Did you race the car or was it run over a stampede of elephants?!" 

This level of shock is unusual for him, as he usually kept his thoughts and emotions to himself, even when his best friend, my Uncle Emmett, got into an accident.

Silently sprawled in an armchair, I mindlessly watch as a brown spider crawls up the white wall. I send a little gust its way, sending the spider tumbling down from the wall. Danny continues frantically inspecting my car –what was left of my car- scowling and asking questions that I ignore.

Zeke's car comes to a stop in front of the maintenance area and my friends get down. Zeke meets my eyes before frowning and heading to the snack area. Zeke has been avoiding me ever since the race, only sparing me scowls and frowns when I caught him staring. Sighing heavily, I return to watch the spider climb the wall and blow it down again.

"We found the bumper!" Archer grins victoriously as Jed brings in the battered bumper of my car with stooped shoulders. He was looking at the scraped bumper sticker he had gifted me with sad eyes that were like a soul in despair.

"Well, at least, Kash really went bye-bye, b*tch. You saved the race, after all," Jed says to the bumper, but it seems to me that he is consoling himself. He had been proud of himself when he had gifted me that bumper sticker.

The spider, having fallen for the second time now, has taken another approach, climbing up the leg of my armchair.

"...I wish I could've recorded it! The car was soaring in the air!" Archer animatedly narrates to our Boss who whirls to look at me with wide eyes, wanting to confirm Archer's outrageous speculations, which were unfortunately true.

Once again, I don't answer him- I hadn't talked to anyone for that matter since the race ended; when I had shocked myself along with everyone else;

1. By winning the race barely alive, 

2. And by getting rejected by a girl after kissing her. Without consent.

The reminder of the latter has me pitifully sinking into the chair again as I mentally scold myself, "You don't kiss girls out of nowhere, Drexel."

Safe to say, I was extremely ashamed of myself, and I had crossed Crimson's boundaries. That was why she ran away as if a pack of wolves were chasing her after rejecting me.

But the kiss was pure ecstasy. Our lips met briefly, but the electric jolts that surged through my body made me daydream about it constantly. My victory had clouded my judgment, which made my rational thoughts flee my mind.

And you did it backwards; kissing her without permission, and confessing afterwards.

Her rejection (damn, it hurts to say that) left me feeling deflated like a balloon popped by a needle. Crimson had quickly run off with a flabbergasted Ayla following her. Since then, I haven't heard from Crimson except for a scolding from Ayla about the importance of consent. But she understood that my victory in the race had affected my judgment.

Despite my victory, I can't stop berating myself for acting impulsively. The victory doesn't matter anymore. I would still have been content with my victory if I hadn't crossed her boundaries. I wouldn't have even minded the rejection.

"What is going on with him?" Uncle Danny asks, confused and irritated as I haven't answered any of his questions since my car was towed in today morning. When I don't respond again, Archer lets out a sigh and whispers something to Danny. Danny's expression changes to one of shock and pity as he looks at me.

I turn my attention to the spider climbing up the armchair, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"Drex, how are you feeling? Zeke will bring something for you to eat, you haven't eaten for hours." 

I'm surprised when Zeke arrives with food for me, considering the glares he's been giving me all day. He hands me a plate of steaming pancakes, his scowl still firmly in place. 

"Eat," he commands. "Then you can sulk all you want." 

I hesitate for a moment before he impatiently places the plate on my lap with a huff.

Archer warns me, "Go on, I will feed you if you don't eat." 

I immediately start nibbling on my food, and he watches me in silence for a while before letting out a frustrated sigh. 

"How could this happen? I was sure everything was going to be alright. What do you think about Crimson's...denial, Jed? I was so certain that she would feel the same way as him."

Jed hums thoughtfully, "You're right. Maybe we misinterpreted Crimson's friendly actions towards Drexel. We assumed that since she was closest to him out of all the boys, we could take it as a sign that she felt the same way about him. We were too simplistic in our thinking. I'm sorry, Drexel. We shouldn't have encouraged you to do this without further clarifying her feelings towards you." 

This was the longest I've heard Jed speak, and he seems disappointed in himself. Jed is usually very perceptive and accurate in his observations, so, understandably, he was upset when he was proven wrong.

Seeing the crestfallen expression on Jed's face snaps me out of my silent state. 

"It's not anyone's fault," I say in a hoarse voice, causing everyone to turn their attention towards me. "It was all my fault. My actions were wrong. I'm not like this because I was rejected. You can't force yourself on someone without their consent. And-"

"Stop."

It was Zeke who had spoken.  

With flaring eyes he says, "It's my fault."
Then his expression turns upset as he lowers his voice, "I should have stopped you from doing it, knowing what the outcome would be."

"Zeke, what do you mean?" I ask with narrowed eyes,  feeling completely diligent while waiting for Zeke's response. 

He meets my gaze and I can sense guilt emanating from him.

"Last week, Crimson and I talked. I learned that even if she felt the same way as 'he' did, she would reject any advances," he reveals and looks away. 

"What did you just say?" I whisper as I reach him and tighten my grip on his shoulders. 

He throws my hands away and his voice raises, "I said, even if she had feelings for you, she would have never agreed to date you!"

"Huh?" Archer asks in bewilderment while I just gape at Zeke. 

Uncle Danny just shakes his head, leaving us before muttering, "Teenage problems." 

Jed brows furrow, "What does that mean? Why didn't you tell us this earlier? We could've avoided all these problems if we had known. We could have talked to her about it and at least gotten a reason for her choice. That dangerous race could have been avoided, and Drexel wouldn't be so upset right now!"

Zeke shakes his head, "It wouldn't have made any difference. Drexel had already issued the challenge with Kash then. Backing down from it would have hurt his reputation."

Does she already have a boyfriend back in Korea? Is she not over a breakup or a heartbreak? Oh my god, what if I stole her first kiss?

Zeke and Jed continued to argue back and forth, but my attention was solely focused on one thing: Crimson had made up her mind that she wouldn't date anyone, even if someone she had feelings for confessed to her.

I need to know why.

"Shut up! All of you!" 

My shout interrupts Zeke and Jed's banter, causing them to look at me. "Thank you for your concern, but I make my own decisions in life," I declare, locking eyes with Zeke. 

"If Crimson confided in you about her reluctance to date anyone, it must be because something is holding her back. I will talk to her and apologize for my behaviour. Whether she would return my feelings or not, I want to understand her reasoning for not wanting to date. I'll find out on Monday."

Then I look up at the spider that had successfully made its way to its home webbed between the two walls. 

"For someone your size, you sure don't give up."

° ° °

It was Monday and Crimson had been avoiding me. I wasn't surprised, though. During our lessons and lunchtime, she had sat far away from me. Whenever she had seen me coming her way, she had scurried away. Ayla had been with her most of the time, but even she wouldn't tell us anything, saying that Crimson refused to speak to her about the events of the race day.

Another situation I faced was Rowan.

'Where is your car? Why is Crimson not speaking with you? What happened between you all? What did I miss? Why isn't anyone telling me anything?'

I had finally responded to her questions by explaining that my car was in the garage for repairs because it had overheated. If she had seen the actual state of my car, she would have fainted on the spot, woke up, slapped me, cried, and then gone to complain to unresponsive Uncle Emmy. 

As for why Crimson was avoiding us, especially me, I deftly dodged and ignored that question;

"Oh, Mr. Denver called me after class, got to run!"

"Did I hear Archer fight with somebody? I got to check up on him!"

"I was holding my pee since morning, haha...got to dash to the loo-loo!"

"Ayla was searching for you, and Zeke is searching for me. Got to find him!"

"Oh, will you look at the time? Got to-"

"What now? Got to pee again? Got to poop? Got to dance? Got to sing? Got to sleep? GOT TO WHAT?" Rowan yells now in frustration, clearly fed up with my evasive answers. 

"I'm going to slap you so hard if you don't tell me what is with this weird atmosphere between you guys! I know I'm the youngest and the only one of us to be one year below, but I don't like it when you hide things from me! I feel so left out!"

Seeing my sister's watery eyes, I couldn't bear it any longer and pulled her into my arms, patting her hair softly. "I'm sorry sis. I promise I will tell you everything after settling it, okay?"

"You promise?"

"I promise, Ro."

She was settled, although not entirely satisfied, yet she made no further inquiry about it. If I had to reveal about Crimson and me, I would have to tell her about me racing too. She would undoubtedly tell my Mum and she would worry her fragile heart about my safety. And that was not going to happen. 

Now, my only goal was to get Crimson to talk to me. 

With the final period approaching its end, I knew it was my last opportunity to catch Crimson before she drove away. Since we didn't have the same class, I sprint past the emerging students as soon as the bell rang to reach her classroom.

Zeke comes out from it first, looking at me with befuddled eyes.

"Where's Crimson?"

Zeke shuts his eyes while shaking his head. "She's left already."

Of course, she could predict that I would wait for her after class. I don't waste any more time as I dash towards the parking lot, just as I glimpse a redhead get inside her car and it is already out of the lot.

I've been doing the unthinkable since the recent race, so it shouldn't surprise me when I jump in front of her car. 

It stops with a screech and a hassled Crimson gets down with a horrified expression. 

"Jugeullae?! Michossoyo ?!(Do you want to die?! Are you insane?!) What were you thinking, you trouble-making idiot!?" 

I believe she was sprouting something in Korean, but I was grateful that she had finally stopped.

"Please, just give me five minutes to talk," I plead. 

She stands still for a moment before hurrying to get in, the same way she had got out. 

"Hey! Hold on!" 

Without a second thought, I rush to the front door and slip into the passenger seat. Wait, what did I do just now? I freeze in my seat, before blinking at Crimson, who looks equally stunned, with her mouth open and eyes wide. 

For a moment, we just stare at each other.

Why did I get into her car? Somebody, remind me because I have forgotten everything after looking at the enthralling girl before me.

Snap out of it, Drexel. Shameless. You are already in trouble with her. 

I shake my head before slapping myself.

"Did you just slap yourself?" Crimson exclaims, her hands hovering in mid-air, unsure whether to check my reddening cheek. 

"I did it again, didn't I? I just opened your door and hopped in like it was my car. I'm so sorry I keep doing things without permission and-"

"Whoa, slow down," Crimson effectively cuts off my rambling before letting out an exhale, "Let me... I'll stop the car somewhere."

She agreed to talk to me?

It appears that way, as Crimson parks the car under the shade of a Jacaranda tree and steps out. The Jacaranda tree stands solitary, just a stone's throw away from our school, and is a popular spot for selfies and photos, thanks to its towering height and its vibrant purple flowers.

        Crimson leans against the hood of her car, and I follow suit. We both silently gaze at the tree before us. I inhale deeply before approaching Crimson slowly and standing directly in front of her. I suddenly missed the presence of my missing necklace on my neck. I would fiddle with it whenever I was nervous, but I guess I had to do this on my own.

To her surprise, I firmly bow down at a 90-degree angle, having researched that this is a traditional Korean gesture of sincere apology.

"Crimson," I begin as she flinches back in surprise, "I want to express how truly sorry I am for what I did to you. I have no excuses for my behaviour. I should not have kissed you without your consent. It was wrong, and I am truly sorry. I understand if you don't want to talk to me after this, but I needed to apologize and let you know that I deeply regret my actions because they hurt you."

I straighten up and search her honey-brown eyes, hoping that my apology was sincere enough. Crimson avoids my gaze and clenches her fists tightly. 

"I-It's okay, Drexel," she stammers. "It's in the past now, so if that's all, I'll be going-"

"Wait!" I grab hold of her hand as she turns to leave, but quickly release it when she stops.

"I've been struggling with my thoughts and feelings for the past few weeks," I confess. "I was torn between my head and my heart, unsure of how you felt about me. But now that I've apologized, I want to tell you how I truly feel about you, Crimson, without the influence of anything," 

I pause, my hands shaking and my palms sweating.

Taking a deep breath, I lock my gaze onto Crimson's widening eyes. 

"I like you, Crimson."

I did it.

I had finally confessed my feelings to Crimson, but she remained as still as a statue, her cheeks turning as red as her hair. Anxiety begins to gnaw at me as I wait for her response, my eyes fixed on hers. When I hear no answer and see no movement, I tilt my head in confusion. 

"C-Crimson? Crimson! Breathe!" I rush to Crimson's side, placing a hand on her back as she coughs and catches her breath. "Are you alright, Crimson?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, thank you," she stammers as her hands fists against her chest. 

"Drexel, I-" she begins, and a knot forms in my stomach. 

I brace myself for the rejection, but I know I must hear her answer. 

"Thank you for your feelings," she whispers with her head down, but if I was not mistaken, I swear her eyes tear up, "but I cannot return them."

If my heart cracked after she had run away after the race, then my heart was shattering like glass now. No, it was not that I was in love with her; but this was merely the first time I'd had a serious crush on someone and wanted to act on it. It hurts so much to be rejected by your first serious interest. 

I grimly nod, already expecting her answer and give her a strained, weak smile, "I know, I thought so. I respect our friendship but I can't help how I'm feeling. But I feel as if a huge load was taken off my shoulders. Thank you for listening to me. I won't pester you about it hereafter."

 Maybe I was reading it wrong, but Crimson's face turns distraught. 

"But Zeke..." I continue. "He told me that you wouldn't date anyone even if you had feelings for them...Would you mind me asking the reason for that?"

Crimson looks startled as if she didn't expect me to know about it. She appears hesitant, digging her shoe into the ground, before speaking in a barely audible voice. 

"Why start a relationship when I know it's going to end?"

My eyebrows furrow and I shake my head, not understanding what she meant, "I don't understand. Are you saying that I am incapable of having a long-lasting relationship?"

Alarmed, Crimson immediately interjects, "No! No, please don't think that. It is not you, it is me..."

Jeez, we were not in a relationship, but why does it feel like she is already breaking up with me?

"...but it is because I find it unreasonable to have a relationship because I will return to Korea, my home...after I graduate high school..."

A breath of air leaves me. "W-What?"

Crimson wrings her fingers into the fabric of her top as she continues to avoid my eyes. "I plan to leave for Korea right after graduation next year and I don't want to risk heartbreak." 

She tightens her arms around her and whispers something I could decipher as "I can't go through that again."

But all I could think was; She was leaving the country in two years.

"Why?" I finally manage to speak out. "Why will you leave after graduation?"

Crimson gives me a wobbly smile, "Because...I have my grandparents and cousins waiting for me, I have my plans already set up in Korea. I have already envisioned my future there."

I feel frustrated and helpless as I ask, "But why did you move here if you were going to leave at the end?"

Crimson's eyes redden even more much to my distress, but she takes a moment to herself as she takes a step away from the tree we were standing under. 

She looks up at the canopy above, her fiery hair glowing in the sunlight shining through the leaves. Purple flowers fall around her, adding to the magical moment. I resist the urge to take a picture and instead wait for her to collect herself, even though I badly wanted to encase her in my arms and soothe her.

"Last year, " she begins still facing the tree, "my Dad was devastated when my Mum passed away. He wanted to leave Korea, a place full of memories of her, so we moved back to PineTree Hills, our hometown, to start moving on and I followed to keep my Dad company."

I feel a pang of sympathy for her, imagining the pain of losing a parent, the image of my father walking out on us coming to my mind.

"I'm sorry for your loss," I offer.

Crimson slowly nods with a tight smile, "It's okay, I am fine now and I think my Dad is finally starting to let go too." At that, her lips morph into a smile. 

"Moving here has been one of the best things to happen in years. I got to see my childhood home again, make new friends, and go on little adventures. But unfortunately, Drexel, having a relationship is not part of the plan," she ends, softly looking at me with an expression that conveys her guilt and clemency.

I gulp down my dry throat, giving Crimson an understanding nod before a sudden realisation hits me.

Wait a minute.

I look at Crimson with narrowed eyes and slowly say, "Crimson, did you reject me based on feelings or choice?"

Crimson blinks at me before stumbling in her steps unsteadily, her eyes darting around as if searching for an escape. "W-What do you mean?"

Without thinking, I take a slow step towards her, "I mean, if you were not leaving in two years, would you have returned my feelings? Did you reject me because you didn't have feelings for me, or because you didn't want to complicate things before you leave?" 

Crimson almost trips on her steps as I continue to walk her until her back is against the bark of the massive tree.

"Crimson, look at me," I gently urge, lightly lifting her chin after a few seconds of tense silence.

 Her startled eyes meet mine. We were so close, but I was careful not to do something I might regret again. 

"Will you tell me the truth? What do you honestly feel about me? Please don't go around in circles."

She doesn't respond to my question and instead closes her eyes tightly, holding her breath. Concerned that I may have made her uncomfortable, I step back cautiously, not wanting to make any more mistakes. 

"I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. You don't have to answer me right now. I- I'll leave," I say, my voice breaking and my heart pricking at me as I prepare to walk away.

"W-Wait!" 

I hear her voice call out to me, causing me to turn back towards her. She nibbles on her quivering lips and takes a shaky breath, unable to maintain eye contact with me for more than a couple of seconds.

"What is it?" I ask her softly.

She looks up at me, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment, before letting out a sigh of defeat and covering her face with her trembling hands. I can't help but chuckle at the cute gesture and gently remove a purple petal that landed on her red hair.

She just had to say a simple yes or no. But for her to act so bashfully like this...

My face breaks into a smile so wide it stretches from ear to ear making my cheeks ache. As I feel her cheek under my fingertips, I watch her closely for any signs of discomfort, but her fluttering eyelashes tell me otherwise.

"So, Crimson?"

Crimson's gaze drops to the ground, and she shakes her head slowly, stuttering to find the right words as if she desperately didn't want to change her mind. 

"I-I'm sorry, Drexel... I've a-already made up my mind."

 She didn't say no. She didn't say no.

I do what I had wanted to do for a long time. I wrap my arms around her and pull her close into a warm embrace, just as a gentle breeze sends a cascade of purple blossoms down around us. Her fingers grip the back of my shirt tightly as she hugs me back, and I can feel the beating of her heart against mine. I feel like I could jump off a cliff with joy.

I smile to myself and release Crimson from the hug, placing my hands on her shoulders. A sudden boost of confidence waters me.

"May I kiss your forehead, Crimson?" 

She doesn't recoil or say a word, but she stares at me like a startled deer. The surroundings were so still and silent as if they were watching us with bated breath when I slowly bent and pressed my lips against her forehead so gently I doubted she could feel it. It's a tender and fleeting moment that lasts for only two seconds, but it fills me with a warmth that I can't explain. My heart fills blooms with a flower of hope.

Judging from the way she's trembling, Crimson must be at least feeling SOMETHING, right?

Was I hoping for too much? 

Deciding to give her space for real, I step back, keeping a distance between us.

Two years? 

I realise that two years is not such a long time after all. But it's enough time to create memories and cherish them, to make the most out of the time we have together.

I think about the regrets I have in my own life, how I regretted not expressing my love to my father before he left, and how I wished I had spent more time with my Uncle Emmett to show him that he wasn't alone.

We often took time for granted.

So I might as well shoot that shot.

"Just because a relationship has an expiration date doesn't mean it can't be meaningful and fulfilling while it lasts. Your reason isn't strong enough for me, and I'll do my best to change your mind. Well, I hope you give me permission to do so... since I feel that you do have feelings for me. Am I right?" 

She only gapes at me and I take her silence as agreement.

"Then, see you tomorrow, Scarlet."

Her reason for not dating anyone was the only barrier between us. Save for that, we could've been a couple by now.

As I left with a giddy smile on my face, I could almost feel Archer mentally applauding me for my courage and straightforwardness to apologize, make a proposition, make a move and finally, successfully confess to her.

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He finally confessed!

But oh no, she is staying for only two years! What do you think she'll decide on? Will she accept him or not? Let's see!

Don't forget to hit that vote and comment! Thanks💫