It Was Already Too Late 💔

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Chapter 2: The Girl Who Loved Me

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Six months earlier.

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The school hallway was louder than usual.

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Students crowded around the lockers, laughing, shouting, and rushing to their next classes.

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I leaned against my locker, talking to my friends when I noticed her.

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Maya.

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She was walking toward us with a book pressed against her chest.

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She looked at me.

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Then immediately looked away.

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My friend Jordan followed my gaze.

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“Dude,” he whispered, laughing. “She’s looking at you again.”

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I rolled my eyes.

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“So?”

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“So? Everyone knows she likes you.”

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The others started laughing.

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I looked at Maya again.

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She was pretending to read something on the noticeboard.

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But I could tell she was listening.

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I don't know why I did it.

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Maybe I wanted my friends to laugh.

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Maybe I wanted to look cool.

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Or maybe I was simply too immature to understand that words could hurt someone.

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“Maya!” I called.

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She froze.

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Slowly, she turned around.

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“Yes?”

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I smirked.

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“Are you following me?”

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Her eyes widened.

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“No.”

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“Because you're always around me.”

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A few people laughed.

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Her face turned red.

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“I wasn't—”

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“Relax,” I interrupted. “I'm joking.”

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She forced a small smile.

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“Okay.”

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Then she walked away.

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My friends laughed again.

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I laughed with them.

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I didn't notice the way her shoulders dropped.

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I didn't notice how tightly she held her book.

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And I definitely didn't notice the tears gathering in her eyes.

At lunch, I found her sitting alone beneath a tree.

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She was writing in a small notebook.

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I walked past her.

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She quickly closed it.

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“What are you writing?” I asked.

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“Nothing.”

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I reached for the notebook.

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She pulled it away.

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“Please don't.”

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Something about the way she said it made me stop.

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For a moment, neither of us spoke.

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Then I smiled.

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“Fine. Keep your secrets.”

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She looked at me.

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There was something in her eyes that I couldn't understand.

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“Ethan?”

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“Yeah?”

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“Do you really hate me?”

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I laughed.

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“What?”

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“You always make fun of me.”

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I shrugged.

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“I'm just joking around.”

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She looked down.

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“Sometimes jokes hurt.”

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I didn't know what to say.

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So I said the worst thing I could have said.

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“Then stop being so sensitive.”

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Her face changed.

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It was only for a second.

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But I saw it.

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The hurt.

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She stood up.

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“Okay.”

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Then she walked away.

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I watched her disappear into the crowd.

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For some reason, I felt guilty.

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But I pushed the feeling away.

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I told myself it didn't matter.

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She liked me.

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She'd get over it.

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I had no idea how wrong I was.

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---

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That evening, Maya sat on her bed, staring at the notebook.

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She opened it to a fresh page.

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At the top, she wrote:

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Things I wish I could tell Ethan.

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She stared at the words for a long time.

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Then she began writing.

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I don't expect you to love me.

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I just wish you wouldn't make me feel stupid for loving you.

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A tear fell onto the page.

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She wiped it away quickly.

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Then she closed the notebook.

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Maybe tomorrow would be different.

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Maybe he would finally be kind to her.

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She still believed that people could change.

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And that was the problem.

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She believed in Ethan long before Ethan ever learned how to believe in her.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqCSnPb2x4

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