A tall, broad-shouldered boy always stared at me during the free period. He was the best in rugby and soccer. The whole school knew him as a champion. He won the school a lot of gold trophies. I always watched him play in tournaments.

I felt weak in my spine whenever his eyes met mine. My body rushed with desire that I couldn’t resist. I had never felt like that before. His eyes made me develop feelings for him. I was trying to hide it. His eyes were on me or maybe I just thought he was looking at me. I couldn’t have been hallucinating, his eyes met mine, I know. He was a genius in every subject and every girl in my class wanted him: in fact, every girl in the school did. When he walked, every girl worshipped him, whatever he touched, everyone went and felt it. I think he left his footprints and scent wherever he went. He was the show at school and we students were the audience.

He didn’t care about my looks but my heart. I never dressed for attention, like my peers. I wanted to be natural and original, not hide in fake hair, eyelashes and fake nails. I was an ordinary girl in ordinary clothes. Gloria used to tease me, “No boy will date you, I swear.”
Girls in my class knew it was illegal but they were bribing the senior prefects to find their way. What was banned at school the girls did, yes, for attraction. I was a simple girl, shy and kind. When my eyes made him out, I giggled and looked away. Every time he was in my path, I changed direction. When he tried to call me, I pretended not to hear. My classmates said I was playing hard to get, but I really just wanted to avoid him. I still couldn’t admit that I loved him at first sight, I was afraid of what my friends would think. They would mock me and ask why I would date a high class like Ronald.

I was still playing hide and seek with myself because I was scared to meet my admirer but he gushed at me. I found a letter with a million kisses and a milk chocolate on my desk.

“Linda has an admirer,” Gloria told the classroom.

I was annoyed. I had a feeling it was Ronald. Of course it was him. My classmates gathered around to see if it was true.

“Come on, read it,” they encouraged.

“She received a chocolate too,” they whispered. “Don’t leave us in suspense!”

I didn’t like displaying my life in public but Gloria was an attention-seeker. It was the group she joined: she had to tell them all secrets, such as who you are dating and what you and your lover do or say, but the information stayed inside our classroom and it was forbidden to let outsiders know. At first I refused to join it but Gloria forced me into it.

I rolled my eyes, irritated, and tried to hide the letter in my bag. Before I knew it, Gloria was unfolding it. I quickly grabbed it and tore it to pieces. The classroom booed and I felt relieved as I dropped the pieces of paper to the floor.

“You are a sucker!” Gloria slapped my shoulder.

Didn’t she know I didn’t want to tear it? I wanted to read it. I wanted to know what Ronald wrote. I was a sucker for sure. I kept rolling my eyes in agony.

“What did you do that for?” she asked furiously.

“The class doesn’t need to know my life,” I answered, nonchalant, but inside I was in suspense.

Gloria widened her eyes in disbelief. “You violated the rules,” she said.

“Does it matter?”

“You must know who wrote the letter,” she chuckled.

I nodded and she came closer, pinching me slightly on my elbows.

“Did you read it?” she asked curiously.

I shook my head and she laughed, “You are a sucker for sure.”

I will never forget that day, but Ronald did tell me what he wrote in the letter the next day when I saw him at the tuck shop.

“Why did you tear it before reading?” he asked, teasing me but puzzled.

“Because the whole class would have read it,” I laughed.

“I wrote about how my heart felt in the letter, you stole a part of my heart,” he said.

He sounded serious, but I wondered why because we had been to school for years and he had never eyed me.

“You are now grown and more beautiful,” he said, as if he was reading my mind.

I didn’t know how it happened, but we had chemistry and connected. I would do anything to be with him. I sneaked out to watch the stars and hold his hand all night. But our relationship was a secret, no one knew we were in love, that is how Ronald wanted it. I wanted it too, to avoid questions from the class. My life was my business. I kept my secret even from Gloria
until one day…

Tell us: Why do you think Ronald wanted to keep the relationship a secret?