Since the day Theo had a glimpse of a girl he didn’t know, he couldn’t take her off his mind. Her sweet laughter and alluring smile remained in his memories. That moment kept repeating in his imagination as clear as the clouds one Friday morning. He sneaked into the Senior’s building once more and gazed at her.
“Ms. Zara Evans, kindly inform your classmates that we will have a long quiz tomorrow,” the teacher said.
“Okay, sir.”
Theo was close enough to hear their conversation. Zara Evans sounded familiar to him.
“Hey! I’ve been looking for you!” Hailey said.
“Let’s go back to the classroom.”
Hailey Evans… Was it a coincidence?
Theo came back to the south wing with a blank face.
“Where have you been?” Stan asked.
“To London to visit the queen,” Theo replied in a monotone as he walked past him.
Stan rubbed his nape as he followed him.
Theo was not himself lately. The once goofy and loud clown in the classroom became quiet and behaved. He was in his seat all day, admiring the sky. Stan would glance at him from time to time and Theo was surprisingly calm, unlike most days.
“Stan. I have a question.”
“Yes?”
“Nevermind.”
Theo would call Stan every few minutes and brush off his question as if it was something forbidden.
“Stan. I—”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Stan cooked seafood with lots of clams, shrimps, and octopus during dinner. They were Theo’s favorites. Stan thought the dish would lift him up or bring him back to his usual self. But Theo was unchanged. He was quietly munching his food like a judge in a cooking contest, as if analyzing its flavor and aroma.
“Theo, what’s wrong with you?” Stan finally asked.
“What’s wrong with me?” Theo asked back.
“Well, it seems to me that you’re not aware of your strange behaviour. The type of which I never imagined you could do.”
“Like?”
“Being quiet and disciplined.”
“Am I a war freak for you?”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Now I know that you’ve always viewed me as a delinquent and unruly child, Stan.”
“Stop being overly dramatic, Burton.”
Theo drank a glass of water.
“So, tell me what’s bothering you,” Stan said.
“Nothing, really.”
“Stop denying it. I could read you like an obituary. Spill the beans. Ask me the thing you’ve been dying to know.”
Theo thought for a while. He looked oddly into Stan’s eyes for five seconds.
“Dude, you’re seriously freaking me out,” Stan blurted.
“Okay. Here it goes…” Theo inhaled some air, “do we have a bro code?”
“Hm. Bro code. Can you be more specific?”
“For example. Are we not allowed to date each other’s exes? Things like that.”
“I think it’s not about bro code, but more of respect for your friend no matter the circumstances are. Imagine dating someone who shared beautiful memories and even painful ones with your friend. Someone he valued so much and thought would last. The person you talk about with excitement in his voice. Can you handle those? And even if they had moved on, that person has a special place in his heart. It’s about knowing the boundaries and when not to cross the line.”
Theo nodded.
“I never had an ex, to begin with. But I would surely not date your exes. They’re not my type. But even if they are, I won’t. It’s not worth it,” Stan added.
“What about Zara Evans? She’s your type.”
“Yeah. She is. But I’m not interested in being in a romantic relationship with her.”
“Am I not allowed to like someone you like?”
“Technically, you can’t. We can’t ruin our friendship for a girl. We are not just friends, Burton. We are soul partners.”
“So, I can’t like Zara…”
Stan’s ears tingled, and he realized what troubled Theo this whole time.
“You like Zara and you’re worried about my feelings,” Stan stated.
“I don’t like her, just in case I might like her,” Theo denied.
“Well, you are free to like her. I don’t have such feelings for her.”
“How come?”
“Being someone’s type and liking someone are two different ideas. She has the qualities I’m looking for in a girlfriend, but we don’t have a certain connection that would make me like her. Because when I like someone, I don’t see it. I feel it. That instant spark like you’ve known each other for years and everything flows smoothly when you’re together.”
“The complexity of your words perplexes me, Stan. Why don’t you define it in simple terms?”
Stan pushed the bridge of his eyeglasses.
“Liking someone is a profound sensation you feel towards a complete stranger.”
Stan’s response made Theo think. It sounded so magical and extraordinary.
“Thank you for clarifying your feelings towards her, Stan. To be honest, it bothered me more than our Science project,” Theo said.
“Now you’re back,” Stan uttered.
***
Day by day, it had become Theo’s hobby to visit the north wing and check out the Seniors, especially the main purpose of his visit—Zara Evans. He was not the kind of admirer who’s contented to watch from afar. Theo loved to make the first move and catch a girl’s attention. So, he planned to make a subtle hint of his intentions.
“Stan, can you help me make a love letter?” Theo said.
“Did I hear you right? You’re making a love letter?” Stan teased.
“Don’t look at me like that, Stan. I don’t want to cringe at what I’m doing.”
It was Theo’s first time writing a love letter. All his exes were easy to get. With just one look, one touch, and a bunch of flowery words, he made them say ‘yes.’ But Zara was different. He had to play safe.
“Alright. Let me write it for you,” Stan said.
Dear Zara Evans
A lot of things remind me of you—the vivid colours of the sunset as it touches the ocean, the delicate clouds as it kisses the wind, a field of dandelions, the rarity of an ivorybill, and the blooming daffodils. Everything was simple. But then I begin to see you through the enchanting fairies, the complexity of theories, the central tendency of statistics, and the fundamentals of physics. The way I think of you is scary. I see you in everything mystical. But what scares me the most is not seeing you in my future. I couldn’t think of any plausible way to convey the fragments of my desire, but in one phrase. “My heart is madly entangled with your beauty.”
Sincerely Yours,
Admirer
Theo read Stan’s letter. He was ready to insert it into Zara’s locker. Theo felt confident that she would love it. Stan was poetic, after all. Love letters weren’t Theo’s thing. This old-school way was a cliche for him.
He glanced at the letter one last time. But for an unknown reason, he crumpled it and threw it into the trashcan. It was his love letter. Why would he use someone else to write it? What needed to be written was his feelings and not anyone else’s. He had to face this tough time.
Theo sat at his desk and began to write.
Dear Zara Evans,
I never prayed for anything so beautiful in my life because what I am is perfectly fine. Everything I do is great and there was nothing I could wish for. I have everything there is to be satisfied and delighted with. But my belief collapsed when I found you. Your smile showed me that there was something more beautiful in the world. There is something perfectly made in your voice. It is proof that I am flawed. Your absence made me realize that I am incomplete and lacking in so many ways. But all of those will be complete with you as one piece. And I will only be satisfied if you look at me the same way as I look at you.
Your Secret Admirer
PS: Smile for face reveal.
His letter didn’t fail him because Zara was smiling while reading it. Theo ran to the field and jumped like a little kid who got some stars in school. He hugged Stan who was standing under a tree while observing the students.
“It worked,” Stan said.
“It did.”
One week later…
Stan was answering his assignments in the dorm when Theo arrived with heavy breathing.
“Stan. I want Zara Evans to be my girlfriend.”
Stan looked at him for a minute before he said, “That would be a problem.”
Theo placed his bag on the stool. “Why?”
“When Zara and I were on a date, we talked a lot about relationships and she told me things about his ideal boyfriend.”
“Why is it a problem?”
“The problem is… she’s not fond of Casanovas.”
Theo’s heart was shattered into pieces. He didn’t stand a chance because of his long list of flings.
“Based on your record, it would be difficult to attract her. Auto pass,” Stan added.
“It’s difficult, but not impossible, right?”
“If you’re willing to be her ideal boyfriend, then why not?”
Theo gulped.
“Where should I start, Stan?”
“Why are you asking someone who has no girlfriend since birth?”
Theo sat on the floor and bowed his head as if worshipping Stan.
“Please teach me, Sensei.”
Stan shook his head. He grabbed his pen and put it on Theo’s head as he stated, “By the power vested upon me, I shall proclaim you as the ideal boyfriend for Zara Evans.”
“It is with great honor that I accept this duty, Your Majesty.”
As part of Theo’s training, Stan created a list of the things that Theo must do to be the ideal boyfriend.
Stan’s Reminders:
1. Always be gentle.
2. Never raise your voice and do not use bad words.
3. Compliment her.
4. Do not be too clingy.
5. Be her protective gear.
6. Be presentable at all times.
7. Do not look at other girls.
8. Never compare her with other girls.
9. Do not talk about your exes unless she asks.
10. Support her in everything she does.
11. Boost her self-confidence.
12. Your actions and words should go together.
13. Be confident about yourself.
14. Be true to yourself.
15. Listen to her.
16. Remind her of her worth.