THE MISTAKEN TEXT

The Mistaken Text

It was a quiet Friday night on campus. Most students were off partying, but Lara was glued to her phone, typing a message while feeling frustrated..no, vexed about her crush.

Her heart skipped a beat when she realised she had just accidentally sent a text meant for her best friend, complaining about Daniel to Daniel himself.

Oh no… oh no… oh no… she tapped frantically, trying to unsend it. But the app had betrayed her.

Within seconds, a reply came.“Haha… so that’s how you really feel? Bold of you.”

Lara froze. Her palms were sweaty. She typed nervously, “I..I didn’t mean..”

But Daniel’s next text stopped her mid-typing.."Meet me at the old bench behind the library. I'm outside now and yes… I’m bringing the popcorn😅.”

Popcorn? At midnight? Lara’s stomach twisted. She remembered,she had told her friend in that text to bring popcorn so she could complain about him some more. Argghhh… she wanted to nothing more than to sink through the floor as she buried her face in her hands.

The campus was practically deserted as she approached the bench, heart hammering in her chest. There he was, leaning casually, a mischievous grin on his face, actually holding a small bag of popcorn.

“You know,” Daniel said, tossing a piece into his mouth, “you could have just told me how you felt. But… that was… entertaining.” 

Lara blushed, looking down at her hands. “I was… complaining about you. It wasn’t… entertaining…”

He shrugged. “Love permits a little theatrics, don’t you think?”

“Who’s in love with w… whom?” she stammered, cheeks flaming.

His laugh was warm and infectious, and Lara felt her heart skip.

They sat in silence beneath the silver moonlight, the gentle rustle of leaves around them. For a long moment, nothing was said.

Daniel leaned back, his eyes twinkling under the moonlight. “You know… I never thought I’d thank a mistake… but here we are.”

Lara tilted her head, confused.

"Because,” he said, taking her hand gently, “I planned to tell you how I felt  tomorrow regardless knowing well that my chances were low… but your text…made me a bit more confident" he said smiling slightly.. "It gave me courage. Made me realise I couldn’t wait. Funny, I couldn’t sleep knowing you were probably annoyed at me… I wouldn’t want to ruin my already tiny chances. What I’m trying to say is… I like you. I really like you.”

Lara stared, speechless, as if her brain had been replaced with cotton wool. She opened her mouth to respond, but only a squeak escaped.

Daniel laughed softly, leaning back. “I’ll take that as a positive response..maybe?”

Before she could recover, he gently poked her forehead. “I just needed you to know. I’ve been a coward for far too long.”

Lara blinked, trying to process everything. Her heart somersaulting, her thoughts a jumble of disbelief and delight.

“Lara… Lara…” he murmured, snapping his fingers and suddenly…

She woke up.

Her best friend’s face hovered inches from hers, eyebrows raised.. “You were sleeping with the most ridiculous grin on your face. What were you dreaming about?”

Lara blinked, wiped the drool from her chin, cheeks blazing, and slowly turned her head.

There, a row away, sat Daniel, looking slightly bemused. He gave her a curious glance, perhaps noticing the commotion, before looking away.

Lara’s heart skipped. It was just a dream… but the warmth in her chest has yet to fade.

Original content..thanks for reading 🙈🌹