Oh, Cecilia!

Nobody likes Cecilia. She sits alone on her desk at school, eats alone at the cafeteria, and lives alone. She wears small glasses, set on her even smaller nose, that always slips and she has to push it up every five minutes.

She's the weird kid who somehow managed to get all through the tests and examinations and due-soon homework. She's the nerdy kid who wears a too-straight outfit and has a button-like nose.

Even the school bullies don't think she's worth bullying. The teachers shake their heads at her, and she's the only kid that was brave enough to touch the shy hedgehog, when the bullies dared the whole school.

When a sympathising soul asks her what's wrong, she answers, ''This world is wrong, and fate is sad,'' with her face pouting, her eyes sad, and her mouth bent in a frown.

One curious student, Nico, was his name, likes to forget his own life and budges others about theirs. Cecilia looked pretty, in Nico's eyes, and exceptionally eccentric.

Cecilia might seem like the kid who'd be fun to pick on, but in reality she's a lovely girl with a sad soul. Cecilia was always in the garden when the class break comes.

She's always touching the flowers, whispering soft chants of promises that they "Can live in a world where the soil's mellow and the grass is green."

Cecilia has long, mousy hair, so soft and smooth that even the ''Y Girl Gang'' are jealous. She has matching hazel eyes and clear skin that looks almost translucent in good sunlight.

Her eyes are magnified by her glasses, which makes her look innocent in a badass way. Nico was the only student in the whole complex of Cedar Grove Academy that understood Cecililia, Cecil for short, for who she was.

And so, Nico, being the interfering, nosy kid he is, steadily warmed up to Cecil.

First, Nico purposely bumped into Cecil when they were passing by each other in the hallways. ''Sorry,'' Nico said, while flashing Cecil a mischievous, white-toothed grin.

''It's fine,'' Cecil reciprocated, already picking up her fallen books and whatnot. Cecil's voice, melodious music to Nico's ears, was remembered by the boy long after this brief interaction.

Then, Nico, once figured out Cecil's habit of spending time in the school garden, left a folded note among the flowers, as they swayed in the autumn breeze.

Cecil, having ventured and memorised all the flowers in the place by now, spotted the out-of-place, pink piece of paper set on top of her favourite vermilion rose.

Cecil's nimble hands exquisitely unrolled the note, and inside, it read:

''Dear, Cecil,

I like the way your brunette hair blows in the autumn breeze, as the bronze leaves fall as if to greet your beauty.

Your chocolate eyes remind me of the sweet treat itself; sweet, soft and crisp. Your cologne smells better than all of the flowers in the garden smells, mixed together.

I know that most people bring you down, make fun of you and laugh at you, but I hope you know that I'm not the kind of human made of the same ingredients.

The way you smile at me, the way you read a book, your eyes flitting to and fro between the words etched in the delicate pages, the way you tell the teacher the answers to every single question that's thrown at us; it amazes me.

I hope you know that I would love to be your friend and will protect you from anything that might hurt you, physically or psychologically.

I may not be your knight-in-shining-armour, but I may be your friend if you'd let me do so.

Written with care, and (even though I don't know how to) poetic words,

Your Observing Friend.''

Cecil's heart melted with gratitude at the thought that someone actually cared for her and wanted to be her friend, but, at the same time, her inquisitive soul wondered who the nameless writer was.

Soon, though, Cecil would find that her Observing Friend would soon be her Best Friend, and, if not, something more.

Nico left notes everywhere for Cecil to find; in her desk, in her locker, in the flowers, and even, once, in her notebook, and Cecil was confused as to how it got there.

Nico was a plain kid, simple, kind, and blunt. He was raised in an 'okay' family, and he had manners. Nico liked Cecil, not as a crush, but as a human being.

Nico was still fifteen, and as a growing human he's learning the journey of life and the love and conflicts that add excitement to the long, long road ahead.

His face was chiselled, his father's good looks clearly seen. Nico's eyes were a bright green, reflecting the curious character inside. He had a playful look in his seeing orbs, as if he liked to joke and discover secret hiding places.

He was constantly making jokes and laughing about them, always smiling and laughing, and making new friends. Unlike Cecil, who was silent and broody, Nico was one happy and bubbly soul.

Never in his life did Nico act all serious and solemn about an affair, only this one; this one with Cecil. His parents saw the change in him, and was positive that Cecil would help him do something better than make pranks.

Cecil and Nico soon became friends, Nico's sunny personality shedding light to Cecil's dull world. They fit each other perfectly, and I'm sure they'll end up as forever friends.

Cecil laughed and smiled more, and they spent most of their time roaming the town's empty fields, flowers secretly picked from the school garden in their hands.

They climb oak trees and had many meaningful talks up there, and they looked into each other's eyes as they spoke, the emerald boring into the scarlet, and vice versa.

Love was a lovely thing, but sometimes friendship can be just as good. Nico acted more mature ever since he met Cecil, and Cecil became a happier person.

Many other students shipped the two friends, but they didn't care. All they cared was that when the school bell rings, signalling the end of the school day, they were free to traipse the fields and ride the wild horses in the autumn breeze.

~~~

Everything that's good will, one way or another, come to an end, and so did Cecil's and Nico's fun together. Cecil, she said, with teary eyes and a cracking voice, was moving, to another town, far away from this one.

"I'm leaving," Cecil cried, ''To another town, far away from here, and far away from you.'' Nico embraced her, trying to hold back his own eye-water from flowing out.

''I love you, Cecil,'' Nico said, and he didn't mean romantic love, but he meant friendship love, platonic love, and Cecil knew it. They were best friends, after all.

''I know how you feel,'' Nico said, ''You're sad about leaving me, but who knows, maybe you'll find a better person in that new place,'' Nico rubbed her back comfortingly but Cecil shook her head.

''No one, and when I say no one, I mean no one, can replace you and the moments I had with you, Neeks,'' Cecil said, wiping away a tear with her finger.

''Just go,'' Nico said. They were sitting on a bench, right behind Cecil's packed and parked car. Their parents were saying their farewells too, to each other, and they had some alone time.

Nico felt more serious that he had ever been in his entire life. Long gone were the boisterous laughter, and silly puns, and tree-climbing adventures, and the wind-whistling in his and Cecil's ears when they ride the wild horses.

As they said goodbye, Cecil waved at Nico as the autumn breeze blew through her hair. Nico pulled her closer for a last embrace and he slipped a pink piece of paper, the first letter he had given her, but on the other side was written something else:

''Dear, Cecilia,

Oh, Cecilia! Listen to the wind as it whistles in our eardrums, the thrill as the horses' hooves hit the ground with a heart thump, a never-ending loop, like a metronome.

Oh, Cecilia! Look at the autumn leaves, they fall, bronze in colour, like caramel candy when it's melted. They come and go with the breeze, greeting your beauty with their vibrant colours.

Oh, Cecilia! I'll miss the way we traverse the oak tree's branches, nooks and crannies. Remember that one time when you tripped and hung off one branch as I held out my arms under you, trying to catch you if you fall?

I'll miss our talks up on the highest branch, about life and all its queer happenings. I'll miss the times when we'll run through the rows and rows of roses in the school garden, and we'll wear bracelets of braided daisies and its stems.

I'll miss the way we roll down the hill, the scent of the dewy grass fresh and clean. I'll miss the way how we'll sneak pies from the cafeteria and eat them after school in our favourite hiding spots.

I'll miss everything about us, from the way you talk to the way we laugh, and I'll forever remember the memories we made together as friends.

Remember me and everything else we've done.

With lots of love and maybe a couple of tears,

Nico Ignis.''

Cecil waved at Nico fervently, tears rolling down her cheeks as she screamed goodbye.

Nico nodded and waved back, silent tears and promises in his heart. ''Goodbye, Cecil!!'' he said.

They parted in the autumn breeze, Cecil's car leaving the chestnut leaves floating in its wake.