FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM - HER FIRST LOVE

"Could this date be a sign? I'm not sure," Hera mumbled. Shaking her head in disagreement, she got down from the bed and knelt on the floor to lift the corner of her bed. Picking out the purple diary she'd kept hidden under the bed, she placed the wrapper inside. Fanning her heated face with her hand, Hera went to the window and opened it wide. Closing her eyes, she let the cold breeze break-in and inhaled deeply. 

Slowly Hera opened her eyes only to jump back in surprise. Her eyes widened as they landed straight on Hunter. 

There he's, sitting all alone on the bleachers on the soccer ground, rotating the cell phone in his hand absent-mindedly. Hera observed his form, appreciating the way his sweatshirt fit his body so perfectly. Her eyes ran over his strong legs, muscular thighs clad in shorts. He's as handsome as ever, even in those plain sweatshirt and shorts. 

'Stop drooling, Hera, you've turned into a creepy pervert lately!'

Hera scowled at herself and turned around to make sure that she's still alone in the room. 

"Oh, my God! You, stupid brain, stop corrupting my innocent heart, will you? I'm not a pervert, and I'm definitely not drooling. I was only worried because you know how the weather gets in London, and he had dressed only in his shorts in this chilly weather. What if he gets sick?" She stopped babbling and laughed nervously. She was alone and talking to herself like crazy. Rolling her eyes, she focused her attention on Hunter and watched him running his fingers through his hair. 

He looked upset and lost deep in thoughts.

Hera sighed and frowned, watching Hunter frown as well. He looked down at his phone, and suddenly a smile broke into his lips stretching into a wide grin as he pressed the phone to his ear. And just like that, his face lit up, and he started speaking animatedly. Watching his tensed demeanour shifting into a relaxed one, Hera smiled too. She knew that happy grin. Hera could tell, he's talking to one of his parents and her shoulders loosened in relief. 

The mist of sadness which bothered him since the morning lifted, and with that Hera recognised something. 

The sign she's looking for, it's there right in front of her eyes. Hera realised that the smile on his face and his happiness meant the world to her. She would do anything to keep that smile intact on his face. 

Unexpectedly Hunter glanced up, looking her way and in a reflex Hera immediately ducked. But it was too late because he'd already caught her staring at him. Hera felt stupid for hiding. 

"Why the hell did I do that?" She hissed through gritted teeth, annoyed at herself. "And how in the hell could he sense my eyes on him every fucking time? I was quite secretive about it, wasn't I?" She murmured, still ducking and scowled at her stupidity because she was whispering as though Hunter could hear her voice. 

Still crouching on her knees, Hera crawled her way back to her bed. Once she settled back on her bed, she took a few deep breaths to calm her crazy heartbeats. Grabbing her water bottle from the desk, she drank half the bottle in one go. 

She needed something to distract herself or else her heart would jump out of her chest. She checked the time on the wall clock, and there's still time for her assigned punishment in the kitchen. What better way than the homework to distract her mind? Hera took out her chemistry book to complete her assignment and got settled in the chair. She remembered the paper Jake the tutor of her detention class gave her. 

She unfolded the paper to check, and her eyes went wide with surprise.

"Oh, my God!" She laughed in somewhat disbelief. 

"Okay, first, we have a date, and then you showed me, Hunter, sitting right in front of my eyes and now this. Dear God, I'm convinced already so you can stop with the hints now," she laughed softly before focusing her attention back to the paper in her hands. 

She would recognise that handwriting, even with her blindfolded eyes. Running her hand over the neat handwriting of Hunter, she shook her head vigorously as in to come out of her wayward thoughts. Her eyes watered, and she suddenly felt her heart heavy with overwhelming emotions. It brought back memories from those days when he used to help with her homework. 

HUNTER SMILED TO HIMSELF. He knew Hera wouldn't come back to the window again to acknowledge his presence. It's cute how stupidly she ducked her head when he caught her staring at him. His smile stayed intact on his lips as he walked back to his dorm. 

His mood lifted, and he felt relieved. Thanks to his Goddess and of course, his parents too. 

As he expected, talking to his parents really helped. He was pleasantly surprised when his phone rang right at the exact time when Hunter wanted to call them. He silently thanked the universe for their telepathic network, appreciating the strong, steady connection. 

As usual, his lovely mother had answers to his every query. She squashed every disturbing thought from his mind that was bothering him. All it took was merely a simple statement. "It's not about who you favour or support it's about doing the right thing," his mother had said. 

Very sensibly, Hunter had concocted a story about a random girl getting bullied by his friends and how he felt guilty for not protecting the girl, even though he wasn't part of the bullying. But his mother, ever the clever woman had asked, "Who's the random girl you're interested in all of a sudden and fought with your best friends to protect her?" Hunter had heard his father laughing at that. 

That's the moment when Hunter absent-mindedly looked up towards Hera's windows and saw her angelic face. He witnessed her eyes going wide as their gazes met before she disappeared from his view. 

Long story short, his parents concluded with, he shouldn't have a second thought if he believes he's doing the right thing. Being one's best friend doesn't mean he's not allowed to have a difference of opinions, and besides, true friendship would survive every obstacle in the end, no matter what. "I would rip the world apart if anyone dared to hurt my woman," Hunter's father had said. 

His father had made him realise where Hunter had lacked in protecting his girl, though he didn't say anything directly. He didn't have to confess for his parents to know when he's interested in someone special. They knew him inside and out. 

That night, both Hera and Hunter had dreamt about their happy future.

And

The next day, Hera woke up with a smile stretched across her face. 

NOT PAYING ANY ATTENTION to her roommates' glares, Hera got dressed in her olive green skirt and matching blazer with a white top minus the tie, their uniform for Wednesdays. She left the room early as she couldn't stand their judging brutal stares anymore. 

Hera walked up the stairs, reaching the floor to her classroom. She hugged her shivering self as the chilly weather brushed against her. As she manoeuvred her way through the crowd of high school students, she paused, looking around in alarm. She felt like someone was watching her, and true to her instinct, she found a tall boy with brown hair along with two other boys glaring at her with their hate-filled eyes. 

'It seemed like everyone is dead set on hating me these days!' 

She wondered whatever she did to earn their hatred. 

They stood a few feet away from her right next to her classroom door. With a frown of confusion clouding her features, Hera tried to remember any previous encounter with the boys as they all looked vaguely familiar to her. Her eyes ran over their form and noticed that they had injuries all over them. The brown-haired boy had a bandage on his nose as well as his left hand. His jaw bruised, eyes swollen, and there were cuts under his eyes and on his lips too. 

She could tell the injuries were fresh. 

Suddenly Hera gasped in shock as recognition dawned on her. He's the boy from the party, the one who tried to grab her inappropriately. Hera shifted nervously under his sharp gaze. 

The other two boys were the ones who lifted her onto the makeshift dais. They too had cuts on their lips, and their eyes and jaw swelled as well. Something behind Hera caught their attention, and Hera observed, while they got tensed. Casting one last glance at her, limping the way they disappeared in the crowd. No doubt, their legs injured too. 

Hera sighed in relief and wondered what made them so tensed. They looked horrified in truth. Curious, she turned to find out the source of their horror, and her eyes landed on the heartthrob of the school, President Ace Hunter himself.